VGCollectaholic

Thanks! I did snag that Space Shuttle back then. Looking back through my database, it was $17.56 - definitely a nice score. Yeah, that eBay Dino Park auction was the one I ended up with. That Crash n Burn longbox is an awesome sleeper pick! There is definitely not enough recognition for it's rarity.

I also have a stack of sealed Shelley Duvalls, just for you.

I've only been to two gaming cons - TooManyGames (Philly area) and Midwest Gaming Classic (Milwaukee). I agree with @ThePhleo - from my limited experience with gaming cons, I'd call them pretty kid-friendly... the cosplay is far less risque than at ComicCon. As for buying games, I have found them to be a mixed bag and it really depends on what you're looking for. If your goal is finding good deals on games, I think cons are generally worth skipping... especially once you factor in the potential travel, parking, lodging, and entry costs of the con. If your goal is to find a specific game in a specific condition, the task is somewhat daunting because of the chaos and the number of vendors with varying levels of organization. Personally, I think the best thing about cons is just meeting up with people - chatting with vendors, chatting with other people who share your passion for games. Both cons I went to, I went specifically to meet up with people from around the country whom I've met online through various forums and social media.

My personal collection grail is Dino Park Tycoon on 3DO. I spent literally the better part of a decade trying to track down a copy to finish my 3DO set. I was sitting at 2 titles shy of the set for 8 years - Woody Woodpecker Vol. 2 and Dino Park. Woody had popped up for sale on eBay twice in that time and I missed both of them as they were BINs that got nabbed before I saw them. Dino Park literally didn't pop up at all that entire span. The PC and Mac versions pop up pretty frequently and are almost always mislabeled as a 3DO game, so my saved search just kept taunting me for years. Ironically, I finally I ended up landing both of them on the same day from the same seller. It was far and away the hardest set I've completed, but I had a blast completing it - starting with building my own set list because one just didn't exist back then and culminated in the longest game hunt I've ever had. A close second would be my prototype UMD of the unreleased Superman Returns for PSP. The UMD was used as the floor demo at E3 2006 and, I believe, is the only one known to exist. Clearly I tend to like stuff nobody but me gives a crap about lol.

Sure thing, here you go.

Axiom Verge was only released in the single version by LimitedRun on Wii U. My Wii U set is about 90% sealed, so I'm not going to be much help on the manuals question, sorry!

Here is a list of all of the US Wii U edition/variant releases that I put together while building out my Wii U + variants set. I can personally verify that all of the below exist. If anyone sees anything missing, please let me know and I'll update the list. (Note that if a game was only released in a single iteration, I've excluded it from this list - even if that single iteration is some sort of special/bundle release - e.g. The Voice, Mario Maker, etc.) Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - 3 versions: Standard GameStop exclusive Wal-Mart exclusive Bayonetta - 2 versions 2-disc w/ Bayonetta 1 Single disc re-release Captain Toad Treasure Tracker - 2 versions Amiibo bundle Standard game-only Darksiders II - 2 versions THQ-branded original nordicgames-branded re-print Disney Infinity 2.0 (Marvel Super Heroes Starter Pack) - 2 versions Standard Starter Pack Wal-Mart exclusive Value Pack Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - 2 versions Standard Nintendo Selects Duck Tales: Remastered - 2 versions Disney Collector's Pin pack-in without collector's pin Guitar Hero Live - 2 versions Single Guitar bundle Dual Guitar bundle Hyrule Warriors - 2 versions Standard Limited Edition (Nintendo NYC Store exclusive) Jeopardy - 2 versions THQ nordicgames Just Dance 2014 - 2 versions Standard Wiimote bundle Just Dance 2015 - 2 versions Standard Nintendo Selects Wiimote bundle (Target exclusive) Just Dance 2016 - 2 versions Standard Gold Edition Just Dance 2017 - 2 versions Standard Gold Edition Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD - 5 versions Gold foil cover first print Non-Foil cover re-print Nintendo Selects Limited Edition Ganondorf figure bundle Nintendo Refurbished - these were sold directly by Nintendo's online store and have a red & white banner on the cover art that says "Nintendo Refurbished" Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD - 2 versions Standard, game-only Amiibo bundle Lego City Undercover - 2 versions Standard Nintendo Selects Lego Jurassic World - 2 versions Standard Dr. Wu Lego figure bundle (Target exclusive) Lego Marvel Super Heroes - 2 versions Standard Patriot Lego figure bundle (Wal-Mart exclusive) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games: Sochi 2014 - 2 versions Standard, game-only Wiimote bundle Mario Kart 8 - 3 versions Standard Limited Edition (Nintendo NYC store exclusive) Nintendo Refurbished Mario Party 10 - 4 versions Standard, game-only Amiibo bundle - Mario Amiibo bundle - Peach Amiibo bundle - Bowser NES Remix Pack - 2 versions Standard Nintendo Selects New Super Luigi U - 2 versions Standard, w/ green case Standard, w/ blue case New Super Mario Bros U + Super Luigi U - 3 versions Standard, w/ blue case (original) Standard, 2/ red case Nintendo Refurbished NintendoLand - 3 versions Standard, game-only Nintendo Selects Wiimote bundle Pikmin 3 - 3 versions Standard Nintendo Selects Nintendo Refurbished Pokken Tournament - 2 versions Original release with Amiibo cards (has Amiibo card notice on the cover art) Re-release w/o Amiibo cards Rayman Legends - 2 versions Standard GameStop exclusive Rodea: The Sky Soldier - 2 versions Standard Limited Edition (NISA online store exclusive - although these might have also been sold via Amazon, I can't recall... NISA started distributing their LEs via Amazon for a while around this time) Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure - 2 versions Standard Wal-Mart Exclusive DVD bundle (includes a Green Lantern DVD on a second disc tray inside and has a unique cover art) Skylanders: Imaginators - 3 versions Starter Pack Portal Owner's Pack Dark Edition Starter Pack Skylanders: Super Chargers - 3 versions Starter Pack Dark Edition Starter Pack Dark Edition Starter Pack w/ Stealth Elf (Amazon-exclusive) Skylanders: Swap Force - 2 versions Starter Pack Dark Edition Starter Pack Skylanders: Trap Team - 4 versions Starter Pack Super Bundle Pack (aka Amazon 2014 Holiday Bundle, Amazon-exclusive) Dark Edition Starter Pack Special Coloring Edition Starter Pack (aka Color Alive Edition, TRU exclusive) Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed - 3 versions Bonus Edition (original release) Standard non-Bonus Edition Nintendo Selects Sonic: Lost World - 2 versions Deadly Six Bonus Edition (foil cover art, original release) Standard (non-foil cover art) Super Mario 3D World - 5 versions Standard w/ blue case Standard w/ red case Family Game of the Year (this seems far more common in Canada, maybe it was a Canadian only release) Nintendo Selects Nintendo Refurbished Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - 2 versions Standard, game-only GameCube Controller Adapter bundle Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE - 2 versions Standard, game-only Special Edition box Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist - 3 versions Standard GameStop exclusive (has a GameStop banner across the top of the cover art under the Wii U banner) Special Edition (this might have been a Canadian exclusive, perhaps exclusive to Canadian GameStop) Wheel of Fortune - 2 versions THQ nordicgames Wii Fit U - 2 versions Balance Board + Fit Meter Bundle Fit Meter Bundle Xenoblade Chronicles X - 2 versions Standard, game-only Special Edition big box Yoshi's Woolly World - 4 versions Standard, game-only Amiibo bundle - Green Yarn Yoshi Amiibo bundle - Blue Yarn Yoshi Amiibo bundle - Pink Yarn Yoshi

Same experience here. I think a lot of stores sell a good chunk of the CIBs that get traded online (eBay, IG, etc) so that they can speed up the transaction speed on them and not have them sitting around.

I agree with most folks here that the PS3/360 generation will likely be the last truly long-term playable stuff. If it is indeed the last, I wonder whether that will make it more collectible down the road. I finished the Wii U set a couple years ago (and have just been topping it off with the trickle of Just Dance and Axiom Verge release here and there). I was heavy in on Wii U collecting back before the Switch came out and all the decent stuff got ported. I'm hesitant as to what the long-term viability of the console will be, given its reliance on the tablet - I think tablet longevity and future repairability will be the long pole in the tent for Wii U 15-20 years down the road. My launch PS3 was reballed and re-thermal pasted back around the same time the PS4 came out and is still going strong. My gaming cabinet has a 120mm vent fan right in front of the thing, so hopefully overheating shouldn't be a problem if I keep it dusted out. I've been slowly adding PS3 games to my collection over the years, but not really doing any active intentional collecting on it. I'm about 70% through the set I think (is the US set still thought to be around 1,090 games?).

Transaction #2 Seller: @Goodvibes Buyer: @VGCollectaholic Summary: $ for Zombie Nation B/I, Starcraft 64 B/I, and CIB Monster in My Pocket. Transaction Status: Complete (positive feedback left)

Transaction #1 Seller: @supergamboy Buyer: @VGCollectaholic Summary: $ for 15 CIB Genesis games Transaction Status: Completed

My transactions: Completed transactions: 7 Pending/Shipped/Sent transactions: 2

Confirming an awesome transaction with great communication, accurate pictures and descriptions, and a top-notch packaging job. Thanks much!

One of the sets I've been more actively working on lately has been the PSP. I just managed to snag this guy - the DJ Max Fever Crew Edition. It was limited to 125 copies and comes with an autographed copy of the game, a nice 3-disc soundtrack set, artbook, and some other goodies. Still need to find a copy of the Hilton Garden Inn Ultimate Team Play trainer.

You had me at zombie dinosaurs.

The Behar Bros (the Turkish guys behind the Dreamcast Toro/Hanzo/etc boxes) built a consolized GameGear back in early 2017. In May, 2017, they built a very small batch for sale - I got in on that initial order of them (I think they only accepted a couple dozen orders). If I recall correctly, I think they ran about $290 shipped. Here's a video of it:

My KS Collector's Edition showed up a couple days ago - #36/100. It looks awesome, love the art. The individual numbering on the dog tags matching the COA was a nice little touch.

Awesome set Tom, congrats! Good luck hunting down those last two. I started dabbling in GG collecting after picking up one of the Behar Bros awesome consolized GameGear units a while back (I'm not much of a handheld gamer). Prior to that I didn't pay much attention to it at all, so I'm having fun learning about it.

I'm just glad they dropped Wii U this time around so I don't have to go buy yet another Just Dance game for the set.

Just received my Kickstarter collector's edition of Xeno Crisis from Bitmap Bureau. Just under 2-years since backing it... this might be a new speed record on video game crowdfunding fulfillment time (basically why I've stopped backing game Kickstarters). This CE set turned out really nice - love the dog tags with the matching individual numbering.

Home I grew up in rural Wisconsin and lived about 10 miles from the little town of 3,000 people where I went to school. Every few weeks, I'd have a couple friends over to spend the weekend and we'd get home from school, crack open a couple cases of Mountain Dew and fortress mode in my room playing games. Those are some of my fondest memories spanning the NES era through the end of the 16-bit era. Shops I loved wandering through the aisles of games at Toys R Us. It was such a unique experience given the way they displayed their games with the little info cards and pull cards. At some point I'd love to re-create that look in a hallway that leads to my game rooms. From about 1998 - 2008 I owned and operated several game stores and had a blast getting to know so many of the gamers in the community I was living in at the time. Other Some of my most nostalgic general gaming memories are the Sega CD (it was my first CD player of any kind) and how much I loved the look of it (Model 1) and how much I wanted it to be so much cooler than it ended up being lol. My friends and I were really into WWF at the time and when Rage in the Cage came out and had CD-quality wrestler theme songs, we were hooked. Also, playing Ridge Racer endlessly on the PS1 and how awesome it was to be able to swap the disc out and race to the music of whatever CD you wanted. It was like living in the future.

Sure thing.

FFCD - I was the guy who posted the "plastic long box with cardboard box art" variant of Rise of the Dragon back on SA that you mentioned. As I noted back on SA, it's a jewel case package but all of the artwork is consistent with the original cardboard box release. It's definitely not a repackage/cut up of the cardboard box though, as the rear cover insert isn't the right size and it has the standard SCD jewel case art insert perforations on the folds. The manual isn't an exact match for the manual from the cardboard box release either - the artwork on the front of the cardboard box release has a "content advisory" notice in the bottom right corner, but the manual from the cardboard box release doesn't. This variant has that content advisory on the front of the manual. I've only ever seen two of these. I have no idea if these were promotional copies or what. Here are the pics of mine:

It looks like you might have a mis-matched misprint there. The seal on the rear cover art insert should also be blank: Happy to see this thread get transferred over from SA, FFCD!

Thanks! When I finally make the move from apartment to house sometime next year, I might have to go that route. Right now I'm rolling with about 15 Atlantic Oskar 1080s and four walls worth of the Rubbermaid track shelving. I had previously discounted the Billy's as an option because of their extra depth, but man that's a clean look (and I didn't realize you could order extra shelves so easily). Out of curiosity, do you to anything behind the games to keep them all perfectly front-aligned like that? That's an issue I have with my Rubbermaid track shelves - those are 8 or 9 inches deep, so some games always manage to get pushed in a bit and end up looking misaligned and disorderly.