Do you care about packaging?

[The Mask Seller]

I like my stuff to be complete and in mint condition if possible, I'm a bit OCD* and like things to be 'nice'. However, I only collect for PSone era onwards so it's quite easy to pick up games in this condition without bankrupting myself. Also, I'm not a serious collector, I just have the thirty or so games I want for each system, it'd be way too expensive to maintain my standards if I took collecting seriously.

* I once had to trade in a PSP at a loss because it had one stuck pixel I couldn't repair.

[SoupDragon]

Yep im like that too. Complete and minty.

[nokgod]

For me it depends entirely on the system: SNES cart only, GC complete, Atari 2600....anyhow it comes, GB/GBC/GBA anyhow it comes, NGPC complete.

I mean i have Pocket Reversi as a cart, but don't consider it part of my collection....i'm a bit strange like that because if i apply that logic to the SNES, i don't have any games at all

[Paulie]

With consoles / games I mostly buy NTSC-J and I like everything to be boxed and complete, mainly because I like the manual / packaging artwork. Although im not anal about condition, as long as the packaging / manual is good condition then im happy.

I now avoid buying stuff in mint condition. As I'm a gamer and not a collector (although I do have a gaming collection, if you know what i mean), I find it difficult to keep the packaging in mint condition no matter how careful I am, esp Nintendo's cardboard boxes, only the other day I was playing Conkers BFD on N64 and I stood on the box which was in pristine condition and now its all squished.

When It comes to arcade games I don't care about complete kits but sometimes I pick up some of the paperwork, move lists, sickers etc again if like the artwork, plus I like to keep all my MVS games in shock boxes with custom inserts, I just wish there was someting similar for CPS2 games.

[DPrinny]

Playing the game>looking at its box
Ohh such pretty/terrible pictures

[Megamixer]

I have to have all my games complete. It really annoys me when you pick up a rare PS2 game for instance and the second CD holder containing a soundtrack or bonus disc is completely missing. How do people 'accidentally' rip those out and lose them? How?

As for consoles themselves, I really don't care about the boxes - take up a lot of room.

There's always the added bonus too that if you ever needed to sell your games for an emergency then you'll raise a lot more if you've collected them in good/complete nick.

[alistair_thomas]

^ That's pretty much how I see it. Years ago when I traded in a load of Saturn games at Gamestation, the guy serving me was gobsmacked with how pristine my games were. What he didn't notice was the small Sonic sticker I had put on the bottom corner of the Sonic Jam case - I did however notice it when I saw they decided to sell a few of my games as 'new'.

[Uaithne]

If it's a game I want for my collection (eg, Doom etc), I want it with case, book, extras etc etc etc.

However, if it's a game I want to play, then I don't really care. I'd be happy to have two copies of some games - one cart only (even with dodgy/missing labels) to play; and one complete etc for the (eventual) display case.

At the same time though, if I'm buying games for Master System, Mega Drive, Saturn, PlayStation (1-3), XBOX etc (really anything that originally came in a plastic case), I'd prefer to pay the extra bucks for everything rather than just a cart/disc.

Bought a complete, near mint ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST a couple of weeks back - Cost me a packet (about AUD$90), but it's one that I always wanted.

[speedlolita]

Playing the game>looking at its box
Ohh such pretty/terrible pictures

Might as well pirate it then.

[DPrinny]

Playing the game>looking at its box
Ohh such pretty/terrible pictures

Might as well pirate it then.

Nar as then I wont have anything of a hand held size to caress.
Stroking a harddrive just isn't the same
(But stroking a manual will probably get you a paper cut)

[Neilos626]

When I first started collecting I wasnt too concerned about packaging. However over time I have replaced most of my loose items for boxed ones. If your after rare stuff buy a loose cart/cd then hunt for the box on ebay, this is always much cheaper.

[TyronW]

When I first started collecting I wasnt too concerned about packaging. However over time I have replaced most of my loose items for boxed ones. If your after rare stuff buy a loose cart/cd then hunt for the box on ebay, this is always much cheaper.

Very good idea, something I've done in the past. It's mostly manuals on ebay...or even buy a good box with sh!tty cart and then a loose great cart. Then sell the sh!tty cart on.

[Fred83]

i assume the jap cd games fans like the spines with their games

[GazHazSkills]

I'm really bad. I have to have my retro games in mint condition. In the past i had to buy a new box for games (earthbound) because the one i had wasn't nice enough for me. Also as i have a neo geo aes all my games i buy have to be perfect, i have lost count of how many times I ask ebay sellers a million questions. But this is not only on old games, I won't buy a game from a store unless the plastic wrapping is still on because I know for a fact Game has sold me a Ds as new - but it wasn't and had pictures of a person and their family on the hard drive. They had simply put their own sticker over the corners of the pre-owned box and sold it knowing it wasn't new.

[the_retro_bear]

Loose carts are ok with me - as long as it doesn't look like someone has been mixing beef dripping with it. I collect cos I like games so a lot of my carts are loose, though I have a fair few in boxes.