How concerned are you in the appearance of your games?

[dieourumov]

Will you only buy games with perfect labels?

Do you buy it regardless of it's cosmetic appearance?

Does writing turn you away from a game?


I don't care about the cosmetic appearance of a game as long as the label isn't ripped or there is writing on it. However, I am concerned about it getting damaged so I keep all manuals in plastic baggies so nothing spills on them.

[Steven]

if it's cheap enough, "fair" condition is fine with me.

otherwise, I try to shoot for good to very good condition. Mint would be a bonus, but not mandatory. I've gone for ripped labels before, simply to save several bucks. It adds up.

[miaandjohnrule]

I'll buy games that aren't perfect if they are cheap. Maybe even try and get a discount because of condition. But I will always try to get the best condition possible. I've also become pretty good at getting out writing and stickers as I'm sure alot of us around here have. 8-)

[GiantPooka]

As long as the label's on them and they actually play, I don't mind. I often leave stickers on if it's a cardboard box to avoid damage.

[50TBRD]

I try to get carts with good labels, thats the most important thing. Stickers can be taken off with some work as long as they aren't on the label. Goo Gone is awesome at taking off stickers and residue. It cuts through the Blockbuster stuff. Writing is tough to get off. I haven't found anything to completly do it, mostly just reduce it.

[StakeRaiser]

I'm to the point whether my only criteria is that I can read the label, I'm not much of a collector anymore

Back then, I just wanted the label to be full, didn't mind little rips, stains, etc

[Slash]

I try to get carts with good labels, thats the most important thing. Stickers can be taken off with some work as long as they aren't on the label. Goo Gone is awesome at taking off stickers and residue. It cuts through the Blockbuster stuff. Writing is tough to get off. I haven't found anything to completly do it, mostly just reduce it.

You are right about GooGone. Works like a dream on sticker residue, although you have to mind the game label. It can get under the label and peel it.

For permanent marker writing, I tried nail polish remover. Bad idea. It "melts" the plastic of the game case (on SNES games, anyways). Nothing terrible, but the texture of the plastic is messed up. I usually just leave marker on the game cases... until now.

Here is how you remove permanent marker: Get a dry-erase marker and trace over the writing, then wipe it off with a dry cloth. Magic! It's gone! I know, it sounds crazy, but it works. For real.

Sometimes it takes a few going-overs with the marker. It has worked on NES, SNES, N64, and Genesis, and probably every other plastic game, including on the labels themselves. Recently I did it for Quake 2 (N64) and it got rid of all the marker, but I couldn't get some very tiny marker spots out of the texture of the plastic. So I took a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (another useful cleaning tool) and rubbed it on the area in question and now the cartridge looks like new. Permanent marker completely gone, no traces whatsoever.

As far as the answer to the original post, I try to get good qualtiy if possible, but otherwise I don't care. The most important thing to me is actually having the game and being able to play it.

In a sense, I would rather have a physically busted-up copy of a game than one new sealed in a box. Because you can't play the one sealed in the box. Well, you could, but as a collector I wouldn't want to open up a fresh classic game :P Ideally, I would want 2 copies of every game... 1 sealed and 1 opened so I could play it :)

[Nesmaster]

The fresher the better, but it would take no label at all for me to pass on a game I've wanted... and even then I'd buy it if it was REAL cheap.

[Nukie]

For the rarer or hard to find games, I'll generally make sure the label and cart are in good or better condition. For common games, if I need it for the collection I'll usually pick it up if it has a label, I can always find another if the condition is bad.

[christhegamer]

You really need to make a poll for these kinds of things, but, oh well...

most of the time, yes; the appearance of games is very Important to me. I'd rather have a good-looking common game instead of a damaged, colored-on sub-par rarity (of course, price is also always important ;))

[ganonbanned]

anything, including non working games are good for me. always can try to be cleaned.

[Jumpman Jr.]

Origionally, I didn't really care about the condition of a game that I bought. Then eventually, as I got more and more stuff, I wanted either near-mint or mint games.
And now, I almost never buy anything unless it has the box and manual.
I think the more one's collection mature's, the more they care about that kind of stuff. Not always the case, though.

[jferio]

As long as it has a readable label, I'm good. Although if I get a better label on a game than what's in my collection through buying packaged lots at the thrift, then I'll replace the old one with the new one.

Consoles and controllers, on the other hand, I prefer looking nicer, in part because they tend to be on display where I have them. Most of my consoles have been scrubbed down at least once. Controllers I clean as a matter of course, since who knows what was on the last pair of hands to touch it.

[Vroomfunkel]

Will you only buy games with perfect labels?

If the label is curling a bit at the edge, I guess that's OK.


Do you buy it regardless of it's cosmetic appearance?

Nope. Not unless it is Kizuna Encounter Euro or something.


Does writing turn you away from a game?

Yes.

...

I take care of games and books to make sure they don't get damaged. It follows then that I prefer to have games that haven't already suffered a fate that I would wish to avoid for them. If I can get something really cheap because it's in rough condition, I might consider it - but it would have to be a really significant saving, or else a very very rare game. Everything else, I'll just wait for a nicer one to come along.

Vroomfunkel

[unbroken]

Cart games - I wilol only buy these complete, no matter what, unless its a very rare game. Condition doesnt really matter, if its complete, im happy.

Disk Games - Must be complete, 100% scratch free, again if its a very rare game I will make an exception.

PC games - I try to find old pc games complete, shape doesnt really matter.

[Abman]

I really care. A good example is my PS1 games. I went though them last night, if they case had a bad crack in it I put it on seperate piles from the games with good cases.

I am planning on getting all new cases for the broken PS1 games. Of course if it is just a small crack I can let it go.

The one thing that bugs me more then anything is stickers. I am also going though my PS1 games and using Goo Gone on them. It works pretty good, it just takes a pretty long time for it to take really good effect.

Also writing on them bother me. I still can't think of a way to get the marker and stuff off. Now if there is any tear in the lable I buy a new copy, I just can't stand tears in the label.

I can stand it looking a little messy though but I am pretty big on wanting all my games too look perfect.

[steveant1636]

i will buy the games as long as the label in in good shape, writing or stickers on the games are ok i can get those off, but the label or box has to be in good shape.

[Arasoi]

Im fairly picky overall.

I want my Castlevania games mint and complete whenever possible, though for very rare ones Ive bought them with worn boxes (Castlevania Commodore 64), or without box or manual (Castlevania 2 wristwatch). I cant stand for torn or tarnished labels.

My complete NES black label cartridge collection have all perfect labels, except for a small warp on the outside of Popeye's label.

[tornadostormxl]

I dont care if it is cheap it doesnt matter.

[Felixthegamer]

For carts, I am not too picky. If the price is good, I buy it if I need it for my collection. There are certain games, like my favourites, that I try to get complete and in good condition. For disc, I really like complete and if it is scratched too much, I tend to pass. As for games I buy new, I do take care of them to keep them in the best condition, but with used there is only so much love you can give a cart that is damaged

[LifeGame]

Well its always nicer when its clean...but i buy everything as long as it goes in my price settings.

Every time i get a NES game i already have, which is my primary goal to get get them all, i analyse for a good 2 minutes all aspects of the cart and keep the best one.

I got 274 dups for nes so ask me if you want to trade!!

Clean is the best Eraser for Marker
Lighter Fluid for sticker when not on a unprotected label.
Thats it

[rhiohki]

A poll would be nice for this thread. This question aims straight at collectors and gamers alike. The collector in me always searches for games with the UTMOST perfect manual, label etc. Not only that, but it must be complete
(i.e. if it came with a box and/or inserts etc.) NOT ONLY THAT, but the box and any other included items must be in as perfect shape as possible.

I've had the hardest time finding good boxes for Turbo Games. They are the flimsiest piece of carboard I've seen. I'm both anal and a collector, so I have a damn hard time trying to find perfect games in the wild. I have become a bit more lenient though, but I digress.

If I'm buying to PLAY, it really doesn't matter about condition.

[ROBOTNIK666]

As long as it works, I don't really care about the apearance of the game.

[CosmicMonkey]

I'll only buy a CD game (or HuCard) if it's complete in case, with front and rear insert. Spine card/registration card aren't important unless it's an expensive/rare game. But the game itself has to be in very good condition.

Same with Megadrive/Genny games, they have to be complete with hardcase and vgc/mint insert.

All my NeoGeo MVS carts have had the labels replaced wih nice uniform ones. I've cleaned all the carts, and they're all in ShockBoxes with proper printed inserts (apart from Blazing Star and Pulstar, still waiting for NeoCverA to upload those ones). My PGM games are also in Shockboxes with inserts too. Waiting to see how the boxes for CPS2 games go on South Town. Atomiswave games will also be in either Media Shelving or MD cases, with printed inserts.

I'll also be making inserts for Media Shelving boxes for my upcoming SuperFamicom/N64 purchases. If the game comes with a box for cheap, then it's a bonus. Just makes making an insert easier. But I want all the SNES/N64 games in nice uniform hardcases.

So yeah, as you can see, I like all my games to look nice when sat on the shelf.

[SolidZach]

I will buy anything for the right price. Like an earthbound cart that had some small sticker damage for 10 bucks.

[smork]

All depends on price.

Current gen stuff I only buy if it's in super nice condition and complete -- too easy to find any current gen stuff to put up with disc scratches, bad manuals, etc. Caveat: very cheap, like under $5. Then I am not so picky.

Older stuff -- depends. I don't need the obi on an import CD -- but I try to get them anyway. I strive for complete stuff -- but most of the things I tend to buy are already usually complete anyway. I'll pick up any old crap if it's cheap enough. I never buy older stuff online so it's not usually to taxing to check condition of things and refuse it if it's poor enough. I'm not looking for anything that's TOO difficult to find so I don't mind waiting for a good copy at a good price.

[mailman187666]

I like to collect saturn games, so if i can come across something that i want to play, I'll buy it disk only if i have to. I like the saturn RPGs which all cost a good amount, but i find them on ebay as disk only for sometimes up to $30 cheaper or more than a complete one. If i can find a disk only radiant silvergun, I'm going to buy that because that will save me damn near $80 on it. So all in all, as long as I can tell what game it is and be able to play it without any hassle, I'll buy it if the price is reasonable.

[BocoDragon]

Boxes & Cases: If I had kept my NES-N64 era collection, I would probably be anal about boxes for cartridge games. As it is, I can't afford to be. Worrying about aquiring boxes at this stage in the game is too expensive, and really, rather pointless. I'm going to be keeping my classic carts in the my official cart racks anyway, so the boxes are nothing more than something to display. In that case, I pick up a few boxes that look really cool, or for games I consider the best, and save about $40 per purchase.

Cases on the other hand, for optical media games (and many Sega carts), are requred IMO. The case is really the only place to the see the box art (which would have been nicely represented on the cart labels of old), and an optical disc lying around or in a binder doesn't really feel like I own the game. (unless it never had a case!)

Cartridge Labels: Yes please. This is one thing I couldn't live without. It would be like having a ripped up box... I'd just throw it out.

Manuals: For boxed games I only sorta care. It just happens that all boxes usually come with the manuals anyway. I'll never really open the box and look at them though. For cased games, it's obvious and looks sucky when the manual is missing. I had to deal with it for the first time in the example of MGS2: Substance, but that was just to complete a collection anyway.... I could deal with it.

Stickers: As long as they're not on top of the label, they can probably be removed with goo gone or lighter fluid! Yes, even on cardboard boxes, lighter fluid has taken off stickers with no residue! (and a little care, duh) I've also had stubborn CD/DVD rental labels come off with a little work, restored to new condition.

Marker Writing: I've still never bought a written on game... too scared that it won't come off. I guess that trick above with magic eraser will work if I ever come across one.