Galdius | 1,511 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 I wouldn't buy boxes in the condition of OP's picture. Even if they are hard to find, I would prefer to wait for a better one. I don't need to have every box in mint condition but I don't like any tears or rips on them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMark0673 | 197 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 I always kept boxes in nearly any condition and looked to upgrade in the future. I was keeping record well before NA created their collection tool, so my place to store stuff was rfgeneration's collection tool. I'm sure other tools are far better now, but at the time it was perfect for my needs. The only time I wouldn't keep an item or box: It had live or dead bugs in it. Anything worth less than several hundred dollars would go directly in the trash at that point. I don't need bed bugs for a rotten Kickle Cubicle box. It had mold or fungus. Again, can't jeopardize my home for a box that's living. It smelled like piss or heavy cigarette smoke. No thanks, I'll wait for a better item. I've had two pinball machines that came from smoking households. I had to use an ozone generator and a bunch of deodorizers in a relatively closed space for weeks to get rid of the smell. They were both $5k+ in value, so I was willing to keep it in my garage and work out the smell, but if it were a toaster NES, that thing would have been in the dump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkchylde28 | 1,546 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 If I didn't have them, I'd pick them up regardless of shape (while respecting @MrMark0673's above pass/throw away terms above) and just hang onto them until a better replacement comes along. If you've got them, you've got them, even if they're no prize to look at, and you can always pick up a better one (and perhaps trade/sell off the worse one) later on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 4,722 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 I'd keep the boxes in question. If its got physical mold then I'd ditch it, just musty or earthy smell then I'd sanitize it and bag it up. I'm not too picky on condition because I can't be. Collecting unlicensed original famicom games , it's quite frequently when only two or three boxes are known to exist. I'd prefer a beaten one to none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH | 4,901 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 I think those boxes are grade worthy for Paul. I say keep them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,401 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 I need my cart labels to be near mint. Carts are so relatively common and easy to find in nice shape I’ve never had reason to settle. The only time I settle is for something like ISS on SNES, where finding a cart without at least a little edge wear is an ordeal. I still don’t want rips/tears. I’m in the market for a loose Hagane but all the Ebay listings are asking collector prices for essentially rekt carts IMO. I’m a little looser on boxes because they’re harder to find very nice. I’ll take a 7/10 until I can upgrade but those 3 junkers you pictured I’d give away for the cost of shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m308gunner | 352 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 If those boxes were in my collection they would have had to been picked up for no more than 50 cents. Some wear is ok, but I draw the line at rips and tears. Consign them to the flames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code Monkey | 2,006 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 I would put them on the shelf but wouldn't even add it to my collection tracker. So if I was at a show and checked my collection list, I'd see that I don't have a box and buy another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_Bogomil | 815 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 OK for placeholders if they were free but wouldn't pay money for any box with significant wear or damage unless it was super rare. Even then I would have trouble putting any significant money down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRN | 15 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 It kind of depends on the person, I guess. If it's a game or something that I don't really care about, or something that would cost a bunch to upgrade, who cares if you have 1 or 2 or 3 that are crap. You don't accumulate 800 games without some baddies. I'd go crazy trying to find a perfect copy of everything. I keep track of my stuff in excel. I have it on Dropbox so I can look at it wherever I go and on my computer. Apps (and sites, for that matter) come and go, so you should probably try to keep your stuff in something that won't disappear at some point.... Just sayin'. But, at the end of the day, I liken it to 2:30 am, it's cold, no one is looking, and you don't want to go home alone. Walk of shame doesn't matter, had sex. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegHead | 127 Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 11 hours ago, MrMark0673 said: I always kept boxes in nearly any condition and looked to upgrade in the future. I was keeping record well before NA created their collection tool, so my place to store stuff was rfgeneration's collection tool. I'm sure other tools are far better now, but at the time it was perfect for my needs. The only time I wouldn't keep an item or box: It had live or dead bugs in it. Anything worth less than several hundred dollars would go directly in the trash at that point. I don't need bed bugs for a rotten Kickle Cubicle box. It had mold or fungus. Again, can't jeopardize my home for a box that's living. It smelled like piss or heavy cigarette smoke. No thanks, I'll wait for a better item. I've had two pinball machines that came from smoking households. I had to use an ozone generator and a bunch of deodorizers in a relatively closed space for weeks to get rid of the smell. They were both $5k+ in value, so I was willing to keep it in my garage and work out the smell, but if it were a toaster NES, that thing would have been in the dump. I've found dead bugs in many consoles I've opened to clean, and I think even in a cart or two. I don't recall any live ones, thankfully. Cigarette smoke is just a total deal breaker for me, though. That crap can migrate. What are people's thoughts on water damage? Boxes or manuals that get that wavy look to them after the water has dried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alder | 243 Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 Save them for when Paul goes for CIB, lol. But, if I had the boxes in that picture I'd probably toss them. At least the top two. I have a few missing the tabs and a Mario 2 box that has the bottom taped together, but all the important stuff is there and it still looks decent on the shelf. I'd probably keep water damaged boxes.. maybe try to flatten them out. But manuals will usually stick together and become a piece of cardboard. I throw those away. I had a mega man 2 box and manual that smelled like smoke. Threw them in a bag with some dryer sheets. Eventually the smell went away but it took 6+ months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorEncore | 3,690 Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 As a CIB collector, the box is the single most important piece of the puzzle. It doesn't have to be pristine, but if it's all beat up, I'm not interested. Generally, I'd rather skip a bad box than have to upgrade later. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeewithmrsaturn | 100 Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 The only things I might add are that 1) If it's rare, I would get the box as a placeholder in any condition if the price is right. I would never pass with the intention to upgrade on something I'm not certain I will be able to upgrade. 2) I don't think there is a point where wrecked boxes or manuals become worthless. Even when they can't function as intended (for example, a cut box from a rental case), they are still art and still an authentic piece of an ever-shrinking supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8-bit guerilla | 82 Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 Oooooo! Ugly stuff! I’ll take em if you’re gunna get rid of em!!! and any other mid to rare trashed games you got still workin the ugly collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono1874 | 144 Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 (edited) Honestly? I don't have a problem with the cartridge being almost completely destroyed so long as it works. Boxes it's a different story. I wouldn't want a boxed game like the ones in the picture. That adventures of Tom Sawyer box is probably the lowest condition I would find acceptable. Edited October 24, 2019 by Jono1874 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedy_NES | 102 Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 On 10/22/2019 at 5:05 AM, the tall guy said: I do have some box protectors! I've got over 500 of them, I just need to get some more (like, another 25 currently). Upgrading is definitely not a bad idea, but honestly I don't buy on eBay and I rarely run into boxes locally. At the same time, I can't help feeling that some box is better than no box. How do you keep track of what you need to upgrade? Keep a list? My view is that if something is rare enough that a placeholder scratches the itch to own it, and you may never come across that item again, then it's good to buy the item no matter the condition. Having said that, if it is a variant (for example, 2nd or 3rd print run) from a publisher where you can make a safe assumption on the (lack of) rarity and that you will eventually come across another copy, then I recommend to pass on buying a heavily worn version as it will be an inefficient use of time in the long-run. As I collect tons of obscure stuff, this rule-of-thumb works well for me, as there's plenty of items I have not seen beyond a worn copy. In your case, with games, I'm tempted to say that the opportunity cost of upgrading is too high to bother buying heavily worn placeholders... but as you only buy locally and hardly come across boxes, then the logic above would work well for you, too. You could of course start buying on eBay, as it may be more efficient in the long-run, too... As for keeping track; I use simple spreadsheets. I have a column for condition, and highlight those items that I'd like to eventually upgrade. For some parts of the collection, I've put down detailed grades for each item, but never found the time to do this for every item in the collection. As the size of the collection grows, this level of detail just becomes extremely cumbersome. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foochie776 | 1,051 Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 @the tall guyI’ve got some super common boxes you can have it you need them nintendo World Cup, anticipation, defenders of the crown 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the tall guy | 63 Posted October 25, 2019 Author Share Posted October 25, 2019 13 minutes ago, Foochie776 said: @the tall guyI’ve got some super common boxes you can have it you need them nintendo World Cup, anticipation, defenders of the crown I have all three, but thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the tall guy | 63 Posted October 25, 2019 Author Share Posted October 25, 2019 1 hour ago, Speedy_NES said: My view is that if something is rare enough that a placeholder scratches the itch to own it, and you may never come across that item again, then it's good to buy the item no matter the condition. Having said that, if it is a variant (for example, 2nd or 3rd print run) from a publisher where you can make a safe assumption on the (lack of) rarity and that you will eventually come across another copy, then I recommend to pass on buying a heavily worn version as it will be an inefficient use of time in the long-run. As I collect tons of obscure stuff, this rule-of-thumb works well for me, as there's plenty of items I have not seen beyond a worn copy. In your case, with games, I'm tempted to say that the opportunity cost of upgrading is too high to bother buying heavily worn placeholders... but as you only buy locally and hardly come across boxes, then the logic above would work well for you, too. You could of course start buying on eBay, as it may be more efficient in the long-run, too... As for keeping track; I use simple spreadsheets. I have a column for condition, and highlight those items that I'd like to eventually upgrade. For some parts of the collection, I've put down detailed grades for each item, but never found the time to do this for every item in the collection. As the size of the collection grows, this level of detail just becomes extremely cumbersome. On the upshot, typically if I come across stuff in this kind of shape, it's incredibly inexpensive. I gave next to nothing for those three. I have my collection updated on NA, but I think I should probably put it in excel or something. Spend some time and catalog everything. Maybe make notes of some things that should I find them could be upgraded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedy_NES | 102 Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 7 minutes ago, the tall guy said: On the upshot, typically if I come across stuff in this kind of shape, it's incredibly inexpensive. I gave next to nothing for those three. I have my collection updated on NA, but I think I should probably put it in excel or something. Spend some time and catalog everything. Maybe make notes of some things that should I find them could be upgraded. Yeah, maybe it's possible to copy-paste the collection from NA to text/Excel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the tall guy | 63 Posted October 25, 2019 Author Share Posted October 25, 2019 9 minutes ago, Speedy_NES said: Yeah, maybe it's possible to copy-paste the collection from NA to text/Excel? I'll have to give that a shot when I get my PC up and running again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRobot | 5,793 Events Team · Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 In terms of value, they're virtually worthless. Buuuut, a shitty box is better than no box. I'm bout it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRobot | 5,793 Events Team · Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 In terms of value, they're virtually worthless. Buuuut, a shitty box is better than no box. I'm bout it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the tall guy | 63 Posted October 26, 2019 Author Share Posted October 26, 2019 15 hours ago, JamesRobot said: In terms of value, they're virtually worthless. Buuuut, a shitty box is better than no box. I'm bout it! This actually brings up a separate question and a price check I'll put up later in the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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