Philip Sharp
SuperGrafx: RIP :(
When I needed to finance my first trip to Iceland, I did something I swore I would never do: I sold some of my precious video game collectibles. I suppose when you're in a pinch and need fast cash, selling in one second what took hours of hard work to obtain is one of the few options.
Collecting rare/import/classic video game stuff is probably my biggest hobby (though, of late, lack of time and money has ground it to a mere interest). I would always tell myself "Hey, at least I have my games." Sure, they're petty (pretty!) pieces of plastic to the uninitiated, but what they represent to me is something else altogether.
I own something like thirty pieces of video game hardware.
One of these consoles is a NEC PC-Engine SuperGrafx.
Unreleased in the United States, at was created by NEC to make sure that their PC-Engine (known as the TurboGrafx-16 in the USA) could stand up to the forthcoming onslaught of the venerable Super Famicom (SNES, Stateside). As it turned out, the mighty little PC-Engine was doing swimmingly, and the SuperGrafx was canned after a small handful games (of which I own four).
I remember pissing my pants (figuratively, but you can assume literally for more gravitational pull in my storytelling) when the thing arrived in the mail. I had bought it from a Hong Kong collector and the thing reeked of smoke. But, it certainly got its use.
Now, to make sure I can afford my two months of storage payments , I am selling my SuperGrafx and two of the games. The other two are much harder to come by, so I am saving them. I intend to rebuy these items when I move to Japan to teach English.
Anyway. I tremble with feelings of defeat in doing this. My ex-girlfriend, who has been quite kind about my huge debt to her, has asked that I notarize a document promising to begin liquidating anything of value to pay her off if funds are not returned in February. And I agree, of course. I need to pay her pack.
But: the thought of watching all my games vanish makes me feel like I'm about to lose an identity... become someone else. Hopefully I can keep up overtime and Top Ramen until February.
Collecting rare/import/classic video game stuff is probably my biggest hobby (though, of late, lack of time and money has ground it to a mere interest). I would always tell myself "Hey, at least I have my games." Sure, they're petty (pretty!) pieces of plastic to the uninitiated, but what they represent to me is something else altogether.
I own something like thirty pieces of video game hardware.
One of these consoles is a NEC PC-Engine SuperGrafx.
Unreleased in the United States, at was created by NEC to make sure that their PC-Engine (known as the TurboGrafx-16 in the USA) could stand up to the forthcoming onslaught of the venerable Super Famicom (SNES, Stateside). As it turned out, the mighty little PC-Engine was doing swimmingly, and the SuperGrafx was canned after a small handful games (of which I own four).
I remember pissing my pants (figuratively, but you can assume literally for more gravitational pull in my storytelling) when the thing arrived in the mail. I had bought it from a Hong Kong collector and the thing reeked of smoke. But, it certainly got its use.
Now, to make sure I can afford my two months of storage payments , I am selling my SuperGrafx and two of the games. The other two are much harder to come by, so I am saving them. I intend to rebuy these items when I move to Japan to teach English.
Another panacea spilt in vain.
Anyway. I tremble with feelings of defeat in doing this. My ex-girlfriend, who has been quite kind about my huge debt to her, has asked that I notarize a document promising to begin liquidating anything of value to pay her off if funds are not returned in February. And I agree, of course. I need to pay her pack.
But: the thought of watching all my games vanish makes me feel like I'm about to lose an identity... become someone else. Hopefully I can keep up overtime and Top Ramen until February.
I feel this portrays me in a pretty negative light. You know that if it ever actually HAD to come to that, that it wouldn't have to be your games to go. I honestly don't believe it will come to that, anyway. You've been good about paying me back.
And I find it unfair that you link this particular eBay auction to me, since it isn't even related to that agreement at all.
Please don't make me look like the evil stepmother who's forcing you to sell your hopes and dreams. I lent you thousands of dollars free of interest when you needed it.
ICONOCLASTEROID
Tokenspark: Super Capsule Tokyo Blast!!!
Clearly Broke
I don't think there was an iota of negative portrayal here at all. I just hate to see these things go, period. I can't imagine what it would feel like for me to, say, get rid of the Fiero.
I've conceded on the blog before that you've been quite gracious about this.
"We're signing a contract saying I have to sell things...
...Here's me selling my favorite things..."
statements in such close proximity lends itself towards a connotation that isn't 100% accurate.
And I doubt we'll actually go to the trouble of a legit document, anyway. I don't feel like paying $10 for a notarization and going through the hassle.