Storing your games - Under lock and key or out in the open?

[majinbuu]

Hi

I have been grappling with the idea of how to store my gaming equipment. Up until now I have kept a lot of it in my lockable cupboard to try to keep it safe. I only leave a few select games out to play at one time. However I find that since I can't see the items that are locked up I tend to forget about them and they don't get played for a hell of a long time (years in some cases).

I do this because some of the stuff is bloody hard to find and it is in new condition. I don't want some prick to come along, go into my room and take my stuff. However what is the point of having all this stuff then if I don't use it?

So this leaves me with a dilemma. Do I keep the items safe but don't play them or leave them out in the open where I can see them and get inspired to play them, with the small risk of them getting stolen.

I'm leaning towards leaving the lot unlocked because I might find myself one day looking at my collection and wondering why the hell I haven't played half the games. Plus, having them in the open looks cool too.

There is just the thought in the back of my mind that says "danger". Has anyone else had this same problem? I would love to know your solution.

Thanks

[bust3dstr8]

How about the best of both worlds, display cases that can be locked.
Put some hinged lexan doors on a bookshelf with a lock on it,
Or buy some used retail display cases maybe?

[majinbuu]

Put some hinged lexan doors on a bookshelf with a lock on it,


Actually, that's not a bad idea. I might look into that one.

[Moo Cow]

Leave them out in the open surrounded by landmines. You just have to place them at a good enough distance so that their scattered limbs don't mar your like new collection. I know how bad you would feel if you had to rebuy Cheetahmen II because a little bit of blood and a dismembered hand was poking through the cartridge.

[dlopez9069]

My collection is in a locked pantry, but I only lock it when I'm not in my room any other time its WIDE open.

[8bitCaged]

Get a glass shelf like this with a lock

[MrSparkle]

Construct 8 robot masters to guard your treasures. Besides this make them nearly impossible to reach in the first place requiring you to do things such as jump over bottomless pits and dodge energy bullets from a variety of less complex robots. If you cant find any robot masters readily available you could always take household robots and convert them into robot masters. *runs away from roomba man*

[c0ldb33r]

Place them in a castle. At the end of the castle get a big green dinosaur looking guy with spikes on his back. He should be on a bridge that disappears when you grab the axe (?) on the other side of the bridge.

Actually, you should have 8 castles, and in seven of them put a cardboard box that's empty and says that the games are in another castle.

[Lostdwarf]

[QUOTE=c0ldb33r;1408142]Place them in a castle. At the end of the castle get a big green dinosaur looking guy with spikes on his back. He should be on a bridge that disappears when you grab the axe (?) on the other side of the bridge. [QUOTE]

to which your housekeeper would say "sorry but your games are in another room"

[jedimind7]

Hire the two guys from Bad Dudes to watch over your games. If there bad enough dudes to rescue the president then surely there bad enough to guard your collection.

[megasdkirby]

I leave them out on the open, stacked in my room.

Easy access. Plus when friends come over they like to look :)

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

My question is this: Who are you trying to protect them from? Are you worried about someone breaking into your house and stealing your collection, or are you worried about someone who happens to be in your house "borrowing" a game or 2? If you are more worried about someone in the house taking stuff, I would do something about what people are in my house. My stuff that is not in storage is piled all over my desk, out of reach of the grandkids, of course.

JY

[smork]

My question is this: Who are you trying to protect them from? Are you worried about someone breaking into your house and stealing your collection, or are you worried about someone who happens to be in your house "borrowing" a game or 2? If you are more worried about someone in the house taking stuff, I would do something about what people are in my house. My stuff that is not in storage is piled all over my desk, out of reach of the grandkids, of course.

JY

Yah, that's what I was thinking. I tend not to have people over who might mess up my shit.

Got no lock on mine other than the front door of the apartment.

[SegaAges]

Yeah, unless you have roommates.

I am in a similar situation, where all of my games are in the basement cept for some pc games that I play often and my 360 games.

It sucks because all my shit is just on boxes. I would love to have them out and on display. I moved from my other room of doom, and you guys saw those pics, I had games everywhere, it was awesome.

Now everything sits in boxes in a basement.

The reason why I don't pull my shit is out because I don't trust the people my roommate brings home for after hours (at which time I am already in bed). I have told him, so basically, when people come over, nobody goes in the basement. I guess if I want a basement of doom, I could do that, but unfortunately, the basement is already cluttered.

I would, honestly, love to pull my shit out, but my roommates are also messy. If you guys saw the pics of my dc hooked up to my monitor, that shit on the table was not mine.

I will eventually move out and get the games out, but the way I see it, if you know you are going to have people in and out of your house and you do not trust them, never even let them know that you have the games, and plan on moving. Simply put.

[modest9797]

I just leave mine on a shelf in my gameroom. Our house is impenetrable.

[SegaAges]

I just leave mine on a shelf in my gameroom. Our house is impenetrable.


Cept from that one dude who is on the show "It takes a Theif", but then again, nobody that is that good will rob a person's house unless they have a reason to.

[Sudo]

All my stuff is on shelves in my room. I don't have roommates or anything, so I don't have to worry about someone messing with my collection.

[jcalder8]

I trust those I have over and if someone were to break in, well a locked cabinet wouldn't stop them anyway.

[rpepper9]

I would build an elaborate series of 9 dungeons. Each one being more difficult than the other. Round up some creatures to be the keeper of each dungeon.

If anyone were to get through one of the dungeons, it would have to be very hard to find the entrance to the others. Sometimes you could hide the entrance in a dead tree, or under a rock, or even on an island!

If someone was able to get through to the last dungeon you would need the ultimate keeper of your games. I suggest a guy named Ganon, I think he is available (last I heard he was playing for the Minnesota Vikings). No one can beat Ganon, so your games would be safe!

[majinbuu]

I would build an elaborate series of 9 dungeons. Each one being more difficult than the other. Round up some creatures to be the keeper of each dungeon.

If anyone were to get through one of the dungeons, it would have to be very hard to find the entrance to the others. Sometimes you could hide the entrance in a dead tree, or under a rock, or even on an island!

If someone was able to get through to the last dungeon you would need the ultimate keeper of your games. I suggest a guy named Ganon, I think he is available (last I heard he was playing for the Minnesota Vikings). No one can beat Ganon, so your games would be safe!

What if that someone was Link? Ganon would crap himself and run off.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

My question is this: Who are you trying to protect them from? Are you worried about someone breaking into your house and stealing your collection, or are you worried about someone who happens to be in your house "borrowing" a game or 2? If you are more worried about someone in the house taking stuff, I would do something about what people are in my house. My stuff that is not in storage is piled all over my desk, out of reach of the grandkids, of course.
And as for burglars, I don't think they carry around copies of the Digital Press guide with them.

Burglar in majinbuu's house: Ooh look, this guy's got a copy of Bubble Bath Babes! That's an R9! I've been looking for this forever! Wait till I tell the guys on the Digital Press forum that I found it "in the wild"!


...word is bonbdage...

[majinbuu]

Place them in a castle. At the end of the castle get a big green dinosaur looking guy with spikes on his back. He should be on a bridge that disappears when you grab the axe (?) on the other side of the bridge.

Actually, you should have 8 castles, and in seven of them put a cardboard box that's empty and says that the games are in another castle.

Some Mario freak would speedrun through the whole lot and probably use warps to get to the last castle and steal all my stuff in under 5 minutes.

Anyway, I am just trying to protect it from people who regularly come over like my neighbour and their kids. I don't want some little punk with chocolate covered hands soiling my game covers and then taking the discs out and stuffing 5 at once into my front loading Sega CD. And yes, it has happened. Nobody seems to give a crap about other peoples personal property, and when I get pissed off about it, nobody seems to care.

I think a simple solution like a combination lock and a spray gun full of sulphuric or nitric acid in the face if the wrong combination was put in would make me happy.

Bah, a lockable see-through cabinet would work fine. I know you can't stop a determined thief from getting in but it will stop most other people. I wonder how many of you actually worry about thieves breaking in and taking your classic gaming stuff?

[murdoc rose]

All but my qubert qubes is out in the open and its just in the closet. I have so much stuff I couldn't keep it looked up even if I did worry about the games I have piles of toys and just stuff thats worth money too so I don't worry about it and I've never had anything stolen. However my house was never the party house if you have a lot of people over it might be good to go with the locked display case. Also you have to realize that most people don't know jack bors is worth anything.

[Neil Koch]

And as for burglars, I don't think they carry around copies of the Digital Press guide with them.

Burglar in majinbuu's house: Ooh look, this guy's got a copy of Bubble Bath Babes! That's an R9! I've been looking for this forever! Wait till I tell the guys on the Digital Press forum that I found it "in the wild"!


I think most burglars would just see video games and take them regardless. A friend of mine got burgled about a year ago and they took everything, down to the cables, power supplies, etc.

[calgon]

For now in a closet, and the ones I play frequently are behind the door of my entertainment center. I always try to keep things minimal, mostly becuase I'm a minimalist, but also becuase I will hopefully have a girl over some day :D

[greedostick]

Right now I just have all my games on a few few nice bookshelves, that I bought from Office Max to store my Neo Geo games. I do worry though about my really rare games. I have been thinking of getting a few small fireproof boxes for some of my games, that I can't just get on ebay and find any day of the week. My house is so old, I just worry one day it's gonna go up in flames.

[majinbuu]

How you would go about reporting someone stealing one of your classic games?

You - "Officer, this prick stole my mint copy of Bubble Bath Babes"
Officer after scratching his head - "Have you been drinking?"

[Carey85]

Your only real defense is to take detailed photographs of all of your collection, keep receipts, etc... I have about 200 photographs of my possessions on a memory card stored in a box at the bank. You are not going to stop someone who wants to steal your shit, locks merely keep honest people honest. So... get some decent homeowners/renters insurance and let your agent know that you have a collection of classic games. They typically give near ebay value for items.

[retrogamer]

If you are more worried about someone in the house taking stuff, I would do something about what people are in my house.
JY

In theory, that's a great idea, but people who you thought you could trust, sometimes end up being the ones that take your stuff.
I can't be 100% positive, but I'm about 90% positive, that when my cousin slept over one night (because he was going to help me move to another apartment the next day), he took my collection of import PS1 games.

I searched high and low for them after I moved but I never found them.

So locking them up may be a good idea, IMHO.

[rpepper9]

Your only real defense is to take detailed photographs of all of your collection, keep receipts, etc... I have about 200 photographs of my possessions on a memory card stored in a box at the bank. You are not going to stop someone who wants to steal your shit, locks merely keep honest people honest. So... get some decent homeowners/renters insurance and let your agent know that you have a collection of classic games. They typically give near ebay value for items.

That is a great step to making sure that if a disaster struck, you would be able to at least prove what you had. However that still doesn't do anything for you unless you have the value of your collection documented with your insurance policy. Most insurance polices will cover "up to" a certain amount and to make that amount cover your collection you have to carry a larger policy. Which means larger monthly premiums.

Documenting everything is a great idea, but that goes hand in hand with making sure that your policy covers the collection. Lots of times there will be a premium on hard to replace things like hobby collections. Comics, sports cards and coins are some of the first things that insurance agent will ask about. I don't know if classic games are in the lime light enough to even be thought about by an agent unless you specifically mention them.

[Tommy]

Where the hell do you live that you have to worry if someone is going to steal your games my precious.