Throwing out Old games

[NayusDante]

THAT stuff is why your dentist gives you a new toothbrush after every visit. Use it.

[darkslime]

If they looked like this:
http://i44.tinypic.com/2utqira.jpg
I'd throw them out then
>_>
Still gotta clean the damn things.

[josekortez]

When my mom threw away my two Coleco and all my games, I swear to myself that I will never do such a thing. I also told my mom that I'll never forgive her for what she did, unless I manage to find another Coleco and all the games I owned. Only two more games and she'll be officially forgiven.

I don't know why, but I love this story. :D

[NayusDante]

My parents threw out my Commodore 64, an Apple IIe, an Apple IIc, a monitor for both Apples, and all my Apple IIc power bricks. I had gotten all of that stuff at garage sales and such and had everything almost working, when she ran over a can of paint in the garage. I had them in a box, covered up. Since the box had paint on it, my dad threw it out. I wasn't happy. I'm still not happy, years later, and I haven't seen any Commodore or Apple stuff since. I still have one (power brick-less) Apple IIc to remind me.

[Aussie2B]

Those games look pretty good to me. The labels look like they're in good shape. So they got some dirt on them, big whoop. I've cleaned up a PlayStation that was totally encrusted in bird droppings, and probably other gnarly stuff that isn't coming to mind. I feel pretty proud when I'm able to restore an abused or neglected game. It's doing my tiny part to preserve game history.

[otoko]

Well, one thing that is not being mentioned here that people eventually figured out in the thread that picture came from, these games must have been in a fire. That's why they're in the shape they currently are.

Feel free to correct me though.

[Aussie2B]

I've seen games that were literally burnt in house fires, and those don't really look charred to me (the others I've seen were actually melted some). It's probably just smoke residue, which may wipe right off with a soapy rag.

Regardless, it's always worth an attempt to restore a game than dumping it in the trash before even trying. And even if the plastic was permanently stained, there are still plenty of people that would be happy to own and play the games as long as they work just fine.

[skaar]

When my friends and I plays poker, we replace the chips with gameboy games.

We used 486/Pentium CPUs back in the day.

[TheGam3r]

I've seen games that were literally burnt in house fires, and those don't really look charred to me (the others I've seen were actually melted some). It's probably just smoke residue, which may wipe right off with a soapy rag.

Regardless, it's always worth an attempt to restore a game than dumping it in the trash before even trying. And even if the plastic was permanently stained, there are still plenty of people that would be happy to own and play the games as long as they work just fine.

but his parents forced him to throw them out casue they were incomptible with DS

[otoko]

We used 486/Pentium CPUs back in the day.

It might be easier to obtain tons of them now.

Heh.. depending..

[NytroSkull7]

I've seen games that were literally burnt in house fires, and those don't really look charred to me (the others I've seen were actually melted some). It's probably just smoke residue, which may wipe right off with a soapy rag.

Ever been to the Nintendo Store in NYC? They got a GameBoy from Desert Storm that was hit with an IED and still works. (with a wall adapter only tho)

:deadhorse:

[NayusDante]

Ever been to the Nintendo Store in NYC? They got a GameBoy from Desert Storm that was hit with an IED and still works. (with a wall adapter only tho)

:deadhorse:

Got a picture? If part of the casing melted or got blown off, there might be some sharp edges, making it kinda unsuitable for portable use. Still, if it works, that means that the parts are definitely salvageable.

[Aussie2B]

Yeah, it's pretty neat. Here's a video of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBeTXPaewMo

I should've pointed out that the games I've seen that were charred and partially melted were actually being sold, so they still worked 100%. So really, some games and systems can go through absolute hell and still be worth owning to somebody.

[NayusDante]

THAT GameBoy? I swear I saw it in an old issue of NP, but I thought it was an artistic modification... Wow.

[Gameguy]

I have some Genesis games with melted cases, they're ex-rentals so I don't think they were in a fire(just abused). They still work.

Those games posted above don't look like fire damage to me, more like they were kept someplace humid or cool and damp. In either case, if you're paying less than $15 for 9 games don't be too picky about condition, as long as they work that's all that really counts. I personally wouldn't buy games without seeing them first(from anyone I don't know), but that's just me.

[Haoie]

This topic's still going? Sheesh.

The fire damaged working Gameboy in Nintendo World, that was quite amusing. I even took a photo of it when I visited. Yeah, of all the things to capture on film.

That's still 1 in 100 of something that damaged working though.

[otoko]

I have some Genesis games with melted cases, they're ex-rentals so I don't think they were in a fire(just abused). They still work.

Those games posted above don't look like fire damage to me, more like they were kept someplace humid or cool and damp. In either case, if you're paying less than $15 for 9 games don't be too picky about condition, as long as they work that's all that really counts. I personally wouldn't buy games without seeing them first(from anyone I don't know), but that's just me.

You'd think and that was the original guess until the person who bought them reported the carts all had a smoke smell.

[TheGam3r]

That same kid is 15 And hates all rated T Games except for Brawl and this week he learned that conker Was in a rated M Game and refuses to play him in diddy kong racing

[otoko]

That same kid is 15 And hates all rated T Games except for Brawl and this week he learned that conker Was in a rated M Game and refuses to play him in diddy kong racing

UuuhhhuuuuhHHUuuUUUhhhHHhhUUUuHhHHUUuuuHHHhhhUUUuu UuUUUuuUHHh... What?

[Gameguy]

You'd think and that was the original guess until the person who bought them reported the carts all had a smoke smell.
Yeah, I remember they smelled like cigarettes, which is what I assumed caused the smell. Tobacco smoke smells different from other smoke doesn't it?


XD I really don't know what the fuck to do with them...
Don't really want these abominations in my collection.
And it's funny that SMB3 is the only one in ok condition, but the only one that's a double. >_>

And did I mention they smell like cigarettes too, just to add to the pain? >_<


Even if they were in a fire, water could have damaged them when the fire was put out. There's often water damage caused when a fire is put out due to water being used to extinguish it(a lot of water gets sprayed by the fire department, or by sprinklers). I'll just post a link that somewhat mentions it, I don't feel like searching too hard for a better link.
http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2008/01/16/News/small.Fire.Causes.Fire.Water.Damage.At.Rec.Center-3153762.shtml

Take a look at the Wayne Gretzky game, there's white spots all over it. That looks like it was caused by water. The labels aren't really damaged though so I doubt they were soaked with water(maybe they were stored someplace damp afterwards). I would have thought that if the games were in a fire, they would be thrown out and written off seeing how damaged they are.

I'd just like to know if the games could be cleaned up, and if they work.

[darkslime]

Well, I'm slowly cleaning the games off, one alone takes 45 minutes to clean.
I don't have a NES here but will test the ones I've cleaned so far tomorrow night, and tell you guys the results.

Some of them have rust on the boards, anyone know how I could get it off?

[TheGam3r]

UuuhhhuuuuhHHUuuUUUhhhHHhhUUUuHhHHUUuuuHHHhhhUUUuu UuUUUuuUHHh... What?

Im dead F-ing Serious

[Gameguy]

Well, I'm slowly cleaning the games off, one alone takes 45 minutes to clean.
I don't have a NES here but will test the ones I've cleaned so far tomorrow night, and tell you guys the results.

Some of them have rust on the boards, anyone know how I could get it off?

Use fine grit sandpaper, an emery board, or thin Scotchbright pads to take off the rust from the connectors. Just clean the connectors afterwards like normal so there's no dust/filings left. I just hope the traces on the board aren't rusted too badly.

If the connectors are rusted then the games were stored someplace excessively damp. That rules out fire damage for their appearance. Just saying<cough>.

I really hope they can still work after all this, I'm really eager to find out. :)

[darkslime]

Use fine grit sandpaper, an emery board, or thin Scotchbright pads to take off the rust from the connectors. Just clean the connectors afterwards like normal so there's no dust/filings left. I just hope the traces on the board aren't rusted too badly.

If the connectors are rusted then the games were stored someplace excessively damp. That rules out fire damage for their appearance. Just saying<cough>.

I really hope they can still work after all this, I'm really eager to find out. :)
Yeah, the connectors are rusted.
I'm nervous about using sandpaper on them...

[Gameguy]

Yeah, the connectors are rusted.
I'm nervous about using sandpaper on them...
I've seen used game stores use sandpaper and Scotchbrites on games(a friend of mine uses an emery board), it just leaves scratches on the connectors but the games still play fine. Don't keep sanding until you go through the connector, just until the rust is off the metal. If you use fine grit sandpaper like 400 grit, it shouldn't really damage the connectors(that's the same grit used when lightly sanding a finish between spraying coats of laquer). It might take awhile to sand off all the rust with that grit, but the metal beneath it shouldn't be too damaged(it really depends how badly rusted the parts are, if it's really bad the connectors could be rusted all the way through, though I doubt it would be that bad for your games).

When I come across something with a rusted or corroded battery terminal, I just file off the rust/corrosion and it works fine.

[darkslime]

I've seen used game stores use sandpaper and Scotchbrites on games(a friend of mine uses an emery board), it just leaves scratches on the connectors but the games still play fine. Don't keep sanding until you go through the connector, just until the rust is off the metal. If you use fine grit sandpaper like 400 grit, it shouldn't really damage the connectors(that's the same grit used when lightly sanding a finish between spraying coats of laquer). It might take awhile to sand off all the rust with that grit, but the metal beneath it shouldn't be too damaged(it really depends how badly rusted the parts are, if it's really bad the connectors could be rusted all the way through, though I doubt it would be that bad for your games).

When I come across something with a rusted or corroded battery terminal, I just file off the rust/corrosion and it works fine. Alright, thanks for the help. I'll go buy that type of sandpaper tomorrow.

[Sudo]

That same kid is 15 And hates all rated T Games except for Brawl and this week he learned that conker Was in a rated M Game and refuses to play him in diddy kong racing

Yeah, that sounds likely alright.

[darkslime]

The OP is almost guaranteed to be a troll, but this is still an interesting thread.

[NayusDante]

Im dead F-ing Serious

You and your friend need to calm the beef min. We get the idea. :P

After you clean up a cartridge like that, is there any way to restore the color? I know that some NES carts lose their distinct gray hue, but I'm sure that it's worse with fire/smoke damage. I've got a few "yellowed" carts that I wouldn't mind experimenting with.

[TheGam3r]

You and your friend need to calm the beef min. We get the idea. :P

After you clean up a cartridge like that, is there any way to restore the color? I know that some NES carts lose their distinct gray hue, but I'm sure that it's worse with fire/smoke damage. I've got a few "yellowed" carts that I wouldn't mind experimenting with.

But we are still good friends.

His n64 carts Are All dirty and his bomberman hero has the label almost torn off

[darkslime]

But we are still good friends.

His n64 carts Are All dirty and his bomberman hero has the label almost torn off That's fucking amazing.

[TheGam3r]

But did you guys ever throw out a game that didint work?

[otoko]

No.. I gave one to a friend who displays it in his room of randomness.

[TheGam3r]

No.. I gave one to a friend who displays it in his room of randomness.

what game was it?

[otoko]

Sonic the Hedgehog.

I don't know why it does not work though.. it's in mint condition.

[NayusDante]

If something on the actual board is fried, the cart won't work. There might be a broken trace on the board itself, or the ROM chip is bad.

[Cornelius]

I gotta stop reading this thread. Every time I click in here I get dumber.

[darkslime]

But did you guys ever throw out a game that didint work?
No, I still have a few non working ones sitting in a box here. >_>

[TheGam3r]

No, I still have a few non working ones sitting in a box here. >_>

I had a link to the past on GBA I Threw Out Cause I Found out it was a bootleg.Didnt get my refund cause i didnt spend much money

[Ed Oscuro]

would you throw out games
Yes. I'm only posting here because somebody is holding a bucket of acid over my head halp


I had a link to the past on GBA I Threw Out Cause I Found out it was a bootleg.Didnt get my refund cause i didnt spend much money
Actually, those could possibly be recycled. Surely somebody could make use of 'em.

I think it's quite likely that I would throw out a PC game's disc if it were broken, although the paper slips it comes in when you buy a new graphics or sound card, I dunno...those might shoot up in value!

[TheGam3r]

Yes. I'm only posting here because somebody is holding a bucket of acid over my head halp


Actually, those could possibly be recycled. Surely somebody could make use of 'em.

I think it's quite likely that I would throw out a PC game's disc if it were broken, although the paper slips it comes in when you buy a new graphics or sound card, I dunno...those might shoot up in value!

About a Link to the Past.I Bought it Back in October 2003 From Ebay In November 2005 I Threw it out cause I Noticed it was a Fake

[nebrazca78]

Music cd's that are all scratched up can be good for at least 1-2 songs because I've never come across a cd in horrible condition which didn't have at least one or two songs that played in full without skipping. Yes, they may need a resurface first but throwing out or giving away cd's on account of a few songs skipping if others play perfectly is a little dumb. By all means buy a better copy if you need to but tossing the other in the garbage is unnecessary.

Also having the original whether it plays or not gives you the right to download it. Not that everyone abides by copyright law but some do.


Up until two months ago I would have said no. But I listed a lot on here(and ebay) that was super scratched up. It was one demo disc and 3 games for Xbox. The demo even had gook on it. There was no way that shuff was going into my baby. And nobody bid on it and nobody here bought it so I threw that shit out. I even said in my auction listing(and my description on here) that if I didn't sell it in two weeks that it was getting thrown out. I always keep my word.

With a sales pitch like that why would it sell? You're telling everyone it's garbage. Much better to just describe the item and let the buyer determine if they think it's garbage or not.


Yeah, at least the labels are still intact

Clean them up and sell them. People will buy almost anything if you give them the chance and the price is right. They would sell even if they didn't work (which the ones in question don't I believe). No need to throw them away. Although I did just throw away a perfectly functional disc only copy of The Tortoise And The Hare for the PC. I should have kept it.

[chrissylas]

When my mom threw away my two Coleco and all my games, I swear to myself that I will never do such a thing. I also told my mom that I'll never forgive her for what she did, unless I manage to find another Coleco and all the games I owned. Only two more games and she'll be officially forgiven.


My sister did the same thing to an Atari 1040ST and about 40 games. I haven't gotten around to rebuying all of the stuff but I will continue to hold it against her until I've purchased it all back. :frustrated: