People who ditch box's & instruction manuals

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I never understood why people used to do this.

Back in the days of the NES and Snes, and even other Nintendo games like N64 and GameBoy ~ Why did so many people ditch their box's???

You wouldn't buy a Cd for instance and ditch the jewel case ~ Same goes for PlayStation or Xbox or whatever...


Console box's as well ~ Ok, they are bulky, but why? In my opinion, the box (And instructions) forms part of the product.


I keep all my box's for things. Mobile phones / Walkman's / Computer games... Unless the product is something designed to be disposable that is.


The whole Nintendo thing is a phenomenon though - I can understand some people's games getting damaged over the years ~ But so many??? Good condition NES and Snes box's are very hard to come across these days.


That's one reason I buy my N64 and GameBoy games factory sealed ~ I can then slit them open carefully, and then keep the box pristine.


Same goes for instruction manuals ~ How can so many people lose these? You look on eBay, and there are so many sellers who sell games without instructions.

In my experience, it always seems to be the rarer games which have missing manuals! Lol. Anyone else found this?


But then I suppose all the people who actually look after their stuff are the ones who never sell it, and the ones who never buy pre-owned either.

[davepesc]

I think it's pretty simple, paper boxes get thrown out. When I was a kid, 2600 bozes sometimes didn't make it home. We had those stackable cases to hold the games and instructions.

The most striking example comes from the 8-bit days. I had SMS and my brother has a NES. The paper NES boxes met the same fate as the 2600 boxes did, while the sturdy SMS boxes are still with me today.

If the boxes were more durable, more people would have thought to keep them.

Sometimes I wish I could bring myself to throw out the cardboard Genny boxes, they are so inconvenient they make me not want to play the game inside!

[Garry Silljo]

I was in second grade when I got my nes. Let's see you stand before a scoend grade class and convince them all to give a shite about the cardboard boxes well being. I remember caring about the black sleave, but the carboard box to me was just marketing material. I was buying the game, instructions and sleave (for storage). Now 25, I can see the boxes value but that was FAR beyond me as a child. Genesis boxes on the other hand were never thrown out because they WERE the sleave for the game. They gave you nothing else to store it in. Also kids are bad at taking care of things in general. I remember all of my friends calling me anal because I cared about the sleave. They didnt even take care of those.... (the logic being the sleave didnt play anything I guess). Go to a used store now and se how many games even have a dust cover, very few, and that's what irks me.

[heybtbm]

I didn't start keeping my boxes until the N64 era...not for collection purposes, but for the simple fact that game stores use to pay more money for the box/instructions/game than just the loose cartridge.

I never kept my NES, or SNES game packages simply because they were garbage. As a kid, "Collecting" never entered my mind...I got games to play. I'm sure most people were of the same mindset back then.

Aaron.

[chrisbid]

paper boxes suck

end of story


if boxes are meant to be kept and reused, they would be a gatefold type box like the INTV or Neo Geo Pocket

[kainemaxwell]

When I was a kid, the boxes got tossed. N64 games I always kept the boxes and I guess it stuck with me when I got into collecting as well and wanting to find certain boxes again.

[Jibbajaba]

I never kept my NES boxes. I started with Genesis because they were plastic cases and it was an obvious thing to do to keep them.

I'm waiting for Kamino to come in here and give us his standard spiel.

"I hate boxes, and real men don't read manuals."

:roll: :roll: :roll:

Chris

[sabre2922]

I like to keep everything possible but end up losing most boxes and instructions since my friends dont seem to give a $hit about them :angry:

The one time I was freakin furious is when I let one of my buddies borrow my then NEW Dreamcast and his GF pitched the new box and manuals in the trash damn I was mad :grrr:

[qbertandernie]

dp you have all of the packaging to your (insert popular brit toys from yuor youth here)? i know all of my G.I. Joe, TMNT M.U.S.C.L.E. micro machines etc. boxes went out as fast as i got home. theres no need to keep the packaging for stuff you are playing with, only stuff you plan to collect for.

besides, if everyone kept thier boxes, they wouldnt be worth anything. stop complaining.

[lendelin]

People who ditch boxes & instruction manuals...


...end up in videogame hell where they have to play Antz Racing over and over again for eternity. (this isn't a speculation, it is the official teaching of the Catholic Church)

[Daft Punk]

I was just complaining about this today to a friend.

Im looking at some music cd's on ebay and none of the ones this one seller has have any cases .


I keep boxes for everything even that 8.88 toaster I got at wal-mart last year.

[esquire]

I never understood why people used to do this.

Back in the days of the NES and Snes, and even other Nintendo games like N64 and GameBoy ~ Why did so many people ditch their box's???

You wouldn't buy a Cd for instance and ditch the jewel case ~ Same goes for PlayStation or Xbox or whatever...

Ah, but how many people who bought CDs in the 1980's kept the cardboard boxes that they came in? I'd venture to guess 0%. See you are comparing apples to oranges. A CD is required to be placed in a jewel case for protect, but the cardboard box itself is useless and serves no purpose. One could say the same thing with NES and SNES games (and even more to the point, the original Sega CD games that came in the cardboard boxes), both of which came with plastic dust covers to keep the carts in. Nintendo knew the games would be left out in the open, and not in their boxes, just like with Atari 2600 games. That's why cartridge storage drawers, cases, etc were so popular. Plus, seeing that these games were really meant for children, it was more logical to keep the games out the box. The way kids are, they have no patience to put thingts away or take them out the box.

Genesis cartridges were different because the box and the storage case were the same. That's why I think it's much easier to find complete Genesis games as opposed to NES or SNES games.

[Zap!]

I always hated people who threw their boxes out. Even as a kid, I had to keep all my boxes and instructions, and I wasn't a collector then. If I lost one (or it ripped), I would give the game away, as it became worthless to me. The same kids who threw away their boxes out were the same kids who didn't keep their file cards on the back of their GI Joe and Transformers toys! :angry:

[ddockery]

The jewel case comparison isn't valid. CDs and DVDs need a case or they'll get scratched up. You could run old cart games over with a car and they'd still work fine. So unless you're a collector, the box was just simple packaging. Do you keep the packaging a new pair of scissors comes in? How about the instruction "manual" for cell phone car charger? To most people the flimsy cardboard boxes just got in the way. Yes, it was part of the product, but not an important one.

[Mr.FoodMonster]

Everything Pre-N64 I threw out.

I remember on multiple occasions right once I got home with a GBA box, I would pitch it without even thinking about it. They just werent needed for games that had some kind of case with them, the reason why people keep Jewel cases, because thats where they are supposed to be kept. Very few people take all their PS2 games and throw them into a cd binder.

[The Plucky Little Ninja]

And let's not forget that it's standard operating procedure for all the chain used game stores (starting with good 'ol Funcoland) to chuck the boxes to save space. This is the only decent excuse for the thousands and thousands of boxless genesis games out there.

[PDorr3]

Well as a kid luckily my first system was a genesis, and I kept all the boxes (but I did trade in many games :( ) and luckily I kept my n64 boxes, while I did not take care of them too well, and the white cardboard inserts were thrown out, I am still thankful to have all of the boxes I still have.

Now though when it comes to snes and nes games I dont mind loose games much atg all, but if its complete thats even better, I love the look of boxes over carts :)

[Kamino]

I never kept my NES boxes. I started with Genesis because they were plastic cases and it was an obvious thing to do to keep them.

I'm waiting for Kamino to come in here and give us his standard spiel.

"I hate boxes, and real men don't read manuals."

:roll: :roll: :roll:

Chris
I will from this point onward give all my meseta to the person who can dig the stick out of jibba's ass.

-----
Anyhoo.
Boxes take up too much damn space. It's one more thing between me and the game. So, I sell em. I'd MUCH rather reach into a bin and grab a cart, than fuck around with a box.
Manuals? Never read em. :P
As for CD cases? Hell, I cracked the first CD i ever bought taking out of the case..never did get another copy of Double Vision, either...so those go into a CD binder.
Not to mention, complete games cost too damn much. Do I care if this crap looks nice on a shelf? HELL NO. I want to play, not pile.

My biggest question:
What can you DO with the box?
How do you play the box?

[Jibbajaba]

Ta-da!!!

And for a paltry 366 meseta, the stick can stay where it is. ;)

Chris

[Damaramu]

Just imagine, city dumps all around the country filled with those precious game boxes and manuals.

Perhaps people should organize landfill raids, to save those unwanted gaming goodies! x_x LOL

[NE146]

I don't ditch manuals.. but I ditched boxes aplenty. I still do (like I still throw away my GBA boxes)... I mean, why bother.

The only boxes I've ever kept was if they were plastic like the Genesis boxes. Cardboard boxes though.. they're out the damn door.

I don't care anyway.. I've been doing it since the 2600 days and still do it. I don't collect videogames anyway, nor do I display them. I just play them, then never get rid of them. :)

[Cryomancer]

I consider cardboard boxes a plus, and plastic ones a must (well, half-must, a deal's a deal afterall).

Of course then you get the manual-less genesis games..heh.

Plastic cases are awesome though, I really wish they were a standard from the get-go.

[undead455]

When I was a kid my father always told me if I take good care of something it would last a long time. So when I got my 2600 I kept all the instructions and boxes and I still have them today. :) I guess it's partly how you're raised.

[dougman999]

How long before we start seeing the demise of DVD-case games? I'm starting to see way too many disc-only PSX and DC games.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Ah, but how many people who bought CDs in the 1980's kept the cardboard boxes that they came in? I'd venture to guess 0%. See you are comparing apples to oranges. A CD is required to be placed in a jewel case for protect, but the cardboard box itself is useless and serves no purpose.

Many current albums (Let's say, Euphoria or various LE's) have cardboard slip cases, but some retailers, such as Tesco, tend to ditch them before they are even on the shelf! That's just appaling!


My parents always taught me to respect my stuff ~ Almost everything I have had since a child is still in the same condition I got it, complete with box's Etc (You forget, you're talking to a sealed game freak here, so I know all about how important condition is!)


My parents learnt the lesson so that I didn't have to. THey made sure that if I got a new toy or something, that I kept the packaging. Eg, LEGO ~ Even though (At the time) I saw no use in having the box, my parents ensured that it was stored safe and sound somewhere. A concept which has stuck with me till this very day!


I have box's for things like mobile phones and Walkman's which I no longer own, yet for some reason I still hold on to them...

[Emily]

:(
I remember me and my siblings didnt just open our games...we tore them open!The only boxes that servived our massacre were ones I thought were cool ,or the SMB3 box I found in an old book.

I remember finding a Dragon Warrior box on christmas in a million pieces on the floor. My cousin got it and was pretty excited to play it I guess. :/

[pixelsnpolygons]

I remember being at a friend's birthday, he got about 250 bucks and we went to buy games. He got a bunch of SNES games. I recall seeing him open up MegaMan (whatever one it was) and tossed the box in the trash. I was like @_@ . I was the guy who kept that dumb Nintendo info sheet that they'd throw in. I mean it was, as I believe now, part of the game. It'd be like throwing out a record cover.

I think cardboard boxes were rediculous. I am so glad Nintendo didn't try to use them with their GCN discs (never know with Nintendo). I personally think they should have been kept, but I understand why they weren't. Hell, you could destroy those things simply opening them up if you weren't careful. I always was, but most kids? Most kids can't even keep a CARTRIDGE or system in working order... how about a box?

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I suppose we should think ourselves lucky that Nintendo didn't choose to carry over their Japanese GameCube box's... And it's also nice that they saw the light for the DS and came up with those groovy plastic box's!

[ddockery]

When I was a kid my father always told me if I take good care of something it would last a long time. So when I got my 2600 I kept all the instructions and boxes and I still have them today. :) I guess it's partly how you're raised.

You could easily take good care of 2600 games without the boxes though. We had one of those gamecenter deals that held the system and 20 carts or so, plus the manual. Boxes got the boot. Throwing away boxes/manuals isn't a sign that you treat things like shit. For a LOT of people space is a concern, and let's face it. If you actually put the cart in the box and used it much, it was bound to fal apart. I wish I had kept mine to sell off now, but by no means did I mistreat things by trashing them.

[phreak97]

the reason psx and dreamcast games are turning up disc only, is that they both have stupid fat cases which didnt fit in any cd storage towers, and also broke easily, and the manuals, just being chucked in on top of the disc, if not lost at some point from having been taken out every time the game was played, went wandering after the front of the case snapped off. before i started collecting, or caring about anything other than playability, i had two psx games and one dreamcast game. all of them turned up with the fronts smashed off their cases from nothing more than being chucked in a box of junk for a while.

the big reason people prefer to keep plastic and ditch cardboard, is that it takes ten times as long to remove a game from it's box, and the same to put it back. i have a boxed Zelda II, and i want to play it, but i dont want to go to the bother of unboxing/reboxing it every single freaking time. i find it hard to keep the boxes emaculate when unpackaging a boxed game even now. cardboard is just way too easy to crease, especially with the locking edges (where theres a partial cut through the ends of the crease on the tab that goes back in the box) on most boxes.

i, and im sure many of you, own boxes which have been kept but still used for storage between plays. they have all the print missing from the edges, the hinge creases are near broken right through, the places where you put your finger to open it all have the edges ripped up and the layers of cardboard separated. i have a family fun fitness mat with box.. and when i say "with box", i mean it.. it's with it's box, not in it.. i dont see any way im going to get that thing back in there properly without causing a bunch of harm to the box. i have no idea how it ever fit in there with a game.

a point i just thought of:
if people cant look after plastic cases properly (alot of mine came damaged from various places), how can anyone expect cardboard boxes to survive the same?

when i got my first consoles (a snes) when i was like 7 or 8, i wasnt even interested in taking a second glance at the box.. my mum put the console box on top of my wardrobe and the game boxes in the bin. the first thing i thought of when i saw the console box up there, was making a big box covered in lights (i used to go to tandys (radio shack) and mum would buy me all the random electronic bits i'd like (mostly switches and lights of different kinds) and i'd wire them all up poking through holes in boxes then take them to school for show and tell.).

i've ranted enough..

[Steempy]

Shouldn't "..are complete cocks" be on the end of this subject?

OH NOES +1

[NESVIDIOT]

Every kid that gets a videogame acts like it is Christmas. The talons emerge from the fingertips and rip into the tender flesh of the videogame. Nothing matters but the sweet tender goodness contained within the box.
I've even seen kids rip into a CD game( in the new DVD jewel cases) and rip off the plastic cover that holds the leaf cover on the case.
There are also the parents that chase after their kids in the living room cleaning up "scraps", that is also when the boxes and manuals get thrown out.
I do agree though that if every game came in a plastic case there would be more around.
Make the packaging useful and people will keep it- look at Genesis games, Intellivision games and pretty much any CD games. The cases are semi durable and hold the game and the instructions. This makes sense, the boxes are pretty and make the game complete, but they are not very durable, so most get thrown out.

[Ruudos]

I've never thrown one box or manual anyway, even as a kid.

Am I the only one who just liked the boxes for their box art, and the text and screenshots on the backside?

[NE146]

I've never thrown one box or manual anyway, even as a kid.

Am I the only one who just liked the boxes for their box art, and the text and screenshots on the backside?

No.. that would probably be about 90% of the residents of this board. :)

[TurboGenesis]

I held on to most of my boxes back in the nintendo and Turbo days and still have a good amount of them today even though I sold off many of my games back then and then re-bought them in the last several years as loose carts.

What I hate is that when you go to game stop and browse the used games and see the sign that says this, "No box No instructions, No problem - we make trading easy". Now this pisses me off. We are talking current gen games here and these chain stores are taking them disc only. This I cant stand. I have passed up many games because they were disc only including Suikoden II for $39.99. I refuse to buy a disc game with out its proper, original, protective packaging. :angry:

[Jumpman Jr.]

I had always thrown out my boxes until I got my N64. They were chucked somewhere in my closet for years. Then, one day, I thought
"what the hell am I ever going to need all of these boxes for?" So I chucked them out (actually... recycled) the next garbage day.
Literally, the NEXT day, I got into collecting video games. It wasn't a long time until I thought "Why the hell did I throw out those N64 boxes.
I'm still kicking myself for doing it because, now I only collect boxed N64 games. And I still have 6 or 7 loose ones from before I started collecting. ARrrrggghhh LOL

[nate1749]

I still throw my boxes away (although now I try to give them away on here). I hate them, they always get damaged since they're harder to maintain and then they look like junk. They tear and rip easily - they just look old with crease marks and dents and i don't like old looking junk. The only cases I ever kept when i was growing up were the genesis ones because they were durable (hard plastic).

My n64 games I put in these custom plastic cases now - i don't collect any other cart system.

oh and i don't use my audio cases either - i just put them all in case logic binders.

Nate

[Streetball 21]

Ever since i bought my NES, my mom kept all my original boxes for the games. I thank her for that, I still have them in mint condition. When the N64 came out I started to save the boxes myself. To this day, I still keep all boxes for my games and systems.

[Bri79]

I hate boxes...,but I can't bring myself to throw them out. I try to buy cart only just to save the room. Btw I only collect Sega systems and games so I have mostly genesis, saturn, and game gear game boxes.

[AlexKidd]

I never had an nes,snes or any atari system until I was at least 13 and by that time these games weren't sold new. I did have a genesis and sms as a kid and kept all the boxes for them. I do remember having a black and white game boy and I don't have any of the boxes for that. I don't remember throwing them out myself but my mom probably did. It probably didn't occur to my parents or anyone elses that these boxes were collectible so they were trashed just like the packaging for all my star wars and thundercats action figures.

[SkiDragon]

I had kept a lot of boxes for a while, then my mother convinced me to throw them out. Some valued ones too, like Chrono Trigger and FFIII. This was before I started collecting and now I regret it. I always kept my manuals though, as well as the maps for some games. Usually threw out the safety booklets and magazine subscription ads though. Now the oldest box "of my own" that I still own is an N64 console box that I mutilated into a storage bin for cartridges.

[McBacon]

Well, when I first went into collecting, I had a look at what stuff I alread yhad, that I could salvage. I found a starwing with a pretty bad box, and a Buster Busts Loose with a really nice box!
My family likes to keep boxes of stuff in the attic, so we can get more money for them if we sell them, thats how I still have my Gameboy box :P

Wish I still had my old GB games, all that I have left of SML2 and LA are the manuals and carts : (

I love boxed games in my collection, and when it comes to Genesis, I try to collect ONLY boxed stuff, because the main part that collection is boxed, loose carts look silly.

[NESaholic]

Well people dont care that much for boxes or manuals,only collectors do really.Corse cds are a different story,i remember when being a kid i used to throw it all away too,doesnt take much space and the cartridge was more important to me.Those i would always clean nicely and keep them in dustcovers all the time.
Nowadays i collect complete,box and manual are a must (only real rares i settle for cart only), i also used to think what got in to people but when i look back i was exactly ther same,so i can understand it but dont support it no more.

[Amy Rose]

I remember when I was looking at my old Mega Drive games, only one game was minus instructions (Zero The Kamikaze Squirrel :( ), which is pretty amazing considering how young my brother and I were when we got the games. Of course, our Sonic 1 cover has the plastic literally hanging off it, but it was my first game (besides the old C64), so I've kept it since then.

I LOVE the boxes of games. I'm a Sega nerd, so it's a lot easier to find boxes for games, unless it's a Game Gear game. Ugh. I only have 3 boxed GG games, but the boxes are kinda ugly anyway. Kamin, were you the one that called me a moron for buying boxed Game Gear games? :P

I think pretty much everyone else has nailed it in here already, but I'll say it again! Cardboard boxes are the stupidest marketing idea in the world. Hey, I know, let's package games in things that will be thrown away as soon as the game gets in the hands of a small child! Hooray! You paid $20 extra for that box! Dollar dollar dollar!

Boxes are pretty. :)