I have a lot of CPCs, software disks, cassettes and cartridges, also books and expansion hardware but I would not call myself a "collector".
To me a collector must want every variation of everything related to the CPC and/or plus machines, if a piece of software was issued different formats, different languages with different packaging and other material included in the box then the collector must have at least one of every variation of that single software.
Same goes for hardware machines with different motherboards must all be present in the collection.
If you call yourself a collector, do you have the desk that was sold as part of a CPC464 pack? a GT64 and a GT65, how about SSA-1 and a DK'Tronics speech synthesiser.
What is missing from your collection?
IMHO a collector is somebody who satisfies his biggest fear - in this case it's creed - by getting everything of one area. If they can't satisfy their creed this way, then they start eating or something else.
And especially persons who refuse this statement the most, will probably have the biggest fears.
Never mind. :)
Hardly call myself a collector.
But my signature would suggest I appreciate the really rare if not next to impossible things which are missing. If source code for a program for example exists, I would be interested in typing it in. :D
To me, a collector is someone who buys lots of uber-rare stuff, keeps it all prestine in it's packaging and leaves it on a shelf to look nice & pretty - never actually touches or uses it.
I'm not a "collector" - I like to own stuff I wish I had at the time, or own stuff that I used to own. It's all nostalgia to me .... and YES, I do use my CPCs - I like to dig them out and play a few games from the past and have a right old nostalgia trip.
I have no doubt some saddo who got into CPC's a year ago has a garage full of CPC's with every game ever. Yet some of us have been here since 1985.
People might be able to acquire games on Ebay and push prices up to satisfy their newly found lust, but they will NEVER have the memory of going into a shop in the 1980's and buying CPC games off the shelf. Ergo I win every time.
I think some collectors see each and every variation of an item to be historically significant or at least an historical fact and like a museum curator, must have examples in their collection.
The question isn't whether you have all the CPCs, rather why you have them. I own every CPC except for the GX4000. I also have a massive collection of other 8-bit computers too, every Atari, every Spectrum, every Commodore, every (non-PC case) Amiga, several BBCs, Oric, Acorn, MSX and probably a few I've forgotten. However, I only collected them so that I have working examples as a reference when I am repairing a computer for someone. I don't have two of any computer, I also don't have or care whether they have boxes etc. I own a few tapes and disks for each one. I wouldn't consider myself a collector though. Collectors want "show computers" in perfect condition, boxes and in some cases, the different versions of the same computer such as C64 collectors who have the US made, Asian made, Aldi version, C64c version etc.
I don't think there's many collectors in the CPC scene, mainly "users" who enjoy still playing CPC games etc, and many of these users own several CPCs.
Bryce.
I own all the 8 bit amstrads except the 664 :(
Spectrum +2
Amiga 500+
Atari stfm
Good knows how many megadrives 1&2
Several mega cds and a mega cd2.
Cd32
A couple of cdi's
Several game gears, master systems
A nes, game boy
2600
A couple of atari lynx
And others.
Three reasons I have them.
I studied electrical engineering almost 20 years ago but had to give it up half way through and never did much with it so I like buying broken ones to fix to get back into EE.
Sadly money means I can't buy all the parts I need.
The two mega cds for example use the more expensive jvc laser rather the common, cheaper sony.
I have multiple of some because I want to mod them.
And because these are machines I had or wanted as a child or young adult and I want that nostalgia feeling.
I like to have at least one boxed game for each machine but even though I don't buy many games (everdrive carts when I get them will be fine for me) I still call myself a collector but ultimately my machines will be for using not displaying.
If I had the money I'd have the greatest 8 bit and 16 bit collection
The psychology of collecting is a strange one and collectors don't all fit one description. Also, collecting computer systems is no different than collecting stamps, say. So:
With Steve's definition: "someone who wants...". Well, sure, most of us would "want", but "buy" and "store" is another thing altogether.
With TFM's definition: define "one area". I guess you're talking about completionists, and collectors tend to be completionists by default. That's what collecting is. But considering the breadth and width of anything tha can be collectible, be it stamps or computers, it doesn't really say much, if anything at all.
With woody.cool's definition: definitely not. A collector who buys "ueber-rare stuff" is a "ueber-rare stuff collector". That's one of the stuff you can collect. For most collectors the rare stuff is not THE target but a far-reaching goal.
In essens, do most of use have a collection of old machines, be it Amstrad-related or others, for the fun of it? If so, then we're collectors no matter how you cut it.
Bryce's situation is a bit different, and that's why I put "for the fun of it" in there.
I guess I am still trying to answer the question posed in another thread, "are retail versions of free software worth more".
The answer is - possibly, but only to collectors, and I do not think we are the type of collectors who would pay more for retail versions of free software.
Ah, I see; well, I'm sure there are a few completionists among us!
Hehe, no I would never have the motivation to collect everything.
I used to have collection of oldschool computers but not in a completionist manner. Then I switched to consoles, mostly want to relieve some of these old hardwares.
But oneday I will sell some of these, especially the popular ones that you can buy easily in the future if you want.
And I'll still keep the CPC/CPC+/Gx4000 and the Sam Coupe that was quite expensive to get.
But god, I have N64, PS1, Saturn, SNES and such now. And I rarely play them rather than the first day. You can get em for 20P.
Also kinda collect handhelds, especially openhandhelds like Gamepark and such. I love'em because you can take them with you, also they don't take much space in your home. And my place is already filled with junk, I am gonna need a bigger place or sell back some of them.
No need to seek though for every rare thing, mostly making me happy for the next few days after buying.
I used to be, & I have a few items I'm proud of, such as a boxed Multiface 2, boxed RS232C serial interface, boxed light pen, 64k RAM pack & a heap of games I was after. It's gotten to be too expensive in the past couple of years though. To this end, I've given up collecting & am focusing on playing games I don't have on a HxC, C4CPC & mobile phone.
I also have a large collection of other consoles varying through Nintendo, Sega, SNK, PC Engine, Apple Pippin etc... I'm buying flash devices for all of the cartridge based ones. The collectors market is slowly pricing itself out of the hands of ordinary people like myself...
All this discussion, regarding collectors , brings me to ask....Would a collector buy a shrink wrapped version of an original game and then open it ??
I would say absolutely not. So is the person who opens the game an "Enthusiasts" , regardless of the quantity they purchase ?
I've recently bought a number of wrapped games and I love opening them. To me, the whole point of buying something that's been wrapped for nearly 30 year's is having the pleasure of being the first to use/see it.
Cheers,
Robert
Edit : I should add that nothing I have opened has been either expensive or rare.
I own sealed games that I haven't, & will not, open. I did recently purchase a US copy (in the cardboard box) of SNK vs Capcom: Cardfighters Clash SNK version for the Neo Geo Pocket. It was sealed but I purchased it at a reasonable price, so I didn't mind opening it (I really wanted to play it). Upon opening it I discovered that some form of moisture had gotten into the seal & had caused the box & booklet to stick together. Getting to the game required me to damage the box, sadly. It was heartbreaking seeing that box tear as I opened it...
After that experience I will not be purchasing any more games that I actually intend on playing!
I have (what I would say) a very decent CPC collection...so in that context I am a collector.
I do not have that much of an interest in collecting original / old Peripherals or software for that matter (although I do have a few bits and pieces).
I really like and have purchased many 'modern solution' peripherals...I enjoy seeing the old computers working with modern solutions.
I really got into the slight CPC variations from around the world and sourced those (Schneider/French AZERTY/Spanish...etc).
I most definitely am not after pristine examples (well not initially anyway), I tend to go for the really grubby dirty ones...part of my 'fun' is cleaning them up and hopefully bringing them back to former glory as much as possible. This also goes for working of not...I don't care as I don't mind the challage of getting them going. I hate having them not working though, and at this point have only one computer in my collection that is dead, a 6128.
I have not and never will pay big money for any of my stuff and this is probably also down to the fact I do not chase the pristine examples. The most I have paid was for a CPC472 from Spain. Even then that was way less that what some of your everyday CPC's are going for in Australia at the moment.
I often rotate my 'daily user' machine and do not have a single machine that I would rather keep boxed and not use.
I have photo's dating back to 2003 of my young kids all playing on one of my 664's...this was when half the ones that turned up on ebay had faulty KB membranes and a re-manufactured membrane was not even on the horizon at that point. So I've never been scared of using them.
I am really strange when it comes to documenting them...I have pretty much every thing written down. I mean everything. Really that is probably a sickness.
I would say that by definition we are all collectors, I suppose unless you just have your original one from back in the day and no other.
To me even Bryce is a collector, we all have our reasons for having multiple systems or whatever but in the end you 'collected' them for a reason.
No reason is right or wrong and mostly we do it because it is fun or we get some enjoyment out of it.
For me it's an escape from work which is very busy and time consuming.
I also recently picked up an Atari XL game cartridge that was still boxed with plastic shrink over it (brand new).
I have three Atari XL computers (none originally working, got each one working) and I purchased the game just to test the cartridge ports. No other reason.
The game was cheap and local pickup, so I grabbed it. I hope it was not some rare title that usually goes for hundreds when sealed...hahaha.
And continuing on about my nature of collecting...I pretty much only have systems that I had contact with back in the eighties.
School computers were Tandy TRS 80 (CoCo). Friend a couple of doors down had an Atari XL. Another a C64.
School mate had a CPC664, another a 6128, I had a 464 and so did another mate (I even have that mates complete setup today...the first CPC I ever laid eyes on).
Cheers,
Shane
Quote from: Dizrythmia on 05:18, 25 August 15Upon opening it I discovered that some form of moisture had gotten into the seal & had caused the box & booklet to stick together. Getting to the game required me to damage the box, sadly. It was heartbreaking seeing that box tear as I opened it...
You should have steamed it open, like an old-fashioned spy with a letter!
Quote from: pelrun on 06:45, 25 August 15
You should have steamed it open, like an old-fashioned spy with a letter!
I had considered that but thought the steam would warp the box cardboard. Either way it would have been a losing battle :(
I have a few Spectum ZX81 games still in their original wrapping. I've no problem opening them or selling them to someone who intends opening them. I have opened versions of the same games anyway.
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 08:23, 25 August 15
I have a few Spectum ZX81 games still in their original wrapping.
Better that is! Don't open Pandoras box! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Quote from: TFM on 16:28, 25 August 15
Better that is! Don't open Pandoras box! [emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23]
ROFL. [emoji23]
My mother said that I am collector. :-\
Quote from: TotO on 16:31, 25 August 15
My mother said that I am collector. :-\
Oh, never mind. She just sees your stock. ;D
Quote from: TFM on 16:28, 25 August 15
Better that is! Don't open Pandoras box! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Show me what Pandora looks like before I decide whether I want to do that :D
Bryce.
Quote from: TFM on 16:28, 25 August 15
Better that is! Don't open Pandoras box! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Unless you've never played Into the Eagle's Nest, in which case, I think you should. ;D
Quote from: Axelay on 03:39, 26 August 15
Unless you've never played Into the Eagle's Nest, in which case, I think you should. ;D
Or as I call it: Wolfenstein 2D :D
Quote from: Axelay on 03:39, 26 August 15
Unless you've never played Into the Eagle's Nest, in which case, I think you should. ;D
You got me! The truth is out! :-X
Quote from: Bryce on 20:48, 25 August 15
Show me what Pandora looks like before I decide whether I want to do that :D
Bryce.
Surely you're not referring to Pandora and her deadly little Ultra Subsonic(?) Box?