I was recently featured on Actualol, Jon Purkis's excellent and long-running video channel. He had invited viewers to submit a shelfie along with requests for help with our collection-related problems.

I have to say I was touched by the introduction he gave me: "this is the man that got me into modern boardgaming".

Here's a link if you want to see that deeply gratifying tribute, along with Jon's response to my shelfie.

Here is the text of my email to Jon that accompanied my shelfie:

What to do about nostalgia? For years now I've kept my collection at around 150 titles. A significant proportion of these are "nostalgia titles", games that I hang onto because they remind me of happy times in the distant past. Lots of old-school wargames. Monsters like Civilization or 1830. Let's face it, I have far more gaming years behind me than ahead of me, so most of these games I will never play again. And I want to remain engaged with the hobby which means inevitably buying some of the latest titles, and of course finding room for them on my already crowded shelves. So my question is: how can I overcome my nostalgic attachments and finally say goodbye to some of these dust-gathering old friends?

And here are some tips that Jon gave me for clearing out my "nostalgia" games:

Tip: Play it one more time

Tip: Take a photo, ditch the game.

Tip: Out of sight, out of mind.

Tip: Find it a new home.

Jon's final words on my collection: "Let this be a lesson!"

So, did I take any of Jon's advice? Well, I sold one wargame that has been gathering dust on my shelf for at least two decades (Hellenes, GMT). And I have posted three more on BGG Marketplace – no interest so far. I have also sold Arcs: the Blighted Reach, but that's another story...