Necessity of boxes?

[pacmanhat]

I've been debating with myself on this for such a long time now. In the case of games that come in disc format (from Sega CD to present systems), I always want to have a complete game w/ instructions, case and all of that. Some cart games (Genesis specifically comes to mind) have hard plastic cases and I try to get those w/ the games as well. But with most cart-based games, there are those flimsy, crappy cardboard boxes that I can't keep in respectable shape no matter what I do. From a collector's standpoint, I still feel like I need to get games in complete order, no matter what. But the gamer in me doesn't want to be that picky about it. I don't really consider myself a "hard-core" collector...and while I'm concerned with the condition of the games themselves, I'm not nearly as concerned about the overall value of what I have. Unfortunately, neither side (collector or gaming) is really winning out.

With that in mind, I could use some advice. What are all of your views on the necessity of having a 'complete' version of a game, no matter how delicate the complete product would end up being?

[Untamed]

My views? It's good when you find it, otherwise don't worry about it.

I'm prefectly happy with Chrono Trigger without the box/manual. I just consider myself lucky that I own it. Carts are good. You're the one playing them, you're not planning on selling.

See my "Brandish, Drakkhen, and others... SNES" thread below.

[Avenger]

depends on 3 factors:

what game it is
rarity
price

[pacmanhat]

depends on 3 factors:

what game it is
rarity
price

What about these factors? I think I see what you're saying, but could you elaborate a little?

[Untamed]

If you were looking to sell it, I'll use Chrono Trigger for an example again, you would get more money, it'd be more sought after if it had the box, map and manual. You would get considerably less without it.

Also, if it were complete, you might feel great that you're one of the few people with complete Chrono Trigger.

Again, it's personal preference.

[Avenger]

depends on 3 factors:

what game it is
rarity
price

What about these factors? I think I see what you're saying, but could you elaborate a little?

sure

what game it is - first of all i shoulda said what system its for instead of this....if its for NES i would care less about the box than if it was for n64....but if we are talking Dreamcast, PSOne or any of the new systems...it has to be complete or else i dont even look at it

rarity - the rarer it is, the less i would care about boxes

price- the greater the price between a loose game and a boxed game, the more likely i would go for the loose

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Well, fact is, if you are poor, you buy cart only. If you are rich, then you buy it factory sealed.

Simple as.

I tend to fall into the latter group, and only buy factory sealed N64 and GameBoy games...


There is a famous saying:


"You get what you pay for"

so basically, if you buy a pre-owned game, then you can't exactly expect the box to be in such a good shape, but if you pay big bucks for a sealed brand new one, then you can nine times out of ten expect a perfect example.

[Xantan the Foul]

For CD games, I care... for carts, I don't.

I was getting Genesis games only if they were complete, but I don't think I'm going to worry about it anymore. :)

[squidblatt]

For Intellivison games, I need the boxes just because I like them. But for other cardboard box systems, I wouldn't worry about it. It's as much a space issue than preference. It'd be nice to have pristine and complete copies of everything to sell, but collecting for investment rarely pays off. If it doesn't bother you, don't worry about it. Build a collection to enjoy, not to sell. If you worry too much about the latter, you're really just spending time and money on someone else.

[Berty]

Relax, have fun and remember it is all about PLAYING the games that you buy :D

I know what you mean, but sometimes you've got to ask yourself why you like video games; if it is to play them for enjoyment, grab a cart without a case,

But if you like the idea of owning a game more than playing it then get one with a case so you can rest easy at night and be happy with you purchase/

I think that being a collector sometimes distracts people from the fact that they collect games becasue they love to play them, no because they love to look at them hidden behind a layer of shrinkwrap.

[max 330 mega]

when it comes to any cartridge based game except for nes or snes, i must have the game atleast boxed, genesis i will 99% of the time turn it down if its missing manual , n64 must be atleast boxed , preferably complete, and when it comes to my neo geo aes titles, it all depends on how good a deal im getting on it decides if i can let the fact slide its missing manual. and cd based games must be complete, and must be near mint, i cant stand loose cd's.

[vulcanjedi]

Greetings collectors :)

I am one of those that does not look for a box or manual when picking up a game. Bottom line for me is price as long as it is perfectly playable. When I have picked up complete games it was mostly because I knew I could turn a small profit or use it in a trade to get something worth a little more.

I do have a few minty items that I will keep as nice as possible but almost always to trade away when I get a spare copy.

Game on

VJ

[youruglyclone]

depends on 3 factors:

what game it is
rarity
price

see that's an interesting notion, let's just say super mario world player's choice, not a very rare game(I don't know I just throw that name around for this example), so you go about throwing away the box, assume that everyone has the same mentality(no need to keep boxes of non-rares), by that action you pretty much create a market for a complete copy of the player's choice version. granted it doesn't happen right away but it's a possiblity.

but for me I'm a freaking packrat so whatever gaming documentation for games I'll hang onto, system and accessory documentations I'm not that concern...I mean honestly how do you hang onto a GC controller blister pack?

[maxlords]

I like the artwork on the boxes and manuals myself, crappy as much of it is. And I have semi-rigid box protectors on all my SNES boxes :)

[kainemaxwell]

Cd based games I gotta have the box and the manual. Cart games I'll usually buy the cart and then later track down the manual and box depending what I want or need.

[digitalpress]

Well, fact is, if you are poor, you buy cart only. If you are rich, then you buy it factory sealed.

Simple as.

I tend to fall into the latter group, and only buy factory sealed N64 and GameBoy games...

I'm sorry but that seems like a pretty elitist way to collect. Buying only factory sealed games means you're either not playing them or you're immediately reducing the value of them by opening them to play them, neither of which sounds like a very good option to me. Unless you're opening a museum or something.

Personally I like to acquire things complete (or work on completing incomplete sets) because it preserves the overall nostalgia. The games themselves are a great source of entertainment, the packaging a great source of history and nostalgia. Why not have both?

Ultimately it all comes down to what makes you happy. It's your collection, they're your rules. YOU decide what you want to collect.

[kainemaxwell]

Personally I like to acquire things complete (or work on completing incomplete sets) because it preserves the overall nostalgia. The games themselves are a great source of entertainment, the packaging a great source of history and nostalgia. Why not have both?
It's the thrill of the hunt also.

[max 330 mega]

Well, fact is, if you are poor, you buy cart only. If you are rich, then you buy it factory sealed.

Simple as.

I tend to fall into the latter group, and only buy factory sealed N64 and GameBoy games...


There is a famous saying:


"You get what you pay for"

so basically, if you buy a pre-owned game, then you can't exactly expect the box to be in such a good shape, but if you pay big bucks for a sealed brand new one, then you can nine times out of ten expect a perfect example.

if i had the cash, i can definitely tell you, i would do the same thing as you any chance i could, the only games that would present a problem with that are neo geo games, but everything else, when possible, would be bought sealed, and then i would be the first to play it. thats a thrill all its own right there, being the first to touch the game, thats fun.

[captain nintendo]

I like to collect complete games for the box art and the preservation of such an item. I dont think its all about the money. If thats why you are into it then its for the wrong reasons IMO. I am a gamer first anda collector second. Yes I love my complete nes games and will someday own all of them complete (around 400 complete now) But I love the box art and I kind of feel like I am saving a piece of history.

I agree with Joe 100%

[imanerd0011]

You will get many different answers here. Some people only collect completes and love them, but others collect loose games (me).

Personally I think if you are collecting Atari,NES,SNES then cart only is a good way to collect, if you are collecting anything else I would go for complete. Especially if they have a hard plastic case (Genesis,Sega CD,Playstation,Dreamcast).
It it way to expensive to collect NES complete, and it would take FOREVER to get some of the really rare games. Some games only come around once a year in complete form.

[importaku]

For me i love the box artwork, to me it's just as enjoyable as playing the game it's the whole experience of buying a game. Well for japanese stuff anyway the box artwork in the uk usually looks like shit :D

When i was younger i didn't tend to go for super minty complete stuff as i had less money & couldn't afford to. But even then it saddened me to see games that had not been looked after. These were the cheap ones that i ended up buying. But in the end some people just don't know how to look after their stuff & thats why theres thousands of homeless carts without their boxes.

Now im older & can get the stuff im after so i wont even look at a game unless its in near new condition as i love to own perfect examples of every game i own. Im not obsessed with getting sealed as N64/GB/GBA games were never sealed in japan. As i look over my collection it gives me a sense of pride knowing that at least in my room i have preserved a bit of nintendo history. As the years go on at least i know none of my games will be stripped from their boxes & tossed into a bargain bin somwhere with a torn & battered manual folded round it secured with a rubber band.

[captain nintendo]

It it way to expensive to collect NES complete, and it would take FOREVER to get some of the really rare games. Some games only come around once a year in complete form.


It might be expensive for a percentage of NES games and it may take time , but whats the hurry ? I could have been done with all of the U.S. release a long time ago if I collected loose. Its not a race ;)

[PDorr3]

im in the same situation as you. when it comes to games I dont require the manual unless its available. nice to have? yes, needed? no. I just dont want to spend an extra $20 just to own the box.

I stopped myself from caring about console boxes when i payed $45 for a gamegear w/ a crappy majesco box, never again would i pay more for a box.

when it comes to cd games (ps2, dc, xbox, saturn, ect) i dont want it unless it comes w/ the original jewel case and instructions. to me a cd only game is an eye sore, it just looks way too incomplete to be worthy of buying. i just do not buy incomplete cd games.

[Kamino]

I HATE BOXES AND MANUALS!!!!! I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM!!!
Boxes:
*Are costly.
*Take up too much space.
*Excepting plastic boxes, are far too easy to damage
*Also, keeping games inside boxes is a grievance. I just want to grab a cart and play, not screw around removing it from a box....
Manuals:
*Real men don't read the manual.
'Nuff said.
Loose stuff is cheaper. I have sold many many MANY boxes and manuals for good profit!

[whoisKeel]

It is all up to you.

I like manuals (and maps) for my snes and nes games, but I trade away the boxes...with the exception of rpg games. I'll buy loose tho, then try to find the manuals later on. Then I like complete for cd based systems, but I don't get all hung up on spine cards and registration cards, so complete is subjective.

[Dimitri]

Most definitely complete (spine cards are gonna be hell when I start in on the Mega CD), unless it's a wacky pirate cart or a Gameboy game that's impossible to find boxed.

But someday, I will own a complete Metroid II.

...someday...

[pacmanhat]

Thanks for all your responses. I'm with the guy who emphatically detested crappy boxes, as I do too. The only real question this leaves me with is how to store portable carts (GBA, etc.) which also have those boxes, but are much more prone to becoming misplaced if not stored properly. Anyone have any ideas/solutions on that sort of thing?

[Dr. Morbis]

It might be expensive for a percentage of NES games and it may take time , but whats the hurry ? I could have been done with all of the U.S. release a long time ago if I collected loose. Its not a race ;)
I came to this exact same realization about a year ago. I was about 50 NES carts away from a complete set of loose ragged looking carts when I realized that I've got the rest of my life to get them all. Why not get them all complete and savour the experience of every addition and enjoy the box art and read the manual?

Oh, and Kamino, the large majority of NES collectors who collect complete games don't keep the carts in their boxes (I assume). I started storing NES carts separately on Day 1 of my collecting career.

[Kamino]

Oh, and Kamino, the large majority of NES collectors who collect complete games don't keep the carts in their boxes (I assume). I started storing NES carts separately on Day 1 of my collecting career.
Interesting information, Doctor. Did not know that. Thank you!
<not that it's changing anything..i'll still leave the boxes for people who actually give a damn.>

[Lasermouse]

For me, it depends on the game, the system and the rarity. Of course there are exceptions - such as nostalgia factor.

For example, I usually don't spend huge amounts on classic games, but recently splurged for a boxed Vectrex Star Castle on epay despite the fact that I already had the game on Sean Kelly's multicart for a decade, this was one of those classic arcade titles I had strong memories of when I was a young gamer. While my many years of procrastination means it probably cost me more than it could have, having a complete boxed copy with manual, and overlay was a long standing 'grail' for me. So, it all depends on what you want in your collection.

When buying newer 'preowned' games for current systems at stores like Electronics Blowtique and GameSlop, I demand complete copies whenever the price is more than $14.99. Sorry, I'm not going to spend that much for someone's scratched up disc and losing the manual with DVD cases is pretty lame. Saturn, N64 & Genesis stuff, I usually go for complete unless I don't have it, SNES isn't that common now, and I take what I can get, that goes for NES and older as well.

- MP

[stuffedmonkey]

I've been debating with myself on this for such a long time now. In the case of games that come in disc format (from Sega CD to present systems), I always want to have a complete game w/ instructions, case and all of that. Some cart games (Genesis specifically comes to mind) have hard plastic cases and I try to get those w/ the games as well. But with most cart-based games, there are those flimsy, crappy cardboard boxes that I can't keep in respectable shape no matter what I do.

That is my rule exactly! Plastic cases I keep, cardboard I don't. You can usually trade the boxes in a lot for other stuff. For things like snes carts - i think they look better outside the box, with the white plastic dust sleeves. The problem with video game collecting is there aren't real uniform practices. If you are planning on selling a substantial portion of the collection down the road, I might say unfold the boxes so they go flat, and store them in the attic.

[drewbrim]

Every time I see this type of thread everone is usually on the same page. Cartridge based games = loose (except for the genny), CD based games = complete. The reasons for this are fairly obvious:

Age - not as many boxes around for the earlier stuff
Sturdiness (is that a word?) - cardboard vs. plastic
Functionality - cases for CD games actually serve a purpose in protecting the game while boxes for cartridge based were just there so they could help sell the game.

Another factor that hasn't been mentioned here yet is also the displayability of the games you are collecting. Which is probably why the N64 games are fast becoming an exception to this rule. Since you can store your NES and SNES games on a shelf and have them look nice because of the label extending to the top of the cart. And since the N64 games only have the label on the front it makes it difficult to display them without the box.

Thanks for listening
Andrew[/b]

[Iron Draggon]

Well for Genesis & 32X, mint complete with box and manual are an absolute must for me. Those hard plastic cases are just too nice to forgive or excuse having those games any other way, and really all cart based video games should've come in those nice hard plastic cases like that, IMHO. But since Sega later switched to cardboard boxes, which were actually designed to function nearly identically to their previous hard plastic cases, those boxes are effectively about the same thing as those nice hard plastic cases as far as I'm concerned. That's why my entire Genesis & 32X collection is mint complete.

Now for SNES & Jaguar, I really wish that I had saved all the boxes for all my games, but unfortunately I didn't. One reason that I didn't was because it is nearly impossible to keep them as nice as the cardboard boxes for Genesis & 32X games, and often the box would be damaged before you ever even broke the seal on it to open it! So it just seemed pointless to keep them all to me, however I did keep all the manuals, and I keep them all in a safe place. I wish that I could find some nice hard plastic cases that would keep all my SNES & Jaguar carts together with their manuals, but even if I could, by now it would cost me a fortune to buy enough cases for all of them. So I just don't worry about it. I kept all the manuals and the maps for the games that came with maps, but sadly I didn't keep all the posters for the games that came with posters, which is another mistake I made that I wish I didn't make. I made that same mistake with my Genesis games too, but I did keep all the maps and stickers and trading cards or whatever all those games came with. So as far as I'm concerned, posters aren't important, but maps are.

Now for SegaCD & Saturn games, I always hated those unnecssarily huge hard plastic cases for those games, so unfortunately the huge mistake that I made with all those games is that I only kept the games and the manuals. I bought standard empty jewel cases to store the games in, and I threw away all those huge hard plastic cases, including the inserts inside them. It just never occurred to me that this was lowering the value of them all, because it was something that I did more for reasons of practicality and convenience than for collecting reasons, so I just never realized what a huge mistake I was making until it was too late. The damage had already been done, and it would cost way too much to correct it, so that's just the way it is with my collection. However, I really don't think that it affects the total value of my collection all that much. Sure, it does affect it, especially all the rare games. But if somebody really wants those games that badly, they'll still pay alot for them if I ever decide to sell them, even without all the cases and inserts.

For my 3DO & Playstation games, the same rule applies, and this is where I know that most people here will think that I'm a complete idiot. The 3DO games all came in unnecessarily large cardboard boxes, so I know that most people won't mind if I don't have those, but most of the Playstation games all came in regular jewel cases. So I have to agree, there really is no good excuse to not have complete Playstation games, but believe it or not, none of my Playstation games are truly complete. The reason for this is because at first they came in those unnecessarily large cardboard longboxes, which of course I didn't keep and threw away. So when they switched to the jewel cases, for some reason I just threw those away, with the inserts in them, and I used the same standard empty jewel cases that I used for all my other CD games. I know that it was a completely insane thing to do now, but I didn't realize that it was completely insane at the time, and now it's too late. It would cost me way too much to correct that mistake too, so I just don't worry about it. The damage is already done, so why worry about it? I did the same thing with all my Jaguar CD games too, no boxes and no original jewel cases, just the games and the manuals, as with all my other CD games.

So someday, whenever I finally decide to sell my entire collection, somebody is gonna look at all my CD games and just shake their heads in pure disbelief, wondering whatever possessed me to not keep all the original cases for them all, and wishing that I had kept everything instead of tossing half of it. But I know that there will still be plenty of people who won't mind it all that much, and I'll still get a very large chunk of change for it all, even if I won't be able to get anywhere near as much as I could've if I had it all complete.

Yes, I am totally pissed at myself for doing it that way, but I really don't think that it's any different from not keeping all the boxes for all my cart games. So I'm missing some of the art that came on the original box, big freakin' deal. I still have all the games, all the manuals, and all the maps. The things that I threw away are totally unnecessary for playing the game, and only mean something to the most hardcore collectors. It's true that those people are the ones with the most money to spend, but they're also the same people who would pay alot more just because all my games were still sealed in plastic, if I had never opened any of them. I could get alot more money for my collection if I ever sell it if I had never opened any of my games too, but I wouldn't have gotten all these years of playing them if I had done it that way, which would've made collecting them all far less enjoyable. So my advice is, just do whatever makes you happy. You're the one who's spending all your money on it to get it all, so your opinions are the only ones that truly matter. There will always be other like minded collectors out there somewhere, and they will always be willing to buy whatever you have, regardless of what condition it's in, as long as it all works. That's really the only truly important thing to be sure that you maintain, full operability. If you don't have that, you have nothing but junk that's only good for recycling. So my opinion is, as long as it works, then it still has a reasonable amount of value. And that's all you really need. Anything more than that is just a bonus.

[Iron Draggon]

Well, fact is, if you are poor, you buy cart only. If you are rich, then you buy it factory sealed.

Simple as.

I tend to fall into the latter group, and only buy factory sealed N64 and GameBoy games...

I'm sorry but that seems like a pretty elitist way to collect. Buying only factory sealed games means you're either not playing them or you're immediately reducing the value of them by opening them to play them, neither of which sounds like a very good option to me. Unless you're opening a museum or something.

Personally I like to acquire things complete (or work on completing incomplete sets) because it preserves the overall nostalgia. The games themselves are a great source of entertainment, the packaging a great source of history and nostalgia. Why not have both?

Ultimately it all comes down to what makes you happy. It's your collection, they're your rules. YOU decide what you want to collect.

It's not elitist at all. It's the only sure way to guarantee that every game in your collection is 100% mint and complete. Most of us who only buy sealed games do so for this reason. We want to be the very first person to ever touch the contents of those boxes, and play the games that they contain. Most of us really don't give a damn that we're lowing the value of them by opening them. The fact is, the only reason why some sealed games cost so much is because there's so many people like us who don't give a damn how much it costs us for the priviledge of being the very first person to tear off all that cellophane and liberate it's contents from its plastic prison. I do the same thing with my Hot Wheels collection. I actually get a big rush out of opening things that I know would kill some other guy if he ever saw me open them. But I look at it this way, in doing so, I am merely making any remaining unopened copies of that game or that car become that much more valuable. Because now there's one less that's never been opened. Besides, why should I be ashamed for doing the exact same thing that would've been perfectly OK to do 10 or 20 years ago when there were thousands of unopened copies of those games or those cars to be had? Why should I let the fact that now there's only hundreds or dozens of unopened copies remaining deter me from doing what I would've done 10 or 20 years ago, just because it took me 10 or 20 years to finally find an unopened copy, and it cost me 5 times as much now as it would've then?

I'm the sort of person who will no doubt spend $500 on an unopened Chrono Trigger someday, just so I can open it, that's just the way I am. It sucks that that's the price for the priviledge of being the first person to open an unopened Chrono Trigger now, but if that's the price, that's the price. I don't like it, but whenever I can afford it, then I'll certainly pay it. I'm not rich by any means, but that's my quirk. I bought most of my games new and sealed back in the day, and I paid full price for them then, so to me it's no different now than it was then, except that some games have become nearly impossible to find new and sealed, and as a result their prices have gone up exponentially. That's the price that I have to pay for not getting them back in the day, when I had the chance to do so more affordably. But it still evens out. I missed very few of the ultra rares, which I paid very little for back in the day, so just a few ultra rares for triple digits now is no big deal to me. It would be nicer if I could still get them for double digits now, but I just can't do that anymore, so I simply accept this and pay whatever it costs. Then I rip the plastic off that bitch, just as soon as I get it in my greedy little hands! MUWAHAHAHA! Take that, all you freaks who refuse to open stuff!

[drewbrim]

Iron Dragon wrote:

"Why should I let the fact that now there's only hundreds or dozens of unopened copies remaining deter me from doing what I would've done 10 or 20 years ago, just because it took me 10 or 20 years to finally find an unopened copy, and it cost me 5 times as much now as it would've then? "




You've pretty much answered your own question. BECAUSE IT COSTS AT LEAST 5 TIMES AS MUCH! I hear what you are saying but it's one of the most ignorant thing I've ever heard. Although it's nice to be the first person to play a game. is it worth $750 (Chrono trigger sealed in 2005=$800 minus Chrono Trigger sealed in 1995 $50) to be the first to play it? And I only have a few sealed games for apparently the same reason as you (lack of funds) but if I come across a sealed Chrono Trigger I sure as hell wouldn't open it. If I didn't want it sealed I would just sell it and then buy a mint condition one and still have $720 left over. Since after you opened it all you would be left with is one in awesome shape.

Tell you what, in about 10-20 yrs I'll let you pay me hundreds of dollars for my sealed games you can open them and be the first to play them and I'll buy them back from you in a week or two for %10 of what you paid for them. Deal?

Now that I've calmed down, I kind of know where you are coming from since my friends think I'm crazy for buying the actual cartridge to Chrono Trigger and other vintage games since we can all just download the rom and play them on an emulator. So like I said I can appreciate what you're thinking cause for me playing them on the computer just isn't the same, but how do you not feel sick after you're done playing the game for the first time after opening it? I might not be able to sleep knowing I spent that much just to be the "first" to play it.

[Iron Draggon]

Well Chrono Trigger would be an extreme example, but seriously, I really don't care how much it costs. It pisses me off that it does cost so much more than it did back in the day, and only because a shitload of fans refuse to believe that it isn't rare as hell, as is the case with Radiant Silvergun as well, but I'm really not worried about getting my money back on it, I just want to own a 100% mint complete copy that I actually opened myself! Maybe if I could just find out where the hell all the assholes that are selling it for whatever ungodly amount they're getting for it on ebay are actually getting it for a reasonable price so they can sell it for an ungodly amount of money on ebay, then I could do it more economically, but seriously if it's just gonna keep on going up in price for eternity then it would be better to get one for whatever it's going for now than it would be to get one for even more a few years from now wouldn't it? I know it sounds insane, but I really am that anal about it. Every single SNES game in my collection was bought brand new and factory sealed, just so I could open it, so Chrono Trigger would be no exception. It's just that the rest of the world has simply gone completely fucking insane over what they think an unopened copy is worth! So I really don't think it's me who's nuts, I think it's the rest of the world.

[NESaholic]

I guess when you collect cd games it's better to have them complete,but it's not a must i keep then in a cd box,most are copied anyways.
For my NES games i like to have it all when i buy a game,if it's really rare then i'd settle for cart only.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-6/744236/Psone.jpg