How common is it to collect old handheld video games from the 80's?

1. 71

   RolyRetroposted 9 years ago

   How common is it to collect old handheld video games from the 80's?
   
   I've been collecting old handheld and tabletop games for around 10 years and have quite a collection, but how rare is this hobby? Do other people collect these kinds of games or is it just me?
   
   

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2. 85

   sparkleyfingerposted 9 years ago

   Really cool collection!!! I know someone who collects rare/ retro computer consoles, but not the handheld versions. So I think your hobby is quite unique!!

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   1. 71

      RolyRetroposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks! I have found a few people recently on online forums, but it does seem a niche hobby I just wondered how niche...

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3. 78

   JohnGreasyGamerposted 9 years ago

   It's probably rare, or at least very uncommon to see pre-Game Boy collectors because of the quantity of items required to build up the collection. Where the Game Boy was one of the first - if not the first - console to have cartridges as a handheld, others were tiny games but had their own console like the Tiger Electronic stuff. One of the problems collectors like myself face is lack of space, and with 80s handhelds it's even more hoggish a hobby than collecting video games themselves.
   
   Thanks to the Angry Video Game Nerd and forum contributors like yourself though, the hobby has probably seen spikes of popularity over the past five or so years!

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   1. 71

      RolyRetroposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Space is definitely an issue for me, my collection already takes up a whole wall in my spare room and it's starting to overflow!  The games take up a lot of space and I just can't resist picking up just one more...
      
      Thanks for the comment John

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4. 60

   Tonyx35posted 9 years ago

   I think I owned a Nintendo Game and Watch but only one of them before moving on to Tiger Electronic LCD games and the Gameboy. I like playing retro games but I probably couldn't get back into  stuff that old, My cut off is early 80s I guess.

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