The new breed of collectors thread

[phart010 | 1,707]

2 hours ago, Tanooki said:

But hey some mental types would rather have a dead battery or even an oozing sore eating away in there, you know, because that adds value being all original after all... no tampering, no mods.   Kind of makes you wonder how many crusty batteries are slowly having a meal of a sealed game from the 80s by now.

I don’t mind battery replacements in games , actually I welcome them as long as they are done correctly. But to be fair, old button cell batteries ‘typically’ do not leak. 

[JVOSS | 1,762]

3 hours ago, spacepup said:

I've seen this discussion before and there are certainly different opinions.

Personally, I have no problem at all with battery modifications.  

The way I've approached this "issue," is that I know which ones I've replaced the battery and try to mention that upon transfer of the cart.  I replaced my Earthbound SNES battery, because you know, I actually wanted to play the game.  So when I offered it to someone years later, I mentioned the battery was replaced.  They had no problem with that.  Some do apparently.

This is what makes battery replacement accessible.

i myself  have a play set and i have a Collection set.  the collection set is original no battery replaced the play section will it has the games that has had the batteries replaced and the reproduction items and move in an out of the "collection"  and are identified as replaced so the next person who gets the game will know it is not 100% original..

@spacepupis the example of ethical player/collector imho.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

3 hours ago, drxandy said:

Can't the two co-exist?

Yes and should. 

[Naked Warrior | 288]

I have been selling a few Pokemon GBA and GBC games, and I've been replacing the batteries if they are dead...because 99% of the people who want to buy them would rather have the save functionality (or timed events for the GBA ones) and if I don't list "new battery", every question I get is "Does it save?/Do the timed events work?".  However, I keep the original battery in case I do ever come across a purist...And when I sell one, I'll ask, "Do you want me to send the original battery with it?" (Nobody has ever taken it).  So my question to the purists (mostly @JVOSS), If you bought something like that, would you be cool with it after you soldered in the old battery, or once that new battery went in, is it "forever unclean"?

[JVOSS | 1,762]

1 hour ago, phart010 said:

Not that there is a battery save Gameboy game that actually exists with Stadium Events level of rarity. But conceptually I think you can see what I’m saying 

@phart010there are gb that are RARER then Stadium Events just not as expensive.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

1 minute ago, Naked Warrior said:

I have been selling a few Pokemon GBA and GBC games, and I've been replacing the batteries if they are dead...because 99% of the people who want to buy them would rather have the save functionality (or timed events for the GBA ones) and if I don't list "new battery", every question I get is "Does it save?/Do the timed events work?".  However, I keep the original battery in case I do ever come across a purist...And when I sell one, I'll ask, "Do you want me to send the original battery with it?" (Nobody has ever taken it).  So my question to the purists (mostly @JVOSS), If you bought something like that, would you be cool with it after you soldered in the old battery, or once that new battery went in, is it "forever unclean"?

@Naked WarriorIMO and in my collection it would be moded. 

but with that said i would if you offed at the time i get from you/seller i would take the old battery as it has some data that is needed for cataloging, and validation of the cart components.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

1 hour ago, phart010 said:

I don’t mind battery replacements in games , actually I welcome them as long as they are done correctly. But to be fair, old button cell batteries ‘typically’ do not leak. 

I've had a few I've come across at flea markets, but to be fair, very few like where it's well under 1% of the games, and some cases atmosphere had a hand in it.  In others some putz spilled a drink or dropped it in a toilet on accident so it got wet inside and crusted/rusted the thing out.  Some though clean inside and out, clearly snug screws so it wasn't cracked open to be cleaned so maybe high humidity.

 

I can back up @Naked Warrior I've had the same issue selling off my spare pokemon carts this year, and others I've come across before.  I've given up trying to keep an original battery, specifically in any with the clock feature as they're long gone.  I just don't keep the original battery, because quite frankly, I do NOT want that kind of buyer, ever.  If anyone is that big of a purist, they're almost surely super OCD about stuff and will find any excuse to try and extort a discount so the headache potential isn't worth my time.

Edited July 13, 2021 by Tanooki

[phart010 | 1,707]

34 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

I've had a few I've come across at flea markets, but to be fair, very few like where it's well under 1% of the games, and some cases atmosphere had a hand in it.  In others some putz spilled a drink or dropped it in a toilet on accident so it got wet inside and crusted/rusted the thing out.  Some though clean inside and out, clearly snug screws so it wasn't cracked open to be cleaned so maybe high humidity.

By typically I meant under normal storage conditions. If they are exposed to prolonged high heat or humidity, there could be an issue. But the type of batteries that Nintendo selected were high quality and normally would not leak as these button cells are designed to not leak.

Now, if you buy those cheap Chinese made button cell replacements on Amazon, this may be a whole different outcome

Edited July 13, 2021 by phart010

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I figured as much, but anything is possible.  I'd imagine any state in the US that sees fairly high humidity part if not most of the year could have quite a few of these batteries getting funky by now if the games weren't kept in a climate controlled space always.  I don't know the whole topic just reminded me of a few I've come across where one got so bad it roached the board to where even running a repair and new battery, it still wouldn't save (Super Punchout) which was a real shame.  Others have been repairable with a little bit of work or a simple swap, yet even signs of the ooze persisted.

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

Theres a good one

 

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

2 hours ago, LeatherRebel5150 said:

Theres a good one

 

Lol wow especially bringing up Pokemon games. Like, if you just want to play the games you can literally download an emulator and play them on any android phone in the world right now. 

Poor excuse to but the actual worse bootlegs on the planet. 

[JVOSS | 1,762]

16 minutes ago, RegularGuyGamer said:

Lol wow especially bringing up Pokemon games. Like, if you just want to play the games you can literally download an emulator and play them on any android phone in the world right now. 

Poor excuse to but the actual worse bootlegs on the planet. 

IRC that is illegal unless you own the cart.  thank to Miss Billy Clinton oops I mean Miss i cant win Clinton, oops i mean Clinton.

[DefaultGen | 5,405]

I just got this FB ad which made me think of this thread. Mix our custom cases with real boxes to make a collection look complete. Not the same thing as bootlegs but it's all about the appearances baby 

[JVOSS | 1,762]

@guitarzombieClinton then President Clinton signed the DMCA making it illegal to share copies of a game unless the person receiving the copy owned a real copy. 

[Gloves | 11,777]

11 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

I just got this FB ad which made me think of this thread. Mix our custom cases with real boxes to make a collection look complete. Not the same thing as bootlegs but it's all about the appearances baby 

Give it a few generations and kids won't know or care which box is which.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

2 hours ago, Gloves said:

Give it a few generations and kids won't know or care which box is which.

true.  this why its so important for us to document all we can correctly before on one cares...

Edited July 23, 2021 by JVOSS

[Jono1874 | 144]

On 7/13/2021 at 7:25 PM, Tanooki said:

I figured as much, but anything is possible.  I'd imagine any state in the US that sees fairly high humidity part if not most of the year could have quite a few of these batteries getting funky by now if the games weren't kept in a climate controlled space always.  I don't know the whole topic just reminded me of a few I've come across where one got so bad it roached the board to where even running a repair and new battery, it still wouldn't save (Super Punchout) which was a real shame.  Others have been repairable with a little bit of work or a simple swap, yet even signs of the ooze persisted.

ehhh.... I've had batteries meant for game boy cartridges hanging out in my work shop since like 2016 . It's kind of experiment at this point.. I wanna see how many years they last in a desert climate. There are over 100 days per year hear where it is over 100 degrees outside.  My workshop has no climate control.

So far they're fine.

I have no intention to use them for cartridges, don't worry. I keep the batteries I use for replacements in my house. 

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

5 hours ago, JVOSS said:

IRC that is illegal unless you own the cart.  thank to Miss Billy Clinton oops I mean Miss i cant win Clinton, oops i mean Clinton.

I'll make sure not to Jay walk either, officer

[JVOSS | 1,762]

7 minutes ago, RegularGuyGamer said:

I'll make sure not to Jay walk either, officer

lol lol that's fair just don't pick you noise before you cross the street or spit on the ground!

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

 

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

Lol basically everyone in the comments praising bootlegs. Reddit forums for games make me cringe. 

[zeppelin03 | 314]

I don't understand why anyone would buy repros.  You don't have money for the real thing but want it to look like it.  It isn't somehow legal because someone else downloaded the rom for you.  Just get an everdrive and play it all. 

I stopped collecting a few years ago and sold most of my stuff that isn't childhood stuff or current gen.  Having to validate that something wasn't fake was a big part of what burnt me out.  Now I have a MiSTer, everdrives, some retro stuff, and a mix of physical/digital for switch, PS4/5, and PC.  Judging by the culture around collecting on places like reddit I will not be returning to it.

Edited August 14, 2021 by zeppelin03

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

What @LeatherRebel5150 posted reminds me of the reason why I retired my account at Rebelscum.com. In rare cases for me, I will support a repro when there is zero chance an original copy will exist. In video game cases, ones that were limited to the Japanese market with no English translated variants ever made. And in the case of toys, any characters that neither the original company chose to make nor their successor are currently planning to make.

In the case of all things Star Wars, one of their members derailed a second topic with a overgrown child-level rant. This guy is fine whenever he does anything that entertains him. Such as buying repros to fill his diorama-type collection. Everything else is an excuse for him to say "Fuck you!" to the things that do not have any impact on his fandom. With one example being the fact that hard working collectors that had their much deserved loose figures graded by AFA.

The first one had him derail it like that just because a pair of animated characters were announced to be on The Mandalorian. In a topic that was about HasLab's then current project. while the second had a newbie asking about the benefits of having said collectibles be graded, etc. Which had him act like he was a "victim" because those who worked hard to get what they wanted deprived him of those pieces, etc. It was literally asinine.

In the end I think of that situation when I ponder why the fucking hell anybody should act like repros should be a real option. The money spent could be saved up for the original, and ROMs are an actual option if the main purpose is to play them. And this is somebody for the past 9 years, and thousands of dollars, has tried to build a collection he feels comfortable owning! I know the frustration and such... Just not the ignorance that makes any of this 100% OK.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

That last reddit post is a joke.  All comes down to what you consider a bad person.  It's nearly as easy calling someone asking these currently magnified laughable prices on games paying an equally rotten sort too for their behaviors, even if they aren't illegal like buying a bootleg off someone who is.

I'll never get the confusion of collectors who don't get why someone would want to buy what's externally a copy of an original game.  It's not that complicated.  You want something that looks, plays, and sounds right, that you can't normally buy new anymore from the company, yet don't want to pay someone an ungodly sum for to have it because they got lucky finding it or owning it since whenever.  It's really that simple.

You have to play from the dumbest angle, believe it, not everyone knows what a flash kit is, and if they do, there's a good chance it's over their head as dumb as it sounds.  I've run into a few who consider that tech too complicated, much like the boob who thinks turning a PC off is closing the cover and wondering why their machine keeps dying and locking up.  Others may just not have the access to handle loading it up, have a friend for years who has no PC access to throw files on a SD card, so he bought one of those new to the market chinese multi-carts that really are just everdrive clones with 100s of games already pre-sorted on it and they're cheap.

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

I'm not going to argue, but instead go a different route and point out that I have spent most of my life missing out on a lot of things. 

This is mostly due to the fact I was diagnosed with Asperger's near the end of my 20s. And even then I spent that point on being denied a chance to work on that in hopes of being able to get into things that many here (and elsewhere) got to enjoy. This year my success rate has increased by a small margin when it comes to me collecting anything, and owning anything that I feel comfortable owning.

The non-collecting stuff is something I will skip. And I will say that the stuff I chose to collect has me wonder why people have to make the means of just getting an emulator for any ROM-formatted games should be treated as a chore. I literally mean that before I caved on the whole "digital purchase" bit, that was my only source to playing games. It did not have me cut corners by buying a KO product when I could get the original if I put both time and patience into things. And even owning a loose copy of the original will ultimately justify my means of playing said game on my PC.

It is literally that easy when it comes to enjoying this hobby.

But if I had to make an example of what I mean, I'll just use my "C-307X" Nucleon Quest Super Convoy as just that.

In that case my introduction to that version of Optimus Prime happened late 2012. If you need to know who commonly gets treated as a "bad guy" for no real reason, here I am. This resulted in me not realizing that I wanted it until around 2016. But by then the Toys"R"Us exclusive that started with a maximum of 1,000 pieces was way out of my financial reach. Which had me realize that there were cheaper alternatives. But instead of going with those because they were both cheaper and probably "good enough" to own... I waited 5 years until I found one that met the very basics of what I wanted.

The bottom line is that putting excuses before efforts can make the means of collecting anything feel cheap. What you do get can create interest in others. But it can also make anybody look like a fake if you are too lazy to put a real effort into said hobby. Something I often feel like because I went from making a solid effort to have a unique Transformers collection to buying imports because the games I am really interested in are out of my reach.

But even then, collecting KOs is also a form of collecting. All a person has to say is that collecting those is a far more interesting experience than getting the originals. Simply because there are all types of external variants that originals cannot offer. There are fan-trans carts that were otherwise exclusive to specific regions. Stuff that collectors in every other community I tried being a part of will admit is better for them in the end. And putting excuses first just cheapens the chance for those who can just sit back and enjoy that type of hobby.

Then again... My experiences elsewhere are the #1 reason why I do not have a collection worth anybody's time. And is also the #2 reason why I sold most of my game collection as opposed to just leaving VGS. Because I know how easy it is to be vilified, and also know how hard it is to make something as simple as this be a thing. And not just because I am the first here to use CAS for video game grading, while others opt to use Wata (for some reason).

Either way... The only logical reason for anybody to collect a KO is because they want to collect KOs.  Doing it because downloading a ROM onto a PC, or even being patient, is hard is... well... Just not a smart enough excuse.