When I was 10 years old a friend asked me whether I'd ever sell my Super Nintendo games. He mentioned a store where they buy your old wares...trading in his SNES cartridges allowed him to invest in a whopping two new N64 games, and he was quite proud of that.

Though I wanted to keep up with the times (and still do), I just couldn’t see myself parting with classics like ActRaiser and Illusion of Gaia. I knew I would always save my video games and create a mass collection.

Selling used games is a great way to finance our hobby...though parting with old friends is difficult. The way I see it, collections propagate a cluster of memories. You can revisit what you’ve already accomplished and continually add to your list of triumphs. Building a library is also a great way to stay abreast of evolving concepts in game development. Sure, plenty of wiki sites offer general breakdowns, but nothing beats experiencing these classics on your own.

Take Final Fantasy 7, for instance. If I say “this dude in a black cloak stabs this beloved female protagonist,” it won't have the same emotional impact as playing the title yourself. You’ll spend many hours getting attached to her, practically bawling your eyes out as Cloud describes simple human traits she’ll no longer display. And what happens when Sephiroth continues babbling about his dark plan? Cloud simply responds with a blunt “shut up.” No hollow summary could recreate these experiences.

PSN rereleased Final Fantasy 7, but some classics -- usually third-party, non-AAA titles -- haven't received this treatment.

I can understand the rationale behind selling old games: It makes owning the latest titles more affordable. In fact, game traders enable collectors to obtain used software at lower prices, and they contribute toward the "circle of life" in the realm of physical media. For every person ready to give up their old treasures, an eager connoisseur of classics is searching for something they missed over the years.

Feature image provided by Sunken Treasures Games