The collector's instinct kicks in

I've always been a collector at heart, as evidenced by my rather extensive, and still growing, pokemon collection. It already takes up an entire wall but the sheer number of cute things that are released every month empties my pocket every time.

However, that's not what I'm collecting today. To my utter dismay, I've inadvertently fallen into the greatest trap.

CONSOLES GAMES COLLECTING.

Console(s) game(s), with major emphasis on the s'es. So what exactly am I referring to? These culprits are namely the PS3 and the 3DS, though ultimately, I suspect, it will extend to the PSVita and PS4 as well.

The problem with the urge to fill my shelf with all the best games is that each individual component will set me back 50 bucks. Thankfully, I've mitigated the first wave of damages by forcing myself to buy games second hand. However, eventually the backlog of older games will run dry, and spanking new collector's editions will soon be my greatest nightmares.

This worries me especially because I'm gainfully unemployed.

BUT

The amount of joy one gains from just owning something is ridiculous. It's not a sentiment a non-collector can empathize with, though, and that's good, cause it's not exactly the most economical hobby in the world.

My haul for the 3DS looks a little like this now.

There are still a couple of titles missing, namely, Story of Seasons, Persona Q, Shin Megami Tensei IV, some game cases I can't find, and the whole Zelda collection. After obtaining Monster Hunter 4U, Rune Factory 4 and Tales of the Abyss in one day though, I have successfully managed to quash the urge to hunt down more games in the immediate future. Hopefully at least until I finish what I have.

On the other hand, I shamefully admit to buying quite a number of PS3 games despite my physical console gathering dust in some corner of the attic.

And with that ends this status update, till the next haul.