#videogames #collection #gaming Today, I spend a few minutes discussing some of the financials of game collecting and how important it is to control yourself.
Its so easy and tempting to get into debt i use to run it up and not have a care in the world. Nowadays i have none and feel more in control of having to work and can afford a lot more due to not paying out everything at the end of the month. Great video Steve
I love how you're putting out these special topics around video game collecting. It's can be such a rewarding hobby but if you don't rope it in can definitely become a bit of an obsession that ultimately makes your life harder.
Steve, I love these sit down “heart to heart” type videos. The things you talk about a lot of people need to hear, myself included. I haven’t gone into debt or anything but there’s definitely been times i’ve bought games when I shouldn’t have. Thanks man and keep it up!
I speak from my own experiences. I’ve blown money on things I shouldn’t have plenty of times in the past and didn’t leave myself enough survival money. Those few days of having no cash were really tough and if I would have made better decisions I could have saved myself some tough times.
As someone with almost 30k in their game collection, that doesn't flip, has no debt and has a top tier credit score, don't put yourself in debt and take your time to collect. No TH-camr got these collections overnight. You'll eventually get to your goals, but anything good takes time
Been collecting for 10yrs and totally agree with this, I’ve always worked never had a credit card, and was taught at a young age “if you can’t afford it you don’t get it” basically save up. These collections take time😎. Look after yourself and family first and everything will fall into place, and also work, work hard because nothing in life is free😎👍🍺.
Loved the video! I always tell people, get to the point where the credit cards are paying you. A large portion of my collection comes from free credit card rewards. I never pay a dime in interest
I agree with the sentiments expressed here. Never bite off more than you can chew. Make sure your real life priorities are in order before spending money on nonessentials.
It’s a dangerous slippery slope for some because they could be in a depression or mental health situation maybe even due to financial stress and the collection of something fun and nostalgic like retro video games is a way to sort of self medicate but going in too much makes your problems worse. Don’t get caught up in destructive behavior patterns and don’t get caught up in seeing all the people online with great looking collections and game rooms. Most of them will tell you they still respect your small NES (or whatever) collection and it’s way better and more meaningful to take it slow and only pick up what you can afford without using credit.
God bless you bro. I can confess. I had an 800+ credit score. During the p***emic I Spent 6k in 6 months on 250+ ps3 games, 65+ snes games, modded systems, projectors, and every anbernic and retroid i saw, Steam deck, +2 pc's. You mentioned shoes. Bro, I blew 10k on 5 pair pf guccis, balenciagas, Jordans, etc. I'm filing bankruptcy this year, and I hope they don't take half my stuff but i deserve it. It's a lesson. Don't steal from yourself with credit cards. Save your money and you will appreciate the things you've earned.
At the end of the day you don't take what you own with you in the after life. Don't sweat it. Just don't do drugs & alcohol buddy & you're good with options
This is the 3rd video I've watched from your channel. Great content! You just earned another sub. IMO these are topics that more gaming TH-camrs need to discuss.
Great to see this video Steve, it's rampant within the reselling community as well as a lot of people chase that get rich quick scheme that is common on TH-cam. I constantly tell my viewers not to go into the hole for getting someone else rich.
Appreciate you doing this video Steve. I think it's important this message gets out to the wider audience. I buy like 1 maybe 2 games a year, with work commitments and life in general I don't get a lot of time. Maybe that is a blessing.
Good to see a video like this rather than just showing a huge collection off. Good to hear you got your stuff in order brother I’ve just started collecting and I’m picking them up on eBay or Pawn shops as and when, it’ll take time but it’ll come!
man i'm about to be 30 and working on getting out of debt myself. my score is pretty good now but it's been a grind and it bit me in the ass a few times. I just closed my milestone card earlier this morning before I saw this video. they really are one of the worst ones. the fees are downright insane. I'm glad someone is making videos like this hopefully it helps someone before they get into a bad situation. if you get your finances right and build up your savings you can eventually get a big collection and without the stress of going into debt for it.
An amazing video mate. After learning the hard way, I have set myself rules for collecting games (and movies). I got sucked into getting every LRG/strictly limited release on top of the big AAA releases day one, all that was going on credit card. I now only buy mostly pre-owned in store and never hamd over full price for a new game. You can get current gen games for under £10 physically in stores where I live. I also collect 360/ps3. Games for these can be as low £1 lor £2. Budgeting £50 per month filled a bookcase over the period of 5-6 months. Great work, more people need to address it.
Excellent advice. I remember when the prices of all these games skyrocketed back when guys like Pat the NES Punk started putting out videos and I couldn't figure out why. A lot of these games, when they were new, are games none of us wanted because they looked janky. Anyone paying thousands of dollars for them is out of their mind. Anyone going into debt to pay thousands of dollars for them is a lunatic. Debt should be for something you either need to live, like a house or car, or tools you need to start a business. Anything frivolous that you can't afford to pay for outright in your budget is something you don't need.
This video was super informative. As I'm starting to buy back my gaming collection, (Xbox One/Series X/S) I'm slowly but surely getting my collection back without going into any debt.
I offloaded my vast retro-game collection when it finally dawned on me I was a shelf collector. As I rarely if ever used my original hardware. I'd use my PC or softmoded OG XBOX for retro gaming and emulation. I sold the last of my collection just before the pandemic. Freed a lot of space and extra cash in my pocket. No regrets.
Good advice. Always pay the full statement balance each month. Pay your debts on time, guys. Don’t get into a bad situation, especially over something like video games.
Appreciate this video and all of your content, Steve! I need to threat you to lunch one day. Would love to hear more of your takes on video game collecting! Take care!
Dude nice video… I’m thinking on selling my game collection due to sustenance reasons and the truth I don’t want to accept is that my collection is not as essential as what my financial peace of mind is . Hopefully I will get it back in the future again !
The whole credit culture in the US is mad to me, I've always lived by if I cant afford it I don't have it. If I want something I need to save for it. I'm not saying buying on credit is bad at all but the way people are even allowed to get that far in is scary. Trust me showing off the expensive games as a small channel doesn't get the clicks either, but then again I'm not chasing them. Game collecting to me is a hobby and I will never make it more than that, I would fear I would lose the passion, and thats the worst thing that can happy to something you enjoy.
The biggest flaw with credit is the education and understanding of it. There are so many people using it that don’t even understand the terms or conditions of the card.
Good talk Steve, thank you for your upfront honesty about your previous situation. I see a lot of these massive/expensive game collections on TH-cam and think "How much of that persons game room is still on a payment plan? How far are they willing to go to continue to stretch this spending just to say they have xyz game or xxx amount of games on TH-cam?"
I have never gone into debt, but, I have definitely overspent some months... Once went from $8k to $3k in my checking from Switch and PS4 game (and some DVD/Blu Ray movie) purchases from Amazon and eBay over just a month, which was admittedly a bit jarring and internally embarrassing. But I work hard for my money, and am blessed with a good job. But for all the younger crowd or for those that are far more strapped for cash - just remember - if you're NEVER going to play it / watch it or would 0 interest in the media item beyond it's perceived or potential 'value', it's usually not worth the money or the space on your shelves / closets / coffee tables / piles of games in your room.
Collecting is like an addiction it takes your mind off things. I collected diecast cars during the pandemic, and while I enjoyed it, they just sit in storage now. In my opinion, collecting just to collect is stupid. I've never used a credit card, but all the money I've wasted on that addiction makes me feel dumb still to this day. There's better hobbies like fishing, hunting, cycling, etc. Reselling is an addiction, too. Just one where you can actually not lose money if you do it right
It's fun to collect and enjoy what we collect. But I think when It becomes a situation to the point of debt or other issues then that's a sign of they need help and either are blind or to far gone to realize. I wish collectors of all kind the best in finding great deals and not falling under that awful addict way.
Coming from someone who has been big in collecting games for almost 5 years and before then guns for almost 10 years with my game collection worth roughly $50k and the other collection worth probably over twice that. I never and I mean never went into debt for either of them but even if you're responsible enough to never carry a balance (or only with an intro 0% apr) you can still be ruining saving for so many more important things. For the longest time I essentially blew money I could have saved spending $50 here, $100 a few days later, $400 a week after that without thinking about it since I didn't have that price shock I had with collecting guns where it was like $1500+ at once every few months. It may seem like a small purchase or no big deal to chase a game, controller, or console for your collection but be patient since it all adds up faster than most of us realize if you're not careful. Always prioritize what matters like a house, transportation and memories with loved ones over a hobby like this.
The credit thing rules applies to Canada too. I never used a credit card unless it’s prepaid for my videogame collection (20yr old collection), my bills always come first at the end of the month then my subscriptions are second and if I have pre-orders or stuff at my local comic book to pick up or my animals need something that’s usually third.
@ my fish are good on food that ain’t an issue and it’s just Seachem Prime water conditioner (dumping a fish in into water without detoxing it of heavy metals can be very deadly for them) and the bug are not hard to buy for as vegetables are very cheap).
What's up Steve, great video, great thumbnail, and great advice. I go by a personal rule, If I can't afford it, I don't buy it. I collect on a budget one game at a time. 👍
Dont forget about the "good debt"; video games are actually an asset that carries an indeterminible future value- leverage it if you can for business opportunities etc- just make sure its a great business structure because your games can become the collateral on the secured loan. Also- all money is credit (even cash).
I try not to think of games as investments. Just me personally. I feel like if I allow myself to think that way, I'll start buying expensive games that I don't care much for.
@steviefreakinc the games aren't the investments, the loan you'd leverage your games to get is the investment. Folks dont have hard assets right now like houses etc, but a lot of them have games that can be used to gain something they may not have.
@@steviefreakinc I think I heard him talk about it, or somebody else? Either way, the advice in this video would still apply. The last thing we need right now is forclosed on game collections picked up by resellers lol
Dont touch credit cards unless you know you can pay the debt of every month (set-up an auto payment from your debit account), I can do this and the only reason I do as it builds up a credit score for doing this and you getextra protection on purchased goods/servers than a debit card (this is in the UK not sure about USA) ... Bank loans should be used for needed credit, but try to work arounf having credit for anythinf, with the only exceptions being a house (not a car!!!)
@@steviefreakinc Which is still all bad advice. Anything less than the full balance is simply unacceptable. Not being strict about this is bad for everyone. People think that it's okay to not pay the balance in full. This thought needs to be changed.
@ okay then what do you say to someone that can’t afford to pay off a $5000 card limit every month but needed to use it for a pet surgery or some shit? Lol. Not all scenarios can strictly follow what you’re saying man. In reality people can’t pay off their credit cards every month but at the very least they can pay more than the minimum payment which is why I suggested it. 😂 I swear man you over there doing too much too early in the morning. I appreciate the comments but damn bee.
@steviefreakinc ever heard of emergency fund? Credit cards are not your emergency fund. You put yourself willingly into huge risk if you dont have an emergency fund.
Gaming influencers rarely dive into the darker side of gaming, like addiction, cheating, and the reality of spending tons on games that end up collecting dust. Instead, we get a polished version of reality, where everything seems perfect, pushing us to just consume and follow along. TH-cam plays a big role in fueling these addictions and manipulations. Gamers aren't naive; many can spot the fakes from a distance. Yet, the allure of rare games or hidden gems acts like a drug, drawing people in. The shiny objects create a sense of urgency to acquire them, leading many to fall into the trap of endless collecting. It’s like a competition, with people racing to complete sets or gather vintage items, but it’s just a never-ending cycle. This mindset is toxic for the gaming community, encouraging shady resellers and investors to take advantage of unsuspecting fans. Many have supported indie developers only to be scammed, so it’s crucial to be smart about your choices to avoid ruining your gaming experience.
depends on who your calling a gamer, alot of people are naive/scared/cowardly. Just talking about this like steve is people cannot fathom it and think hes just a hater/toxic/poor is what they say. I always say the way you can tell it is a addiction is how these people parallel what addicts say by saying "im not hurting anybody" or "I can stop whenever I want to"
I like your thoughts on the matter. People wouldn't really want to share the dark and toxic side of collecting. I was there in it, Heckin Steve pulled me out. I still got all this stuff though. Some of it is awesome, and some of it is meh. It was an addiction though, the stuff came in easy, but I still have a hard time letting it go.
@@penguinjay i was in it too, but i just wokeup like a bad dream after seeing all these youtubers, some even admitting they are sick and just literally filming themselves being sick buying all this stuff just cause they seen someone else do it thats not collecting or a hobby thats a sickness at that point.
Dont be afraid of piracy folks. Glad videos like these get made, not enough people talk about it. Bur being poor doesn't have to mean no enjoyment in life. Corps are making things harder and harder, its easy to get what you want. Support small businesses qhen you can, but all these big companies arent gonna lose out if you enjoy the media they make. If the difference is you dont enjoy art at all or you have to get it your own way. Most people who pirate are the biggest spendors now or will ne in the future. Also get a library card and use rhe apps and resources thete to get books and media through your local community.
I stopped altogether, it came to a point where I was just looking for a deal and adding to the pile. I had to stop , there was no point, I make a point now to play them and my backlog is years in the making.
The retro game you want will always be there, yes you most likely won't get an amazing deal if you buy it when you have enough, but you will pay less in the long run because you wont have to pay interest rates.
I'm in my own world. On average, l spend about $10 a week on games. I usually find cheap PS3, Xbox 360 and One games. It's all love and the money goes to charity so I like to think I'm helping people out.
Im grateful that Ive been an avid collector for years growing up keeping the box for things without opening them lol or making sure to keep some gba boxes since i thought they were so cool lol
I was disappointed in him. I know him through another channel that has helped me in the past with some channel tips and I was even on a live stream one time with Corner Cade and he was douche then too lol.
When you get things on credit, the money from every hour you work technically belongs to someone else. Think about that when you make your next purchase.
For me i always get physical games during the holiday season of games i want to play. Usually its around dec and February where physical games go half off and thats when i get physical games
I just slowed down on buying games that are modern but I don't go into debt for games either unless I just want to work up my credit score and I just paid off three consoles already
I honestly feel stuck at the moment about my credit score. I started university knowing I could only start it now otherwise I could never afford it (I have acces to university scholarship that basicly pays each semester when I get the bill for the next one, so as long as I pass it's ''free'') but I also have a crushing 12k credit card dept that's at 13%. Being a full time student, I can't always pay it on time without skipping rent and food. It's tuff. I don't even know if I'll be able to finish uni at this rate even tho I only have half of it left
12K is pretty tough. I’d call them and see if you can work out some better options. Sometimes you can close the account and it stops the interest as long as you pay it back.
Great topic people get caught in the fomo and want to have everything everyone else has or whatever is hype at the moment and make bad choices financially in order to get said things but that’s how we learn also that’s why i always wait for sales or buy used gotta shop smart
A giant wall of games is years and years of buying things. Like 1 game every two months or so since you were a child. It's never worth going into debt for video games.
Not many people here on TH-cam bring up the downsides of collecting like addiction which could lead into debt. This stuff needs to be talked about as well. I always make sure I have my bills paid and the groceries that I need before I buy anything for my collections
I guarantee that these people who bought a 30th Anniversary Pro from EBay put themselves into debt. Nobody with the money or in their right mind would spend that type of money. ($3K)
I bought the 30th anniversary ps5 slim for about $700, but not the pro. Never had a ps5 before, so I thought a good opportunity to finally get one. But I'm not buying a 30th ps5 pro, as expensive as it is, that u wouldn't be able to resell easily.
@@steviefreakincIn all seriousness, this was great advice! I’m 40+ and I’ve heard from women who have teenage kids that they don’t teach this type of stuff anymore. Kids don’t even know how to write out a check! A lot of people get the fear of missing out, but companies like VGP and PNP have been rereleasing a lot of out of print titles for less than their MSRP when they first released. Even things that were only sold on LRG and places like that. If people would take their time and budget themselves, they can build up a quality collection!
Avid collector here, would never use a Credit Card to pay for games or books, both which are my poison, that's what disposable income is for. During times when I don't have the money for it, I don't purchase games, Games are a luxury, not a must..Then again, I have no actual credit cards, because I feel I don't need one. However Credit Scores isn't really a thing in the same way here in Sweden as it is over in the US.
It's nice to collect stuff, but let's be honest. All of these goodies will one day end up somewhere else, you can't take them to the grave. It becomes a disease pretty fast. If there's something else you could be buying that can improve your life somehow, get that instead lol.
I set a savings theshold I must meet every month and that is higher each month than the month before. Anyone who goes stone broke and then to credit cards is someone with a low understanding of how life works. Rare expensive items are for an elite group of people and the buzz is usually around "The great deal" rather than the game itself. If you paid full price and you cannot afford it, you're not smart. We live in a world where 50% of folk have $1500 iphones but cannot pay rent easily. Its no wonder that mentality spills over into videogames.
@ i still play ps5 and pc but don’t really collect or buy physical for ps5 cause you have the download the whole game anyway. Mostly collecting in general costs a lot of money so why I kinda stopped collecting pokemon tcg and games for most consoles.
Hey Steve I was siting in the same boat last year. Personally I dont think there is anything morally wrong with taking some debt like 100-200 in a couple of months and it makes logically sense as it feels like having a free income from your future month, but just as you mentioned the interests do add up and these banking networks (who should all be illegal in a modern economy) are pretty vile and its not worth messing around with. I paid all of my debts on time by using these little debt options of paying 1 or 3 months later and they still downgraded me. Now I just saved up a big cushion of money where I will just borrow from myself in the future. If you collect you do need this ability to have 200-500 at any time because some deals are simple too good to let them pass.
I wouldn’t say it’s Milestone or Credit One that’s the problem. Afterall they take people with insanely high risk so naturally they need to charge higher rates. Those higher rates are not people being victimized in any way. They’re simply paying the consequences of not tending to ones credit score and financial discipline.
Consumers are likely to spend more when using a credit card to purchase. It’s easier to impulse buy with the ease of convenience, the lure of rewards, and not truly feeling the impact of the cost. I use credit cards to purchase everything. What I did to control my spending is, setup a budget. I have 1 checking account that has auto transfer to it a percentage that I set for guilt free spending. I use my credit card to make the purchase and use that checking account to pay it off right away. I don’t wait for the statement date. Once the funds are up I don’t spend anymore on non necessities. I started this a few months ago and found that I now spend less than the money I budgeted for. Why? Because I now feel the pain of spending my money.
I only use my card for emergencies. Unfortunately it got ran up pretty fast last year because of car issues happening so frequently. Paying them back is always a slow pain in the ass. It's never worth spending it on luxuries unless you can pay that back fast even then something can happen that could mess up your money for that month.
Great video i find it ridiculous that people rather use there rent money or put themselves in debt over video games like cmon your needs come first and your spending on games come last its that simple i know it maybe hard
For me i am 25 years old and have a 80K gaming collection and over 2.5k of game and i play most of them and i bought all the game from my salary i get from my Work and still maintain my money and savings
I have many games that now cost 300 or more dollars. Half those games like rule of rose ain't worth the disc it's printed on. Get games digitally on sale. No full price anything.
Never go in debt for your hobby. There is plenty of money out there so side hustle! I have my own small business on the side for just this: getting ahead with bills and fun money. If that doesn’t work just set aside 5-20 bucks a week from your pay check. It adds up. Never ever use your credit cards
See people dont even consider what your talking about or play it back in their minds to think about what they are doing. Self reflection, self accounting, self control? Then when you ask them to consider their actions they get defensive and rationalize like a drug addict...then they proceed to say the same exact lines drug addicts would use "Im not hurting anybody" - "Im in control of it" etc etc.
@@steviefreakinc i mean how do you learn or realize bad from good or weak/strengths or overcome it then? And talks like these have become offensive to some cause oh "its just video games" they are harmless.
@@steviefreakinc well some say its OK because of whatever reason, its just video games, its something I enjoy, uhh what else Im nostalgic, Its a GOAL to get all this stuff. lol like dudes trying to tell me it was their dream when they were 7 yrs old to own a full NES collection, like bro when you was 7 u didnt even realize how many games there was.
@@BanditsBest686 for a lot of people, you can only tell them the reality of a situation. And they usually know it deep down. But they need reassurance, sometimes it takes weeks or months for it to set in. And for some they may never change because the reward is too much to lose
Yeahhhh I might’ve racked up my credit cards buying pokemon cards and obscure RPGs and I didn’t care … until the minimum payment became a full paycheck. Paying it off now but be careful dudes, shit is no joke. But my credit score is 🔥 atleast
Thanks for this video, im the one that's guilty of this, but I'm not in that much of debt, and I watched the conercade, and what I've seen, he's done was NASTY WORK! I only have sympathy for the kids... anyways, I've learned my lesson
No way. I can’t believe the debt people get in with games. Some people in the uk where I am buy ps5 etc on finance 👀 if you can’t afford it then don’t buy it.
There's a few ways to buy things on payment plans outside of credit too which is honestly the best way to go. Paypal Pay in 4 for example. I talk about that a lot but it's really good for non credit buying.
@@steviefreakinc I’m old fashioned I guess I just pay in full for this type of thing. Tbh I look for second had stuff now mostly although that’s more to do with my gaming habits at the moment. (I’m mostly playing the original Xbox) think my newest game is totk.
I learned this lesson the hard way. You don't see any retro youtubers talk about the reality of spending money on games. Love this Steve
I definitely haven't seen anyone talk about it either. That's why it felt important to bring up. Thanks :)
I never put anything on my credit card that I can't pay off by the end of the month.
Good man!
Its so easy and tempting to get into debt i use to run it up and not have a care in the world. Nowadays i have none and feel more in control of having to work and can afford a lot more due to not paying out everything at the end of the month. Great video Steve
I love how you're putting out these special topics around video game collecting. It's can be such a rewarding hobby but if you don't rope it in can definitely become a bit of an obsession that ultimately makes your life harder.
Absolutely. I like to see people doing well and if my advice can help even one person, then that's awesome.
Steve, I love these sit down “heart to heart” type videos. The things you talk about a lot of people need to hear, myself included. I haven’t gone into debt or anything but there’s definitely been times i’ve bought games when I shouldn’t have. Thanks man and keep it up!
I speak from my own experiences. I’ve blown money on things I shouldn’t have plenty of times in the past and didn’t leave myself enough survival money. Those few days of having no cash were really tough and if I would have made better decisions I could have saved myself some tough times.
As someone with almost 30k in their game collection, that doesn't flip, has no debt and has a top tier credit score, don't put yourself in debt and take your time to collect. No TH-camr got these collections overnight. You'll eventually get to your goals, but anything good takes time
Cool story bro
@doomassthenightcrawler yeah. You should tell it at a party
The fact that you’re so proud of a 30k collection and having no debt is adorable I must say
Sounds like a humblebrag.
Been collecting for 10yrs and totally agree with this, I’ve always worked never had a credit card, and was taught at a young age “if you can’t afford it you don’t get it” basically save up.
These collections take time😎.
Look after yourself and family first and everything will fall into place, and also work, work hard because nothing in life is free😎👍🍺.
Bruh, you are one of the realest youtubers out there. Earned my subscription.
Thanks man and welcome!
I was dreading this video going in the opposite direction. Good you’re putting this message out there.
Thanks man. I’m glad it didn’t have to go the other way either 😂
Loved the video! I always tell people, get to the point where the credit cards are paying you.
A large portion of my collection comes from free credit card rewards.
I never pay a dime in interest
That’s awesome!
Wow, while watching the beginning of this I immediately thought “Sue should really hear this” and lo and behold, you brought her up.
lol yeah. She has a cool channel.
Glad to see this channel growing! Well deserved. No matter how much those resellers hate it when you do a video on them. Keep it up!
Thanks dude. The community here on the channel is awesome.
First time seeing tour video man. Great topic to talk about and you covered it perfectly. New sub
Thanks Mike. Welcome to the channel.
I agree with the sentiments expressed here. Never bite off more than you can chew. Make sure your real life priorities are in order before spending money on nonessentials.
I knew you’d get where I’m coming from since a lot of your videos talk about the same kind of problems/habits with collecting.
My boy Bobby!
I couldn’t agree more!
It’s a dangerous slippery slope for some because they could be in a depression or mental health situation maybe even due to financial stress and the collection of something fun and nostalgic like retro video games is a way to sort of self medicate but going in too much makes your problems worse. Don’t get caught up in destructive behavior patterns and don’t get caught up in seeing all the people online with great looking collections and game rooms. Most of them will tell you they still respect your small NES (or whatever) collection and it’s way better and more meaningful to take it slow and only pick up what you can afford without using credit.
God bless you bro. I can confess. I had an 800+ credit score. During the p***emic I Spent 6k in 6 months on 250+ ps3 games, 65+ snes games, modded systems, projectors, and every anbernic and retroid i saw, Steam deck, +2 pc's. You mentioned shoes. Bro, I blew 10k on 5 pair pf guccis, balenciagas, Jordans, etc. I'm filing bankruptcy this year, and I hope they don't take half my stuff but i deserve it. It's a lesson. Don't steal from yourself with credit cards. Save your money and you will appreciate the things you've earned.
Damn man I hate to hear that’s happening to ya. That’s a pretty hardcore hole there. You’ll bounce back though, it just takes some time
At the end of the day you don't take what you own with you in the after life. Don't sweat it. Just don't do drugs & alcohol buddy & you're good with options
I did quit smoking weed this year after 20 years so that's something I'm proud of. 😅
@ I’m proud of you too 🙂
Better to learn this lesson early than be dealing with it at 55. Work hard, save, be a person of honor, etc.
I’m glad you’re talking about the negatives of collecting not much TH-camrs talk about it
This is the 3rd video I've watched from your channel. Great content! You just earned another sub. IMO these are topics that more gaming TH-camrs need to discuss.
Great to see this video Steve, it's rampant within the reselling community as well as a lot of people chase that get rich quick scheme that is common on TH-cam. I constantly tell my viewers not to go into the hole for getting someone else rich.
This whole community is easily influenced and if I can help even a few people make better choices, I’d be happy
Appreciate you doing this video Steve. I think it's important this message gets out to the wider audience.
I buy like 1 maybe 2 games a year, with work commitments and life in general I don't get a lot of time. Maybe that is a blessing.
I bet it is a challenge sometimes to determine which game to buy. So many decent games come out every year.
Good to see a video like this rather than just showing a huge collection off. Good to hear you got your stuff in order brother I’ve just started collecting and I’m picking them up on eBay or Pawn shops as and when, it’ll take time but it’ll come!
man i'm about to be 30 and working on getting out of debt myself. my score is pretty good now but it's been a grind and it bit me in the ass a few times. I just closed my milestone card earlier this morning before I saw this video. they really are one of the worst ones. the fees are downright insane. I'm glad someone is making videos like this hopefully it helps someone before they get into a bad situation. if you get your finances right and build up your savings you can eventually get a big collection and without the stress of going into debt for it.
Milestone is horrible lol. The name is ironic too. 😂
An amazing video mate. After learning the hard way, I have set myself rules for collecting games (and movies). I got sucked into getting every LRG/strictly limited release on top of the big AAA releases day one, all that was going on credit card. I now only buy mostly pre-owned in store and never hamd over full price for a new game. You can get current gen games for under £10 physically in stores where I live. I also collect 360/ps3. Games for these can be as low £1 lor £2. Budgeting £50 per month filled a bookcase over the period of 5-6 months. Great work, more people need to address it.
Definitely good to always stay within your means. Also agree with collect what you actually enjoy, don’t just buy something because it’s rare.
Excellent advice. I remember when the prices of all these games skyrocketed back when guys like Pat the NES Punk started putting out videos and I couldn't figure out why. A lot of these games, when they were new, are games none of us wanted because they looked janky. Anyone paying thousands of dollars for them is out of their mind. Anyone going into debt to pay thousands of dollars for them is a lunatic. Debt should be for something you either need to live, like a house or car, or tools you need to start a business. Anything frivolous that you can't afford to pay for outright in your budget is something you don't need.
This video was super informative. As I'm starting to buy back my gaming collection, (Xbox One/Series X/S) I'm slowly but surely getting my collection back without going into any debt.
Just remember there’s no time limit broski 💪
@@steviefreakinc Many years ahead good sir! Also btw love the DkOldies vids xD.
I offloaded my vast retro-game collection when it finally dawned on me I was a shelf collector.
As I rarely if ever used my original hardware. I'd use my PC or softmoded OG XBOX for retro gaming and emulation.
I sold the last of my collection just before the pandemic. Freed a lot of space and extra cash in my pocket.
No regrets.
Good advice. Always pay the full statement balance each month. Pay your debts on time, guys. Don’t get into a bad situation, especially over something like video games.
Imagine video games or Pokemon cards preventing you from securing a home loan or a car loan. Don’t become part of the statistics peeps
Appreciate this video and all of your content, Steve! I need to threat you to lunch one day. Would love to hear more of your takes on video game collecting! Take care!
Thanks dude!
Dude nice video… I’m thinking on selling my game collection due to sustenance reasons and the truth I don’t want to accept is that my collection is not as essential as what my financial peace of mind is . Hopefully I will get it back in the future again !
The whole credit culture in the US is mad to me, I've always lived by if I cant afford it I don't have it. If I want something I need to save for it. I'm not saying buying on credit is bad at all but the way people are even allowed to get that far in is scary. Trust me showing off the expensive games as a small channel doesn't get the clicks either, but then again I'm not chasing them. Game collecting to me is a hobby and I will never make it more than that, I would fear I would lose the passion, and thats the worst thing that can happy to something you enjoy.
The biggest flaw with credit is the education and understanding of it. There are so many people using it that don’t even understand the terms or conditions of the card.
@steviefreakinc seems to be with anything like this, clearly the companies need to keep people ignorant to it, otherwise they wouldn't make as much
Going into debt for anything besides a mortgage? That’s an epic fail. Nice video fella!
Agreed! Thanks 😊
Good talk Steve, thank you for your upfront honesty about your previous situation. I see a lot of these massive/expensive game collections on TH-cam and think "How much of that persons game room is still on a payment plan? How far are they willing to go to continue to stretch this spending just to say they have xyz game or xxx amount of games on TH-cam?"
I have never gone into debt, but, I have definitely overspent some months... Once went from $8k to $3k in my checking from Switch and PS4 game (and some DVD/Blu Ray movie) purchases from Amazon and eBay over just a month, which was admittedly a bit jarring and internally embarrassing. But I work hard for my money, and am blessed with a good job.
But for all the younger crowd or for those that are far more strapped for cash - just remember - if you're NEVER going to play it / watch it or would 0 interest in the media item beyond it's perceived or potential 'value', it's usually not worth the money or the space on your shelves / closets / coffee tables / piles of games in your room.
Collecting is like an addiction it takes your mind off things. I collected diecast cars during the pandemic, and while I enjoyed it, they just sit in storage now. In my opinion, collecting just to collect is stupid. I've never used a credit card, but all the money I've wasted on that addiction makes me feel dumb still to this day. There's better hobbies like fishing, hunting, cycling, etc. Reselling is an addiction, too. Just one where you can actually not lose money if you do it right
Anything can be abused when you think about it. It’s the people who have the issue. Not the diecast cars or the reselling lol. 😂
@@steviefreakincI stopped collecting a long time ago
It's fun to collect and enjoy what we collect. But I think when It becomes a situation to the point of debt or other issues then that's a sign of they need help and either are blind or to far gone to realize. I wish collectors of all kind the best in finding great deals and not falling under that awful addict way.
Coming from someone who has been big in collecting games for almost 5 years and before then guns for almost 10 years with my game collection worth roughly $50k and the other collection worth probably over twice that. I never and I mean never went into debt for either of them but even if you're responsible enough to never carry a balance (or only with an intro 0% apr) you can still be ruining saving for so many more important things. For the longest time I essentially blew money I could have saved spending $50 here, $100 a few days later, $400 a week after that without thinking about it since I didn't have that price shock I had with collecting guns where it was like $1500+ at once every few months. It may seem like a small purchase or no big deal to chase a game, controller, or console for your collection but be patient since it all adds up faster than most of us realize if you're not careful. Always prioritize what matters like a house, transportation and memories with loved ones over a hobby like this.
Hopefully people take your Positive Advice , keep the positive flowing its getting rough out here with alot of the negative..
Great topic! Very important to talk about.
The credit thing rules applies to Canada too. I never used a credit card unless it’s prepaid for my videogame collection (20yr old collection), my bills always come first at the end of the month then my subscriptions are second and if I have pre-orders or stuff at my local comic book to pick up or my animals need something that’s usually third.
Shiiiiiit my kitty is top priority not by choice. He’ll beat me up if I let the wet food stock get low 😂
@ my fish are good on food that ain’t an issue and it’s just Seachem Prime water conditioner (dumping a fish in into water without detoxing it of heavy metals can be very deadly for them) and the bug are not hard to buy for as vegetables are very cheap).
@ I can see cat doing that tho 😅
What's up Steve, great video, great thumbnail, and great advice. I go by a personal rule, If I can't afford it, I don't buy it. I collect on a budget one game at a time. 👍
There is a big difference between an adult and grown up man child.
Lol true!
If youre looking to spend $200 to $300 for a heavy hitter game, get a new card with a welcome bonus promo. They usually give $200 to $500.
No money no honey, clear and simple, buy only what you can afford
Dont forget about the "good debt"; video games are actually an asset that carries an indeterminible future value- leverage it if you can for business opportunities etc- just make sure its a great business structure because your games can become the collateral on the secured loan.
Also- all money is credit (even cash).
I try not to think of games as investments. Just me personally. I feel like if I allow myself to think that way, I'll start buying expensive games that I don't care much for.
@steviefreakinc the games aren't the investments, the loan you'd leverage your games to get is the investment. Folks dont have hard assets right now like houses etc, but a lot of them have games that can be used to gain something they may not have.
@ RNG gamer was talking about that actually.
@@steviefreakinc I think I heard him talk about it, or somebody else? Either way, the advice in this video would still apply. The last thing we need right now is forclosed on game collections picked up by resellers lol
Dont touch credit cards unless you know you can pay the debt of every month (set-up an auto payment from your debit account), I can do this and the only reason I do as it builds up a credit score for doing this and you getextra protection on purchased goods/servers than a debit card (this is in the UK not sure about USA) ... Bank loans should be used for needed credit, but try to work arounf having credit for anythinf, with the only exceptions being a house (not a car!!!)
You don't need to pay "more than the minimum". You need to pay off the full balance every time. If you can't, you can't use credit cards.
This may be the best way to go. But at the very least I was saying to make more than the minimum
@@steviefreakinc Which is still all bad advice. Anything less than the full balance is simply unacceptable. Not being strict about this is bad for everyone. People think that it's okay to not pay the balance in full. This thought needs to be changed.
@ okay then what do you say to someone that can’t afford to pay off a $5000 card limit every month but needed to use it for a pet surgery or some shit? Lol. Not all scenarios can strictly follow what you’re saying man. In reality people can’t pay off their credit cards every month but at the very least they can pay more than the minimum payment which is why I suggested it. 😂 I swear man you over there doing too much too early in the morning. I appreciate the comments but damn bee.
@steviefreakinc ever heard of emergency fund? Credit cards are not your emergency fund. You put yourself willingly into huge risk if you dont have an emergency fund.
@ I agree with you but I live in reality and the reality of a lot of people in America is they don’t have savings accounts or emergency funds.
Gaming influencers rarely dive into the darker side of gaming, like addiction, cheating, and the reality of spending tons on games that end up collecting dust. Instead, we get a polished version of reality, where everything seems perfect, pushing us to just consume and follow along. TH-cam plays a big role in fueling these addictions and manipulations. Gamers aren't naive; many can spot the fakes from a distance. Yet, the allure of rare games or hidden gems acts like a drug, drawing people in. The shiny objects create a sense of urgency to acquire them, leading many to fall into the trap of endless collecting. It’s like a competition, with people racing to complete sets or gather vintage items, but it’s just a never-ending cycle. This mindset is toxic for the gaming community, encouraging shady resellers and investors to take advantage of unsuspecting fans. Many have supported indie developers only to be scammed, so it’s crucial to be smart about your choices to avoid ruining your gaming experience.
depends on who your calling a gamer, alot of people are naive/scared/cowardly.
Just talking about this like steve is people cannot fathom it and think hes just a hater/toxic/poor is what they say.
I always say the way you can tell it is a addiction is how these people parallel what addicts say by saying "im not hurting anybody" or "I can stop whenever I want to"
I like your thoughts on the matter. People wouldn't really want to share the dark and toxic side of collecting. I was there in it, Heckin Steve pulled me out. I still got all this stuff though. Some of it is awesome, and some of it is meh. It was an addiction though, the stuff came in easy, but I still have a hard time letting it go.
@@penguinjay i was in it too, but i just wokeup like a bad dream after seeing all these youtubers, some even admitting they are sick and just literally filming themselves being sick buying all this stuff just cause they seen someone else do it
thats not collecting or a hobby thats a sickness at that point.
Dark side of gaming
When???
Dont be afraid of piracy folks. Glad videos like these get made, not enough people talk about it. Bur being poor doesn't have to mean no enjoyment in life. Corps are making things harder and harder, its easy to get what you want. Support small businesses qhen you can, but all these big companies arent gonna lose out if you enjoy the media they make. If the difference is you dont enjoy art at all or you have to get it your own way. Most people who pirate are the biggest spendors now or will ne in the future.
Also get a library card and use rhe apps and resources thete to get books and media through your local community.
You're definitely right about pirates being some of the biggest spenders. I've sailed the seas for decades and still buy stuff.
I stopped altogether, it came to a point where I was just looking for a deal and adding to the pile.
I had to stop , there was no point, I make a point now to play them and my backlog is years in the making.
I'm getting to that point too. Now my pickups are 1-5 games tops where it used to be 5-20 each visit to the stores.
I’m a new sub, love your videos and insight
Thanks Zach!
The retro game you want will always be there, yes you most likely won't get an amazing deal if you buy it when you have enough, but you will pay less in the long run because you wont have to pay interest rates.
I'm in my own world. On average, l spend about $10 a week on games. I usually find cheap PS3, Xbox 360 and One games. It's all love and the money goes to charity so I like to think I'm helping people out.
Great budget honestly. If you can’t find something good to play for less than $10. You’re doing it wrong lol
Im grateful that Ive been an avid collector for years growing up keeping the box for things without opening them lol or making sure to keep some gba boxes since i thought they were so cool lol
Best thing to do is just save up money for it and not be impatient 😮
Madness.
appreciate the video,Steve.. I was once in debt for $40,000.Now The only debt that I have is my car loan, which has $3000 to go.
Have a great day..
Congrats that must’ve taken a ton of hard work!
@petejunebug thank you. It took a lot of planning and budgeting..
Don't forget that some jobs will reject your application if your credit is bad.
That is true. That always confused the hell out of me on a background report. Lol
Definitely not worth going into debt for. Great topic!
Oh and watching the way he (cornercade) responded to it all was disgusting. I can’t stand people like that.
I was disappointed in him. I know him through another channel that has helped me in the past with some channel tips and I was even on a live stream one time with Corner Cade and he was douche then too lol.
When you get things on credit, the money from every hour you work technically belongs to someone else. Think about that when you make your next purchase.
For me i always get physical games during the holiday season of games i want to play. Usually its around dec and February where physical games go half off and thats when i get physical games
Oh yeah I do the same thing with Madden and NBA.
debt is already scary enough. debt on hobbies, that is financial suicide.
Great video dude 😊
I just slowed down on buying games that are modern but I don't go into debt for games either unless I just want to work up my credit score and I just paid off three consoles already
I honestly feel stuck at the moment about my credit score. I started university knowing I could only start it now otherwise I could never afford it (I have acces to university scholarship that basicly pays each semester when I get the bill for the next one, so as long as I pass it's ''free'') but I also have a crushing 12k credit card dept that's at 13%. Being a full time student, I can't always pay it on time without skipping rent and food. It's tuff. I don't even know if I'll be able to finish uni at this rate even tho I only have half of it left
12K is pretty tough. I’d call them and see if you can work out some better options. Sometimes you can close the account and it stops the interest as long as you pay it back.
Great topic people get caught in the fomo and want to have everything everyone else has or whatever is hype at the moment and make bad choices financially in order to get said things but that’s how we learn also that’s why i always wait for sales or buy used gotta shop smart
A giant wall of games is years and years of buying things. Like 1 game every two months or so since you were a child.
It's never worth going into debt for video games.
Not many people here on TH-cam bring up the downsides of collecting like addiction which could lead into debt. This stuff needs to be talked about as well. I always make sure I have my bills paid and the groceries that I need before I buy anything for my collections
You should be saving money before you add to your collection
Great realizations! Now have an epiphany about health and longevity
Working on it
Dave Ramsey would love this.
Haha I watch that dude sometimes. He's an old head
@ getting out of dept after reading his book and following his teachings!
@ that’s good!
Wise gaming words man
Thanks
I guarantee that these people who bought a 30th Anniversary Pro from EBay put themselves into debt. Nobody with the money or in their right mind would spend that type of money. ($3K)
I bought the 30th anniversary ps5 slim for about $700, but not the pro. Never had a ps5 before, so I thought a good opportunity to finally get one. But I'm not buying a 30th ps5 pro, as expensive as it is, that u wouldn't be able to resell easily.
If they don’t respect their finances, they definitely don’t respect credit card finances lol
@ “I can’t pay my rent or my mortgage now, but I got PS5 Pro #11738. Yay me!” 😂
@@steviefreakincIn all seriousness, this was great advice! I’m 40+ and I’ve heard from women who have teenage kids that they don’t teach this type of stuff anymore. Kids don’t even know how to write out a check!
A lot of people get the fear of missing out, but companies like VGP and PNP have been rereleasing a lot of out of print titles for less than their MSRP when they first released. Even things that were only sold on LRG and places like that. If people would take their time and budget themselves, they can build up a quality collection!
@ yeah man kids today are basically roaming the earth free missing important knowledge but they know how to do TikTok’s dances 😂
Some of us kept all of our games since we were kids. That's the reason many have huge collections.
@@Eat_like_Irving not me. Don't have a single belonging from when I was a child.
Its alarmingly shocking how many people in the current day never have/dont know how to budget!
It’s sad honestly. They don’t teach it in school
Never go into debt for a hobby.
Avid collector here, would never use a Credit Card to pay for games or books, both which are my poison, that's what disposable income is for. During times when I don't have the money for it, I don't purchase games, Games are a luxury, not a must..Then again, I have no actual credit cards, because I feel I don't need one. However Credit Scores isn't really a thing in the same way here in Sweden as it is over in the US.
If you pay a single penny of interest to a bank, you’ve already lost the game.
For sure!
Good video I don’t think younger people realize how important credit is
It's nice to collect stuff, but let's be honest. All of these goodies will one day end up somewhere else, you can't take them to the grave. It becomes a disease pretty fast.
If there's something else you could be buying that can improve your life somehow, get that instead lol.
I set a savings theshold I must meet every month and that is higher each month than the month before. Anyone who goes stone broke and then to credit cards is someone with a low understanding of how life works. Rare expensive items are for an elite group of people and the buzz is usually around "The great deal" rather than the game itself. If you paid full price and you cannot afford it, you're not smart. We live in a world where 50% of folk have $1500 iphones but cannot pay rent easily. Its no wonder that mentality spills over into videogames.
Kinda the reason why I stopped collecting for most consoles except for nintendo ones because it usually keeps or increases value more often.
Can only play one at a time too.
@ i still play ps5 and pc but don’t really collect or buy physical for ps5 cause you have the download the whole game anyway. Mostly collecting in general costs a lot of money so why I kinda stopped collecting pokemon tcg and games for most consoles.
Hey Steve I was siting in the same boat last year. Personally I dont think there is anything morally wrong with taking some debt like 100-200 in a couple of months and it makes logically sense as it feels like having a free income from your future month, but just as you mentioned the interests do add up and these banking networks (who should all be illegal in a modern economy) are pretty vile and its not worth messing around with. I paid all of my debts on time by using these little debt options of paying 1 or 3 months later and they still downgraded me. Now I just saved up a big cushion of money where I will just borrow from myself in the future. If you collect you do need this ability to have 200-500 at any time because some deals are simple too good to let them pass.
Imagine going into debt in order to show your collection off on TH-cam. I guess you have to spend money to make money.
That would suck ass lol
I wouldn’t say it’s Milestone or Credit One that’s the problem.
Afterall they take people with insanely high risk so naturally they need to charge higher rates.
Those higher rates are not people being victimized in any way. They’re simply paying the consequences of not tending to ones credit score and financial discipline.
I wonder if resellers will respond with a debt is good video.
Nah random idiots on tiktok got that section of the market covered.
I don't use credit at all just debit, I don't want to mess with all that stuff
But Steve if I put it on my credit card that 3% cash back is literally free money which means more games
3 bucks for each $100. I guess you could make it work with a good budget and mindset
LOL 3%, meanwhile interest for not paying the credit card bills instantly offsets that 3% LOL if you dont pay but the minimum payments
@ pretty much yeah. The cashback cards are conniving like that sometimes
Consumers are likely to spend more when using a credit card to purchase. It’s easier to impulse buy with the ease of convenience, the lure of rewards, and not truly feeling the impact of the cost. I use credit cards to purchase everything. What I did to control my spending is, setup a budget. I have 1 checking account that has auto transfer to it a percentage that I set for guilt free spending. I use my credit card to make the purchase and use that checking account to pay it off right away. I don’t wait for the statement date. Once the funds are up I don’t spend anymore on non necessities. I started this a few months ago and found that I now spend less than the money I budgeted for. Why? Because I now feel the pain of spending my money.
@ sounds responsible
I only use my card for emergencies. Unfortunately it got ran up pretty fast last year because of car issues happening so frequently. Paying them back is always a slow pain in the ass. It's never worth spending it on luxuries unless you can pay that back fast even then something can happen that could mess up your money for that month.
Great video i find it ridiculous that people rather use there rent money or put themselves in debt over video games like cmon your needs come first and your spending on games come last its that simple i know it maybe hard
For me i am 25 years old and have a 80K gaming collection and over 2.5k of game and i play most of them and i bought all the game from my salary i get from my Work and still maintain my money and savings
I enjoy the hobby and hunting the games and not buying them in full retail price or for the new games just waiting for them to buy them used or sales
Another reason why these youtubers show big expensive hauls and items is because they get a tax writeoff on those items if they're in a video.
Them slick buttholes
Good work Steve!
Sue was over 20k total in debt
That really sucks. I can’t believe she let it get that far. :(
Nice haircut man, looking good
Thanks Clyde. You’ve always been such a Clyde to me and I appreciate it.
@steviefreakinc Hahaha, I'm just gonna take that as a compliment.
You're also the stevest Steve I know, ngl.
If you are in debt and don't have fully funded emergency fund, you have no business collecting video games
I have many games that now cost 300 or more dollars. Half those games like rule of rose ain't worth the disc it's printed on. Get games digitally on sale. No full price anything.
Amen
I just won't play a game if I have to get it digital
@ digital ain’t too bad
Never go in debt for your hobby. There is plenty of money out there so side hustle! I have my own small business on the side for just this: getting ahead with bills and fun money. If that doesn’t work just set aside 5-20 bucks a week from your pay check. It adds up. Never ever use your credit cards
See people dont even consider what your talking about or play it back in their minds to think about what they are doing. Self reflection, self accounting, self control? Then when you ask them to consider their actions they get defensive and rationalize like a drug addict...then they proceed to say the same exact lines drug addicts would use "Im not hurting anybody" - "Im in control of it" etc etc.
There certainly are a lot of excuses when it comes to accountability
Some people have too much pride to accept they’ve made a mistake or bad decision
@@steviefreakinc i mean how do you learn or realize bad from good or weak/strengths or overcome it then?
And talks like these have become offensive to some cause oh "its just video games" they are harmless.
@@steviefreakinc well some say its OK because of whatever reason, its just video games, its something I enjoy, uhh what else Im nostalgic, Its a GOAL to get all this stuff.
lol like dudes trying to tell me it was their dream when they were 7 yrs old to own a full NES collection, like bro when you was 7 u didnt even realize how many games there was.
@@BanditsBest686 for a lot of people, you can only tell them the reality of a situation. And they usually know it deep down. But they need reassurance, sometimes it takes weeks or months for it to set in. And for some they may never change because the reward is too much to lose
Yeahhhh I might’ve racked up my credit cards buying pokemon cards and obscure RPGs and I didn’t care … until the minimum payment became a full paycheck. Paying it off now but be careful dudes, shit is no joke. But my credit score is 🔥 atleast
I’m glad your score is 🔥
@ they want us in debt. Especially if we are still paying it off. That’s more money for them. Our stupidity is their game.
Thanks for this video, im the one that's guilty of this, but I'm not in that much of debt, and I watched the conercade, and what I've seen, he's done was NASTY WORK! I only have sympathy for the kids... anyways, I've learned my lesson
No way. I can’t believe the debt people get in with games. Some people in the uk where I am buy ps5 etc on finance 👀 if you can’t afford it then don’t buy it.
There's a few ways to buy things on payment plans outside of credit too which is honestly the best way to go. Paypal Pay in 4 for example. I talk about that a lot but it's really good for non credit buying.
@@steviefreakinc I’m old fashioned I guess I just pay in full for this type of thing. Tbh I look for second had stuff now mostly although that’s more to do with my gaming habits at the moment. (I’m mostly playing the original Xbox) think my newest game is totk.
@ old school is great man I can’t knock ya for that