new forum for collectors of factory sealed games

[Pascal]

are there any bigger boxes for SNES games? Like 12 , 20 or 50 pieces in one box?!

[Vectorman0]

are there any bigger boxes for SNES games? Like 12 , 20 or 50 pieces in one box?!

What I know is usually the case from other systems is that a bigger box will be composed of several of the smaller boxes.

[PingvinBlueJeans]

If you're talking cartridges...6 copies per box, 4 boxes per case (for a total of 24) is pretty much standard.

[boatofcar]

Don't let the losers here who collect video games try to tell you you're more of a loser for collecting sealed games. It's like a an ant calling an aphid small.

If you're flaming these guys, why not get the hell out of this thread? Nobody wants you here, and you're not contributing to the discussion.

[Sothy]

I have a micky mantle card.

It is still encased in cardboard so it is worth more.
I just assume it is there because I dont give a shit about baseball.

[Pascal]

What I know is usually the case from other systems is that a bigger box will be composed of several of the smaller boxes.

okay thanks!

[Startyde]

My 2 cents, but I collect Sealed copies of games I really like because

1. It's harder to do (I like the chase)
2. I don't think you can have a better example of art than one that hasn't been touched.

Plus if anything happened to my original copy, I know I always have a perfect standby.

[GameCollector]

I like the chase too! Its very difficult to get some older games in perfect sealed condition!

[Gorez]

i personally dont see a point in collecting sealed games...but thats just me.

[Pascal]

maybe you should read this our thread about the meaning of sealed games ;)
and post your command in this SGH thread :) !

[GameCollector]

i think there are more and more sealed collectors out there. Also some friend start to collect sealed games now. crazy phenomenon!

[Pascal]

yep thats nice!

[GameCollector]

omg! does anyone see the last auction of a sealed shadow hearts ?
over $180 ... damn ....

[Adol]

I'd gladly sell mine for that price! :)

[DJ Daishi]

SGH!! I remember joining that forum after reading one of your posts on StrikeBang.com. I too collect a few sealed games, no different from collecting anything else really. as long as you've actually have played the game that is...

[GameCollector]

yeah you should played the game you collect sealed ...

[Pascal]

nice sealed auction: http://cgi.ebay.es/AES-Mega-CD-All-JP-Collection-Only-one-time_W0QQitemZ190200545050QQihZ009QQcategoryZ11280 4QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem :D

[GameCollector]

wow that was a really impressive collection!

[Pascal]

yeah but the price wasn't good !

[GameCollector]

yeah it wasn't worth that much!

[Pascal]

SGH sealed game grading is now online : www.sealedgameheaven.com

[Pascal]

new link to the forum:
http://forum.sealedgameheaven.com

[GameCollector]

does anyone know if gamechoiceclub.com have games in good sealed condition without price stickers or something like that?

[Pascal]

I do not this shop but just send them a mail if they can make some pictures of the games you want.
Most small online shops do this service.

[GameCollector]

I sent a mail but there was no reply :( ...

[namzep]

I collect sealed Atari 2600 games (mostly because they can be picked up cheaply) and a few sealed games here and there as I find them cheaply. Then, there are all the sealed games that I'm just to lazy to get around to playing/opening. :)

[Ed Oscuro]

I had a thought (uh oh)...

Many collectors will buy various parts of a game separately - first the cartridge, then the box and manual, and call it complete. The implications if there are variations are obvious, of course.

Isn't that completely at odds as to what sealed game collecting is about?

[Pascal]

I collect sealed Atari 2600 games (mostly because they can be picked up cheaply) and a few sealed games here and there as I find them cheaply. Then, there are all the sealed games that I'm just to lazy to get around to playing/opening. :)

is it easy to find sealed Atari 2600 games?

[GameCollector]

I think sealed atari games are very very rare !

[Pascal]

hmm some are common but we need one who knows more about sealed atari games!

[Bojay1997]

I think sealed atari games are very very rare !

Well, most first party and popular third party 2600 games are fairly easy to find sealed. There are of course exceptions, but not that many.

[modest9797]

I have a question: Are sealed games a good investment or will the values just go down?

[Sudo]

I have a question: Are sealed games a good investment or will the values just go down?

It really depends on the game. Mint sealed copies of Chrono Trigger have gone for over $1,000 recently.

[StaticSky]

I love this wise man :)
He must be very smart.

Another point of view: Someday the time will come when videogames-museums will open to show the people how it was 50 years ago.
And if the museum has a lot of sealed rare games of well known series (e.g. Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Final Fantasy....) it would be a kind of an attraction.

Think about it....in 50 years....you are old, maybe 75 years old.....Final Fantasy XXIV is on the market....going into a museum and look at a sealed copy of FF VII...you remember the old times with a smile on your face, a hidden tear in your left eye and you told your grandson: "Look....these were my times when I was in your age. I bought such a copy at Walmart. Oh yes, I remember the hang-tab and the pulling-strip on the top. It looks so new and shiny..."

And you go with a smile and you thank god that somebody out there did not open the game to keep it "virgin" for the rest of your life....


FIN ;)

I'm guessing you're being facetious, but still, your logic is pretty flawed. There is a computer history museum in Mountain View, California, which displays all kinds of rare computers. None of them include the packaging. A video game museum would because of the box artwork being more of a part of the product and experience, but I seriously doubt they would strive to include sealed games. Besides, cellophane isn't meant to survive for 50 years and depending on whether it's bowing on the box from shrinkage, has little pinholes to prevent trapped air during wrapping, or whatever, it's going to detract from a museum quality presentation. You'll more likely have the box of a famous title in the case next to its cartridge and manual.

And what I see as being the real motivation for collecting sealed games is that they're simply rarer than a complete mint copy and giving bragging rights. It's the way to have the "ultimate" and "best" version of a game without owning a prototype or something. I can kind of understand that. But I couldn't understand owning a sealed copy of one of your favorite games and not at least having a complete and mint copy onhand to peruse.

[GameCollector]

It really depends on the game. Mint sealed copies of Chrono Trigger have gone for over $1,000 recently.


yeah thats right it depends on the game!

[Adol]

Blah Blah Blah

So,you didn't mind answering my post on my own topic?
What a coward you are.

[Pascal]

So,you didn't mind answering my post on my own topic?
What a coward you are.

owned

[GameCollector]

hehe ^.^

[Parodius]

There is a comfort in purchasing factory-sealed games. You know what the condition is going to be. With optical media I have purchased too many games on ebay where the underside of the disc looked like an ice skating arena. There are so few games out there that are actually in mint condition. Even something common like Halo, or whatever, if you look at 100 used copies 99 would have some sort of blemishes, scratches, or scuffmarks.

[kainemaxwell]

I had a thought (uh oh)...

Many collectors will buy various parts of a game separately - first the cartridge, then the box and manual, and call it complete. The implications if there are variations are obvious, of course.

Isn't that completely at odds as to what sealed game collecting is about?
I consider that half the fun of collecting regardless. Trying to find that missing piece (so tp speak) for your games is the thrill of the hunt!


There is a comfort in purchasing factory-sealed games. You know what the condition is going to be. With optical media I have purchased too many games on ebay where the underside of the disc looked like an ice skating arena. There are so few games out there that are actually in mint condition. Even something common like Halo, or whatever, if you look at 100 used copies 99 would have some sort of blemishes, scratches, or scuffmarks.

Very true.

[Pascal]

There is a comfort in purchasing factory-sealed games. You know what the condition is going to be. With optical media I have purchased too many games on ebay where the underside of the disc looked like an ice skating arena. There are so few games out there that are actually in mint condition. Even something common like Halo, or whatever, if you look at 100 used copies 99 would have some sort of blemishes, scratches, or scuffmarks.

yes, you can be sure that the CD has no scratches and so on ...

[GameCollector]

There is a comfort in purchasing factory-sealed games. You know what the condition is going to be. With optical media I have purchased too many games on ebay where the underside of the disc looked like an ice skating arena. There are so few games out there that are actually in mint condition. Even something common like Halo, or whatever, if you look at 100 used copies 99 would have some sort of blemishes, scratches, or scuffmarks.

yeah thats true!!!!!!!

[Tommy]

UHH, there is a little thing called a "re-surfacer"?

[GameCollector]

hum what?

[Dark_Sol]

hum what?
A thing that polishes the bottom disc surface. Removes scratches... Crap anyway..

[LuxKiller65]

The only reason that place exists is to try to keep the value of some sealed games high, especially those big members and other staff people own - just avoid it. I collect sealed games too by the way, but disagree with all the bullshit some of them throw.

[RASK1904]

I think a point that might have been missed is, once you open them they will never be sealed again. It's mine I'll open it when and/or if I want. Like someone said I don't have enuff time to play all my games. So when I do find an old game sealed it'll stay sealed. There rarer too. So the sealed ones can stay sealed..........for now!
Thanx RASK1904:rockets:

[GameCollector]

so rask you are a sealed collector or a gamer withou time :) ?

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I started out as the latter and as a result found an appreciation for the other, but I still retain that I have never enough time but don't want to stop collecting. It is logical to leave them sealed until such time you are ready to play them, although in some cases it is more prudent to leave them sealed for posterity

[Xander]

This thread is dangerous and bumping should be done with care.

[Pascal]

I started out as the latter and as a result found an appreciation for the other, but I still retain that I have never enough time but don't want to stop collecting. It is logical to leave them sealed until such time you are ready to play them, although in some cases it is more prudent to leave them sealed for posterity

I know what you mean! But if i want to play a game I never would open one of my sealed games! I would buy a cheap used copy on ebay :) !

btw.: check out www.sealedgameauctions.com ! 100% free sell, buy, trade and search auction platform for video games!

[Pascal]

new forum on our own server at http://forum.sealedgameheaven.com and brand new sealed game database on http://guides.sealedgameheaven.com !
Check it out!

[GameCollector]

I really like the new database idea on http://files.sealedgameauctions.com/SGG/index.php5?title=Main_Page !
I definitely will add some content!

[Pascal]

check out our newest SGH feature where you can present your video game collections like they deserve it :) ...

http://collections.sealedgameheaven.com

[Poofta!]

check out our newest SGH feature where you can present your video game collections like they deserve it :) ...

http://collections.sealedgameheaven.com

go away.

[jperryss]

I'm torn as to how I feel about sealed game collecting.

One part of me is fascinated with seeing 20+ year old games, still in their factory seal like they were forgotten by time.

But the rest of me says "WTF are you doing? Games are meant to be PLAYED, not looked at! You are robbing someone else of the chance to PLAY that game! What a waste! If you want to buy something just to LOOK at, why not collect stamps?"

[tubeway]

check out our newest SGH feature where you can present your video game collections like they deserve it :) ...

http://collections.sealedgameheaven.com

AKA, the "Everyone unzip and let em flop out so we can get the ruler" feature.

[tubeway]

I'm incredibly neurotic about collecting, and have a phobia of tearing shrinkwrap!

Yeah, I agree.

[Zap!]

Here's my prized sealed games:

http://www.zaponline.org/uploads/sealed%20adventurevision%20games.jpg

[RagedGamer]

Very nice site you have. I've tried to make a forum for video game collectors but it seems the ratio for people collecting the games to people actually playing the games is around 1:100 so my forum isn't very popular I guess :( Oh well good luck with it its off to a great start.

As for collecting sealed games, think of it as an investment. Like someone else said buy a sealed mario RPG for $200 and then buy the cart for $30. Keep both, play the cart, and watch the value of your sealed copy grow in value. Tell you what, I'd have $20,000 in a collection of sealed classic games rather than in the stock market any day of the week.

[Ed Oscuro]

Tell you what, I'd have $20,000 in a collection of sealed classic games
This is why you won't have $20K. Tulip craze. Sure, everybody likes tulips and games, but if you get in and out at the wrong points, you're done for. Might as well diversify a bit. Admittedly game prices seem more "stable" than the stock market, but I have the feeling most people are just treading water (i.e. making inflation), and "collect anything because it smells good sealed" is a hopeless investment strategy.

[RagedGamer]

This is why you won't have $20K. Tulip craze. Sure, everybody likes tulips and games, but if you get in and out at the wrong points, you're done for. Might as well diversify a bit. Admittedly game prices seem more "stable" than the stock market, but I have the feeling most people are just treading water (i.e. making inflation), and "collect anything because it smells good sealed" is a hopeless investment strategy.
Look there could be millions of copies of one particular game out there. Lets say the original Mario Bros for nes. You can buy a cart for less than a buck on Ebay. This is because most of those people who brought it home from the store ripped the box open and threw it out since they couldn't wait to play the game itself.

Lets face it, no one back then thought to themselves, "Hmm, I think I won't play this game, in fact won't even open it. I'm going to give it to my grandson one day when its worth a lot of money." That's the thing with sealed games. Most are kept sealed by accident. Someone forgot to return it to K-Mart or someone got two copies accidentally for Christmas and one was thrown into the attic. That's why these things are so rare and why they go for so much money, because there are very few left.

[Ed Oscuro]

Right, the supposed scarcity of sealed games differentiates it from tulip bulbs, but the big point is that there's always the potential for dramatic revaluations of sealed games by the market. Buyers slugging out protracted bidding wars on eBay are one example of why this could happen.

It all comes down to common sense, and common sense says to diversify your investments. You can put some money aside in sealed titles (if I were to do it, I'd forget about classic stuff unless I could find it at thrift store / clueless flea vendor prices, and focus on getting games from the last decade that had fallen dramatically in price and which I assumed could go higher...unfortunately for me, it's anybody's guess whether people will give much of a damn about stuff like PS2 Shinobi or Otogi II; sealed games collecting seems to benefit people who cater to the great unwashed of gaming, but I'm starting to make value judgements...)

As an unrelated aside, I will say that I would lose much less sleep over money in a CD than I would over games sitting in a house where they can be destroyed, quickly or slowly, by any number of factors. Money in your bank account doesn't suddenly turn out to be counterfeit, or stuffed with twinkies, and money is always convertible. I have some rare stuff and I would say "good luck" to my earlier self asking myself to believe I'd be able to flip it easily...money doesn't pose that problem.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

It's not always about the money though. Do you think NES collector's who seek out and pay high prices for carts like Stadium Events do it because they want to make an investment and one day turn that into a profit? No, they buy it because they like the feeling of having something rare and which is sought after that very few people have the pleasure of owning. The fact that they surely increase in value s just a bonus

The same can be said for sealed game collecctor's, who obviously care more about having something desireable which is hard to come by, rather than its monetry value..

People don't buy a Ferrari Enzo simply because it costs a lot of money - They buy one because they want something which few people will ever get to own or drive

[boatofcar]

Right, the supposed scarcity of sealed games differentiates it from tulip bulbs

Where does that tulip bulb analogy come from? I know I've read it in a book somewhere...

[Trumpman]

Where does that tulip bulb analogy come from? I know I've read it in a book somewhere...

It's about the Netherlands in the 1600. It was the first speculative bubble in recorded history. People were paid ridiculous amounts for growing and selling tulips. You can find more info here. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_bubble)

[Bojay1997]

Look there could be millions of copies of one particular game out there. Lets say the original Mario Bros for nes. You can buy a cart for less than a buck on Ebay. This is because most of those people who brought it home from the store ripped the box open and threw it out since they couldn't wait to play the game itself.

Lets face it, no one back then thought to themselves, "Hmm, I think I won't play this game, in fact won't even open it. I'm going to give it to my grandson one day when its worth a lot of money." That's the thing with sealed games. Most are kept sealed by accident. Someone forgot to return it to K-Mart or someone got two copies accidentally for Christmas and one was thrown into the attic. That's why these things are so rare and why they go for so much money, because there are very few left.

Not necessarily true in my experience. While some sealed games were gifts stored away and never used, I think most come from warehouses or retailers which lost track of their inventory and then dumped them on the market years later. I think the best example of this and how quickly you can lose out if you treat this as an investment is Circus Lido on the PC Engine. Collectors were paying literally hundreds (I think the average price was $400-$500 in the mid to late 90s) for this allegedly rare game. In early 2001, a website in Japan started selling a previously undiscovered stash of these and dumped literally hundreds of copies on the market. The price collapsed and I'm sure you can still probably find people who got in at the height and now have a game worth about 10-20% of what they paid. The best way to avoid this is to buy what you like and want and not to try and speculate about what will be valuable and what won't. The fact that very common sealed games seem to sell for a premium today (FF VII, Zelda, black box NES stuff), while much rarer sealed games don't is strong support for the argument that this isn't a good investment in that it doesn't follow the traditional rules of investing and therefore you will get burned.

[Nescollector]

Bojay1997 good point.

(rant here) I have a nice collection of sealed games, in fact I'm very very fortunate to have the games that I have, but like everything in life, people have to come and f it up for everyone. I thought it would be cool to get every game I bought 20 years ago sealed (36 games) well I only need 6 more, but the friggin resellers (people who claim to collect games) are buying the games and trying to gouge, get rich overnight, and it's pissing me right off...lol But I guess the crazy thing is a few people (stupid people, or eccentric people like Michael Jackson are buying some of the games at ridiculous prices. Go buy some friggin stamps or something, go f someone else's hobby. Thank god for sellers like Dov........there are thousands of sealed nes games out there. There have been sealed games on eBay for the last ten years, and there will be for the next ten years, so you're nuts if you pay hundreds of dollars for ONE game....rant over...

[Arasoi]

As a fairly big collector of various things (once Rockman, once Castlevania, now video and arcade games in general) I was always puzzled by the fascination with sealed game collecting.

The prices are generally outrageous, and you are unable to use the item without devaluing it immensely.

I guess if I was going to do it, Id go to a shelving outlet and get an authentic looking store shelf and display them all with mock price tags, and have playable copies separate. For what that would cost it wouldn't be worth it to me though.

To each their own, those sealed games look nice on display either way.

$.02

[tubeway]

check out our newest SGH feature where you can present your video game collections like they deserve it :) ...

http://collections.sealedgameheaven.com

Whenever I read posts by Pascal about SGH, I imagine this:

A cartoonish kid in his mid teens, with pimples, and his eyes and head rolled back and glazed over with a huge smile and drugged out look while he stutters out his fervent claims about how great sealed games are.

Then after he's done typing, he takes his sealed games off his shelf and cleans each one individually by licking off the dust.

[Cobra Commander]

It's one thing to display some really rare sealed NES game Atari games, but to have a collection of sealed PS2 games? How hard is that to get? It seems a little desperate to me. Are you really proud of having a sealed copy of Dark Cloud?

[Nescollector]

As a fairly big collector of various things (once Rockman, once Castlevania, now video and arcade games in general) I was always puzzled by the fascination with sealed game collecting.

The prices are generally outrageous, and you are unable to use the item without devaluing it immensely.

I guess if I was going to do it, Id go to a shelving outlet and get an authentic looking store shelf and display them all with mock price tags, and have playable copies separate. For what that would cost it wouldn't be worth it to me though.

To each their own, those sealed games look nice on display either way.

$.02


That would be very cool. You really had to start buying the games years ago when you could get some killer deals. You could literally get games new for $10 or $20 bucks.


Cobra Commander.......it's taking on a life of it's own, and not always good. Anything after N64 just doesn't make sense imo.

[Pascal]

It's one thing to display some really rare sealed NES game Atari games, but to have a collection of sealed PS2 games? How hard is that to get? It seems a little desperate to me. Are you really proud of having a sealed copy of Dark Cloud?

yeah you definitely have to collect games when they are cheap ... not when you have to spend $500+ for one game ;) ...

[The 1 2 P]

I have a good amount of factory sealed games in my collection but I never go spending hundreds on them. I either just never got around to opening them(like the majority of my PS1 games) or I got them on the cheap at clearance sales. Theres a few I paid 20-50 for on ebay(16 bit era) but I could always get that back.

Alot of people think the whole point of collecting sealed games is pointless. The way I look at it is that if you have two copies of a game(one sealed and one opened) from this gen or any of the previous six generations, 99% of the time you are going to get a premium for the sealed copy. While it may be only an additional $5 for more common titles, you'd still make more money on the sealed versions. So as long as you are getting the sealed games for a cheap price(clearance sales for example) than you are almost guaranteed to make more money off of it in the future.

[Bojay1997]

It's one thing to display some really rare sealed NES game Atari games, but to have a collection of sealed PS2 games? How hard is that to get? It seems a little desperate to me. Are you really proud of having a sealed copy of Dark Cloud?

Actually, there are lots of PS2 games that can go for years without showing up sealed on Ebay or other sites and which haven't been at retail for the last 5-6 years. It's no different than collecting sealed records or action figures or buying and then sealing up baseball cards or comics and it looks like a lot of people agree because some PS2 games sell at a significant premium over full MSRP on Ebay. Games are a piece of art and having a sealed example makes perfect sense to me. I know it doesn't to everyone, but that's ok since it's my collection.