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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Do you save stuff for nostalgic reasons?
by Josh Rose 
Feb 5th 2011 at 8:00AM
Nostalgia is a funny thing; it often lets us remember only the good and forget the bad. We look back with rose-colored glasses on the past, thinking how awesome it was. In real life, people hang on to odd souvenirs as memory triggers, and sometimes it is the same in game. There are old drops that took us a long time to get or signified a first kill of a boss in a previous expansion, things we just cannot seem to vendor or throw away because it feels like cheating on the memory. So we hold on to these items, allowing them to clog up bank slots so that whenever we go digging through them for an obscure item we currently need, we get that pleasant flashback.
For the longest time, I was a borderline hoarder of nostalgic items. I had my full Stormrage set in the bank from vanilla, my tier 6 and my SSC trash staff from BC, and a few other random pieces, even including a Wildheart helm. I used them to not only remember the old raids and guilds, but friends who left WoW or switched factions or servers. However, it would be a quick, wistful moment -- then I would grab whatever I needed and close my bank back up.
The trouble was, the amount of items and the randomness in which they were fit into my bank created chaos, and as I was collecting tabards for my 25 tabard achievement and gear sets for achievements, I simply ran out of room. So I purged my bank, selling any and everything with a cash value. It was a little tough, but I moved on.
Do you have items in your bank purely for nostalgic reasons? If so, what items did you keep and why? Have you ever had to purge your bank when it began to fill up?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 7)
Drbenru Feb 5th 2011 9:17AM
Oh god, how I wish old gear didn't take up bank slots :( I was so sad having to get rid of many things when cataclysm hit, but I really needed the bank space for profession mats, and to hoard new gear until I could determine what my pre-heroic set was going to be like. I just couldn't part with my DK starter blue set. I mean, those where some epic moments, WoTLK had just released, and DK's truly lived up to their hero class. I fondly remember those few weeks of the uber OP DK. My only "upgrade" was to swap my Greataxe of The Ebon Blade for Zin'rokh, Destroyer of Worlds, I think I lost some stat or other, but Zin'rokh that's a real two handed sword, and the model is just gorgeous. Thank god my friends where running Zul'gurub every week for the mount and I just dinged 60 when their lockout expired. I was so thrilled when archeology brought Zin'rokh back, I only wish to get it before an upgrade drops for me :(
I've also kept gear, cause it just looks good, and I hate it when tier pieces make you look ridiculous http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/775013-Paladin-T11-Let-s-get-a-poll-goin-!?p=9118440&viewfull=1#post9118440 Unfortunately soulbound items can't be mailed to a bank alt, so hoarders like me are SOL when the bank is full :( I'm really looking forward to the upgrade to 26 slots that the illusionary bags are getting in patch 4.0.6 I already have 4 of them in my bank and I'm a couple of cooldowns from my last one, the other two are profession bags thank god those are now 36 slots.
Anyway I still have a ton of things, trinkets that summon helpers, I love the Horseman's Baleful Blade and the squashlings it summons. The brewfest steins, the picnic basket. Old Ironjaw, I've even kept a few coins from the Dalaran Fountain, even though they're grey items :S It's so much stuff to keep ahhhhh!!!
MusedMoose Feb 5th 2011 9:18AM
My DK still has her full set of upgraded armor and the sword from the initial quests, as well as the cool-as-hell hood that all DKs start with. She kept those as well as a few skulls so that she never forgets where she came from.
My hunter still has the gun he got from the Nesingwary quests in Outland, a very cool weapon. I mean, c'mon, it's got a skull on the side. ^_^
My engineering mage keeps the Gnomeregan Medallion of Merit (http://www.wowhead.com/item=56886) in her bank. Does her absolutely no good, but it's a medal from the gnomes for being a scientific badass. How could an engineer take any other reward?
And my shadow priest keeps the last two items she got at the end of the John J. Keeshan quests in Redridge Mountains. Honorary member of Bravo Company, yessir.
There are more, I'm sure of it, but these are the ones I can remember right now.
Nathanyel Feb 5th 2011 9:30AM
Words of the High Chief http://www.wowhead.com/item=13158
Fel Tracker Owner's Manual http://www.wowhead.com/item=10832
Namus Feb 5th 2011 9:50AM
My insect in amber! brb flying to costa rica.
Necromann Feb 5th 2011 9:56AM
I keep that tenticle staff from Vashj'ir, Alot of holiday stuff, and a few knick knacks.
ambermist Feb 5th 2011 9:59AM
I am a nostalgic WoW hoarder. I have the first loot I ever won in a raid (Light's Justice), an item with my son's name in it, the first loot I ever won in a 25-man (Teeth of Gruul), and every Tier piece I've earned in-game (excluding secondary specs and half-point upgrades--I only kept T10.5, not 10, etc.). I have every piece of resistance gear I used, including my entire Mother Shahraz set and some Arcane resistance pieces I wore for Kalecgos. I have every soulbound letter or book given by a quest giver (Words of the High Chief, anyone?). I have all of the tabards I've gotten (roughly 27) and all of the holiday vanity items: I can dress for Brewfest or Summer or Thanksgiving or Christmas...
Don't look at me like that, I don't have a problem. I'm just sentimental!
Trelteth Feb 5th 2011 10:03AM
Quel'Delar, Might of the Faithful just because of the trouble I went through to get it and the achievement it gave me.
Most of the outfits and items from the holiday events.
And Old Crafty, just because it took me forever to fish him up and I like the smell of fish in my bank vault.
MusedMoose Feb 5th 2011 11:35AM
With you on Quel'Delar. My DK is still using it, as she's only 81 and hasn't found an upgrade yet, but she's never getting rid of that sword. The storyline was too epic, as was the creation.
Nadia Feb 5th 2011 10:05AM
Hi, I'm Nadia and I'm a WoW hoarder.
Being a Priest, I kept [Benediction], of course. The original [Hydrocane] from Gnomergan. [The Scepter of the Shifting Sands]. [Archmage Vargoth's Staff].
Hmm, sensing a staff theme there...Well, just so no one thinks I only keep staves, I'll list some more.
I also kept the [Zulian Scepter of Rites] and [Blood Scythe] from ZG, [Linken's Boomerang], [Piccolo of the Flaming Fire], [Onyxia Scale Cloak], [Nat Pagle's Extreme Angler FC-5000], [Ruby Slippers], [Barov Peasant Caller], and my full Bloodsail outfit.
rainbowblack Feb 5th 2011 10:06AM
I also purged my bank prior to cata. sold or De'd everything but for holiday items, my D1 set and or course Benediction. I also held onto my Black mageweave outfit . that always comes in handy lmao
richardjarrell Feb 5th 2011 10:07AM
My Ark Inventory rules have a nostalgia rule that lists old tier sets, end raid boss loot and a few other things. It's getting pretty full.
camos1998 Feb 5th 2011 10:09AM
im a dk and kept all my tier gear full t7 i think thru tier 10.5 and i keep my light of dawn title on at all times i also keep my 25 tab tabard on and i always use kael thas`s phoenix as well as his hawkstrider
rainbowblack Feb 5th 2011 10:08AM
Also held onto my necklance item that was needed to gain acess to vanilla Ony (i forget it name)
ceaglemaverick Feb 5th 2011 10:09AM
The staff in the picture. It's the only item I've kept, and I will never get rid of it.
Sulouff Feb 5th 2011 10:11AM
I have a few items like that in my bank, like the first full set of armor I got in Outland dungeons aswell as other items I liked along the way
Pwnzoar Feb 5th 2011 10:12AM
I saved all of my Wrath gear, and I still have the first Epic item I ever got. (Typhoon from Azuregos.)
Muggsy Feb 5th 2011 10:15AM
"and as I was collecting tabards for my 25 tabard achievement and gear sets for achievements, I simply ran out of room."
Oh dear, you do realize you don't have to keep the tabards don't you? You just need to equip them once then sell them. Doh! :P
I would NEVER sell my old souvenirs. I still have all the brewfest mugs, gifts, the rare fish like Old Ironjaw, the epic class items, etc.
drtongue Feb 5th 2011 10:20AM
My lock had to keep his firestone and spellstone. They're now obviously useless, but you can't make them anymore so when they're gone, they're gone forever. They're in the same bank tab with the 4 reagents needed for the felsteed quest. It's my 'remember where you came from' bag. :-)
mjwbeach Feb 5th 2011 10:21AM
I have my Linken's Sword of Mastery, due to being a big Legend of Zelda fan.
Sayis Feb 5th 2011 10:22AM
Absolutely, although I've had to clean out my bank a couple times now. Right now, I've got full sets of T7, 8, and 10 (Shaman T9 was awful), as well as a full AQ40 set, dungeon set, level 60 PvP set, and all kinds of tabards.
Prior to that, I'd had letters from getting drakes, hitting level 80, etc. I kept coins from the Dalaran fountain, vanity gear from every holiday, different shirts I'd had crafted in case my gear changed, and even books I'd picked up. In short, it was getting messy and I was getting down to my last few bank slots. I cleaned most of the vanity stuff out, and sent other stuff to an alt. Now, I'm organized and feeling good about it.