Why unopened?

[Ludwig]

I think collecting is a great hobby, but something puzzles me: Why do some people only want their games in the original wrapper and spend so much money on it? You never know what you get. For all you know it could be defective, and you never know if it's really new, or if it's actually genuine. Shrink wrapping is not that much of an issue. I know, there is a certain value in this, which also puzzles me, but to be honest if you are in it for that you maybe should have tried vintage wines. But honestly: Why?

[substantial_snake]

I read a post or quote somewhere in the bowels of the internet from someone explaining why they went after sealed in box games. Their answer went something along the lines of how they loved the smell of a freshly opened NES game and the scent of that really brought them back to their childhood. I thought that trying to capture that bit of the past again made a lot of sense although I doubt that's why most go after pristine examples of past games.

I guess that many people view it like gold and if they hold onto it for "just long enough" then they will make bank in the future and then there are those who really want a closed box copy to put on a shelf for collecting's sake. Personally I have never been a fan of that "keep it nice by not playing with it" idea. It always reminded me of an old man who saved his money all his life to buy an original Shelby Cobra or something..only to wipe it down with a diaper every day and let the internals rot from disuse.

Nothing is really permanent and that's just the nature of existence so open your damn games and play with your hotwheels. :p

[NBaco]

I can't speak for anyone but myself here, but I personally only buy a wrapped NES or SNES game if the price is reasonable and isn't something off the wall like 200$. I like the idea of getting a game no one else has touched. The problem is that most sites I've seen that offer a game still in the factory seal try to overprice it. I dunno about you guys, but I'm not too keen on paying 500$ for an unopened copy of Mario 3.

[theclaw]

If one must buy sealed games, they should at minimum use proper box protectors. Handling steadily reduces their condition. A personal collection treated properly is epic.

Insisting on buying costly sealed games to open and play, I think of those people with the same lack of respect they're treating the games. That forever reduces the supply of sealed copies with often little to no gameplay benefit.

[Ludwig]

Hmn, if there is still money in it or not really is a thing of luck in my opinion, but i doubt that there is going to be much development in it. NES stuff can go for a couple thousands. Storytime: I play guitar and we had a huge rise in prices for vintage guitars in recent years. I talked to people and one thing got quite clear: People that blow up to a quarter of a million on a early gibson les paul for example are usually not famous, but people that are around 40-50 now, that used to see people like jimmy page play those, but couldn't afford a guitar when they where little, and now want that piece of childhood they never been able to have but always craved, and maybe they even ask themselves "what if i would have got it?" that's the type. This is a lot bigger than games though, i started playing with 13 and was put of by a teacher, and had to start again with 22, and yes it's one of those things that will torture you all your life, "could i have been a rockstar?" sound stupid but isn't. I had therapy sessions about that.

I think part of that can be translated to games, but i doubt anyone would ever put down quarter of a million for a cartridge, and even at the current prices opening one is a huge deal. Judging by the date, this is a similar crowd, people that been little back then are in their mid 30's now. I actually know the smell thing very well, but i feel this can be experienced with many different product, and i don't think that this is all that's to it. Opening a package is meaningless, many do it every day, even though it's roughly the same experience, it's the playing part that made getting a new game special, and i get a better experience just from playing it than opening it. If it's the unpacking part then you can get almost untouched ones with everything in the package but without wrapping for as little as 50Eur. Maybe this is just madness?! Things are only worth as much as we think they are. (Making a cent for example usually costs more than it's face value, but it's value to us is still 1cent.)

[josekortez]

I agree about the euphoric feeling you get when you open a sealed game. But again, it's a short-lived high. Personally, I'm pretty good with owning used games as long as they aren't visibly stained or have ripped inserts or manuals.

[Bojay1997]

Can a mod please lock this? It has been done to death and there are tons of threads which can be easily located with a search.

[Damaramu]

There was a member here, and I haven't seen him post in a long while, that bought sealed copies of games to actually play. He wanted to be the only one the games came in contact with.

I do believe he would, in some cases, spend quite a bit of money on older sealed games only to pop the shrink wrap off to play. I think he also sold off his "used" duplicates as well.

A tad on the OCD side if you ask me, but to each his own.

[Graham Mitchell]

I've read responses to this question where people say they like the way the light reflecting off the cellophane looks when the games are sitting on a shelf.

I'd bet that a reasonable chunk of people who collect only sealed games with no intention of opening or playing them have Aspergers syndrome, and it's merely a manifestation of that.

[soloman]

If one must buy sealed games, they should at minimum use proper box protectors. Handling steadily reduces their condition. A personal collection treated properly is epic.

Insisting on buying costly sealed games to open and play, I think of those people with the same lack of respect they're treating the games. That forever reduces the supply of sealed copies with often little to no gameplay benefit.

Anyone who spends the time and money tracking down sealed games usually has no intention of ever selling them anyway. Opening them does nothing to the "supply".

[Baloo]

Most of the people who buy sealed games to begin with don't open them in the first place. They're just collectors who want their stuff to be minty for the afterlife I suppose.

Blame NintendoAge.

[Ze_ro]

People buy sealed games because they want to know it's an unspoiled beauty... they don't want sloppy seconds from a game that's been passed around like the village whore.

Remember, as soon as you put that game in your system, it's just gotten dirt from every other system that cart has been in!

--Zero

[Atarileaf]

I have a couple of sealed atari 2600 and 7800 games but they're common and I really don't care if they're opened or sealed since I have loose copies anyway. I think it would be nice to have sealed games of my absolute favorite games but even then its not a big deal or something I'd go out of my way to own, certainly not for the prices some of these command.

I find it interesting some of the comments about wanting to be the only one to touch a game or to play it because, back in the old days, video gaming was SUPPOSED to be a much more social activity. We looked forward to getting together with friends and playing games, trading and swapping, lending and borrowing. No one cared how much it was handled or played with or how many systems it had been in.

My fondest memories of video gaming don't necessarily come from the game itself, but from the shared experience with family and friends. You don't get that from a sealed game on the shelf, you get it from opening it, having some friends over, and playing it together.

[Lerxstnj]

Except in the case of a really rare game, most games go down in value over time. A collector that buys used games has a collection value closer to what they spent than a person that buys over-priced sealed or new games.

[theclaw]

Anyone who spends the time and money tracking down sealed games usually has no intention of ever selling them anyway. Opening them does nothing to the "supply".

I meant once opened or damaged, that's one less copy available for collectors serious about buying good condition games they plan to keep that way. You're right it really isn't an issue on common titles. More the rarer ones few known sealed copies remain.

[Aussie2B]

Insisting on buying costly sealed games to open and play, I think of those people with the same lack of respect they're treating the games. That forever reduces the supply of sealed copies with often little to no gameplay benefit.

It's disrespectful to the games to open them as they were intended? What about showing respect to the developers? Or does some plastic and cardboard deserve more respect than people that spent months making a game?

Not that I think it's a smart practice. While I can relate more to the concept of enjoying the experience of opening up a game and then playing it rather than keeping a sealed game on my shelf until the day I die, it's more logical to just keep an old game sealed unless its value is comparable to an opened copy. It's just bonkers to open valuable sealed games. The amount of money that's flushed down the toilet (the amount you're making the game depreciate, that is) is just sickening to me. I couldn't do it. I would just sell the sealed game and use some of the money to buy a mint used copy.

For people that really want to recapture that childhood experience of opening something that is now long gone from store shelves, just buy a $30 box of old Marvel cards or something. You can open dozens of packs for a small amount of cash. Surely there must be SOMETHING from each person's childhood that they can buy new for not much money these days, rather than spending $500 on some sealed game that will be worth $20 when you take off the plastic.

[theclaw]

Not per se. You pretty much explained where I was coming from in greater detail. Both of our posts reach the same conclusion: Buying sealed retro games without care for their condition is wasteful. If you're going to play the game anyway and deteriorate it unavoidably, it's better to get one opened.

[skaar]

I like all my games to be virgins.

[WesternNYCollector]

I somebody dropped a factory sealed copy of my favorite game in my lap, I would put it in one of those plastic cases and then make it the centerpiece of my gaming shrine. Other than that, no interest.

[retroguy]

I'd bet that a reasonable chunk of people who collect only sealed games with no intention of opening or playing them have Aspergers syndrome, and it's merely a manifestation of that.

I have Aspergers and I don't understand the sealed games thing either. What's the point of buying a game if you're not going to play it? It's the same with people who pay to have their comics sealed in plastic. If you can't read it, why bother?

[wingzrow]

Some people just like the bragging rights or the rarity of it all. If I had a sealed copy of shatterhand on the NES, i think i would be one of only a handful of people world wide that could claim that.

[udisi]

Meh, to each their own.

Some people collect games they will never play

Some people need to have boxes and instructions

Some people don't need a physical cart or disc at all, ROMs are fine for them

Some people want only mint discs, while others are fine as long as it works.

Some people collect the pre-order stuff , or plushies, etc

Why not should their not be people who want to collect games sealed?

It's just a personal preference. If it floats your boat do it, if not, then do what you wanna do.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

I don't collect sealed games, but I can understand why some people do. The unopened game is how the game looked in its original form, when you first saw it in a store a long time ago. There's a feeling of excitement about being able to buy it, take it home, and open it. By leaving it unopened, I think it encapsulates that feeling.

Same goes for those people who don't open their Star Wars figures, transformer toys, etc.

Another reason for doing it is the feeling of owning a rare item, or the sense that you are preserving an important item.

[Zing]

You never know what you get. For all you know it could be defective, and you never know if it's really new, or if it's actually genuine.

The "genuine" thing is not usually a problem. People who are dedicated enough to buy sealed games are educated in regards to the types of seals and indications of a reseal.

[Atarileaf]

The "genuine" thing is not usually a problem. People who are dedicated enough to buy sealed games are educated in regards to the types of seals and indications of a reseal.

The thing that would really bug me, especially if it was a really rare and expensive game - does it work? Its the Schrodinger's cat hypothesis in video game form - the only way to know for sure is to open the box.

[Flashback2012]

I can only speculate that sealed collectors want the assurance that the contents are absolutely complete. What I can't fathom is never opening the game or playing it, letting it sit sealed on a shelf for years on end isn't something I can wrap my brain around. That said, I own tons of titles I've bought but never played. Some are still shrinkwrapped but I don't have an intention to leave them that way forever.

[FxMercenary]

One of the dangers of Sealed games that I discovered is the lack of natural moisture in the carts that contain 2032 batteries.

They leak badly.

[c0ldb33r]

10 GET Sealed Game
20 SELL Sealed Game
30 GET Complete Non Sealed Game
40 PROFIT
50 PLAY Game

[Emperor Megas]

10 GET Sealed Game
20 SELL Sealed Game
30 GET Complete Non Sealed Game
40 PROFIT
50 PLAY GameWhat's with the 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 deal? :confused:

[c0ldb33r]

What's with the 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 deal? :confused:
Probably would make more sense in the classic computer forum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC

[hetsumani]

I don't mind having a sealed game and never playing it, as long as i have a loose copy.
For example, I have a Zelda Link to the Past copy in its box mint condition, the cartridge has never been put in a console, but i also have 2 loose copies of it, regular and best-seller editions, and a boxed one that has been played with, and have beaten the three by the way.

[Shingetter]

10 GET Sealed Game
20 SELL Sealed Game
30 GET Complete Non Sealed Game
40 PROFIT
50 PLAY Game

I got it.

[Atarileaf]

10 GET Sealed Game
20 SELL Sealed Game
30 GET Complete Non Sealed Game
40 PROFIT
50 PLAY Game

You forgot "60 goto 10" ;)

[jonebone]

I generally collect CIBs, which are playable. Then for my childhood favorites, I try to get a copy sealed in nice shape.

That way the gamer in you is happy because you can play it whenever you want. And the collector in you is happy because you have one of the best possible copies of the game.

What I don't get are the OCD guys who absolutely have to have VGA 90 and above, and are willing to pay 2 to 3 times the price of a VGA 85 or 85+ to get it. Now that's what boggles my mind.

[biggzy]

I have some sealed games that I haven't gotten around to, but they won't stay that way. I never collect games that can never be played. Just seems to defeat the point to me.

I like to buy complete stuff, but I don't obsess over the 'factory sealed thing.' The only sealed games I have I got because I had the opportunity to buy them and the price was right (e.g. a sealed copy of Galaga for the 7800 that I got for 2 bucks). If I die before opening them all, hopefully whomever receives my collection (i.e. a family member who appreciates them and will take care of them) can enjoy opening a 'virgin' copy of some old relic.

[xelement5x]

I've got a number of games that are sealed, but not since around 2005 have I payed more for a game specifically because it was sealed. I've gotten copies of games that just came sealed, and sometimes it's frustrating because I'd rather have a mint CIB copy that I could play rather than opening a sealed copy.

Case in point, I bought a copy of Kolibri for like $15 at one point, and when I got it realized it was new and sealed. It's in great condition too. The problem is, I felt weird opening it since it'd been able to make it all this time without loosing the shrinkwrap. I actually wound up with a cart only version later and just play that, but I've still got the shrinked version just sitting there since I can't bring myself to remove the shrink. How sad :(

[Rob2600]

He wanted to be the only one the games came in contact with.

I guess he forgot about the people who worked at the packaging factory.

[bunnybum]

Collecting video games is just like any other hobby. I collect sealed toys of various kinds, my dad collects sealed slot cars and my grandfather sealed scale cars. We're all too old to play with whatever we collect but we have fond memories of them, we like the look of them, and they make a nice investment, should times get tough - the same goes for video games to some extend, though I can't see sealed and slabbed games other than, say, the old NES Super Mario Bros. games really holding up value-wise, since no games have ever had the same impact on culture as those.

Sure, I have sealed games sitting in my collection because:
a) I don't have a system to play them on
b) I haven't gotten around to opening them up and playing them yet
c) They were dirt cheap and make for decent trade fodder

But again, it all comes down to personal preference. What do you want to collect, why, and how much are you willing to spend? People can go buy their sealed games and have them graded all they want. Me, I just really like to play games and would rather trade off my sealed ones, if their condition can net me one or two extra loose games in a future trade.

[Bronty-2]

deleted

[Bronty-2]

Collecting video games is just like any other hobby. I collect sealed toys of various kinds, my dad collects sealed slot cars and my grandfather sealed scale cars. ...........

But again, it all comes down to personal preference. What do you want to collect, why, and how much are you willing to spend? People can go buy their sealed games and have them graded all they want. Me, I just really like to play games and would rather trade off my sealed ones, if their condition can net me one or two extra loose games in a future trade.

nice to see a few sensible posts on the subject for a change. Thumbs up!

[Buyatari]

I generally collect CIBs, which are playable. Then for my childhood favorites, I try to get a copy sealed in nice shape.

That way the gamer in you is happy because you can play it whenever you want. And the collector in you is happy because you have one of the best possible copies of the game.

What I don't get are the OCD guys who absolutely have to have VGA 90 and above, and are willing to pay 2 to 3 times the price of a VGA 85 or 85+ to get it. Now that's what boggles my mind.

Because VGA 85s have flaws and damage and 90 and above are really nice. IF I am going to go the extra mile and have it graded then it better be a spectacular example otherwise why bother?

An 85 is just your average sealed copy and what is the point of having that graded? Anything less than 85 is less than average and is worth less to me than your average sealed copy.

[jonebone]

Dear god why was this thread bumped again. In before more flaming.


Because VGA 85s have flaws and damage and 90 and above are really nice. IF I am going to go the extra mile and have it graded then it better be a spectacular example otherwise why bother?

An 85 is just your average sealed copy and what is the point of having that graded? Anything less than 85 is less than average and is worth less to me than your average sealed copy.

VGA 85 is hardly your "average" game. Your "average" game has scuffing on the plastic, some slight bowing / bending / creasing or possibly even tears in the wrap. The "average" game is not treated as a collectible.

I understand the price jump from 85 to 90, that's silver to gold level. But I don't understand why someone would pay 2x-3x an 85+ price for a 90, when both are gold level.

If you are submitting a raw game, of course you want it to grade as high as possible. But if you are buying an already graded game, I'd take the 85+ every single time and use the money I saved to buy something else. Guess it also depends on your attachment to the title, and what platform you collect. 85+ on NES is far different than 85+ on Gamecube.

[Sunnyvale]

Dear god why was this thread bumped again. In before more flaming.



VGA 85 is hardly your "average" game. Your "average" game has scuffing on the plastic, some slight bowing / bending / creasing or possibly even tears in the wrap. The "average" game is not treated as a collectible.

I understand the price jump from 85 to 90, that's silver to gold level. But I don't understand why someone would pay 2x-3x an 85+ price for a 90, when both are gold level.

If you are submitting a raw game, of course you want it to grade as high as possible. But if you are buying an already graded game, I'd take the 85+ every single time and use the money I saved to buy something else. Guess it also depends on your attachment to the title, and what platform you collect. 85+ on NES is far different than 85+ on Gamecube.

What about your loose games? Is the occassional label scuff ok, or is that a no-go?

Different people have different standards.

[treismac]

I guess he forgot about the people who worked at the packaging factory.

And we've all heard the debauched stories about the Roman-style orgies those sick bastards had with virgin carts before sealing them up with their "chastity" presumed to be in tact. In a slightly more serious note, as far as sexual analogies go, packaging workers handling the games really would be more like heavy petting than actual intercourse unless the workers popped the games in consoles before sealing them up.

I do understand the desire to be the first to pop a video game's cherry. I do. I also like the idea of enjoying a game that has history too. When I order a lot from eBay, I find myself wondering where all the different games came from and what memories are locked up within them. Undoubtedly, some of the games I own are part of the happiest times of some people's lives, tangible symbols of the dream that is unspoiled youth. On the flip side of happy times, what about the kid whose copy of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde I bought for $2 at the Flea Market? Did he receive the game as a birthday present when he asked for something else, say Mario 3? This crappy Bandai game(Why did Namco join up with them???) might well have irreversibly broken a beautiful yet fragile human spirit. While all of little Billy's friends were flying around with raccoon tails and rescuing the Princess, our poor hypothetical protagonist laments the fact that his cane does nothing to enemies, serving as a Freudian metaphor for his own impotence in life. Billy never recovers, and dedicates his adult life to collecting unopened boxes of Super Mario Bros. 3, which he blankly stares at on lonely weekend nights with his only companion, Jack the cat, at his side. You don't get that opening a mint copy of a game, my friends.

[Buyatari]

Dear god why was this thread bumped again. In before more flaming.



VGA 85 is hardly your "average" game. Your "average" game has scuffing on the plastic, some slight bowing / bending / creasing or possibly even tears in the wrap. The "average" game is not treated as a collectible.

I understand the price jump from 85 to 90, that's silver to gold level. But I don't understand why someone would pay 2x-3x an 85+ price for a 90, when both are gold level.

If you are submitting a raw game, of course you want it to grade as high as possible. But if you are buying an already graded game, I'd take the 85+ every single time and use the money I saved to buy something else. Guess it also depends on your attachment to the title, and what platform you collect. 85+ on NES is far different than 85+ on Gamecube.

What you describe is below average for a sealed game collector. It might be the average sealed game you find in the wild today but it isn't the average condition of a sealed game in the collection of a sealed game collector. When I buy from another sealed game collector I expect 85 right out of the gate. Sure I see pictures and ask questions but that is the average condition of a collectable sealed game. Anything better (90) is awesome and anything worse (80) is most often a regretted purchase.

80s are horrible. You might as well collect CIB. If you are mainly a CIB collector then you won't understand.

[Buyatari]

What about your loose games? Is the occassional label scuff ok, or is that a no-go?

Different people have different standards.

The people who really care about condition buy sealed. There isn't a huge difference in price on loose carts unless one is trashed. This is why someone who collects loose and CIB might not understand the difference in price on sealed games.

[Parodius Duh!]

The only games I ever buy new/sealed are ps1 titles. Scratches on those black discs make me completely insane.

[BlastProcessing402]

10 GET Sealed Game
20 SELL Sealed Game
30 GET Complete Non Sealed Game
40 PROFIT
50 PLAY Game


What's with the 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 deal? :confused:

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand corny computer science jokes, and those who don't. :)

[SonicBoom]

More rare, Simply put. It's harder to find so people want it.

[jb143]

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand corny computer science jokes, and those who don't. :)

So I guess Emperor Megas is one of the .1 that don't?

[Carnby]

This thread's discussion about graded games reminds me of a question that I have.

A few weeks ago I noticed that Death Smiles LE was available cheap on Amazon. I honestly have no intentions of playing it, but I thought it would make a nice collectable. I should have known Amazon would man handle that game in the shipping process. It was shipped in a box that was way too big.

The game has small crumbles in on side of the case and bits of the plastic wrap are torn. What's the point of me keeping it sealed if it is damaged so badly. Is this true? Is a damaged sealed game equal to an opened damaged game?

[Kirbz]

Yeah I Could Care Less Because What's The Point Of Buying It If Your Not Gonna Open It
That's Like Buying A Condom And Put It In The Wrapper On The Shelf
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

[sloan]

Buying sealed games makes no sense. Some con artist may have resealed a piece of plywood inside that pristine package, and you just paid $200 for it. If I did ever buy a sealed game, first thing I would do is open the package to see if there was plywood in there.