Let's say your collection is destroyed and you get $1,000 from the insurance company

Let's say your collection is destroyed/stolen whatever and there's NO gaming equipment left whatsoever. The insurance company only gave you $1,000 in cash when they evaluated the case. It doesn't matter how expensive your collection really was - I know that $1,000 is probably not even enough for one game in some collector's shelves here, but that does not matter right now.

What would be the most urgent gaming item you would want to buy back (or buy something entirely new, gaming-related) with those $1,000?

I would probably just buy a Japanese PS2 and a HRAP stick, many 2D shooters and as many fighting game/classic compilations as I can get for it (both PS1 and PS2). I may end up with the PS2 and 50 games, that's a good start I think.

 

if all my gaming related things were destroyed / stolen whatever and i'd get 1k from insurance, i'd leave it on their desk and tell them to fuck off honestly.

but that's just me.

 

$1000 that's what like £650? Well first of all I would buy some rope, then a pen and paper to compose my suicide note....

In all seriousness, probably a master system, a megadrive, a PS1 and a gameboy coulour, then populate them with all the games which were bought/found for me by my grandparents.
If some money were left over after that, I'd buy a dreamcast and sonic adventure 2

 

car boot - buy one of each console and a matching everdrive. Then start a new hobby

 

Exactly.

 

If you have a really expensive collection and don't declare it then they are likely to refuse the case altogether. You should either add expensive items to the policy or never claim for them.

 

Ok guys, I know about insurances This is a hypothetical situation, it's just supposed to put you in the situation of having to start over with a limited budget and the benefit of your long experience with gaming despite the lack of any equipment.

 

It's a boring answer, but it'd have to be a PC that I could emulate all the games I used to have on, along with an Xbox 360 Controller for Windows. It may not be anywhere near as cool as owning and using the original systems, but at least I'd get to play almost all of the stuff I lost.

 

I'd buy a Saturn and a bunch of games.

 

Demand more money, My collection is worth way more than that.

Or

Just rebuy all my saturn stuff.

 

Definitely my Xbox stuff. Even though I'd be $800 short
Out of everything though I'd track down another Smoke Black system, then the Kasumi-Chan.

 

Been there done that (sort of) and always come back for a beloved Katana

 

Metal Gear and Castlevania games.
(And required systems and soundtracks)
I cannot live without! D:

 

I would buy an MVS board and all the parts to consolize it, along with Metal Slug 3 or X, KOF '98 or 2k (alternatively one of the Last Blades), Windjammers and Twinkle Star Sprites (or another good shooter). The rest I'd spend on a softmodded Phat PS2 with BBA and HDD.

 

I'd probably buy a 64DD and some games, or maybe I would rebuy my Wondermega. Then I'd probably use the rest of the money (if there was anything left over) for a Genesis, a Dreamcast, and an N64, and some games.

 

Powerful enough PC, Hori real arcade pro VX, lagless hdmi screen, emulators.

 

^^100% this. Except I'd go for a supergun/MAK instead of consolizing. Oh, and also a softmodded xbox with fba-xxx, etc.

 

Invest it and then repurchase everything I actually miss.

 

How long would it take for a $1,000 investment to reach your collection's value?

 

At the common 2.5-3.5% a year it usually takes around 25 years until an investment quadruples. Then you have 4,000, but keep in mind the inflation rate and opportunity cost and it isn't quite as much as it looks even. I'm not sure how much your collection is worth, but let's say it'd be 10,000 - you can invest that for the rest of your life and hardly reach the time value of it