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[The latest Collector’s Corner is all about you, we want to see your collections! We want to show them off to the rest of the Destructoid Community. Keep reading below to see how you can participate!]
I was having a discussion with a friend the other day, who also happens to be a collector, regarding the way he displays the games he’s picked up over the years. You see, my buddy Brian is a huge nut for anything Atari, whether it is games, consoles, posters, manuals, pins, buttons, stickers — anything. You name it, he collects it, and he has tons of stuff to show off.
His collection, while massive, is sort of hidden, such that the majority of his games and swag are not on display. He has a room dedicated to gaming, and on the back wall are two six-foot-tall shelves, each is just about four feet wide. On these shelves are various games (mostly Atari), some loose, and some in boxes. There are a couple of Atari-themed lunch boxes, and other miscellaneous items. The windows are adorned with vintage Pac-Man curtains. The walls are painted to resemble a level from the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES.
Basically, he goes all out.
On the opposite side of the two shelves, there is a large flat screen back-lit TV. This is sitting in front of a large walk in closet with a curtain resembling the curtain from the opening screen of Super Mario Bros. 3. The rest of the room is basically empty, minus a couple of posters on the walls.
Now, I mention all of this because as I started off with, we were having a discussion regarding the “display” of his collection. 90 percent of his games, consoles, handhelds, boxes, toys and other tchotchkes are behind the large TV, stored neatly in his closet away from public view. Such a display is not how I would do it, and it’s not how I’ve done it in the past. For him though, it’s not about how he wants to display his stuff, but how he has to display his collection right now.
We’ve all been there as collectors; there are times in our lives where we have to take a step back and deal with real life situations, such as buying a new house. If you’ve ever bought your own home, you realize that there is a lot to be done. As you can imagine, this would put a strain on even the most hardcore collector. Brian has plenty of room for more shelving, and there is more than enough space to adorn the walls or even floor space with furniture to proudly show off his rare and valuable goodies. Eventually, he’ll get to it.
So what does any of this have to do with anything? I tell this story because at this point in my life, I’m sort of in the same boat as my friend, meaning I have very little of my collection out for others to see. For me, however, it is more necessity, rather than wanting to display my stuff or being too busy with other things to care. You see, over the past two years I have moved twice, once from Illinois to Florida and then just recently within state.
I’m not “home” yet — I’m in a temporary layover — still waiting to put down my roots. For me, displaying my collection is more of a hassle than anything. I don’t have the space right now, I don’t have the time, and most importantly, I don’t have the desire to “set up shop” and show off my wares, simply because I know that in less than a year, I will be moving yet again.
I am a collector without a true home, without a shelf, and without….well, my collection. As much as I would love to show all of you how amazing my displays are, how meticulous I have set everything up, and how perfect my alphabetizing is, I cannot, unless you want to see pictures of a 20×20 storage unit packed wall to wall and up to the ceiling.
This is the part where I turn the conversation over to you, my fellow collectors and community members of Destructoid. I want to see your collection. I want to show the rest of Destructoid what your collection looks like. I want you to show off, brag, boast and most importantly, be proud of your collection, no matter how big or small.
You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Dang, I’d love to show off my stuff, and I’d love to have it on the front page of Destructoid! But, how in the heck am I gonna do that?”
It’s easy, here’s what you need to do;
Take some pictures of your collection, let’s say, no more than ten but at least five. Give me a brief description of what you collect, how you collect, and how you choose to display you fine wares. I will then, in turn, take those pictures and show the world all of your cool stuff.
I want you to be the center of attention.
Email your pictures and descriptions to billplatt at Destructoid dot com. Each week or every other week (depending on what Chris has going on, my partner in crime in this feature series), I will pick two community members to highlight. I figure I’ll continue to do this until I stop receiving pictures, or I’m told to stop and have all my admin rights taken away, whichever comes first.
Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered what Chris Carter’s collection looks like, you can view it here. I figured this may give you some inspiration.
Thanks for stopping by today, I can’t wait to see your amazing collection.
Previous Collector’s Corner:
01: Should you sell your current console?
