Sealed Games....what is the point?

[jdc]

We all have our collecting "jones", and we all do it in different ways. The main thing is....we all collect and we're all the same. Put us all in a room together and we'd all most likely get along.

I collect Hot Wheels. Hundreds of them. Sealed. I own the entire first run of Hot Wheels from the year they were invented....1968, mint and sealed. I collect them that way purely based on financial speculation for a later date. They will benefit my son, not me. Some people might say that it's crazy to have them that way. I don't think so. There's something cool about looking at a '68 Red Baron that was packaged way back in 1968....and thinking about the fact that it should have been played with, broken and been on a garbage dump decades ago....but miraculously isn't because it didn't ever get opened.

My video games? I like them near mint, whether I buy them new or (rarely) used. But because of my Hot Wheels habits, I can appreciate where the collectors and buyers of sealed games are coming from as well.

There's no need for arguement on these forums. Every DPer is the same. Freaks who like games....no matter WHAT degree of "mintyness". LOL

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Yeah, like I have said before - Just because we have sealed games, it doesn't necessarily mean we have no idea about gameplay Etc... - I have said many times that I have played the games before, or borrowed them from mates...


And yes, I am more than well into getting a complete set of sealed DC games - I have over half of them already, and all within the space of about 12 months. I can easially get a lot of the more common ones too, but have been putting off getting them at the moment. I have around 140ish, and could possibly bump that to about 170 / 180 if I were to get all the common cheap ones I am lacking...

Then it's just a matter of sitting and waiting for certain titles to appear - And some NEVER appear!!!

[Jumpman Jr.]

If I get a sealed game, theres no way I'd open it.
I'm definitely a collector before a gamer. I'd rather keep something in its origional form that open it and play it.
So, to answer your question, there really is no "point" to it unless your into collecting mint games.
If I ever bought a sealed game that I was dying to play, I'd just go out and buy a loose one.

[Bronty-2]

[quote="Iron Draggon"]
That's OK, people like me just want to slap the shit out of all the people around here who have huge collections of loose former rentals with tatty manuals and crushed boxes
------------------
OK - I don't agree with the rest of what you said, especially the wealth posturing.. but this part was freaking priceless. LOL That's exactly how I feel also - crushed boxes and ratty manuals with greasy fingerprints and some 12 yr old kid's booger on page 4 don't excite me a whole lot. No offense to those who do collect beat up stuff - but I just can't understand it, same as some of you can't understand the sealed thing. If I want to play the game, I have a rom. If I want to collect the game, I want a beautiful copy not some dirty, wrinkled, second or more likely fifth hand piece of crap. my .02

[Aussie2B]

I can't imagine anybody here PURPOSELY collects beat up games. I think it's more of a situation where it's the best condition you can find and it's still a good deal. I mean, if I was in the theoretical situation of finding both a $5 loose beat up to all hell but still perfectly functioning Panzer Dragoon Saga and a minty perfect PDS for $400, I'm gonna get the former and leave the other behind. One is a good deal, and the other isn't. Ideally, we all hope to restore a beat up game so it ends up in nice condition. A good portion of my NES carts weren't so great to begin with, but after removing stickers and ink and cleaning the plastic shell and connectors, they're just as nice as the ones that were mint to begin with. And as I believe I said earlier, there comes a certain satisfaction from that which can't be had from a game that's mint from the beginning. It's like, if you're rich (like a collector of sealed games), you can just avoid ever having children and sponsor some child in some faraway land with your money, but if your finances are more tight, you can raise your own child. Which do you think is going to be a more satisfying and enriching experience?

[Bronty-2]

Fair enough, nobody does it on purpose. But if you're hunting goodwill, etc, that's probably what you'll end up with - other people's worn out cast offs.

[Promophile]

[quote="Aussie2B"ukjmn It's like, if you're rich (like a collector of sealed games), you can just avoid ever having children and sponsor some child in some faraway land with your money, but if your finances are more tight, you can raise your own child. Which do you think is going to be a more satisfying and enriching experience?[/quote]

Why do you assume someone who collects sealed games is rich? Lots of people who do are like me and only buy games in the 1-20 dollar range to keep sealed. And bad example, I don't think many rich people would rather sponsor some foreign kid than have their own ;) .

[Aussie2B]

Yeah, it's a corny example. :P I'm just trying to say that sometimes the greatest satisfaction comes from putting hard work into something. A lot of rich kids end up screwed up and depressed because their parents thought they could give their kids everything with money rather than working really hard to truly raise them, teach them, and enrich their lives.

As for the finances of collectors, it's probably safe to say those who exclusively collect sealed games or those who buy the majority of their games sealed are better off than those of us scrounging for good deals (with the exclusion of those who are well off but really cheap). :P

[dunny668]

Collecting sealed games is the absolute pinnacle of collecting period. If you want the best it is the only way to go. I do not understand why people cannot grasp the concept. As long as you have another copy of the game to play why not keep one sealed.

[CullJeff]

Sealed games are overated. Play your games and enjoy them thats the fun of collecting.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I can see a definaite line being drwn here in the sand! LOL


On one side, you have people who like to collect sealed games (For whatever reasons) and on the other you have the pre-owned fanatics.

Either side has it's own arguments and beliefs which are common amongst their supporters.


Does this remind you of Red Dwarf at all? Where the cats all fled and went their separate ways all over the colour of a frigging hat - "Red" or "Green"? (Or in the book, I believe they argued about their god's name "Clister" or "Cloister")


I think it's obvious by mow which side many of us are on - If only we could have a chart made up to show us who's who! Lol! LOL

[Aussie2B]

Again I say, there is no such thing as a "pre-owned fanatic". If we lived in a magical world where sealed games were just as common as used games and they all had the same value, not one of us would be buying the used games.

Where the line is truly drawn is how open-minded we are about what we buy and keep in our collections. Someone who exclusively buys sealed games is closed-minded to any other type of condition and will likely pass up or not notice good deals on used games just for the sole reason that they're used, and likewise, may buy a sealed game that isn't a good deal just because it's sealed. A collector who is open to everything will purely look for the good deals, whether it's on a beat up used game or a pristine sealed copy (and everything in between), and will take into consideration how the condition affects the value.

[Cmosfm]

I have a complete Game.Com collection that I have no interest in touching. Does that make me a bad guy?

Obviously doesn't villify you, but I would assume most people who buy sealed games at least started off with a passion for that particular system, genre or game.

Why did you buy the game.com? Because everyone said it would flop and become a rarity? Because you have the collecting bug so bad you'll buy just about anything? It just seems to me if you're going to buy a system, enjoy something about it. Maybe you like one game, or none at all but appreciate the systems role in the history of portable gaming. Then keep everything sealed if you must, but to buy a system and it's entire library despite the fact you think they suck, to just mark another few tallys on your collection list just seems so cold.


Pretty much because I have the collecting bug so badly that I'll buy anything video game related, wheter it completely sucks or not. Now, Game.com, I personally like because I had one as a child and played the hell out of it...doesn't mean I want to touch it now though! LOL

And @ Iron Draggon, way to stereotype us, since we don't buy new sealed game ALL our games must be shitty condition games with torn manuals and boxes and hell, I guess they don't work either, hey JOE...you hear that? All those games you have aren't worth jack SHIT because you didn't buy them new!

I have about 2800 games, and most of them are in GREAT shape, whether loose, complete, boxed, whatever...none have rental stickers or price tags or "boogers" on them. That's part of the whole collecting biz, buying what looks good, cleaning it up, and storing it for later or playing it.

Sealed collecting is fine, if you wanna open up a game you paid 500.00 for it, fine....but don't act like an arrogant snob because you do, you're no better than the rest of us.

And I still have more games than you, and they all play just as good as yours, and I have spent a LOT less more money.

[Bronty-2]

yep, the money is definitely the trade off. I kind of want to cry when I tally up what I've spent on my collection :embarrassed:

[Cmosfm]

yep, the money is definitely the trade off. I kind of want to cry when I tally up what I've spent on my collection :embarrassed:

And then I look at what I paid for my collection and am like "damn, I could sell all this stuff and make some MAD profit!"

Never would though. :D

[Fuyukaze]

For the most part, I simply buy to play. Even if I never get around to playing it, I always open every single one. There are a few exceptions, but those are mostly because I either found the game for a price I couldnt pass on, or figured they would make a good gift for friends later on. Its mostly PC titles I dont open though. No good art to those beyond the games graphics. Atleast they make good gifts.

[Frankie23]

I bought a sealed copy of Crystalis for the NES and kept it sealed simply because I thought that it was cool that this one "survived unscathed".

Funny. I have a sealed copy of Gargoyle's Quest (NES) which I keep that way for precisely the same reason. :)

I like buying sealed games and opening them. I usually buy used, as I am poor, and a schmuck, but when I can afford a new, sealed copy, I appreciate it more. The smell of the case, the delicate removal of the plastic wrap... It's just delightful.

Which is why I hate EB and their habits of gutting half of the copies of some titles.

[Daria]

Does this remind you of Red Dwarf at all? Where the cats all fled and went their separate ways all over the colour of a frigging hat - "Red" or "Green"? (Or in the book, I believe they argued about their god's name "Clister" or "Cloister")


Think you have that backwards, I haven't read the books and I remember it being an argument over how to pronounce Lister's name incorrectly (ie. Clister or Cloister).

[skaar]

Actually... I buy the original and pirate a copy - play the copy, keep the original. Phoenix Wright was a recent victim. Bought the sealed one off ebay, already had the rom on the copier.

Don't plan on opening it.

[kentuckyfried]

There is something special about a sealed game.

Virginal is the word ;)

Whether you open or not, no matter to me, I respect those that respect the fact that it is a sealed game.

[bangtango]

There is something special about a sealed game.

Virginal is the word ;)

Whether you open or not, no matter to me, I respect those that respect the fact that it is a sealed game.

I respect the sealed game! With that said, I don't own any sealed games. I open them as soon as I get them. However, if I get the opportunity to get a sealed game I will. I'd gladly pay $5-10 more for a sealed copy of a game than settling for a used one. However, if the price jumps by $25-50 (or more) then I will just get the best possible copy.

The concept of enjoying sealed items should be easy enough to understand. Here is an example anyone could relate to. Why buy a used dvd for $3-4 when you could get the exact same thing sealed for $5 in a Walmart bin? Granted, that doesn't apply to all their dvd's but 60-70% of the ones in their new release bin will someday be in that $5 box.

[Jumpman Jr.]

I recently received a sealed copy of Hot Slots for the NES. I don't think that I will ever open it simply because there is virtually no way that I will ever come across another one again.
Also, I only know of one other copy that is sealed and it is in Bronty-2's hands (there might be others out there, but none that I've heard of I don't think). So what I have is something that only a handful of people will ever say that they own.
Opening it, to me, would be ludicrous.

[Bronty-2]

pretty cool owning something like that, huh? You sound ripe for conversion to the dark side... :P :)

[JerseyDevil65]

Are you guys afraid that someday someone will find a way to perfectly re-seal games, which will probably de-value all your sealed games instantly.

Every sealed game would be suspect, thereby lowering the values.

[TheReturnofCaptainFalcon]

I had to throw my hat into this arena just because Im a car buff as well as a gamer and car guys have this very same argument all the time:

Guy 1 takes $100,000 and restores from the ground up a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible, a full restoration that means every part is either at factory spec or is brand new. Now he takes that car after putting in all that money and time and hard work and turns it into a "Trailer Queen" In years time he can count on one hand how many times hes driven it and usually its only a handful of miles never passing 40 mph. He trailers the car to shows and wins trophies all the while hating when people touch the $10,000 paint job in fear of a scratch.

Guy 2 does the exact same thing however he drives the car every weekend, goes to the drag strip, street races etc etc

Now me personally my ultimate goal as a video game collector is to get every copy of every NA title for the NES sealed as well as a deck. This would be my display collection, I also would want a copy of every game for my own personal use and play.

Bottom line: Its whatever floats your boat boys and girls, do I think the guy who spends $100,000 on a car that hes too afraid to drive a moron, yes, but he still has the car I want and he's happier for it while Im still pining for it.