What are your "rules" for buying a game?

[stuffedmonkey]

I was talking to someone about collecting the other day... and I started to realize that it seems everyone has different rules about the condition and/or accessories included with the items they add to their collection. For example - I really don't care about boxes, at all. I realize that other people want complete games, so I'll hold onto some boxes for things I might resell - but I hate having packaging cluttering up my workspace. Since I don't want the box, I can pick up carts much cheaper. However - I will *not* keep a cart with writing on it, or if the cart label is in sucky condition. I hate finding a game I want, but it turns out so be covered in rental stickers, has some punk kids initials on it, or has that sticker residue I have come to call gamestop slime on the label so I can't clean it off.


So I ask you guys, what rules do you have for adding stuff to the collection?

[racecar]

price !! i played most of my games so as long as it's playable at a cheap price
i won't complain (the occasional time i'll fork up some serious $$$ for a sealed game, i probably has a copied of the game open /loose already for playing )

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I have a personal rule about buying a new, current-generation console:

If you can't name, off the top of your head, 10-15 titles you want to play on it, you don't need to get it.

I have successfully used this rule to veto Mrs. PDF's occasional bouts of Xbox lust. LOL

[Nesmaster]

as long as the game is working i dont care, however i prefer mint games. if i buy a game with damage and come across the same game in better condition at a later time, i will replace it. and with nes games complete, while not very cost effective, are just beautiful and give me a special feeling of owning them :D

[morphx]

If theres money in my wallet and the items not in my closet it meets my criteria.

But seriously I'm a nut about systems/accessories. If I don't have it, don't see it often and its in good shape I'll take it.

[tholly]

#1 Rule -- If I want it, I buy it.


after that, newer games must be complete and near mint....older stuff can be loose. if i dont have it and can get it at a good price, i buy it

[Iron Draggon]

It MUST be sealed. I don't care if I am gonna open it up to play it anyway, I want to be the person who opens it, so the very first fingerprints on it will be MINE. I make very few exceptions to this rule, and only when there's just no way in hell that I'm ever gonna find a sealed one. In those cases, it must be as mint and complete as possible, as though it was opened up but never played for some reason. That's why my collection KICKS ASS! But of course some may disagree. I made the fatal mistake of exchanging all my Sega CD & Saturn cases for regular jewel cases, and I threw away all the empty cases. I also only kept the boxes for my Genesis & 32X games, so I threw away the boxes for all my SNES, Jaguar, Jaguar CD, & 3DO games. Plus I did something really stupid and threw out all the inserts for my Playstation & 3DO games, so they would look the same as all my Sega CD & Saturn games on my display rack. Absolutely INSANE, I know, but for some reason I had no idea what I was doing at the time. So chalk that goof up to temporary insanity I guess. But at least all my Dreamcast games are still complete. However they all need to be replaced, due to inconsiderate roomates, so that's my goal for 2005!

[slip81]

If it's an SMS game or PSX RPG it must be complete, anything else I just buy what I like weather it's complete or not, though I always try to get a complete game no matter what. As for price, it depends on how I'm feeling that day and how much I have available to spend.

[MegaDrive20XX]

price and condition

[Rogmeister]

I decided earlier this year, after I paid full price for MVP Baseball 2004 for the GC, that I would no longer pay more than $30 for any game and I've been able to hold to that voe except for Red Dead Revolver. I paid about $33 for that one...but the guy mailing it to me didn't charge anything for shipping so it amounted to a $30 game. I don't need the boxes for most of my cartridge games though I've kept them for my Jaguar and Lynx games...I'd like them to be complete when it comes to the disc games but I'll take them without instructions if the price is right.

One game that may test me is Rumble Roses...I'd like that but it won't be less than $30 for awhile...then again, you'd be surprised how quickly people will buy a game, beat it and then put it up for sale...

[kai123]

#1 Rule -- If I want it, I buy it.


after that, newer games must be complete and near mint....older stuff can be loose. if i dont have it and can get it at a good price, i buy it


That is how I am about it.

[vintagegamecrazy]

My rule is 8 bit and older don't need boxes but they are preferred. 16 bit and newer I won't buy loose without boxes anymore (some cart based systems are exceptions) but CDs are worthless loose and I can't display them and they just take up space in a binder, so I only want completes. Another thing is, is that I prefer 8 bit stuff 10 to 1 over newer so if the new stuff is not complete it's not worth my time, my newer systems don't need boxes, they need to be in nice shape though, and I prefer to have a matching brand of controllers for them too, basically it has to look good to display it on a shelf. I will buy new games loose or complete if I can resell them, I am working on starting an Ebay online store, and a games a game and cash is cash.

[calthaer]

#1 - must be something I enjoy playing or think I'll enjoy playing
#2 - must be recommended either by a review site I trust or by someone at digitpress.com
#3 - must be in good, playable shape. Manual preferred, box optional.

[Jasoco]

Almost the same as calthaer's.

Now-a-days, I will mainly go for what I want to play.
Before I buy it, I check review sites, search for or create topics here and at
AtariAge for feedback. (Especially if it's on multiple platforms and I want to see if any are screwed up.. *cough* NFS:HP2 *cough*)

I don't mind used, I prefer a manual, but it isn't imperative especially since I sometimes can't get one. But the box and insert (For disc games) is required. No disc-only for me. For PSX and DC games the case can be in terrible shape as long as there's a back insert and a manual. Usually I can just replace the case if it's a standard jewel case. Not that I have yet at all. I still have tons of stickers from EB. For cartridge games, I try complete as best as possible. I don't buy loose GBA games (Except for Chu Chu Rocket and if I ever come across one, Atari Anniversary.) I try to get a complete one. If it's a used, but boxed, I always check an make sure there's a manual. I hate having to go after manuals later as I don't know where I'd find one. For NES or genesis, as complete as possible if it will be boxed. mainly WHEN I actually go after them, I will settle for loose.

[Kamino]

If I want it, I buy it.
I actually prefer to buy loose, since i am probably the biggest hater of boxes and manuals on this board. I get pissed at having to trade off those infernal boxes and manuals.
I'll take the carts in any condition, but i PREFER better condition carts. one of these days, i'm going to de-sticker my snes and genesis carts that have stickers - i got a ton of former rental genesis games..not so much for any system but genesis.
Systems I am PICKY about. I HATE crappy condition systems; and I for the most part REFUSE to buy anything but MODEL ONE/LAUNCH hardware. there are a few exceptions. I consider the "Revisions" of the original design ps2 to all be the "first" model, since they all look the same anyway. However, I won't touch a flip top "pstwo". While a heavy sixer was not NECCASSARY for me, i was overjoyed to get one, and forked out what i needed to fork out to get it, But any six switch 2600 will do me fine....
exceptions being, I bought an atari XEGS instead of, say, an atari 400 computer, for compatibility reasons, And i got a silver/black common ti99/4a for the same reason. 'Apparently, the c64 i just purchased is a "later model", But it's still the breadbox - still the one I remember.
As for controllers - they MUST be first party. MUST!!! Although I DO use atari 7800 pads on c64, as well as atari systems, they are still a first party controller, which i associate with QUALITY. I've had no more than two offbrand genesis pads and they both broke quickly; offbrand n64 memory cards took a dump in the middle of a season of all star baseball 2000(the only season I ever came close to finishing in a sports title)...
Hrm, I think that's all my rules. heh.

[Daria]

Cd games have to be perfect. Course sometimes when I buy online it doesn't work out that way. :/

Unless they're rare, then "completeing a set" can be fun in and of itself. Like Valkrie Profile I bought without a box, took me about a year to aquire a replacement.

Though cases are an exception, I only consider the manual, disks, and inserts to be part of the game, so if I need to replace the jewel case I don't mind doing so. As long as the paper stuff's intact and the disk unscratched I'm fine with it.

Cartridge games have to have their label intact. They can be dirty, written on, and covered in stickers and I don't care. Part of the fun is "rescuing" dirty carts and restoring them to pristine condition. So basically anything removable I don't mind.

Genny and SMS games I like to have complete, so again unless it's rare I want the box and manual.

I like to have boxes for my NES games cause I think they look awesome, but I rarely buy them that way. I just collect the boxes when I can.

Edit: Oh right... Must be an RPG. Otherwise it has to be a game that looks fun or I already know I enjoy.

[Richter Belmount]

price and wether if i want it complete or not

[Ed Oscuro]

Pretty much go by Calthaer's rules, with the exception of reviews - I like reviews, but they aren't completely necessary :)

[Jasoco]

I'll read reviews to make sure the game doesn't have a stupid flaw or whatever. Besides, I like reading them. Especially ones that have video of the gameplay. That usually helps a lot.

Also demos. I'll buy a Jampack if it has a game on it I'm leaning towards buying. Even if it's an old one. (I discovered Jak and Daxter and Sly Cooper this way. I guess you could blame a Jampack for making me buy a PStwo of my own.)

[Fuyukaze]

when it comes to CD based games, I rarely buy incomplete. Most often its games I dont belive I will find any other way. I do this because I dont see any reason why a CD based game should be incomplete. Everything fits in the jewl case for crying out loud! The jewl cases are for the most very small.
This doesnt apply to PC games though, just console games.

When it comes to cart based games, I perfer complete as well, but I understand how most re-sale shops throw boxs, clam shells, and anything else away. Also, not everyone has a box (shoe, plastic, ruberband, milk crate, anything) to hold things like instructions and such in.

[rhetoric]

I think the two rules I mostly use are that it must be complete and it cannot be a greatest hit / players choice, whatever you want to call it. Original release only.

Currently, I have less than 20 cartridge only / incomplete games so that needs to be fixed.

[NESaholic]

Well i am a completist and i always try to buy 'm like this, if not sealed.
When a game is really hard to get i will buy the cart first and later on i'll try to get it complete.those are my rules, nothing special but works fine for me.

[THXII38]

SEGA boxed

Nintendo loose (I hate cardboard)

Atari 2600 loose or mint boxed, no inbetweens

PS1 in jewlled case, cracks loose lids okay
ditto Dreamcast

all handheld game carts, loose only


my main focus is on boxed PAL Megadrive games at the moment. I have 184 right now.

[jdc]

For NES.....loose carts are okay. Completes are a bonus.

For Genny.....carts with boxes. With instructions are a bonus. No loose carts since completes are so easy to find.

For N64.....completes. Box/cart without instructions in rare instances. Loose cart only if the game is hard to find in the wild as a complete.

Playstation, PS2, Cube......MUST be complete AND absolutely mint, no questions. I rarely buy used for these systems. I detest scratches, scuffs and fingerprints. Can't stand shabby outer cases either.

Dreamcast......having said the above, 2 days ago I purchased a Dreamcast. (when the Dreamcast went "down" I dumped everything I had. Silly me, I know). Anyways, I am now collecting Dreamcast again and since finding mint discs is going to be tougher than hell, I am going to take scratched discs....and have them resurfaced if needed. I won't be picky with this system due to the difficulty of acquiring software in this area. If anyone can direct me as to where to go on the net to "acquire" ROMs, please PM me.

With my PS2 games, I take the disc out of the cases and store them in regular thin CD cases. Less chance of "fumbling" a disc when removing it. My Cube games stay in their normal cases.

[max 330 mega]

sega: must be complete if sega cd, dreamcast, if saturn must be complete flawless, can be box and game only if SMS or genesis.
nintendo: nes, snes, loose great condition, if n64, virtual boy and gamecube must be complete.
neo geo: must be flawless and complete.
turbografx-16: loose, but preferred in jewel case at least.

gameboy, watara supervision, atari lynx, and gamegear can all be loose.
neogeo pocket, since i have too many loose games im trying for mostly complete copies now.


another criteria for me, is the games i usually buy are rare, or atleast something ive never come across before. since i dont have alot of money to be throwing around (it all goes towards my neo geo addiction) i try and pick out the hard to get titles first whenever im looking around somewhere, even if i know ill never play it. this has been buggin me lately, because recently i noticed i didnt have really enough actually good games that appealed to me, so starting this weekend im gonna start trying to pick up fun games too.

[Speedy]

Saturn games must have at least their boxes, other CD games must be complete (except if i want the game to play, not to collect).
Megadrive/SMS games must have their box, with manual is better :)

NES/SNES can be loose, but then it must be cheap (NES must be cheap in anyway imho :)), N64 must be complete, or it has to be so cheap that you can't let them go ;)

Hardware has to be boxed, i can't stand loose hardware. The only things i have loose are a Saturn and a Dreamcast gun, but that is only because i needed them to play some great games. I'm still looking for boxed one's.

[dreamcaster]

I have what could be considered a rationale for my game collecting in terms of condition.

Atari 2600: Must be complete.
Atari Lynx: Complete.
Game Boy Advance: Complete.
Game Boy Color: Complete.
Microsoft Xbox: Complete.
Nintendo Entertainment System: Any condition.
Nintendo 64: PAL must be complete. NTSC - any condition.
Nintendo GameCube: Complete.
Sega 32X: Any condition.
Sega Dreamcast: Complete.
Sega Game Gear: Any condition.
Sega Master System: Any condition.
Sega Mega CD: Complete.
Sega Mega Drive: Any condition.
Sega Saturn: PAL must be boxed/cased. NTSC must be complete.
SNK Neo Geo Pocket Color: Any condition.
Sony PlayStation: Complete.
Sony PlayStation 2: Complete.
Super NES/Super Famicom: Any condition.

[stuffedmonkey]

One more I thought to add - I only get first party accessories. Sometimes I will pick up a cool controller if it has a new feature, but no third party memory cards, ac adapters, ram expansions, link cables. I hate the bad quality stuff.

[LongDillon1@aol.com]

For me.I must have either mint or new disc based games.I hate scratches!
For my classics,all must be boxed.But I will buy the cart and hunt the box and instructions down.I usually do it in that order.I also hate 3rd party accessories.

[om3ga]

Im not aloud to buy a game until I beat one I already have.

Shit I just won a 90 game + lot on ebay ... I got alot of game playing to do.

[autobotracing]

This is a good topic. 8-)



As far as cd games go the must be in good shape and be complete unless its a really rare game then I will take it loose if the disk looks good.



As far as carts go Im still a cheapo with atari titles I wont pay more than .50 for a common title.


All other carts the main rule I have is the lable and casing must be in good shape.I would prefer them to be complete but that kinda hard with older stuff.


Sports games I wont pay alot for usually $10 or less for current titles.

I use to be the "launch day" gamer and I would go out and get stuff as soon as it was availible.Untill the day the n64 was released I went to walmart and bought a system a nintendo brand rf and super mario 64 and I didnt put it down for days.

I was burned on that system because the value just dropped and I felt ripped off.

Same with games , When vice city came out I said no to it and a month later I got it at the pawn for $10 same with wind waker I ended up getting some sealed ones for $10 each .


When it comes to buying used systems I will buy them in any condition as long as the price is right and I dont have a mountain of them at home.

[Howie6925]

price and condition same here but i have to add complete

[Rogmeister]

Of course, once in awhile a rule must be broken. For just the 2nd time since I made this rule to myself, I just spent more than $30 on a game...$31 to be exact :D The game...Dead Or Alive Ultimate.