Interest in guide on game condition/common issues?

[inasuma | 1,203]

Hey all. I didn't see a topic on this so wanted to ask: would folks find interested in this type of guide post?

It would cover stuff like:

- Common issues with boxed games and DVD-case style games (e.g. softened corners, subtle vs. obvious creases, Y-fold ripping, etc)
- Common seal issues (e.g. H/V-seam vs Y-fold, corner pokes, seam rips)
- Not-so-common issues, like subtle sun damage and seal discoloration.

Having been collecting for a few years, I have my own checklist of things to reference when assessing condition. Above are some examples. I'd need to reformat it a bit but I'd include picture references and all that.

Note that this would not be specific to sealed games, but CIB too.  

Edited October 5, 2021 by inasuma

[Link | 2,708]

Above a certain threshold I don’t really care about condition. Of course I like things to look nice, but I’ll buy something in VG or even G for $50 to save $100+, every time.

That said I do appreciate a descriptive grading scale. It’s way more transparent than a number grade and lets me know what I’m actually getting, unlike (for example) WATA giving 9.6 to a box with a crushed corner when 9.8 is supposed to be gem mint and 10.0 is nearly impossible. For as long as I can remember I’ve gone by this scale, which isn’t for video games but I consider it a guide to accurately note condition. There’s no need for secrecy, except for inconsistency.

[inasuma | 1,203]

Good to know. In this case, it would be less about what is mint vs near mint (as those are very complex, subjective terms) and more about the types of flaws you might see on cardboard box vs plastic dvd case games.

Hopefully that makes sense. Essentially a reference guide.

In practice you could use the info in the guide to determine if your game is minimally damaged and therefore in better condition, vs quite damaged if it were to hit several condition flaws. But it wouldn’t explicitly say “your game is mint if X, Y, and Z.”

Edited October 6, 2021 by inasuma

[Link | 2,708]

I think we are describing the same thing, so yes.