Is the Video Game Museum going to use graded games?

[backguard]

Question? It would seem sort of tacky and unnecessary IMO.

[mrmark0673]

Question? It would seem sort of tacky and unnecessary IMO.

Paintings in a museum need to be authenticated (and some curators have looked silly in the past by not doing so) before they go on display, so why should games be different? Granted, if Joe and company authenticate a game themselves, they certainly have the experience to do so, but I don't think VGA graded games would be looked down upon.

[Kitsune Sniper]

... paintings, statues, or other works of art in a museum are not encased in an unbreakable plastic slab.

So I hope not.

[PapaStu]

What purpose would be served by having a sealed/graded games at the museum?

It has nothing to do with video games in the grand scheme of things. It has an affect on 'some' collectors, but the museum's focus isn't on collectors.

[TonyTheTiger]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1760848975/the-videogame-history-museum

The museum we envision will be all-inclusive, comprehensive and interactive.

That goal would be a bit difficult to accomplish if everything is encased in a plastic sarcophagus.

And not all that practical if locking everything away can only be done by paying the fees to a single, monopolistic entity whose entire business model is based around convincing people that paying such a fee is necessary.

[Bojay1997]

Paintings in a museum need to be authenticated (and some curators have looked silly in the past by not doing so) before they go on display, so why should games be different? Granted, if Joe and company authenticate a game themselves, they certainly have the experience to do so, but I don't think VGA graded games would be looked down upon.

Although I can't speak for the museum founders, I haven't seen anything to indicate that the museum will be a repository of sealed games. In fact, I don't think many people would be interested in staring at games encased in plastic in a museum of this type. I would tend to trust the museum founders more than some company that grades for profit as many of the items in their collections were obtained long before anyone was creating fakes and often from the creators of the items themselves.

[portnoyd]

Is The Video Game Museum going to use graded games?

http://img.perthstreetbikes.com/img/6/2/0/Lol_que.jpg


Paintings in a museum need to be authenticated (and some curators have looked silly in the past by not doing so) before they go on display, so why should games be different? Granted, if Joe and company authenticate a game themselves, they certainly have the experience to do so, but I don't think VGA graded games would be looked down upon.

http://www.myfacewhen.net/uploads/954-not-sure-if-serious.jpg

[theclaw]

Graded maybe not. Protective cases is a necessity. Many games would never survive that amount of public handling for long.

[98PaceCar]

Graded maybe not. Protective cases is a necessity. Many games would never survive that amount of public handling for long.

There's a vast difference between protecting a game and grading a game.

[skaar]

About the only thing good is the plastic protective case. The rest of the service (and branding) is inappropriate in a museum.... unless that's a sponsored museum.

[theclaw]

There's a vast difference between protecting a game and grading a game.

Hmm. Yeah sorry if I'm on edge. Tired...

[mrmark0673]

Love the pic Port! Honestly though, I wasn't trolling...

Very short quick example of where I don't think it would be wise to not display a piece JUST because it was graded:

My sealed Flintstones 2 that I just sold is the only one with photographs to confirm that it exists (though there is word of another out there). Would a serious museum curator rather:

A) Display what is likely a one of a kind piece in their museum
B) Not include it purely because it is in an acrylic case

I'm not in any way saying that it would be BETTER to have graded games displayed in the museum, but rather it would seem silly to not include them just because they were slabbed. Just my 2 cents.

Bojay: Not that I ever assumed that sealed games would be at the forefront of the museum, but you'd certainly think they'd have a place in a video game museum, no?

[Bojay1997]

Love the pic Port! Honestly though, I wasn't trolling...

Very short quick example of where I don't think it would be wise to not display a piece JUST because it was graded:

My sealed Flintstones 2 that I just sold is the only one with photographs to confirm that it exists (though there is word of another out there). Would a serious museum curator rather:

A) Display what is likely a one of a kind piece in their museum
B) Not include it purely because it is in an acrylic case

I'm not in any way saying that it would be BETTER to have graded games displayed in the museum, but rather it would seem silly to not include them just because they were slabbed. Just my 2 cents.

Bojay: Not that I ever assumed that sealed games would be at the forefront of the museum, but you'd certainly think they'd have a place in a video game museum, no?

Actually, for archival purposes, sealed games should not be kept in any museum. While I personally collect sealed games, I am also painfully aware that over time, the acidic wrap on many games begins to react with the paper, cardboard, adhesives on labels and ink which also have acids in them. That's why comics, books and paper money are not sealed in regular commercial grade plastic, but rather stored in acid free materials like mylar, etc... If not very carefully climate controlled, all shrinkwrap gets tighter and more brittle or even sticky over time. That's why you'll find other museums including the collection at Stanford removing the wrap on their sealed items. Sealed games just won't last long term, so while you might not have a problem with a game that is 20-30 years old, in 20 years from now when that game is 50 years old and has been exposed to airborne pollutants, heat and cold, UV and other lighting, etc...it will start to degrade.

Grading and sealing are fine for a very small number of collectors with a fairly short term outlook, but for most collectors and for museums, it is a complete waste of money and prevents long-term preservation.

[portnoyd]

I'm not in any way saying that it would be BETTER to have graded games displayed in the museum, but rather it would seem silly to not include them just because they were slabbed. Just my 2 cents.

Bojay: Not that I ever assumed that sealed games would be at the forefront of the museum, but you'd certainly think they'd have a place in a video game museum, no?

VGA slabbed games are totally irrelevant to a museum. They just imply an association where there isn't one and most people entering the museum would have no clue what's going on and balk at the case. They don't remember SMB as a VGA85, they remember it as SMB. Those that do know would either love it or hate it so you'd have half (being generous here) of a small subset of visitors actually wanting to see them. Doesn't make sense especially in a climate of a museum starting off, looking to gain mainstream acceptance.

I can't say one way or another but if the Smithsonian has comics inside its walls, do you really think they are CGC slabbed? Do you think it would be appropriate?

Another problem is slabbing itself, which is all about protecting value and enhancing value. Two things completely irrelevant to a museum.

The validity of the seal is also irrelevant. The only thing VGA proves is that the plastic is real or fake. The box is most definitely real by the naked eye and if the title's sealed, that's all anyone sees. Done deal. Don't need VGA to come and take a dump on it to certify it brown gold authentic.

[TonyTheTiger]

Actually, for archival purposes, sealed games should not be kept in any museum. While I personally collect sealed games, I am also painfully aware that over time, the acidic wrap on many games begins to react with the paper, cardboard, adhesives on labels and ink which also have acids in them. That's why comics, books and paper money are not sealed in regular commercial grade plastic, but rather stored in acid free materials like mylar, etc... If not very carefully climate controlled, all shrinkwrap gets tighter and more brittle or even sticky over time. That's why you'll find other museums including the collection at Stanford removing the wrap on their sealed items. Sealed games just won't last long term, so while you might not have a problem with a game that is 20-30 years old, in 20 years from now when that game is 50 years old and has been exposed to airborne pollutants, heat and cold, UV and other lighting, etc...it will start to degrade.

Grading and sealing are fine for a very small number of collectors with a fairly short term outlook, but for most collectors and for museums, it is a complete waste of money and prevents long-term preservation.

Interesting assessment. The youth of our hobby sometimes blinds us to these things. It's common knowledge what happens to comics, newspapers, etc. over long periods of time because they're decades upon decades old and we've seen the results often enough. But even the oldest video games are still new by comparison so we haven't seen many examples of what age does to the rudimentary retail packaging.

[cityside75]

VGA slabbed games are totally irrelevant to a museum. They just imply an association where there isn't one and most people entering the museum would have no clue what's going on and balk at the case. They don't remember SMB as a VGA85, they remember it as SMB. Those that do know would either love it or hate it so you'd have half (being generous here) of a small subset of visitors actually wanting to see them. Doesn't make sense especially in a climate of a museum starting off, looking to gain mainstream acceptance.

I can't say one way or another but if the Smithsonian has comics inside its walls, do you really think they are CGC slabbed? Do you think it would be appropriate?

Another problem is slabbing itself, which is all about protecting value and enhancing value. Two things completely irrelevant to a museum.

The validity of the seal is also irrelevant. The only thing VGA proves is that the plastic is real or fake. The box is most definitely real by the naked eye and if the title's sealed, that's all anyone sees. Done deal. Don't need VGA to come and take a dump on it to certify it brown gold authentic.

What he said.

[mrmark0673]

VGA slabbed games are totally irrelevant to a museum. They just imply an association where there isn't one and most people entering the museum would have no clue what's going on and balk at the case. They don't remember SMB as a VGA85, they remember it as SMB. Those that do know would either love it or hate it so you'd have half (being generous here) of a small subset of visitors actually wanting to see them. Doesn't make sense especially in a climate of a museum starting off, looking to gain mainstream acceptance.

I can't say one way or another but if the Smithsonian has comics inside its walls, do you really think they are CGC slabbed? Do you think it would be appropriate?

Another problem is slabbing itself, which is all about protecting value and enhancing value. Two things completely irrelevant to a museum.

The validity of the seal is also irrelevant. The only thing VGA proves is that the plastic is real or fake. The box is most definitely real by the naked eye and if the title's sealed, that's all anyone sees. Done deal. Don't need VGA to come and take a dump on it to certify it brown gold authentic.

It's funny, I really didn't think much of a VGA game in a museum, but it really does seem silly when I actually sit and think about it. I wasn't looking at a VGA game being superior to a non-VGA game in a museum setting, that I can totally understand. I had thought however that there wasn't much reason to shy away from a graded game's inclusion in the museum, but they really don't seem to have any place in that sort of setting.

Bojay: The whole degrading of materials seems a bit over dramatic. Anything made out of plastics has a pretty limited shelf life, I was just reading an article a few months ago about some early space suit starting to "melt" due to the break down of the plastic materials. Video games in any setting, sealed or otherwise, have a limited shelf life.

[Bojay1997]

It's funny, I really didn't think much of a VGA game in a museum, but it really does seem silly when I actually sit and think about it. I wasn't looking at a VGA game being superior to a non-VGA game in a museum setting, that I can totally understand. I had thought however that there wasn't much reason to shy away from a graded game's inclusion in the museum, but they really don't seem to have any place in that sort of setting.

Bojay: The whole degrading of materials seems a bit over dramatic. Anything made out of plastics has a pretty limited shelf life, I was just reading an article a few months ago about some early space suit starting to "melt" due to the break down of the plastic materials. Video games in any setting, sealed or otherwise, have a limited shelf life.

It's not over dramatic, it's a reality. People are paying literally insane amounts of money for sealed games, graded or not and I would assume they are doing so as some type of "investment". Given that I personally know people in my own family who have been collecting stamps, coins, records and paper goods for 50+ years, I don't think it's unreasonable to think about what you're buying and its lifespan, especially given that many of us have 50-70+ more years of life ahead of us given modern medicine.

[badinsults]

Reminds me of this:

http://www.slate.com/id/2221963/

[Gameguy]

That's why comics, books and paper money are not sealed in regular commercial grade plastic, but rather stored in acid free materials like mylar, etc... If not very carefully climate controlled, all shrinkwrap gets tighter and more brittle or even sticky over time. That's why you'll find other museums including the collection at Stanford removing the wrap on their sealed items. Sealed games just won't last long term, so while you might not have a problem with a game that is 20-30 years old, in 20 years from now when that game is 50 years old and has been exposed to airborne pollutants, heat and cold, UV and other lighting, etc...it will start to degrade.
For really rare or valuable documents the paper can be treated to remove the acid, but it's extremely expensive to do so only really valuable items are usually treated. Most other books and documents will be left to rot, but they will still be scanned so the information and look of the pages won't be lost. I watched some documentary on the history of books which talked a bit about preservation and this is what one archive was doing.

Plus when rare documents are sealed in a case, that case is usually filled with Argon gas to help preserve it. The Declaration of Independence is now stored like that, and the exhibit also blocks out UV light to prevent other damage. I doubt the graded cases for games are filled with Argon, eventually the games will still deteriorate and the grading will be useless anyway. Unless the video game museum will seal everything in Argon filled cases, which I doubt will happen.

I doubt all this game stuff will last over 100 years from now, the closest thing to preservation will be collecting ROMs of every game to prevent them from becoming lost. The physical material just won't hold up, just scan pictures of everything and back those up for future displays 100+ years from now.

[Ze_ro]

Please do NOT do this... including VGA graded games in a museum would only bring them legitimacy that they really don't deserve.

--Zero

[digitalpress]

Have you been watching my auctions over the past 3 months? I've been gladly selling off all of the sealed games in my collection and at the store. I'm opening a museum and I don't want sealed games. What I want are pristine quality cases, manuals and discs.

Remember that part of the charter of this museum is interactivity. There is nothing less interactive than a sealed videogame trapped in a block of plastic.

[Buyatari]

I would think that most games in a museum should be mint complete BUT if someone donated a sealed game or a VGA sealed game I could see the right one fitting in just fine.

For example if someone were to donate a sealed or VGA graded sealed Stadium Events I think some people here would enjoy seeing it just like it is even though you can not play it.

[jonebone]

As a sealed game collector, I also agree that they don't serve much of a purpose in a museum. They should be opened and playable for interactive purposes, Mint isn't even a requirement.

The museum should showcase more unique items, like prototypes, displays, retail ads, promo items, etc. Stuff that is actually unique and interesting to the history of games, not just being sealed.

The only thing that I would like about sealed games are price stickers. There's nothing better than a $1,000 game with a $19.99 KB Toys sticker on it. Just a reminder that this hobby was born from nothing but bargain bin sales and a bit of collector passion.

[portnoyd]

buyatari.

You're my boy and all.

But you're a total dick for bumping this. ;P

[JustRob]

So.....buyatari dick-bumped you?

[Buyatari]

buyatari.

You're my boy and all.

But you're a total dick for bumping this. ;P

So I take you are not in favor of a sealed games throughout history retrospective?

[portnoyd]

So.....buyatari dick-bumped you?

The helmet's touched.


So I take you are not in favor of a sealed games throughout history retrospective?

I see what you did thar.

[skaar]

Yay the flame thread came back.

Someone should slab this.

[Griking]

Paintings in a museum need to be authenticated (and some curators have looked silly in the past by not doing so) before they go on display, so why should games be different? Granted, if Joe and company authenticate a game themselves, they certainly have the experience to do so, but I don't think VGA graded games would be looked down upon.

Paintings in a museum need to be authenticated, not graded. Besides, is there really a concern that the museum otherwise might display a bootleg?

[Gameguy]

Slabbing in plastic cases isn't enough.


http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/8652/joysticky.jpg

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/3274/nitendo3.jpg

[Kitsune Sniper]

Paintings in a museum need to be authenticated, not graded. Besides, is there really a concern that the museum otherwise might display a bootleg?

... bootlegs are worth documenting and displaying, too.

[The 1 2 P]

If theres a copy of Tetris DS on display it will probably be a bootleg.