From loose to complete and beyond. What's your practice?

[thisIsLoneWolf]

When I first got started with our beloved system, I'd enjoy finding games in the wild. Sure most of what I'd find was loose, but as a gamer, I was fine with that. Especially since loose games tend to cost less. This was a great way to enjoy many games, and I made many great gaming memories.

As time went on, it seemed more games were making their way to me, with their cases and manuals intact. These really do look nice on a shelf too. For some games, the manual can be quite helpful. For others, perhaps more so a novelty. Then there's all the maps and other inserts, which can potentially add value to the game playing experience.

By this time, already a big fan of this stuff, at the right opportunity, I was able to replace some of my favorite titles with complete, more specifically, brand new versions. Ultimately, I just ended up keeping them minty fresh, while I still enjoyed playing what was open.

With plenty of hard work, dedication, and time, I've been fortunate to build up quite an enjoyable collection of this cool stuff. I still play favorite titles, but I have less time these days, though the number of brand new titles is much larger. They do look great on a shelf though.

So to bring it back to where I started, what do you guys prefer?
I can definitely respect the practicality of loose games. They're usually easier to find, and can be more affordable. Do many of you guys prefer to hunt down the complete copy with case and manual, even if it adds more cost? Or maybe some of you have taken it further still. I'd like to hear you're personal preferences.

[slinkyturd]

I prefer a complete (open) copy. Couldn't care less for cardboard. Just want a complete set of open TG16 hueys CIC. I'm not above buying looseys. I'm a gamer first.

[Medic_wheat]

At the moment what ever is cheapest.


Problem is that only seems to apply to cartridge and hubcards to a lesser extent.


Do CD,DVD games I alway try with a passion to get them complete.

Some games like those found long box style simply look BEST lines up and complete. And so far at lest finding downer cases to replace the odd door or worse case entire thing are easy enough to find when buy the cheap sports game.


Oddly replacing Ps1 and Dreamcast cases especially those that hold more then one or even four CDs are hardest.  I was stupid and removed all of my PS one games at one point in like 2003 from the CD and into a mini CD wallet. Luckily I kept all the books and inserts to the case. What can I say I was active military and space was not something I had much of.

Now for the TG-16 oddly 92% of my stuff is in case. Majority of the cases look like buffalo bill sprayed them with the hose before rubbing lotion on them to gut into a skin tight body suit and hardly contain the games without the use of pixie dust and happy thoughts.


I have a stack of loose hu cards but now that I have a Everdrive I can site back and be even SLOWER on what I buy so that I can throw a few more bucks into more complete games.


Some stuff can look fine loose. Some stuff looks better and honestly needs better protection even if not original.


My NES stuff that is in storage all have but ices with printed repro covers. I really like these cases and plan to get some for my SNES and few Genesis stuff that is loose (mostly found in the wild). Pretty much everything cartrdge I will get bit idea for. The only real down side to using but boxes is they look so uniform that it is hard for me to want to use the old universals game cases ever again.  But they certainly are pricy and eat up more space then a bunch of loose NES, SNES, and N64 games would.  The up side is it really forces me to keep the games down to the gems and personal favorites. Sadly my list for NES games I want in my library still exceeds 200 games and I only have maybe 100 of them so far.  Of course that is because I have yet to get the more expensive games.  But eh. That's why building your gaming library/room isn't done in a month with a few quick eBay buys.  You have to work at it to keep things organized well maintained and with in your budget.

[Medic_wheat]

Oh god auto correct.  f*cking shit


Okay I am referring to Bit Boxes when referring to my NES to N64 games. Sigh.

[Medic_wheat]

I had also bought I think 60? What ever the limit was for a single order off Nibtendos website for DS cases with the GBA slot in 2009. I did this with the intent of printing covers for my loose GBA games. I have yet to do this or even collect for the GBA apart from the small hand full of games I have as these boxes are at my parents.


I had inteded to buy another set and keep it at or around 100 even thinking that would be the uppermost of GBA games I would want (have yet to even make a list mind you) but I forgot about it and now Nintendo does not make/sale these cases any longer.

I see batches still for sale on eBay and Amazon but am always afraid to buy as there seem to be bootlegs of these that are very hard to tell apart until you buy and attempt to put a GBA game in the slot.

[HailingTheThings]

...finding downer cases... ...to replace the odd door...

You want this:



To replace this:

   ?

[thisIsLoneWolf]

  That was good.
You gotta love auto correct.

Keep those replies coming. I great hearing from everyone.

[thisIsLoneWolf]

I mean it's great. 

[Medic_wheat]

You nailed it on the head hailing.


Because!

I want a new drug - one that won't make me sick,
One that won't make me crash my car, or make me feel three feet thick.
I want a new drug - one that won't hurt my head,
One that won't make my mouth too dry, or make my eyes too red.

[cr8zykuban0]

at first, i was like you, i would pickup whatever i could get my hands on

as time passed, i started to get a fetish for boxed and complete games! the rest is history

When it comes to boxed games, i always try to find the best deal on them. same can be said for the turbo as i've been picking up a lot of cib games but only if i can find them for a good price which i've been pretty lucky with.

[HailingTheThings]

You nailed it on the head hailing.


Because!

I want a new drug - one that won't make me sick,
One that won't make me crash my car, or make me feel three feet thick.
I want a new drug - one that won't hurt my head,
One that won't make my mouth too dry, or make my eyes too red.

HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS... cow ape shit.

[HailingTheThings]

cow ape shit.

f*cking auto correct!

I meant how appropriate.

:3

[ClodBuster]

Oh you autocorrect guys are adorable :3

For Nintendo cartridges, I don't give a ____ about cardboard packaging.
Everything else that comes in a plastic box needs that box. Be it CD/DVD games, DS cards or Hucards.

I once toyed with the idea of purchasing plastic repro boxes for my SNES and N64 games, but then abandoned that thought.

[o.pwuaioc]

For Turbo games, I like em in the case with manual and preferably the dust sleeve and styrofoam, but I'm not insistent on those last two items. I don't even bother with cardboard at all.

In fact, the only cardboard I have in my collection I got by chance. A couple of boxed Lynx games came with the system I have. I have a boxed 2600 game that was given to me for free (and is really easy to obtain these days brand new), and shortly I'll be getting a bunch of Colecovision homebrews that don't come any way except with the box.

I also like my Sega games to be in plastic, and I want to print out some custom covers for shells that house games that originally came with cardboard. DS, PSP, and all disc games I only get with their original cases. Sometimes with older games, especially the Genesis and Master System, I don't mind not having a manual, but not having one for CD-based games would drive me nuts.

[majors]

I'm all in for loose cards.



I love stacks of loose HuCards. Other systems, being non obey, I just don't care one way or the other...I have stacks of carts and use CD binders for discs(binders not pictured). Some times I'll use a empty CD case for games I only have few loose discs for said console that do not fill up a binder.