The Virtual Boy was a flop and it's not a system that's available 'new' anymore so I wouldn't feel bad about emulating either. That said I do own a Virtual Boy, in fact I have a few of them. I have my original one that was bought in store immediately after Nintendo announced they were discontinuing them.
I picked up the system w/ Mario's Tennis, 3 additional games (Teleroboxer, Vertical Force and Nester's Funky Bowling) along with the wall adapter. I believe I got all of that for under $60 dollars as everything was marked down to clear them out. The system alone retailed for around $180 dollars when it first came out, so I got a steal.
The other Virtual Boy's I own were found at thrift stores many years ago for a few dollars. I grabbed them because it's such a relic to find and they made me nostalgic seeing them. I suppose I just didn't want some kid to buy it that would break it, not really knowing the history behind it. :) Over the years, I've collected a few other games for the Virtual Boy from thrift stores, but it's been years since I've seen one now. Anyway, glad I found this post. I look forward to reading your game reviews of this old 'virtual' game system that disappointed but deserves some credit for trying something new.