Two questions to ask yourself:

1. Does it make you happy?

2. Does it hurt anybody (yourself included) in any way (including financially)?

Look mate. Sometimes we do things just because we want to or just because we can. I feel like in the world we currently live in, everything has become a struggle to squeeze out every last drop of our life to generate money, reputation, fame or whatever else.

It's ok to just have something you do that's just sits there and it makes you happy or relaxed or even if you just look at it and not have to worry about anything else.

Why do people collect cars when they don't drive them ever? What about stamps (who use stamps anymore)? Pokemon cards? We keep things that bring us memories and make us happy from time to time. If they have ever made you feel proud or happy, I would say keep them. It definitely worths more than the monetary gain from selling them.

If collecting brings you joy, do it. It keeps retro hardware out of the landfills.

I am a big believer in decluttering and getting rid of stuff that no longer has value to you. But I also take photos of everything before I get rid of or sell them. Old letters, drawings from children, small collections, large collections. Maybe I’m sentimental, but I don’t need the physical object to remember the feelings associated with it. But a photo helps

Congrats dude, you have a hobby. Enjoy your time, life it's all about the small things :)

I think it's a virtue to be the type of person that tries to preserve the past. Hold on to memories and the things that represent them, so that you can share it with others later.

Museums of all types are filled with things that people like you have saved.

I collect planes that just sit around and look cool and I can say I have them. I’d never sell them because I love planes and they make me happy, some of them are toys from when I was a kid and I don’t play with them anymore but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna get rid of them, they bring me great joy. I’d look at it that way if I were you

Some people like collecting physical objects. It is a weird thing that some humans do.

Do you enjoy collecting? If you do, that is good enough. If you don't, then maybe you should sell off your collection.

I'm personally not the collector type but I do blow money on other things, but usually it's either hobbies or tech (not to mention all the gear I use for my work).

I think it's just up to if that's something you enjoy and gives you value then it's worth it.

I'm similar with books. I personally prefer to read ebooks because I find the experience a lot easier and better, but there are some books or authors that I really enjoy so I like to get the hardcover books as well. Some books I have both digitally and physically even though I've never read the physical copies but I like and enjoy them so I keep them even though they "collect dust" as you say.

If you are thinking of paring down or downsizing, mayve just think of what games are really special to you and that you find meaningful to keep.

I'd be more worried about what you're gonna do with the last 29 years of your life

You can download pictures of stamps and butterflies, but people keep collecting those for some reason. Unless you've got issues with hoarding or it otherwise affects you negatively, don't worry about having a collecting-based hobby.

Sounds like you enjoyed the experience of the hunt, but don't enjoy feeling like a hoarder. That's fine, and perfectly healthy I'd say. If you don't have space or don't get enjoyment from the collection, by all means sell it and experience something else you enjoy. If you think it will appreciate in value, or you know someone you'd like to pass it on or donate it to, then maybe keep it around for now.

Are you buying things just to collect them? Or do you have a collection of stuff you bought when you were younger and are holding on to that for nostalgic reasons?

I don't really actively buy any retro stuff anymore unless I'm wanting to play some particular game or something. It's just too expensive.

But I would have a really really hard time selling things with sentimental value. Maybe that will change someday but for now it's too recent (20-30 years ago for me for most of it).

The other thing is, unless you really need the money (or space) now... Physical video game paraphernalia is not likely to go down in price over time. It necessarily becomes more scarce as time goes on. So that's something to consider even if you're just collecting to gain value.

I also like to collect old video games but I don’t think I ever stopped to think about why I do it. I just like having them, even just seeing them all lined up on a shelf, knowing that I have pieces of gaming history in my room just makes me happy. There doesn’t need to be a real reason, sometimes we do things just because we feel like doing them. Do things because you feel like doing them and not because you have to justify them to other people.

I'm similar, except I collect rpg books and I'm 30. I haven't sat down read a paper book properly in years, I just don't have the attention span (thanks undiagnosed ADD). But I keep collecting because it brings me joy to do so and I enjoy the thrill of the chase going through second hand bookshops looking for deals.

These sort of hobbies are also great for bringing together like minded people, like you and your friend, so there are additional social benefits to them too if you're looking for that. This is something Ive come to really come to appreciate more as I've aged and fallen out of contact with school friends and it gets harder to meet new people outside of your social circle.

Sorry for the ramble but I guess my main point is to ask yourself whether it brings you joy to continue collecting or not and if it doesn't maybe to hold off for a few months and check back in with yourself then as you may feel different.

You probably enjoyed collecting it. That means finding the games and then putting them together in a neat collection.

You probably did it because you enjoyed finding the games and wanted build the collection because you thought you enjoyed owning them as well.

Goals change, priorities change. Appearently he didn't enjoy it anymore, and that's fine. It's probably hard to realize that you no longer share the same joy about it with your friend.

That said, that has nothing to do with whether you still enjoy it. And regarding your questions: do you? If so, it's totally fine to own something just because you enjoy having it around. Maybe if you need the money urgently or the space, there's an argument there to trade that for you enjoyment of this, but that's up to you.

I hope that whatever you do, it's because you decided it for yourself and didn't decide it because of whatever your friend did :)

I’m a fellow collector and I also emulate a lot but even still I collect. For a few reasons.

I will always have the original copy in case I need to make a backup and archive.org is shut down and the cloud providers delete my backups for copyright reasons.

I can display and rotate the games I choose to display. Even if no one besides me see the games I choose to display, they are important to me and I’m glad I can enjoy them.

I can recreate formative gaming moments from my childhood and share them with my children accurate to the way I experienced them

That being said, emulation does bring many conveniences and so I do emulate most of my collection on my phone but I still maintain a physical collection and I do break out the old consoles from time to time

Is there a purpose to what I do? People ask me why I collect and I never have a real answer because I don’t even know.

No one honestly understands why they do anything - some people are just better at making up plausible explanations.

We're just animals, we do things. Sometimes we have a good guess as to why, sometimes not.

It's kind of a tough call. In my case I keep a library of Blu-Ray and DVD disks. I've ripped them to network storage so I don't actually need them, but I did spend an amount of money collecting them. So at this point I just keep them for posterity.

In general I have a rule about not keeping stuff I don't use, but there's always exceptions. There's been a few things I've wished I had not parted with, but if you never get rid of anything you're just hoarding. I'm more of an anti-hoarder and it's cost me before. On the other hand there's too much "material stuff" in life. Best to keep it minimal.

I only collect the ones I want.

I had a friend over who was unaware of my collection and he said it was pretty big and valuable, but I don't see it that way. I have it stashed out of sight, safe a few things that I take out to play on. He was completely flabbergasted though.

There have been things in my childhood that I couldn't have, so now that I can and have the disposible income I look out for these.

A good example is my game gear's TV tuner. Analog TV has been gone for years, but I really wanted it so I got it. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I take it out from time to time and connect external stuff to it, like an XBox, just for the heck of it.

Most of the things I own I bought to play. Only a few things I don't care for came with a larger sale.

Anyway, just wanted to say that I limit my "collecting" to things I actually want to play or use, and not just for the sake of collecting.

You planning on dying at 58?

If they just sit around and you don't play them, I'd probably just sell them. Emulating is so much more convenient.

But who cares what I'd do? Your life is your own. If collecting retro games brings you joy, then go for it.

Pretty normal to reevaluate things from time to time. I went on a cleaning binge recently and let go of a lot of hobby stuff that I wasn't using any more. It's created more space for the hobbies i currently enjoy, and it's so much easier to keep my place organized and clean.

At the same time, there were things i don't use but kept anyways, either because there are good memories associated or i really want to pick up the hobby again in the future.

Yep. It's tough to feel like you're directionless and lacking purpose. I get it. I felt this way about my job. Personally I found solace in volunteering and doing things that helped people.