So I started collecting for the 3DS about 4 years ago, a few months before Nintendo would announce that they would close the Eshop and people started buying up 3DS games. I had a small amount of games, probably around 50 by the time they made the announcement to give people enough time to buy games and use credit. At that time, I thought, wouldn't it be nice to build a 3ds collection and try to collect all the North American games. It would be expensive, but I could make it a fun journey and I could probably find a way to pay for it for free. 

 At that time, I was living in China and my friend back home in American was buying and flipping games to fund his own collection, the PS Vita. So I decided I would do the same. I started researching games and Ebay sold listings and watching various people on Youtube who did the same for collecting or reselling. I ended up making lists and being in this part of the world, there was an app that you could buy things from all parts of China. This was right before covid when I started, so at that time prices had not spiked yet. I would buy random games, accessories, plush, figures and collect them until I could get them home to list. I would then take the profits I made and use only the profits to buy games I needed. Most of my collection came from the app I used to buy games and flip them. The rest I would buy from Ebay, Mercari, or local Marketplace when I would go to the states. 

You see, a few years back (2015), I had a good collection in the US, but my parents decided they wanted to use my room and put my things in storage. Unfortunately, that place had a huge fire due to arson from a disgruntled customer who lost his unit and it was sold. My games, figures, and systems were gone. My parents did not tell me until I went home after almost two years of not being able to travel because of the ban that China had on people leaving and coming back. When they told me I was so upset because I had games I cherished and things I had collected from importing N64 games, to PS1 games from local stores that are no longer open. My original Final fantasy games for the SNES, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and so many more, gone. 

So as my 3DS collection grew, I was like why not collect those games again. They might not be the original ones I owned, but I could have them and replay them. Yes, I could always emulate them but I wanted the real things to hold and relive some of those memories. I can still remember buying Final Fantasy 3 from a local store at the mall for about 96 dollars and that drove my parents mad cause I spent so much of my allowance money without asking. They tried to return it but I phoned ahead and told the owner to stand their ground and my parents would eventually cave in. They did and they returned with my game and scolded me, but I got to keep it. So that is why I wanted to collect games from my childhood from all the systems I owned. But my god, the prices for games from the NES through Sega Saturn to PS1 had skyrocketed. So I decided to keep buying things and pay for the collection.

Fast forward to now, collection has grown and I have so many of my favorite games from all consoles and they all have a story and memory attached to them. But here is where I also have a dilemma. I have about 356 games from the 3DS North American Collection and over 10 consoles. I do love the 3ds and I did own a few variations of the consoles when they came out, but I don't have as many memories with over 70% of the games. I started 4 years ago collecting out of fun and thinking it would be cool to have these games and try to play some of the ones I missed. Second, I have a son and hes about three and another reason I collect now is because I want him to experience the same thrill I had looking at games and playing various types of games from various consoles. I grew up in the 80s when you would go to Toys R Us or Kaybees or some other game store to look at the games art work and descriptions on the back. You had no internet, just magazines (Nintendo Power, EGM, Gamefan, GamePro, and so on) and hype generated by word of mouth. I want him to experience something similar and I have set up the gaming office/play area for him to enjoy looking at these things. He does not play any games yet and the most he gets to do is play with the plushies and look at all the games and asks about the characters and if they are crying or angry when he looks at cover art.

Going back to the problem, I am thinking of downsizing the 3ds collection by probably 300 games and not finish collecting the complete set. I been fighting with myself for almost a month about selling them and turning the profits into more meaningful games for the NES, SNES, PS1 and so on. How can I convince myself to let the collection go? I guess the problem is that it is because of the 3DS collection that I ended up with everything I own and that adventure of collecting and finding great deals and rebuilding what I lost all came from trying to finish the 3DS collection. Will I regret it in the future? Or is it just another part of the story. Anyways wondering what would you do? 

TL;DR: I started collecing the complete North American 3DS collection. It led me to end up collecting for other consoles I used to own and my collection has grown and I don't have as much memories for the 3ds and I am just collecting now for completing a list. Should I sell or keep? Funds will go to buy more games from my childhood I lost in a fire.

Trimming Down The Collection