What to do with sealed Gameboy units

[Buyatari]

Ok I got a few sealed old style Gameboy units.

Question is ....Should you keep them sealed?

Now first answer might be HELL YES. But what about the batteries inside. Won't they leak out making a stain on the box and destroying the contents.

I'm really worried about this one.

Adam

[Buyatari]

Ok I got a few sealed old style Gameboy units.

Question is ....Should you keep them sealed?

Now first answer might be HELL YES. But what about the batteries inside. Won't they leak out making a stain on the box and destroying the contents.

I'm really worried about this one.

Adam

[Darth Vader]

Ok I got a few sealed old style Gameboy units.

Question is ....Should you keep them sealed?

Now first answer might be HELL YES. But what about the batteries inside. Won't they leak out making a stain on the box and destroying the contents.

I'm really worried about this one.

Adam

Are you sure that these units came with batteries? I never had one brand new so I am assuming they do. Honestly Adam, I'd still take my chances by leaving them alone. Over a long period of time MOST batteries do leak (especially the crappy ones that manufacturers throw in with electronics), but from a colletors point of view, I'd leave them alone and take your chances. If you open up the box, you just took away all the value that the unit had to the "brand new, sealed" collectors out there.

However if you don't plan on selling them and you have a few of them, pull the batteries out of at least one and leave the rest alone. Just a thought.

Danny

[Darth Vader]

Ok I got a few sealed old style Gameboy units.

Question is ....Should you keep them sealed?

Now first answer might be HELL YES. But what about the batteries inside. Won't they leak out making a stain on the box and destroying the contents.

I'm really worried about this one.

Adam

Are you sure that these units came with batteries? I never had one brand new so I am assuming they do. Honestly Adam, I'd still take my chances by leaving them alone. Over a long period of time MOST batteries do leak (especially the crappy ones that manufacturers throw in with electronics), but from a colletors point of view, I'd leave them alone and take your chances. If you open up the box, you just took away all the value that the unit had to the "brand new, sealed" collectors out there.

However if you don't plan on selling them and you have a few of them, pull the batteries out of at least one and leave the rest alone. Just a thought.

Danny

[Buyatari]

Actually I didn't get them yet they are being shipped to me.

But after I bought them I had this dreaded thought of battery juice leaking out of the boxes and onto my other collectables.

Would a sealed gameboy with obvious battery leakage inside really be worth more than a mint never used but opened one?

err I dunno.

I can't say but I really wouldn't want to buy something with battery crud over the box....... would you?

If given the choice ten years down the road. Which would you purchase for the same price.

OPEN mint never used
or
SEAL with obvoius signs of battery leakage and a battery acid stained box

Which one would you purchase?

Opening the box might well increase the value in the long run. See what I am saying? Still to open a sealed item like this would kill me.

Adam

[Buyatari]

Actually I didn't get them yet they are being shipped to me.

But after I bought them I had this dreaded thought of battery juice leaking out of the boxes and onto my other collectables.

Would a sealed gameboy with obvious battery leakage inside really be worth more than a mint never used but opened one?

err I dunno.

I can't say but I really wouldn't want to buy something with battery crud over the box....... would you?

If given the choice ten years down the road. Which would you purchase for the same price.

OPEN mint never used
or
SEAL with obvoius signs of battery leakage and a battery acid stained box

Which one would you purchase?

Opening the box might well increase the value in the long run. See what I am saying? Still to open a sealed item like this would kill me.

Adam

[maxlords]

Well, are you sure they have batteries inside? I"m not sure that they do. You could always open one to check..or if you're sneaky, you could steam em open like a stamp collector does with stamps on envelopes and then reseal them. Then they'd still look sealed.

[maxlords]

Well, are you sure they have batteries inside? I"m not sure that they do. You could always open one to check..or if you're sneaky, you could steam em open like a stamp collector does with stamps on envelopes and then reseal them. Then they'd still look sealed.

[Bratwurst]

The batteries could be sealed in vacuum formed plastic, if that's the case then leakage shouldn't be a serious problem. In an electric parts bin that was over 15 years old I've had some batteries leak and the corrosion was contained in the plastic baggies they were kept them in.

The original Gameboy's LCD doesn't age well, however, it will eventually fade to a point that's non functional. I don't know if that is the result of constant use or inactivity, but one solution is to bake the display assembly to revitalize the crystals, so I've read.

[Bratwurst]

The batteries could be sealed in vacuum formed plastic, if that's the case then leakage shouldn't be a serious problem. In an electric parts bin that was over 15 years old I've had some batteries leak and the corrosion was contained in the plastic baggies they were kept them in.

The original Gameboy's LCD doesn't age well, however, it will eventually fade to a point that's non functional. I don't know if that is the result of constant use or inactivity, but one solution is to bake the display assembly to revitalize the crystals, so I've read.

[Slipdeath]

check the box it might say "batteries not included"

[Slipdeath]

check the box it might say "batteries not included"

[The Manimal]

You could TRY opening the circular flap on the side and reclosing? I think this is what mine had. I bought the original Game Boy around the time the Game Boy Pocket came out. Actually, it was out already, and I got the last NEW Game Boy I could find anywhere. I thought the 'Pocket' version was too tiny. Which version are they, the one with the headphones and Tetris, the one without, the Play it Louds?

I'm sure someone could tell you for sure.

[jonjandran]

They had 4 aa batteries included, and they were in a sealed plastic wrap.

Also , If you plan on selling them on Ebay I'm sure you know
they go for around $100 - $150 as is.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=3579

[nesuser2]

wtf......There was a guy selling a boatload of those on ebay last year. he was selling them for around $50-$60 I thought. Man.......I missed the boat....

[BoOchan]

I got a Sealed GameBoy Pocket the other day, Marked 1997. Must have been one of the last off the shelves. Anyway, I know for a fact every gameboy produced came with the batteries in separate shinkwrap.

[Jorpho]

The original Gameboy's LCD doesn't age well, however, it will eventually fade to a point that's non functional. I don't know if that is the result of constant use or inactivity, but one solution is to bake the display assembly to revitalize the crystals, so I've read.

Oh dear. I thought that only happened to Microvision screens.

I am now concerned about my Game Boy's life. Do you have any links?

[MarioAllStar2600]

Keep Half Sealed. Open the others, take out teh batterys and keep them complete. Keeps everyone happy.

[Bratwurst]

Oh dear. I thought that only happened to Microvision screens.

I am now concerned about my Game Boy's life. Do you have any links?

Yes I do! Took me a while to dig it up, even.

Atari Age thread.

[rbudrick]

Hmmm, interesting thread....this one and the atari age one....would be very interesting to find more info on this...those Microvisions aren't going to last forever (or the original GBs...that's less of a prob tho).

--ROb