Complete VS. Loose collecting.

[prismra]

What's the consensus here? I mean, most games that are to be found complete range from a couple dollars (if you are lucky enough to find them in Goodwill or Salvation army) to fifty or even one-hundred dollars. At that rate, completing an entire SNES collection for example, could cost you A LOT of cash.

Loose games, however, are much easier to find although somewhat less desireable.

What do you guys/gals think?

[fishsandwich]

Someone will screech soon about you not doing a search on a topic that's been done before, but I personally like new topic threads on older subjects.

I collect loose for SNES and NES and Gameboy. That's IT. Everything else must be complete. All CD games must be complete. All N64 must be complete. All NGPC must be complete. TG-16 must have at least the CD case. If it didn't come with one, I'll MAKE one. :)

That's just me! Depends on the console!

:D

[chrisbid]

i prefer complete over loose, but to varying degrees

current gen stuff and dreamcast games must be complete

games with collectable boxes (Genesis, Master System, Intellivision, Neo Geo Pocket) I prefer boxes and will pay for a complete copy if i only have a loose game

games with crappy paper boxes (Atari, Coleco, NES, SNES, Gameboy) I collapse boxes and store them separately. I don't have the cash or space to collect complete copies

the exact middle ground is playstation 1. i really dont consider myself a collector of the system, so i dont mind loose games if the price is right. my collection is about 60/40 complete/loose.

[Xizer]

Everything that is disc-based that I collect has to be complete. Cartridge-based games, while I snatch them up whenever I can find complete ones, I collect incomplete.

DS games have to be complete though.

[Enixis]

Complete for me. I just can't stand it if there's something missing. It feels so empty.

[johnthehero]

CD-based games must be complete, for me. Loose Saturn games are a crying shame.
My entire SNES collection is loose, though, as is a lot of my Genesis collection. . I never had much luck finding boxed games. :|
I prefer boxes, but I take what I can get, you know? I am not exactly loaded. :P

[[-Sentinel-]]

I really prefer complete items and in near mint/mint condition. I don't buy a game that isn't in that condition. Only if it's rare and it's cheap.

[prismra]

Complete for me. I just can't stand it if there's something missing. It feels so empty.

I know what you mean but it's hard. Most of the time, if you find a nice HTF game (NES/SNES/Genesis) in Gamecrazy or a used game store, 90% of the time it is loose. I think gamecrazy actually thows out the old boxes and manuals.. So what are we left with? Ebay? Ebay is like frickin' Mos Eisley sometimes..

[alm0stfinished]

If it's a cartridge game, i collect cart only. If i can buy it complete for just a little extra, then i will. But anything esle, i prefer to be complete.

[segagamer4life]

Complete for me. I just can't stand it if there's something missing. It feels so empty.

I know what you mean but it's hard. Most of the time, if you find a nice HTF game (NES/SNES/Genesis) in Gamecrazy or a used game store, 90% of the time it is loose. I think gamecrazy actually thows out the old boxes and manuals.. So what are we left with? Ebay? Ebay is like frickin' Mos Eisley sometimes..


I agree man, loose games stink, but for the most part, we can thank eb/gamestops and gamecrazies for having the "ehhh well take anything" policy. Although in their defense most stores have limited storage space so having a ton of boxes laying around as opposed to loose carts, well the later is more friendly on storage. But for me loose CD titles is a crying shame, like someone else here said, loose saturn games, to quote Peter Griffin: that really GRINDS MY GEARS!!".... lol

[johno590]

Most of my collection is loose, but more and more is becoming complete, I've been buying boxes and manuals for the games I already have and looking for boxes games on eBay instead of just carts. To me it really doesn't matter if I have them complete or loose, I will take whatever I can get.

[prismra]

If I had an unlimited income and time, I might go for complete on everything but just having the actual cart is cool enough for me in general. If it's a really special game for me then I try to find it complete. I have Chrono Trigger with the box and manual but no posters/ads etc. (anyone want to help me with this one?) ; )

[prismra]

If I had an unlimited income and time, I might go for complete on everything but just having the actual cart is cool enough for me in general. If it's a really special game for me then I try to find it complete. I have Chrono Trigger with the box and manual but no posters/ads etc. (anyone want to help me with this one?) ; )

[CYRiX]

If it is a Cartidge: Loose is what I aim for but I'll take the box anyday.
If it is a CD: It must ATLEAST have the case, if it doesn't have the manual I will put that on my buy list

[[-Sentinel-]]

2 combo hits!
lol

If I can't buy a game complete, then I just save money for it. :P
I hate loose games, lol!

[davepesc]

I collect complete games, but I've never turned down a loose cart because there was no box.
My Genny collection is about 50/50. Maybe it's the ugly plain labels and lack of a top label, but I won't even look at a loose SMS cart. Collection is 100% boxed.

As for discs, I hate loose, mostly because they usually are scratched beyond belief.
I have a few loose discs, but only because they came in larger ebay lots or something similar.

[prismra]

I collect complete games, but I've never turned down a loose cart because there was no box.
My Genny collection is about 50/50. Maybe it's the ugly plain labels and lack of a top label, but I won't even look at a loose SMS cart. Collection is 100% boxed.

As for discs, I hate loose, mostly because they usually are scratched beyond belief.
I have a few loose discs, but only because they came in larger ebay lots or something similar.

I agree with CDs. I would never buy them loose. I guess I was just talking about carts. One thing I do mind, however, are 'Greatest Hits' versions of SNES games.

Although I LIKE the 'Not for Resale' Genesis games.

Go figure...

[Enixis]

This brings up a question:

Does anyone know of any sites that sell replacement manuals, covers and (possibly) boxes of (catridged based) games?

There are some games that i'm interested in at my local store but they're missing some of these items. I don't mind getting them as long as i know i can get replacements online.

[syd]

If I had an unlimited income and time, I might go for complete on everything but just having the actual cart is cool enough for me in general. If it's a really special game for me then I try to find it complete. I have Chrono Trigger with the box and manual but no posters/ads etc. (anyone want to help me with this one?) ; )

I agree. Buying complete games are just not worth it IMO. So what, you've got the box and the manual. The manual for a game is usually useless unless it's an RPG. For example, for a side scroller it'll probably tell you how to shoot, duck, etc. You'll probably read it once and then put it back on the shelf to collect dust for 20 years. And if the manual is useful, chances are you can find a FAQ online that not only has the same info the manual has, but a lot more. For me the games are the important thing, thats the thing you're playing. You're not taking that hour or two out of the day to stare at the box and the manual now are you? LOL

Again, this is my opinion. I don't want any completionists out there jumping down my throat for this. I respect those who go through hell to have a complete collection, but it's just not my thing. :D

[pacmanhat]

It depends on the system for me. If it's a disc game, completeness is a must. The only carts I try to get complete are the ones that come in non-crappy-cardboard cases (which pretty much just leaves the Genesis and DS).

[scooby105]

i personally like loose cartridges. i don't have the room for complete cartridge collections and i think it is a pain to pull games out of a cardboard box to play them. i like cd stuff to be complete though.

i did finish up a us 32X collection though. last 2 manuals came i nthe mail in the last week.

[Perkar]

Complete for me. I just can't stand it if there's something missing. It feels so empty.

I know what you mean but it's hard. Most of the time, if you find a nice HTF game (NES/SNES/Genesis) in Gamecrazy or a used game store, 90% of the time it is loose. I think gamecrazy actually thows out the old boxes and manuals.. So what are we left with? Ebay? Ebay is like frickin' Mos Eisley sometimes..

like mos eisley, eh? a wretched hive of scum and villainy?

good christ i'm a nerd.


anyway, on topic, i collect sms later complete, nes and prior loose. although i do have a good deal of gen/snes/n64 games loose, i have been on a mission lately to complete the suckers. i do have a handful of complete NES games, and 2600 games, and INTV games.... but these are more happenstance than anything, if i see them cheap at a thrift complete, i will buy them. not really a goal to have any of those systems with anything more than loose games though.

[Bluteg]

http://gamerecyclery.com/

They have instructions, boxes and inserts all the way back too the 2600.

[shaggy]

I buy whatever I find but I prefer complete. It is a bitch find enough space to store games with boxes and not ruin the boxes!

[Nesmaster]

If it is a Cartidge: Loose is what I aim for but I'll take the box anyday.
If it is a CD: It must ATLEAST have the case, if it doesn't have the manual I will put that on my buy list

I think he sums me up best also.

[chrisbid]

the exact middle ground is playstation 1. i really dont consider myself a collector of the system, so i dont mind loose games if the price is right. my collection is about 60/40 complete/loose.


i should be a little more specific

i dont really buy "loose" PSX games in the literal sense. you dont really see these too often in the wild anyway. what you do see, are discs without instructions or a back cover in an empty jewel case. If i come across an incomplete PSX game that is priced right, then i will buy it. I have a CD binder with a good 50 or so PSX discs.

The same goes for saturn, as saturn cases are too fragile for the wild

[secretvampire]

I collect complete for all of my systems, and I don't collect all for a single platform, I just collect good games. It's not to say I will pass up a rare game that is cart only, but I always look to replace it with a complete copy later on. It's just the way it was meant to be.

[kainemaxwell]

If its complete and I want/need it for gaming or a collection I get it. if it's loose I still get it and aquire the manual and/or box at a later time. Simple as that.

[mario2butts]

I've always been pretty nondiscriminatory when it comes to the condition of the games I buy, though now I'm trying to aim for getting only complete disc based games, since looking at a lonely disc in a binder is just heartbreaking, while looking at a row of shiny jewel cases on a shelf is... classy. Collecting complete cart games is simply a pain in the ass, and I've found that a "functional" cart game collection is best stored without boxes. I mean having a row of pristine boxed carts looks beautiful, but can get ugly as carts get compulsively yanked out of boxes and a pile of empty boxes grows taller as I go on an old school saturday afternoon gaming binge. I'm thinking of storing all my carts loose and taking the boxes that I do have and find a way to creatively display them somehow...

[prismra]

Well it's intersting to consider that before the era of optical media, most games were cartridge based, therefore, the cart itself was considered protection enough. Look at NES and SNES boxes: They are thin, easily creased, and bleach in sunlight. Aside from being a handy place to hold a manual, they were considered disposable.

Now, since modern game's silicon-based medium is so frail, we are blessed with cases that are, in general, meant to last. So, I would assume, we are going to see WAY more 'Complete' games from the Playstation generation than we are seeing from the 8 and 16-bit era.

Soooooo, the sad reality is, you are going to pay (out the ass many times) for boxed games. Sad but true. Too bad SNES games didn't come in cases like the early Genesis games did. Truthfully I HATE not having the box/manual (mostly the manual) but I'll still buy loose games. A loose cart still beats emulators!

[Damaramu]

Here's my buying habits:

Sega Genesis games must be complete. I don't buy them loose any more.

SNES; loose is fine with me as long as the label is in good shape and the cart isn't damaged.

PS2 always complete or new.

NES; same conditions as SNES games.

Sega CD games, loose or complete is fine.

PSone; complete is preferred but I'll buy them loose at the right price.

Ditto for Saturn games.

[DarkStraw]

I like collecting games, but i only buy game stuff if its cheap
that way if i ever want to get rid of my collection i can get 2 or 3 times what i paid for it. I pretty much buy anything gaming related as long as i know i can sell it for more later on. Dont much care for paying extra for boxes but i like it if i can find them for cheap at garage sales.

[neuropolitique]

My habits fall in line with many others, cart=loose C=complete. The only exception to this is my Game Boy collection. I started a complete collection for Game Boy because it's my favorite system, and collecting complete is a way to make that collection stand out.

The only downside to this plan is that now all loose games kinda look naked.

[dbiersdorf]

My stance? Everything must be complete except for SNES games.

Why SNES? I don't know, but more the likely that the majority of the must have games would cost a buttload to get complete (Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasies, Super Mario, Kirby's, Harvest Moon, etc.).

[EricRyan34]

I agree with most of the people that are involved in this thread. The boxes would be nice, however, most of the prices for completes are outragous and finding all of that room for them is hard to do unless you have a big area for them.


NES and SNES Carts only
all CDs MUST be complete
N64,32X, all Sega must have boxes, manuals

[Jumpman Jr.]

I base 100% of my box-liking on one thing:

If you can stack the loose carts in a way that you can see the end label (and know what game it is), then you do not need a box (NES, SNES, 2600, etc..)
If you cannot see the labels from the end, then you must get a box so you can tell what game it is. (N64, Any game on a disc, SMS, etc...)

Although, having boxes for NES and SNES are good too 8-)

[Whiskers the Wonder Cat]

For me, I only collect loose SNES, NES, Genesis, Game Gear, and Gameboy/Color. Other than those, the rest must be complete.

[MASTERWEEDO]

I try to go for complete games but if i want a ganme i buy it and hope i find a complete one later. i sell alot of my doubles especially if they arent complete, but i buy it all.

i got a few boxes nes games at a yard sale recently, i dont even remember boxes on the nes i had when i was a kid(i think i destryoed them, but hey i was like 4)

[n8littlefield]

I do older games loose and my current gen systems complete. My PS2 and DS have their boxes and instructions and I won't buy a game that doesn't. The older stuff I'll actually chose loose over boxed, even if they are the same price, because I know that someone else would actually use/appreciate the box and instructions.

[Ed Oscuro]

Someone will screech soon about you not doing a search on a topic that's been done before, but I personally like new topic threads on older subjects.
I swear the last time it had this exact same topic title too.

Right. Well, let's put it this way - I'll trade any loose cart I've got for a complete version LOL

I always try to go for a complete copy. I have to be pretty desperate to settle for a loose copy, or just collecing random NES/Genny/SNES carts to play at home.

[aaron7]

Of course I prefer complete, but I will take anything if I don't have it!

[Dr. Morbis]

I agree with most of the people that are involved in this thread. The boxes would be nice, however, most of the prices for completes are outragous and finding all of that room for them is hard to do unless you have a big area for them.


NES and SNES Carts only
all CDs MUST be complete
This is why I like collecting complete for pre-disc systems. Most people have the opinion stated above. The end result:

A)having complete disc games doesn't really mean much because everyone else's disc games are complete too, and

B)Having cartridge-based complete games are that much more special and that much more collectable because they are hard to find and you have to put some serious effort into tracking them down.

When I see a pic of a row of complete Xbox games I think "so what?". When I see a pic of a row of complete NES/SNES/VCS/etc games I can appreciate the effort and dedication involved.

/2 cents

[Sanriostar]

Loose checks it off my list for me, but if I have the opportunity to upgrade to CIB I do. Then the loose becomes trade bait.

[AlexKidd]

I like all my cd games to be complete. I also prefer to Turbo Grafx games to have the cd case and ds games to be complete. As far as nes,snes,game boy,atari and genesis stuff goes I don't mind cart only. Those cardboard boxes don't look too great and take up a lot of space.

[Mason P.]

NES & SNES, and N64 can be loose but the label still has to be mint, but all other systems need to be complete.

[danielscheil]

i collecte just mega cd and mega drive games and the mega drive / genesis carts are all complete with case and manual from goot to mint condition... the sega cd games are all mint

the only things who are not realy interesting for me are the spine carts...

with a cart collection i can't be happy

[lkermel]

I usually try to get my games boxed with instructions, except if I find a lot of cartridges for a few bucks. Especially for all the Japanese stuff, the quality of the artwork is just excellent and it would be a shame to miss it ! But I do not buy games factory sealed. Some of my friends do (and they keep their games un-played, sealed) but this is not my cup of tea. If I buy a game, I want to play it. But this is my opinion.