Do you collect loose games or focus on "complete"

[orrimarrko]

Just wondering - being an anal retentive myself, I was curious to know how the majority of other collectors approach the hobby.

The way I figure it, there are probably three main categories of collectors:

1. "Loose is good enough for me. It is too expensive, and would take up too much space to worry about the packaging. Manuals are a bonus, but not necessary." :)

2. "I don't care either way. If I have an opportunity to pick up a complete game here and there, great - but if not, that's cool too." 8-)

3. "I must have it as close to the way it was originally sold. Anything less than complete keeps me awake at night." O_O

I'm not even going to touch condition - brings on way too many subsets...

I will just say that I definitely fall into category #3...and as far as condition goes, well, let's just say that if you had to rate the condition of a game/box/manual on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being MINT)...

I have a whole host of sub-8 mechandise that didn't make the cut.

What about you? Any retentives out there...or, is a complete collection of NES games good enough if you can barely read the labels?

Uh, oh...I think I here another one of my posts being locked... :D

[Bratwurst]

I could give a rat's p'tootie about boxes and manuals generally, unless I buy a game new, which is rare. The labels though, they have to be intact. So I guess that puts me squarely in category 1.

[Mayhem]

If it's rare, I'll take it any way I can. If it's fairly common, then it's usually complete only...

[dreamcaster]

Well, it depends on what console it's for. If it's my PAL N64, Atari Lynx or Game Boy Color, they must be boxed with manuals.

Same with my current 'new' consoles (GCN, PS2, GBA) - must be boxed with manual, but I really only buy brand new games for these consoles. I only buy second-hand for defunct consoles.

Dreamcast games must also have their original CD cases (you know the special PAL cases...) and have instruction manual.

Saturn games must have their original cases, and I like to have the manual - but if it isn't there then it doesn't matter.

If it's any of my other consoles (Sega Game Gear, Atari 2600, Super NES, NTSC N64 or NES), it really doesn't matter. It's a bonus if they do have a box and/or manual, but I really couldn't care less...

[Six Switch]

I try for complete unless it is really cheap.Then I'll take whatever. :/

[Sylentwulf]

2. "I don't care either way. If I have an opportunity to pick up a complete game here and there, great - but if not, that's cool too."

That's me! :)

[kainemaxwell]

2. "I don't care either way. If I have an opportunity to pick up a complete game here and there, great - but if not, that's cool too."

That's me when it comes to Atari 2600 to SNES titles (and N64). All my SNES carts are loose with some manuals here and there, same with my NES titles (except for my one complete NES cart- Videomation). Atari 2600 are all loose too.

Anything from PSX upward I always try to get them complete with the jewel cases with minimum to no scratchings.

[Alex Kidd]

I TRY for a complete... if I go out of my way to buy something, IE drive X Km or use EBay, then it HAS to be complete, however If I just find it by fluke in a pawm shop or a friends who willing to sell, I take it in any shape I can.

Alex Kidd

[maxlords]

I'm pretty much category 2. I try to get stuff complete whenever possible but it doesn't HAVE to be complete. I have a lot of SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, and NES games that are all loose. I do go the anal route (don't take that the wrong way!) for CD based games. I have NO loose PSX games, and NO loose Saturn, DC, or Sega CD games, and NO loose next gen games. All that stuff is so easy to get complete that there's no sense in getting ones that are missing a manual or a case. With older cart based games, it's ok, but the newer stuff, there's no excuse.

[Mr-E_MaN]

I usually collect cart only. I never see any boxed games around here and very few with manuals. I don't really care about the manual and box but if I can get it at a reasonable price I'll pick it up.

[molnars]

I try to collect complete games only, no matter what. I've passed on quite a few rares because they weren't complete.

[jhd7]

It's different depending on the system:

NES: complete
TG16: game & manual
CV: game
Game Gear: game

[Quintracker]

I strive for complete, but if the cart is really cheap I'll pick it up.

[Alex Kidd]

Game Gear: game

Yeah, tho I'ma Sega Collector I don't even make an attmept to get complete Game Gear games

NO ONE but hardcore enthusiasts kept boxes.. and manuals... well... with a gaming system meant for on the go, they can be easy to lose.

Alex Kidd

Tho since I've begun buying GameBoy Advance games, I keep the box, the manual and all those little cards that come in em!

[Keir]

I'm a "2" for the most part, though disk and CD games must be complete. Even for cartridge games, I will pay more for complete games, but I won't go out of my way to get it complete. I guess I'm somehwere between "2" and "3". :)

[ghsqb]

Im a #2 all the way.

Many completes but more cart only.

If I can score it complete great, if not, I'll take the cart.

[christianscott27]

my collecting goals are vast enough without sweating the paper and cardboard. i'm attempting to complete every defunct system, and in most cases i'm well past the 50% complete mark, space is an issue at this point. over the years 100's of boxes have passed thru my hands, i still have shelves of them to trade off. had i wanted to i could have nearly all of my coleco, 7800, SMS and 2600 boxed but i enjoy the carts i traded the boxes for much more.

on the other hand i like my CD games to be complete with the case, esp the saturn and sega cd games. my virtual boy and lynx collections are boxed simply because they came that way. i do have a thing for system boxes though, i have them on display for that christmas morning feel.

its better for my head to collect this way, if i find a rare game its a "get" for my collection, if it happens to be boxed its a nice bit of trade stock. i cant go the box and manual route but i'm happy so many of you had. on that note, does anybody want the VIDEO CUBE manual i just picked up?
________
Gay Anal Trai (http://www.fucktube.com/video/10705/hardcore-gay-anal-fuck-train)

[buttasuperb]

Almost all of my games are complete. They don't necessarily need to be in mint condition, but I do like having at least the box for every game. I can do this since I don't care about completing any system collections, I just want to get the games that have nostalgic value or that I want to play.

I will buy loose carts if they are cheap.

[Raedon]

depends on the system.. NES is loose, 7800 Genesis TG16 and SMS are all complete.

[orrimarrko]

AWESOME RESPONSES SO FAR!!

This is very cool - looks like there is a variety of collecting philosophies out there, which I guess I expected.

I wanted to see how this would go before I posted some more of my methods, so here goes:

The goal is complete for every system that I collect for. I currently do not collect or any handheld system or PSX, PS2, GC or XBOX. - Way too many titles, and way too expensive.

Besides, I think that it's more fun to collect for defunct systems anyway.

Here's something that I have had success with in my area to either help complete games or to upgrade condition.

If I find a hard to find title that isn't in the condition that I want, I take it to all of the game stores in my area and see if they have the same title. Usually, they allow me to switch mine for theirs if theirs is in better shape.

To complete a game however, I don't think that I have encountered a better way than through forums like this one. Although I haven't completed a trade with anyone yet, I think that the "Orphanage" thread seems to be a good source.

[christianscott27]

'If I find a hard to find title that isn't in the condition that I want, I take it to all of the game stores in my area and see if they have the same title. Usually, they allow me to switch mine for theirs if theirs is in better shape."

they do that? how does that work?
________
PREGNANT GANGBANG (http://www.fucktube.com/categories/908/gangbang/videos/1)

[Achika]

Playstation, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, Dreamcast must all be complete in the box with manual, etc. All others I'll take cart/cd only.

[ClubNinja]

CD systems and the SMS are the only ones I care to get the boxes/cases for. Anything else doesn't matter much at all, with a few exceptions (like Mega Man cart boxes, etc.) As Christian said, boxes are so much better for trading than keeping - they take up more room than I can sacrifice right now, anyway.

[samuraiX]

I prefer complete as possible.
Specifically for the following:
Genesis
Neo Geo
Neo Geo CD
Neo Geo Pocket
GBA
GBC
Intellivision
Odyssey 2
All the others I prefer complete but I'll take almost anything if I don't have it.

Been working pretty heavily on upping my collection numbers in complete O2, Genny, Intelli, NGH and systems.

[scooterb23]

I actually will pass up boxed versions of games if a loose one is available...

I hate storing the boxes.

The only ones I keep are the cd games, and that's just because I reuse the cases for all my compilation cds...

[TripppsK]

I like to get at least the game and manual for systems NES and prior. The boxes are no longer a concern for me after I trashed over 150 (Coleco, INTV, and 2600) of them when I was living at home. I still want to hang myself over this. This all happened of course before I learned there was a cult of people out there just like me. I would love to collect all the boxes again, but I know it will never be the same. For any of my post NES systems I have to have them complete.

[orrimarrko]

they do that? how does that work?

I basically explain to them that I am a collector and am very, very picky about the condition of the games. As long as the label isn't complete shit, they will bring out the copies of the game that I have and let me look at them.

If they have a (for example) NES Contra cart with a mint label and cart, and mine is less than such, they will allow me to swap them. Thus, I now have a better version (appearance wise) of the same game.

Since I only collect mint copies, this can take some time and effort. It's kind of fun, but can also take a while. Operation Secret Storm isn't exactly a common title!!

[Chunky]

psx/ps2/dc/gc/tg-16/segacd/saturn must be complete in case(not box if had one)

neo-geo/genny must at least have the box

nes/snes/GB carts only.

[IntvGene]

I like the boxes and would try to collect the complete package. Actually, the manual means very little to me, the box is al for display anyway.

But, the cost is usually too high, so for most systems, I'll take 'em how I can get 'em.

Exceptions are the modern systems, especially the Lynx, Saturn, PS2, etc.

[omnedon]

I'm a definite number 2. I collect for all systems, on a low budget. If it's cheap and in bad shape, but I want it, I pick it up anyway. I've had many instances where I settled for a crappy one, then got a dupe that was better. Swappity swap, and I usually recover my entire investment (i only buy cheeeeeaaaap).

It's a good way to collect when you are collecting in a broad cross platform way.

[GENESISNES]

I dont need them with the box pretty much every classic system. except for longbox PSX games!

[Starcade]

I love to have complete games, though I own few of them...if something is cheap..I'll take it loose, but if I can pay a few extra dollars to get something complete, then I will.

[Mr Mort]

3. "I must have it as close to the way it was originally sold. Anything less than complete keeps me awake at night."

Yeah, I'm in between #2 and #3, but closer to the #3 side. I'm very meticulous, and keep all original boxes and instructions as much as possible, but I haven't really been anal about that until the past couple of years.

If there's a game I want bad enough AND it's hard to come buy, I'll settle for no box or instructions, but I absolutely draw the line at torn cartridge labels, and badly scratched disks.

[BIGMIKE]

i'll take em any way i can find em. i am starting to look for completes though.

[Arqueologia_Digital]

It depends on the system:
Atari: Loose
NES/Game boy/Game gear/Genesis: Some loose, some complete
Saturn/Master system: Complete

[kevincure]

I don't even want games that are complete if the box is damaged. Only top of the line stuff. I'm not a completist collector, so I know that if I buy a cart cart-only I'm going to end up buying it again boxed. Mine as well just buy it once, right?

[jaydubnb]

When it comes to cardboard boxes, they get chucked unless the artwork on em is totally badass (like the SNES Dracula X). They say that there're exceptions to every rule and it applies here too: I do prefer the NEO*GEO Pocket Color games in the clamshell cases, but I love the artwork as a whole, so i can deal with the cardboard.

I just like the jewel cases and clamshells because they are more strorable. Nothing worse than cardboard thats lost its erectness. *looks around*

This of course makes for an interesting dilemna when collecting for my Duo. They come with both cardboard and jewels. Unfortunately (or fortunately), getting most of my Duo stuff from eBay has taken the "will I keep the box " question away, because most sellers dont have em. In fact, the only Duo boxes I own are for Last Alert and Ys Books I+II.

[Wavelflack]

I try for complete, but i'll never pass up a bargain or rarity just because it's loose. Genesis, SMS, and Saturn loose games bug me to no end, but I figure that sooner or later I'll get the packaging for them. It takes some time, but it works. in fact, I recently replaced my loose Shove It! cart with an entire (mint cart included) complete Shove It! for only $4. For some reason, I've wanted a complete version of that game for a LONG time, and I'm a patient guy.

Why pass up a hard to find (or wanted) game for cheap just because the condition is not ideal? You can always "fill in the pieces" later! When games go up in price, you have to be a little more discerning about this, but since I'm such a cheap-ass, I don't have to worry much about it. I seem to be unusually lucky in my finds (for a town of 40,000).

The notable exception to the rule is when I am "tricked". For instance, I found a nice, boxed Noah's Ark 3D (snes) at a Gamexchange in Wichita, for $20. Excellent deal! I take the box to the register, wait in line for 15 minutes, then step up to the counter. The guy gets the cart from the backroom, but then puts the box back behind the counter!
"Hey! What are you doing with the box?"
"We only have one copy of this, so we keep the box!"
"Uh....okay. Whatever."
After waiting in line and drooling over the chance to finally play such a fucked up game, I wasn't interested in giving it up to just to prove a point to a disposable VG store clerk. Fuck it! I bought it.

[digitalpress]

I was waiting for someone to say what Wavelflack just said. That's my philosophy too.

PS thanks for saving me the trouble of explaining myself, Matt! :-D

[orrimarrko]

Why pass up a hard to find (or wanted) game for cheap just because the condition is not ideal? You can always "fill in the pieces" later!

Agreed - dispite my proclivity towards perfect "specimens", I will NEVER pass up a game that is rare just because the label/cart doesn't meet my standards.

In fact, I bought my Castlevania X (SNES) for $12 loose. Most people would be very happy with the way it is, but not me. So, I keep it (along with many others) in a box, in my car. Everytime I hit a vg store, I ask them if they have one.

Someday, I will find one in better condition, and swap. :D

Again, I agree - grab the rare when you can, then upgrade when you can.

My only point was, I HAVE to upgrade...it's a sickness. O_O

[Kid Ice]

My collecting habits have changed a lot. When I first started, I would take anything that was a videogame, regardless of system, rarity, or condition, as long as it was cheap.

But now that my collection is big enough for display status (and I'm out of storage), all that old junk looks like crap. So I'm recollecting in a sense, looking for new or close to new games that I already have.

I'm also getting a lot more system specific. I still have a lot of NES and Genesis stuff, but I'm pretty much exclusively collecting for: Atari 2600, 3DO, and Saturn. Don't ask me why I've singled out these particular systems. Collecting for them just feels right for some reason.

the kid

Collecting for them feels cheap...

[stonecutter]

Loose game works for me, as long as I can play it I am happy.

[portnoyd]

I agree with Waveflack. That philosophy is how I've built my Genesis collection. I grab boxes and loose games if the price is right, no matter what. I worry about filling or boxing later. Working out well so far.

Most CD stuff has to be complete... I prefer complete cart stuff, but that seems to be a nonissue with SNES for me right now.

dave

[Tetsu]

My prerequisite for condition: that they work. However, I won't pay much for something if its dirty/missing a label/scratched. I do have standards, though: if I do get something in bad condition, I'll be on the lookout for one that's decent and give/ sell the previous one. I just want to play the games, the condition is secondary. I've gotten Guardian Heroes, Snatcher, Final Fight CD, and Streets of Rage 2 in terrible, but playable, condition, and that suits me just fine.

[Nature Boy]

I'm yet another "depends on the system"

For newer disc stuff it has to be in the case. Although I don't think twice about replacing a cracked DC case with a generic clear CD case. If it looks good I don't care that the actual case isn't authentic.

For anything else I don't really care. If you give me the choice between box and loose I'll usually go with the box, but I'm also getting sick of storing the damn things (I have all my carts loose so that I can play them, so the boxes just sit downstairs in box/container of their own).

And I'll pass up anything if the condition isn't right. It's a waste of money. The stuff I get is mostly common anyway so who is going to trade for it? I just agonize over the fact I've got a double I can't do anything with and give the stuff away as soon as I can.

[orrimarrko]

And I'll pass up anything if the condition isn't right. It's a waste of money. The stuff I get is mostly common anyway so who is going to trade for it? I just agonize over the fact I've got a double I can't do anything with and give the stuff away as soon as I can.

Nature Boy - I don't necessarily believe that this is true.

I have had great success purchasing any title and upgrading to a better condition for free! I have found that if you are friendly to the people who work at the local video game shops, they will (generally speaking) help you in your collecting cause. Gamestop, and (in my area) Gamefellas, have allowed me to swap a game with a bad label or writing on the cart for one in even pristine condition. They simply don't care - it's not their merchandise, they don't work on condition, and it doesn't change their inventory.

Give it a try sometime. Honestly, don't pass up a hard to find title because it isn't in the shape your standards dictate. I should know - I am as picky as it comes.

It takes some effort and time, but I think if you found a rare NES game you will find that it's worth it.

Steve

[DDCecil]

On most systems, I don't care what condition a game is in or what it comes with. I prefer Case and Manual on CD games, but if it doesn't come with it, oh well.

[lostsage]

#2 is my style. don't have much moola, and when i do, i buy on instinct. spend a lot of time looking, then when i'm ready for the kill, the cart will become mine! >)

(besides, Virtua Fighter 3tb is a steal at 5.99)

[mrhaboobi]

Between 2 and 3 i think..

I aim for everything i have to be Mint complete. But i wont pass up someting thats rare and hard to get. im struggling to complete my Turbo Collection, but im aiming for complete / mint all boxed etc.. so ive be known to just buy loose manuals or boxes, heck i had 50 mint manuals all waiting for the games, ive just about used up all the loose manuals now, of course i have a fair few spares aswell, having spare manuals or boxes makes it that bit easier to buy a loose item, also makes it cheaper some time. i have a bonk 3 cd manual'just waiting for a home.. just need the case and CD.. :)

On that note anyone with spare boxes for TG stuff PLEASEEEE contact me :)

[Nature Boy]

Nature Boy - I don't necessarily believe that this is true.

I have had great success purchasing any title and upgrading to a better condition for free! I have found that if you are friendly to the people who work at the local video game shops, they will (generally speaking) help you in your collecting cause. Gamestop, and (in my area) Gamefellas, have allowed me to swap a game with a bad label or writing on the cart for one in even pristine condition. They simply don't care - it's not their merchandise, they don't work on condition, and it doesn't change their inventory.

Give it a try sometime. Honestly, don't pass up a hard to find title because it isn't in the shape your standards dictate. I should know - I am as picky as it comes.

It takes some effort and time, but I think if you found a rare NES game you will find that it's worth it.

Steve

I'm glad it works for you Steve but I just couldn't do that. Call it a personality quirk if you will.

I bought a used FF7 and half of the case was from the GH (the other half wasn't). I was pissed but it's not something I'd complain about (I got the case I had asked for - but the way it was displayed I didn't see the bottom half so it was really my fault for not examining the case before I made the purchase).

Drove me nuts the entire time I had it. Must have been two years. Made a switch with a buddy of mine about a month ago who doesn't even play his PSX anymore, let alone care about packaging (he got a good little chuckle out of my request). The anguish over having the imperfect packaging was just too much. Way too lame too.

I'm patient enough that I can wait. Plus I'm not the kind of person who cares about rarity much anyway. I do get a rush if I score something rare, but I'm more about boosting my collection by getting (a) the games I know of and like or (b) games that are simply cheap (I'll try anything that's cheap - like my recent purchase of Industrial Spy for DC - ugh). I have enough games that it's not like I *need* any more anyway, so waiting for the perfect condition at the right price is a breeze.

[Eternal Champion]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only anal gamer around here...

I'm not a collector of quantity; it seems like compared to most of y'all I have a tiny collection. I recently re-bought a NES with my fave games, and I have a dozen, and I'm done. Genny and SNES about 2 dozen. So there aren't many games I have to have. BUT, I like them complete or AT LEAST with manuals. So I'm like 2.5.

I DO have loose carts, that were expensive and rare complete, e.g., Contra Hard Corps, Phantasy Star IV (no way am I paying over $50 for a copy, I'll get info and maps off the web and customize a guide).

Also, I've found sites where I can download .pdf scans of manuals, although some are in rough shape. It seems that online stores have mostly crappy loose carts, and you'll find complete stuff in good condition on ebay. I found a BEAUTIFUL copy of R-Type III on ebay, and a practically brand-new copy of Ghostbusters for Genny.
But I should say I am very wary of large sellers, as in my experience they use "reference" photos >:( and send me total crap. I've had the rare good experience.

It seems I have modest wants compared to y'all. But I hate loose Genny carts, because the clamshell boxes are so good for display and storage. I love those.

If anybody can help me complete Contra Hard Corps and Phantasy Star IV I'm all ears!! :D

[ManekiNeko]

Well, for me, the game itself is most important, but it's always nice to have the packaging that came with it. It's no longer as much an issue as it used to be, since games come on CDs now and you almost HAVE to store them in a plastic case if you want to keep them in usable condition.
Sega was wise to package their games in handy plastic clamshell boxes. I think that was an important innovation in game packaging, and it makes collecting for the system a lot more fun.

JR

POST 18!

[hamburgler]

i collect games whethere or not there complete or loose.

[Britboy]

PS2 = Complete

Everything else, don't care as long as it works

[simonbelmont7]

i use to go for complete only, then i quickly realized it takes twice the room to store the things because I like to keep the games displayed out of the box so there more inviting to play =) But now when i see them out in the wild, it pretty much is determined by price. If its cheap and complete so be it, otherwise, i pretty much just look for loose these days...
Mark =)

[Atari7800]

NES & SNES & Genny & pre-1984... loose is ok. I'd prefer complete, but I have too many loose carts to justify not picking up a good or cheap game just because it's not boxed.

Everything else... GOTTA BE COMPLETE

Those American Saturn games are a bitch, but they sure look impressive!

[Kairi]

IT depends on how bad I want the game and how hard it is to come by. Not to mention price and condition. I mostly collect to play so I'd rather buy things brand new because it would suck to buy a non-working or bugged game. So I'm not sure if that makes me a 1, 2 or 3.

[zektor]

I guess it all depends for me. If it is a Sega Master System game, complete (or almost complete...box in minimum) is the only way I can go. The boxes for that system (and the Genesis system as well) IMHO are a necessity. For other systems with cardboard boxes, I really don't care. The labels have to be in good condition however...unless the game is so very rare then I may not care even about this all that much.

[Vice Guy]

I fall into category 2.

I almost never care about what kind of games I'm getting.

I won 2 separate 5200 lots on EBay..so that explains why I have so many boxed 5200 games. I also have some complete Genesis games and 2600 games as well as 7800 games.

I do like the "complete" feeling you get from boxed games.

However, storage of these carts is a concern so I'll take even loose carts.

It's good either way! :D

[devilman]

Glad I found this thread - I was just wondering the same thing as the thread-starter. :)

From my experience in England, it seems that we're generally more anal about games being complete with boxes & manuals. A lot of the US websites that sell retro stuff that I've come across sell a lot of games as cart only. There have been some sites where there's been no mention of the games condition and it's assumed that it's just a cart.

Personally, I try to get every format in complete condition. I won't touch a next-gen game if it's not boxed with a manual. NES & Atari 2600 games are quite tricky to find in complete condition round here so I sometimes make exceptions if the price is right.

Strange as it sounds, for me, if I haven't got the box & manual, then I've only got half the game. I'll often turn down a rare game if it's not complete - unless the price is stupidly cheap. An example would be the other week when I picked up some SNES carts for 30p each.. including a US Secret of Mana. I'm not going to turn that kind of a price down. :)

Of my cart based systems, I'd say that less than 5% of the games are cart only. Of the other 95%, some of those will be missing manuals and these are generally games which I've picked up in a bundle with something else I was after.

[Drexel923]

When I started I didn't really care if games were loose, but after spending a lot of time talking with the people here, I won't be satisified until all of my current and future games are complete.

[Classicgamesdepot]

I'm definitly between a 2 and a 3. I have passed up semi rare titles such as thomas the tank engines snes (5$) mint cart because it wasn't boxed and such, depends on my mood, and what system. I pick up loose carts a lot to upgrade x-rentals and such. I do prefer all my games to be complete eventually but I am the type of the collector who will fill in the pieces later. Hell, you can always re-sell or trade the dupe if you find it boxed/complete later., just my 2 cents...

[grayejectbutton]

I've only recently started collecting games (namely SNES at the moment). I'm not particularly bothered if something is complete or so, although of course I prefer it when it is. I only have a few complete games, none particularly rare (Aerobiz Supersonic is the only one worth anything), although I have a few rarer games that are cart only.

Thinking about it, I WOULD be prepared to pay more for games if they were complete. Sounds obvious, but take EB...I balk at many of their prices (no way I would pay $20 for just the Mario Allstars cart) but, if the game was complete, I would consider it. Funnily enough, their prices are meant to be based on the game being complete, but I've found it's hard to get complete games there.

[J.P.]

*nods to the devilman*

wotcha

*Now back to the thread*

I'll admit i'm not fussy

Games with instructions is what i aim for. I'm mainly a cassette/floppy disk collector for my Atari 8 bits (cassettes need not be a problem with 'Howfen dos', well no problem once Howfens dumped it onto a disk and i'll keep the cassette for instructions on the inlay). For the Amiga side of things, i prefer CDs to floppies (too many duff floppies around now), but manuals and CODE BOOKS are much more important (other wise they won't run!).

carts, is it playable? Do i need instructions or gubbins or can i just assume up, left right, down and shoot!

[Ed Siegler]

I pretty much go for the game itself, and eeven better if the instructions are around. Other than that, I never had luck with storing boxes, so I kinda gave up.

[RetroYoungen]

<~~~non-anal collector

The only thing I care about collecting truly is the game itself. If it's complete or partially complete, then I'll be happy, but just finding something simple without a box or manual (or jewel case) can make me quite giddy. As long as I can play it, I'm happy with it. Unless it's Superman 64 or E.T.

[The Manimal]

Haven't seen any comments like mine, so I will do so myself.


Older, cartridge based systems:

I will purchase them cart only. Boxes and manuals are generally not a must, HOWEVER, if it is an RPG or a game that pretty much requires maps and numbers....I'll still buy it, but I will re-buy it if I find the paperwork, or try to win the paperwork off eBay. I couldn't imagine trying to buy weapons/armor/spells, or know how what does what in an RPG. If I find a game I already have cart only complete later on, I generally don't bother. Even if it is $3.00 (for NES). Of course there will be very few exceptions. I strangely didn't pick up Mega Man 2 complete used for $10 a few months back, mainly because I didn't have that much money at the moment. I have the cart and manual, and all I didn't have was the box.

ALL CD based systems:


It HAS to be complete. No questions asked. It was understandable that with cart based systems, people kept the carts separate in cases and lost the manuals and boxes. But not for CD based systems. They have built in cases. They should be stored like standard cds or dvds. On a rack with the case spine showing. And if they are in the case, why get rid of the front insert and back cover of the disc? I don't know if used stores around here (not sure about Funco/GameStop/EB) accept disc only, but I'm guessing it's the same as used music cd stores. If it's disc only, it'll be in the $0.50 or $1.00 no matter HOW rare.

[Jasoco]

Being new, I go for what I can get. Mostly loose carts right now. In the case of CD's for my DC, I have the whole thing for all of them right now. But for carts, I'll take the cart. I only have 4 boxed NES games complete. (Well, almost complete one of them is missing a manual.) Ghostbusters II, To the Earth, Dick Tracy and the centerpiece, Super Mario 3. To the Earth is the one missing the manual.