not really.. lots of people collect things to actually enjoy the stuff themselves, not for some profit motive

im actually hoarding rare stuff hoping for the price of it to go up. er.... isnt that the point of collecting?

I used to feel the same way, but I see more and more replacement parts coming from places like ASM or Kitsch so I think as long as the demand is there people will reproduce hard to find gear.

i do worry about it, and so i would never, unless very desperate, take apart anything i'd expect someone to want to play. But i don't feel bad for gutting the occasional 10-Yard Fight cartridge.

Does anyone out there who's a collector or a modder who disassembles old console/carts for parts ever worry about what their stash is doing to the hobby at large? looking at eBay for NES games is dismaying these days, both in terms of what AIN'T there and the cost of what is, so I can't imagine how hard the prices are rising for less ubiquitous systems and consoles...

of course that cost is kinda alleviated by the incredible ease by which things can be emulated but, if the physical specimens dry up to this extent, you have to wonder how long the interest in the games will remain!