View Full Version : What to do with sealed Gameboy units
Buyatari
12-14-2003, 02:36 PM
Ok I got a few sealed old style Gameboy units.
Question is ....Should you keep them sealed?
Now first answer might be HELL YES. But what about the batteries inside. Won't they leak out making a stain on the box and destroying the contents.
I'm really worried about this one.
Adam
Buyatari
12-14-2003, 02:36 PM
Ok I got a few sealed old style Gameboy units.
Question is ....Should you keep them sealed?
Now first answer might be HELL YES. But what about the batteries inside. Won't they leak out making a stain on the box and destroying the contents.
I'm really worried about this one.
Adam
Darth Vader
12-14-2003, 02:45 PM
Ok I got a few sealed old style Gameboy units.
Question is ....Should you keep them sealed?
Now first answer might be HELL YES. But what about the batteries inside. Won't they leak out making a stain on the box and destroying the contents.
I'm really worried about this one.
Adam
Are you sure that these units came with batteries? I never had one brand new so I am assuming they do. Honestly Adam, I'd still take my chances by leaving them alone. Over a long period of time MOST batteries do leak (especially the crappy ones that manufacturers throw in with electronics), but from a colletors point of view, I'd leave them alone and take your chances. If you open up the box, you just took away all the value that the unit had to the "brand new, sealed" collectors out there.
However if you don't plan on selling them and you have a few of them, pull the batteries out of at least one and leave the rest alone. Just a thought.
Danny
Darth Vader
12-14-2003, 02:45 PM
Ok I got a few sealed old style Gameboy units.
Question is ....Should you keep them sealed?
Now first answer might be HELL YES. But what about the batteries inside. Won't they leak out making a stain on the box and destroying the contents.
I'm really worried about this one.
Adam
Are you sure that these units came with batteries? I never had one brand new so I am assuming they do. Honestly Adam, I'd still take my chances by leaving them alone. Over a long period of time MOST batteries do leak (especially the crappy ones that manufacturers throw in with electronics), but from a colletors point of view, I'd leave them alone and take your chances. If you open up the box, you just took away all the value that the unit had to the "brand new, sealed" collectors out there.
However if you don't plan on selling them and you have a few of them, pull the batteries out of at least one and leave the rest alone. Just a thought.
Danny
Buyatari
12-14-2003, 02:53 PM
Actually I didn't get them yet they are being shipped to me.
But after I bought them I had this dreaded thought of battery juice leaking out of the boxes and onto my other collectables.
Would a sealed gameboy with obvious battery leakage inside really be worth more than a mint never used but opened one?
err I dunno.
I can't say but I really wouldn't want to buy something with battery crud over the box....... would you?
If given the choice ten years down the road. Which would you purchase for the same price.
OPEN mint never used
or
SEAL with obvoius signs of battery leakage and a battery acid stained box
Which one would you purchase?
Opening the box might well increase the value in the long run. See what I am saying? Still to open a sealed item like this would kill me.
Adam
Buyatari
12-14-2003, 02:53 PM
Actually I didn't get them yet they are being shipped to me.
But after I bought them I had this dreaded thought of battery juice leaking out of the boxes and onto my other collectables.
Would a sealed gameboy with obvious battery leakage inside really be worth more than a mint never used but opened one?
err I dunno.
I can't say but I really wouldn't want to buy something with battery crud over the box....... would you?
If given the choice ten years down the road. Which would you purchase for the same price.
OPEN mint never used
or
SEAL with obvoius signs of battery leakage and a battery acid stained box
Which one would you purchase?
Opening the box might well increase the value in the long run. See what I am saying? Still to open a sealed item like this would kill me.
Adam
maxlords
12-14-2003, 03:05 PM
Well, are you sure they have batteries inside? I"m not sure that they do. You could always open one to check..or if you're sneaky, you could steam em open like a stamp collector does with stamps on envelopes and then reseal them. Then they'd still look sealed.
maxlords
12-14-2003, 03:05 PM
Well, are you sure they have batteries inside? I"m not sure that they do. You could always open one to check..or if you're sneaky, you could steam em open like a stamp collector does with stamps on envelopes and then reseal them. Then they'd still look sealed.
Bratwurst
12-14-2003, 03:08 PM
The batteries could be sealed in vacuum formed plastic, if that's the case then leakage shouldn't be a serious problem. In an electric parts bin that was over 15 years old I've had some batteries leak and the corrosion was contained in the plastic baggies they were kept them in.
The original Gameboy's LCD doesn't age well, however, it will eventually fade to a point that's non functional. I don't know if that is the result of constant use or inactivity, but one solution is to bake the display assembly to revitalize the crystals, so I've read.
Bratwurst
12-14-2003, 03:08 PM
The batteries could be sealed in vacuum formed plastic, if that's the case then leakage shouldn't be a serious problem. In an electric parts bin that was over 15 years old I've had some batteries leak and the corrosion was contained in the plastic baggies they were kept them in.
The original Gameboy's LCD doesn't age well, however, it will eventually fade to a point that's non functional. I don't know if that is the result of constant use or inactivity, but one solution is to bake the display assembly to revitalize the crystals, so I've read.
Slipdeath
12-14-2003, 03:13 PM
check the box it might say "batteries not included"
Slipdeath
12-14-2003, 03:13 PM
check the box it might say "batteries not included"
The Manimal
12-14-2003, 08:18 PM
You could TRY opening the circular flap on the side and reclosing? I think this is what mine had. I bought the original Game Boy around the time the Game Boy Pocket came out. Actually, it was out already, and I got the last NEW Game Boy I could find anywhere. I thought the 'Pocket' version was too tiny. Which version are they, the one with the headphones and Tetris, the one without, the Play it Louds?
I'm sure someone could tell you for sure.
jonjandran
12-15-2003, 12:49 AM
They had 4 aa batteries included, and they were in a sealed plastic wrap.
Also , If you plan on selling them on Ebay I'm sure you know
they go for around $100 - $150 as is. :-P
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3061145695&category=3579
nesuser2
12-15-2003, 02:33 AM
wtf......There was a guy selling a boatload of those on ebay last year. he was selling them for around $50-$60 I thought. Man.......I missed the boat....
BoOchan
12-15-2003, 04:50 AM
I got a Sealed GameBoy Pocket the other day, Marked 1997. Must have been one of the last off the shelves. Anyway, I know for a fact every gameboy produced came with the batteries in separate shinkwrap.
Jorpho
12-15-2003, 03:28 PM
The original Gameboy's LCD doesn't age well, however, it will eventually fade to a point that's non functional. I don't know if that is the result of constant use or inactivity, but one solution is to bake the display assembly to revitalize the crystals, so I've read.
Oh dear. I thought that only happened to Microvision screens.
I am now concerned about my Game Boy's life. Do you have any links?
MarioAllStar2600
12-15-2003, 03:34 PM
Keep Half Sealed. Open the others, take out teh batterys and keep them complete. Keeps everyone happy.
Bratwurst
12-15-2003, 05:31 PM
Oh dear. I thought that only happened to Microvision screens.
I am now concerned about my Game Boy's life. Do you have any links?
Yes I do! Took me a while to dig it up, even.
Atari Age thread. (http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23288)
rbudrick
12-15-2003, 07:54 PM
Hmmm, interesting thread....this one and the atari age one....would be very interesting to find more info on this...those Microvisions aren't going to last forever (or the original GBs...that's less of a prob tho).
--ROb
I'd sell them all on ebay... let the other person worry about it and make their own decision, then if you want a complete, but opened GB, then buy one of them on ebay (for a lot less than you'd sell a sealed one for). I personally wouldn't worry about it now though, since if something was going to happen, it's probably already too late.
DogP
Jorpho
12-21-2003, 10:46 AM
Oh dear. I thought that only happened to Microvision screens.
I am now concerned about my Game Boy's life. Do you have any links?
Yes I do! Took me a while to dig it up, even.
Atari Age thread. (http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23288)
Oh, the vertical lines? My understanding was that those only appeared after abusing one's Game Boy. I've seen it happen on Game Boys far younger than mine.
The Manimal
12-29-2003, 10:55 AM
My GameBoy is in almost immaculate condition, though the serial number paper label is yellowed from handling, but in full. I wish Nintendo didn't do this without a plastic over it! I have a used GameBoy Pocket, and I want to completely remove the serial code because it is all dirty and ugly, and half rubbed off. Gross looking, but it wouldn't be 'in full'.