Printable View
I just bought a couple of loose Saturn games and that's what I'll wind up doing with them. I loathe the huge jewel cases American Saturn games came in, and I would much rather get them loose and stick them in DVD cases with custom artwork than deal with cracked longboxes.Quote:
Originally Posted by theredlineboss
For cartridge based systems (ecxept 32x): I prefer loose carts in decent condition
For disc based systems: always, ALWAYS CIB
32x: In box if I can, but it's not a big deal if I can't
Boxed complete with manual excellent condition,and that goes for everything including cardboard boxes.
I dont need things in perfect condition but just a step below.
I envy the people who are happy buying loose games,they must save a ton of money :) but if i wanted games loose i might as well just settle for emulation or flash cards.
I'd love to hear your logic behind that sentiment... doesn't make any sense to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murphy245
a loose game is just like slapping the program in your game player. Same as emulation.Quote:
Originally Posted by OldSchool
Handling a complete game is the real experience.
This isn't true. Place cartridge in machine, switch it on + play game is the true "experience". There can't be too many people who always take the cart out of their box every time they want to play and put it back afterwards, (stopping to gaze lovingly at the boxart every time they replace the case on the shelf) ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Zz Badnusty
Almost all my Nintendo carts were bought loose, or their original boxes are just too mashed up to function anymore. They don't look nice. But still, I'd much rather have a nice collection of carts than just emulation, flash cart etc, as it's much more fun to look through a bunch of proper Sega / Nintendo carts to find a game you want to play, than a boring list of roms. It's not the same at all.
I do buy my MD/Genesis games CIB when possible, but right now I don't keep the majority of the games in their cases, but "loose" in shoeboxes, small shelves & suchlike. (I don't have the space to display them all, so they'd hardly ever get played if I left the carts inside.) You could argue I might as well have bought them all loose, or just sell them and get a flash cart for all the use I get of the cases - but I know they exist, and someday soonish I hope I'll have a big enough permanent home to place all my cases on decent shelving :P And it detracts nothing from the games either way - original hardware + carts = still authentic & nostalgic, more CIB just means you're more of a nerd / obsessive compulsive ;)
I was mainly just playing devil's advocate
hehe
and I agree with you 100%
though obsessive compulsive may indeed be starting to weigh in on my personal collecting nuances :P
I don't mind loose carts, but I won't touch a loose CD or DVD.
I know I asked, but wow.... that must be what I sound like when I talk about Music.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zz Badnusty
Man... us elitests must sound like total cunts to those who don't know shit about the subjects we take so seriously. :o
Most of the games that came out before the PSOne, Saturn, DC, PS 2, XBOX and G-Cube systems, I've collected them in a nice .ZIP and .7ZIP format in folders by region and sometimes by genre type. Also no Bad dumps either! Other than that.. If I can help it, newer games have to be complete or else I won't buy it! :p
I'm only really OCD about stickers. On anything really. Games, DVDs, CDs, anything where you keep the packaging. Stickers are the bane of my existence even though I've gotten pretty good at removing them.
Putting a sticker on top of the cartridge art sticker is anathema to me.
I actually prefer loose carts due to space limitations. Most of my 2600, 5200, Intellivision, Colecovision, SMS, 7800, NES, SNES, and N64 games are loose carts and stored on shelves or in system organizers. The only ones I have many CIB are Genesis and 32X because the clamshells are easy to find in the wild.
Hmm...
I'm a little bit more lenient than I was before.
- Anything Sega should be at least boxed.
- Any disc based game for any console should be complete. I'll make exceptions, depends on how hard to come by it is. But absolutely no disc only.
- Any other cart based stuff can be loose, as I expect it to be. Except DS, which needs to be CIB.
- Like to have the boxes for my consoles as well.
- Like things at least in "good" condition, but again will make exceptions for rare stuff.
- Not completionist by any means nowadays, I only buy games that interest me as I'm in the mood for the particular console or genre.
This is how I work it.
1. If the item is cheap enough I will buy it loose or boxed, it doesn't matter. However the cart-label must be legible. Reasoning behind this is that at least I will have the game, if I can find the game again cheap with a box I will buy it.
2. If CD based, it must have minimal scratches/in playable condition. All CD games must have accompanying box that it originally had, or an equal replacement (Another box of the same game).
3. All consoles are game so long as they are in operable condition as I can work wonders in making a console look new. If I can find a box for it then cool, but all consoles box or not are fine.
I buy games because i want all the packaging that comes with it,if i just wanted the game and nothing else then i might as well play a rom or get a flash cartridge to play all the games i want on the real hardware.Quote:
Originally Posted by OldSchool
Most collecting-type hobbies are all about having something cool and pretty to show off that's sitting on a shelf, in a cabinet, inside a book, or whatever. That's what makes packaging and manuals so important in our case, as well as having them in good condition. Being able to actually play the contents of our collection is just one of the perks that comes with our particular hobby.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Murphy245
Yep. The appeal of the real thing is nerding out over the physical product itself and admiring the beauty as a displayable collector's item. If I didn't care about that, there are a number of easier alternatives to going out and hunting these things down or buying them off of eBay for jacked up prices that could bring me the very same playing experience.
Having the physical medium in your hands is worth it, having the boxes for old cart systems is only for those who like to build "showoff" rooms and then join a forum like this and say, "look at my stuff".Quote:
Originally Posted by WarmSignal
;)
The very essence of collecting. I mean, why else would people for instance collect stamps?Quote:
Originally Posted by OldSchool
I'm with you.Quote:
Originally Posted by OldSchool
I understand why people out there want pristine collections to display but I really have nobody to show off to who'd give a crap about my collection and showing my stuff to strangers online wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. I'm in it for the games.
Emulation is great, especially for games I can't get readily get my hands on but nothing beats playing the real thing on a real system the way it was intended. I might be crazy but the experience just isn't the same for me on an emulator no matter how well it's been emulated. It shouldn't matter but it does, it's not something I can explain. I admit it's even a little irrational probably.
That being said if I can get the game in complete condition I'll get it that way because it is cooler, especially if I really love the game. Sometimes a complete copy costs so much more than a loose one that it's just not worth it though.
top two posts are solid ^^ :nod:
For Vinyl and other things sure... for Gaming, it is 'not' the essence of collecting. The essence (pour moi) is having the game to play it.. but I know what you mean ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Devil N
Collecting and playing are two separate things IMHO and should be regarded as such. Some people are mostly players, others are mostly collectors. Both camps have a reason to exist.Quote:
Originally Posted by OldSchool
Myself, I'm somewhere in between. I buy games first and foremost to play them, but I also like the collecting aspect of it, so I don't ignore that either. It means I prefer to have my games complete and in good condition for "showing off", but I don't need to own everything like some die-hard collectors out there. I only collect what I find worth playing.
Then there's also a third aspect to it, and that's the hunt. Part of the fun of collecting is in waiting and searching for that one special deal on that one particular rare game. Once you find what you're looking for, after waiting for months on end, and finally hook that great deal, that is incredibly satisfying.
Why do you assume its for showing off?Quote:
Originally Posted by OldSchool
I like to look through my games and gaze at artwork and going through the manuals etc and i like to see my favorite games presented well,i buy the games i love so its more for my own personal enjoyment than showing off.
I didn't want to bother but yeah, that's what I was thinking.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murphy245
I've never shown off my games to anyone. My friends aren't the type that would be impressed or even really understand something like that. I've had mixed reactions in the past when they "discover" them.
Anything cart game that came in a plastic case originally, I want complete with instructions. I don't have any later Genny games after they did away with the cases but I'd still prefer them complete if possible just for the sake of consistency.
CD/DVD games same story. I just can't bring myself to settle for the generic case option.
Everything NES or Jaguar I'm ok with just the cart.
I just like having my stuff with the original case/manual and in decent condition, that's about the extent of it. Non-mint doesn't really bother me, but if the box or boxart look like shit I'll pass on it.
It does make me feel a lot better about my own collection to hear you guys accepting a good mixture of both CIB and loose.
More and more I see the norm rising with...
Hard Clamshell Cases: CIB
Cardboard Cases: Loose
CD/DVD: Obligatory CIB
For me, I'd collect everything Mint CIB if I had the means for it. For now, anything Sega (especially Genesis, but except GGr) must be Mint CIB, the same goes for GBA, DS, and all CD/DVD games. Game Boy, Game Boy Color, NES, SNES, N64, Game Gear, and perhaps most other handhelds I'd collect loose. I'm not certain where I stand with the TG-16 or the AES, but I'm sure it'd be Mint CIB as well.
Anyways, I just wanted to share this philosophy of mine with you guys. And I know it's a matter of semantics, so by no means should you take this as law written in stone. But when it comes to collecting, I always try to keep two main rules in mind:
1. Stick to one system at a time and make it your dedicated collection:
-I figure, unless one had the means to buy any and every game one ever wanted, one would have all of them by now. The truth is the world's console/handheld gaming library is by now vast enough to safely assume one shall never play (and definitely not beat) all the games that ever existed. If you concentrate on a single console's library, you'll feasibly reach your goal for that particular system within a feasible time-frame. Then you can safely move-on to another system from there. This, of course, does not mean that one should buy and play games for just one system, it just means one should concentrate on one system at a time. To share what I do, I make the Genesis/CD/32X my dedicated collection, and for every Genesis/CD/32X game I buy, I'll buy another for a different system (when the time comes). That way, I can have a dedicated collection, and still be able to enjoy the fullness of the world's gaming library at my own discretion.
...and...
2. A collection is always a library; but a library is not necessarily a collection:
It's easy to get lost in semantics, so, once more, I really don't want you guys to think I'm stating this as law or anything. I'm sure you have your own philosophy. But if you think about it, to give an analogy, if reading books is all you want to do, then might as well check them out for free from your local library or buy a cheap soft-cover. However, if you want to collect them, then surely you'd buy the best copies you can afford and take the best care of them. As for gamimg, if gameplay is all that matters to you, then it's best to go the emulation route, or to buy the games loose and in just "acceptable" condition. Whatever's cheapest. But if you want to collect them, then a personal value most be set upon your own belongings (not necessarilly monetary; as I personally don't plan to ever sell a single one of my games I've attributed to my collection). Smudgy stickers on a heavily scratched copy of M.U.S.H.A. with a ripped label is not to everyone the standard of what they call a collectible item, even if it costs a good $50+. To share what I personally draw-out from this philosophy, with the first in mind (stick to one system at a time), I always try to buy my games as mint as possible. Your average fingernail indentation on a cart's label doesn't really destroy the collectability of a game, so as long as the whole label is intact and the cartridge is not cracked or yellowed-out, I consider it worthy of my collection. Genny clamshells don't need the hanging tab to be collectible, but I buy them only with the hanging tab to keep as much of the original as possible. The inserts and manual should have no water damage (but I've learned that a ripped insert can be fixed the same way a museum's curator would a paper document). Still, I want my inserts as intact as I do my hanging tabs. Manuals can be ironed to perfection in most cases, so bent pages are never a deterrent. And stickers (even on labels) are not the worst of enemies (as long as everything else is intact, with the right care, you could bring a D- looking cartridge, case and manual to a grade A, Mint CIB game). So, in other words, what I do is I take as good care of my games as possible and try to have each item in the best condition they can be. I stick to Genesis/CD/32X Mint CIB, as well as anything that's just as easily found Mint CIB (and might as well have them thusly), like CD/DVD-based games, GBA, DS, etc. As for entire gaming libraries that were released in cardboard cases (like NES, SNES, N64, etc), as long as they are cartridge-based and Mint condition, those loose carts will look just as beautiful stacked in columns or in rows on your shelves. Having everything mint CIB is what everyone wants at heart, but affordability never allows thusly. However, as long as I keep everything Mint, I will consider my games worthy of being called part of a collection.
...the end. Lol. :D
I can't focus on one console at a time, I get "tired" of it after a while. Right now I'm back in a Saturn mood, but who knows in a few weeks I'll probably be after DS games or something.
The closest I've come to focusing on one console would be the 360, as I've acquired nearly every game I wanted for it (110ish), minus playing keep up with new releases. Availability really helps me stay focused on one console, so I suppose I have GameStop to thank for that. Older stuff around here is very hard to come by, especially in the winter, so when it comes to using eBay and Amazon, I seem to loose interest quicker.
Interesting you mention the "hunt"... as that's my least favorite aspect of collecting Games. With records, it was my favorite part because I was collecting 'as' new records surfaced/etc... but with these old systems, I don't want to sit around collecting forever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Devil N
I started collecting oldschool Console stuff in Q4'08 and I wanted to be done in less than a year. I'm 90% there, simply have a few loose ends to tie up. I did my best to find a couple solid sellers so that I could buy in bulk: A. to get a better price and B. to finish as quickly as possible.
How in the world someone could spend years collecting for one system is beyond me... if you're short on funds understandable, but past that, why would anyone want to drag this process out? The faster it's done, the sooner one can start enjoying his collection.
Because the majority of the folks I've come across on boards like this are insane with their organized lists and pictures/etc... AND taboot, 9/10 those kinds of guys have all of their pics/etc listed ONLINE so you can check their stuff out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murphy245
I think it's retarded to spend all that money and then show potential thieves your stash... but hey that's me.
If you want a great example of a, "hey look at my stuff", take a look at a user on this board... think his name is apollo 'somethin'.
lol
Any Sega cartridge-based games: Anything, preferably CIB.
Handhelds: Loose. DS, has to be CIB.
CD games: CIB, except if it's an exceptionally awesome deal.
Non-Sega cartridge-based games: Loose, pref with manual.
TG-16: At least the jewel case and manual.
My line of thought is pretty simple: if you really love your hobby, you will always want the items to be in the best shape you can get, meaning MINT and COMPLETE.
This applies to games, comic books, CDs, everything.
Looking back after 8 years, I've noticed my collecting philosophy has not changed much. I've since spread my goal from a complete US NTSC Genesis library to all US NTSC games on Sega systems except Pico. And that gave me a wider range and timeframe where I get to apply the same collecting/gaming mindset to buy one non-Sega game (new or old) for every Sega game I purchase (this becoming more and more imminent as one nears the completion of one's goal or system library). This still not only drives forward my ultimate collecting goal for Sega Systems, but also allows me to delve into other libraries, again, new and old.
I do want to apologize if my original statement regarding damaged loose carts/games sounded a bit smug. So I admit after 8 years it was very much a generalization more than anything. Not everyone can afford everything mint or CIB. I know I can't even now. And for many years all I could afford were said loose carts. And those I know I cherished, too. So the part where my philosophy has indeed changed, or rather my stance, if you will, is that your "collection" is anything you want it to be. And no one else can tell you otherwise. Also, to another extent, not everyone wants to complete a given system's library. And be it one's goal to take it one game at a time, or just the handful of games you loved as a child, then that is beautiful, too.
bootlegs
Hope it's in decent shape for the cheap ass price I get it for.
I'm a total mixed bag. Just carts for some systems, CIB for quite a few, carts with booklets and dust covers for NES, just the clear cases for Game Boy. I usually go for good to very good, never worried about mint or NM. The only thing I don't do at all is loose discs. I need to have at least the back art of the case - but I go mostly case+manual for disc-based systems.
I throw away my longboxes
Boo!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVphFkaX1ggQuote:
Originally Posted by gamevet
Saw this and thought of you.
"Does it still work?"
If "yes" then buy.
If "no" then walk away.
My interest is in playing the games and even then only the ones I want. I'm not some Youtube jackoff that has to stand in front of shelves of games as if that makes their opinion any more valid. I remember a time when we actually traded games with friends (or others) because we didn't have the disposable income to buy everything we wanted.