Where does one draw the line when collecting retro hardware and games? I also test out some of the new features (and very basic ones such as blade…) in Final Cut Pro X. Decided it is time to show iMovie 11 the door. Here’s hoping the production (and content) quality increases exponentially! Also, we have Squid Girl, Broccoli Dog, and other great guests drop by randomly…

Take a look behind me. Shelves of stuff! There comes a point where you’ve got to ask yourself whether you’re actually collecting retro hardware or simply providing accommodation for every old console that happens to turn up.

I’ve been thinking about this for quite a while now. Do I keep expanding the collection, or do I start concentrating on the machines that really interest me?

Originally the idea was to collect Sega consoles, from the Mega Drive through to the Dreamcast. That was manageable enough, until I started collecting different models, boxed accessories and development hardware. Now I’ve got two bookshelves and a whole lot of difficult decisions.

Some things aren’t going anywhere. The Mega-CD development hardware is rather special, as are the Sega TeraDrives and Amstrad Mega PC. There’s also my Dreamcast VA0 with its interesting firmware, and a lovely collection of Mega Drive equipment.

But how many ordinary consoles should I keep? Do I need a Model 1 Saturn and a Model 2 Saturn? What about all the different motherboard revisions hiding inside them?

That was one of my original ideas, actually. Keep two of each machine, so I’d have a backup if something failed. Unfortunately, once you start considering all the different revisions, you’ll quickly discover that two bookshelves aren’t going to be enough.

I’ve decided that collecting every motherboard revision is probably a little beyond what I can reasonably manage. There are too many, and I’d rather spend my time working on the interesting machines than trying to acquire every possible variation.

Then there’s the boxed stuff. I’ve already made room by moving along accessories such as the Activator, Menacer and various racing controllers. There are some boxed items I really want to keep, though, including the Mega-CD Karaoke unit and a few of the more unusual Sega accessories.

It isn’t as though I’m collecting all this equipment as an investment. Once I’ve spent the money, I generally consider it gone. If I sell something later, that’s a bonus, but the reason I collect this stuff is because I like the hardware.

And then there are more Sega Saturn Sophia development kits to make room for. Wonderful! I can practically hear the bookshelves complaining already.

So where do you draw the line? Do you keep one example of every console, a couple of spare machines, or all the rare bits and pieces you can squeeze into the room?

I haven’t completely made up my mind, but something has to change. There are only so many Mega Drives one person can reasonably keep before the whole thing becomes a storage problem.

Anyway, this video’s also been a chance to play around with Final Cut Pro X. After spending so long with iMovie ‘11, I thought it was about time to try something different. Hopefully the new editing tricks make these rambling collection videos a little more interesting.

So what would you do, Internet? Keep the boxes, keep the hardware, or start reclaiming a bit of living space?

Decisions, decisions!