A question for the variant collectors out there.

[fairyland]

I bought a used PS2 game the other day from Hollywood Video's going out of business sale and of course we all know that they use their own covers for those games. I was wondering if anyone out there collects this sort of variant to get their "complete" collections or if these types of covers are universally frowned upon by such collectors? I'm also wondering if there are any other stores out there that has their own covers with legit cover artwork as well. Also, just how far back does these variant covers go back? I know last gen at least, but is it current gen and older gens as well. In the old days, I remember generic plastic boxes and stickers on them with play instructions, but I doubt those are very collectible.

Thanks!

[DigitalSpace]

I avoid those since I don't like to buy PS2 or Gamecube games that aren't complete (unless they're too hard to find or too cheap to pass up), but I guess it beats just having the disc.

[Dangerboy]

Well, they can't really be called variants since it's Hollywood Video's, not the publisher's artwork.

If you collected those, you'd have to collect every GameStop and EB Games generic cover art variant they use for disc only trade-ins, etc. It'd be like saying you're collecting custom covers. You'd kill a small forest printing up all the ones on the the cover project.com

I'd say it falls under just "collecting the game regardless of completeness" rather than "collecting a variant".

[emceelokey]

I think tose are frowned upon for the most part or are at least just considered having a games that's disc only. That's the way I look at it at least.

[DefaultGen]

.....

[fairyland]

It's a tough call about the labels. Given 5 or so years there could be pocket groups of fandom trying to collect all of these and making out that they are special because they are made in far fewer quantities and all sorts of excuses. After a while people run out of things to collect and something like this would be a good project for them.

It's boils down to a personal decision I know. If I was a serious collector collecting anything of a certain game I love, then a Hollywood video box is worthy enough to collect as it looks variant enough when placed with the rest of my stash. As would any EBgame/Gamestop promo box as well, but never those general labels where they would write the name in with a pen.

Anyway, the reason why I was asking this question is that I have read on this board that people would rebuy the same game many times and I had wondered how they felt about HV releases. I mean these people will buy one to play, then the sealed releases such as the normal release, the normal release with a greatest hits sticker on it, the greatest hits release, a two pack budget release, one with an end sticker, one without an end sticker, and on and on. A person who does this sort of collecting would surely consider a Hollywood Video label edition as a collectible variant.

I'm guessing only the games with the hard core completest fandom such as Castlevania and Zelda will ever be more collectible than their normal counterparts. Everything else with a HV label would always be seen as crap.

[emceelokey]

You seem to be trying to find a market for something in which there is absolutely no interest in. Those "variants" aren't "releases". Every "variant" you mentioned with the Greates Hits versions and so on are all presumably officially released versions through the publishers.

Buying a game with GENERIC box art already devalues the game because it's esentially already been tampered with. Those HV "variants" are basically photo copies printed on generic HV stock paper. It's like getting a photo copy of a Babe Ruth rookie card and then putting a "Joe's Card Store" border around the picture. Worthless. If a person can make the same quality print at home then it pretty much has no value.

Collect whatever you want but wether something has an aftermarket value is a different story.