With the scarcity of such important collector items one must wonder about the question if you should open a valuable sealed game? It's obviously cheaper to buy it used and still complete so why would someone open a sealed one that another person could find priceless? Well? your opinions? comments, appreciated, Thank you!
I would never open a sealed game. Depending on it's rarity, I may even get a acrylic case to protect the shrink wrap.
from becoming a casual gamer when i was younger. to growing up some, not much. lol have not come to cherish a "find" and hold on for the ride to just drool over what was found. putting sealed games for various old systems and getting cases for them.
http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidsLogin&item=390058897176
http://cgi.ebay.com/NINTENDO-NES-ACRYLIC-CASE-BRAND-NEW-VGA-/120580730328
if u email the last person, they do custom cases. just send them the messurements and he'll give u a quote. best to drop some dough to get ten - fifteen (10 a pop) and he'll give u free shipping and a an extra case for free through paypal deals only. vs the other person selln them on ebay for 15 a pop. or 25 just found another seller sell them at that price too.
Quote from: MS-DOS4 on June 09, 2010, 12:43:09 pm
I would never open a sealed game. Depending on it's rarity, I may even get a acrylic case to protect the shrink wrap.
I would do the same, even with not so rare titles.
I have no love for sealed games beyond the money they would bring in when sold to a collector. If it's a cheap game and I want it for my collection, I'll open it up (since I love having a game taht has only been touched by my hands, LOL). But if it's worth money, then I'll sell it and buy a used copy and pocket the rest of the cash. If I had the money to burn, I might be tempted to open even expensive sealed games just so I'd have the game in pristine condition, but really stuff like that isn't a big thing for me.
Exactly if it's not something so desireable then you would most likely get a Monty opened copy instead of shelling out the big bucks for something that you would open anyways. Leave those priceless items both in currency and collective value to the other collectors and get an opened copy I say.
i get four copies if i can. 1 N/M box, manual n cart opened, 1 n/m sealed. n vice versa of the same game from japan. auctions r better then buy it nows for a lot of nes or snes games (get em at 1/3 of the going rate of buy it nows 50 rather then 150-225). atari just buy them unless its like a texas chainsaw mass' (atari) or stadium events (nes) which r over priced in my book.
Why would you want four copies of the same game? I don't even understand people who buy a loose game to play and a sealed game to never touch. It's so impractical, you know, as far as the word "impractical" would go when we talk about Famicom stuff. :P
Yes. Open them all. It's a game, they weren't made to be sealed forever. And that's no fun anyway. I'm getting a few sealed games soon (and ive gotten some in the past) and I open them everytime.
Quote from: nintendodork on June 09, 2010, 01:39:23 pm
Why would you want four copies of the same game? I don't even understand people who buy a loose game to play and a sealed game to never touch. It's so impractical, you know, as far as the word "impractical" would go when we talk about Famicom stuff. :P
Because you destroy history when you open sealed games.
But it's a game, the whole point of buying them is that you play them. Why would you waste money on something you're never even going to use?
Edit: Just check out this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnQaUgPnY8w&feature=related
just because some loser made a video on youtube doesn't make it right, or wrong as a matter of fact. I just feel sorry for those people believe they can destroy history. There are always emulators or loose copies of these games....use your brain please.
I thought the points he made in that vid were pretty good. Plus, you can find cool inserts and stuff when you open them, possibly even ones that haven't been found before. (like in that video) I believe that you can do whatever you want with your games, you buy them. Im just saying I would always open a sealed game. It's a lot more fun that way. ;)
That's your choice, stick by it if you want but here is some advice....buy the games complete and not sealed you'll save a few bucks on them and leave other true collectors to acquire these priceless items to help keep the history of retro gaming alive and well.
It's a piece of plastic. Just sayin'. ::)
exactly so why would you even bother opening it then if it's just a piece of plastic?
Because what's in the plastic is more important than the plastic itself.
I won't even bother anymore, anyone else? comments? opinions?
Not to mention he said he paid $400-$500 for it sealed. When he opens it and pulls it out of the box, it's value drops more than 80%. He could've just bought the game, maybe a nice looking box and manual if he wanted, and he could have at least $300 more in his pocket.
amen nintendo dork amen
How is a sealed game "history"? You're actually preserving history by opening sealed games and reporting on what you find inside (there's at least one site I know of where they ask people to do this so they can record what originally came w/ the game). Keeping a game sealed doesn't preserve anything besides the air inside the box.
And as far as Famicom goes, no Famicom or Super Famicom games (at least, not sure about N64) were sold sealed. There's no way to "know" if you're buying a "new" copy or an open one that's been well preserved. (In fact, you could have a new game w/ a really beat to hell box, and a pristine used game that looks better than the new copy.)
I agree with Mobius. Keeping a sealed game sealed is anything but "destroying history". I'm sure 1980s Nintendo didn't expect people to buy a game, forget about it, find it in a box of random crap 20 years later, and flip it for a bunch more money than they bought it for, just so someone else could do the same. I know this is throwing it out of proportion, but it kind of makes me think of someone who has to buy everything at a store just so someone else can't have it. Instead of never playing a game and buying it only to sell it again (even if that wasn't your original intention), let someone who's going to enjoy it for at least a little while have it instead.
Sealed games are novel, but the only time you should keep games sealed is if you know they'll be worth more than you paid for down the line.
I think the only reason to keep a game sealed is if you want to sell it later. The only reasons to buy a sealed vintage game are:
1- it's the cheapest option
2- you can easily sell it for considerably more than you're paying
3- you have an obscure sexual fetish for sealed games and can only reach climax with their aid
If none of the above applies, you're wasting your money. These games were mass produced in the vast majority of cases, and even when they were made in smaller numbers they're no good to anyone if they can't be played or even properly displayed.
Post Merge: June 09, 2010, 03:17:59 pm
Quote from: nensondubois on June 09, 2010, 12:57:53 pm
Quote from: MS-DOS4 on June 09, 2010, 12:43:09 pm
I would never open a sealed game. Depending on it's rarity, I may even get a acrylic case to protect the shrink wrap.
I would do the same, even with not so rare titles.
I do this for everything I own, including underwear, my phone, and individual tissues. They're COLLECTOR'S ITEMS!!!
Quote from: tankexmortis on June 09, 2010, 03:10:47 pm
3- you have an obscure sexual fetish for sealed games and can only reach climax with their aid
Quote from: tankexmortis on June 09, 2010, 03:10:47 pm
I do this for everything I own, including underwear, my phone, and individual tissues. They're COLLECTOR'S ITEMS!!!
HA! That's funny as hell.
Dr. Drew Pinksy would be so proud of you for #3! :D
As for sealed games, do whatever you want. I've opened them in the past, but the games I got in the lot were cheaper sealed than if purchased individually unsealed.
I don't understand why people who aren't specifically sealed game collectors will buy only a few sealed games. I guess if you've got extra money around and absolutely need something to look at, knock yourself out. If I make a big purchase, I'd really like to be able to use it and not just look at it. "Oh, wow, how pretty" on a shelf just doesn't do anything for me.
Quote from: ericj on June 09, 2010, 04:45:11 pm
Quote from: tankexmortis on June 09, 2010, 03:10:47 pm
3- you have an obscure sexual fetish for sealed games and can only reach climax with their aid
Quote from: tankexmortis on June 09, 2010, 03:10:47 pm
I do this for everything I own, including underwear, my phone, and individual tissues. They're COLLECTOR'S ITEMS!!!
HA! That's funny as hell.
Dr. Drew Pinksy would be so proud of you for #3! :D
As for sealed games, do whatever you want. I've opened them in the past, but the games I got in the lot were cheaper sealed than if purchased individually unsealed.
I don't understand why people who aren't specifically sealed game collectors will buy only a few sealed games. I guess if you've got extra money around and absolutely need something to look at, knock yourself out. If I make a big purchase, I'd really like to be able to use it and not just look at it. "Oh, wow, how pretty" on a shelf just doesn't do anything for me.
That's right about the cheaper sealed games, I remember opening sonic 2 for game gear, that was a thrill even if it's a common game. Some of these sealed pieces can be used in a museum to show history of old video games. It's more to impress people, I was thinking of buying me a NES power pak and go for sealed only games, not just for the rarity of them but to pretend I am in a toy story in the late 80s looking for games to buy....lol jk
Quote from: FamicomFreak on June 09, 2010, 05:49:05 pm
That's right about the cheaper sealed games, I remember opening sonic 2 for game gear, that was a thrill even if it's a common game. Some of these sealed pieces can be used in a museum to show history of old video games. It's more to impress people, I was thinking of buying me a NES power pak and go for sealed only games, not just for the rarity of them but to pretend I am in a toy story in the late 80s looking for games to buy....lol jk
I really don't think a museum would care about sealed vs. CIB. In fact most museums would likely prefer a copy the contents of which could be displayed rather than one which could only be shown as a box. Perhaps a sealed game would be filed in their archives, but it wouldn't be of any use in the public portion of the museum or for any kind of research.
I would like sealed stuff for the reason that I enjoy opening them.
Hmm very intersting. I like the way you see it.
i agree with nightstar on that one, i wouldn't shell out a lot more $ than needed to have an extra piece of plastic on a game ill never open and put on a shelf to stare at it rather than enjoy it. i respect other's opinions though
i sort of agree with the "buy a powerpak and keep games nice and in good condition"
i suppose if i ever got a boxed and sealed game i'd keep it like that. i wouldn't buy a sealed game just to rip it apart, that seems kind of sad! :(
I agree with ACM. Spending much more money on a game just to rip off the seal yourself is stupid and a complete waste of money. If you have intentions of opening and playing the game, but still want the box, just find a good condition CIB copy.
HEY GUYS LOOK WHAT I MADE:
http://www.youtube.com/v/7zdjcbLNTP
(I cannot figure out how to embed this thing, sorry)
The video link you posted doesn't work.
and you can't embed videos on FW.
Quote from: ericj on June 20, 2010, 06:29:43 pm
The video link you posted doesn't work.
Yeah, because I'm an idiot (as you will see as soon as you watch the video). Here's the correct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zdjcbLNTPI
How will we ever respect ourselves in the morning?! :D
that disk kun sticker is BAD ASS!
If it a rare famicom game like Gold Punch out no to others like metal gear yes
IIRC Famicom games were never sealed.
Ok then never mind only FDS games
I'm late to reply, but I agree with Mobius.
In the late 80s/early 90s I used to collect baseball cards and people were having this exact same debate. Manufacturers released sets of cards sealed in plastic and loads of people went out and bought them specifically intending to never open them. So they just sat on people's shelves and nobody ever looked at the cards or anything. Probably people are still doing this.
I would never spend extra money on something just because it is still wrapped in plastic (mind you I only collect Famicom games so it isn't an issue for me anyway). I mean, what is the point?
It also reminds me of this funny line from "Iron Man" where Robert Downey Jr. is talking to Gwyneth Paltrow about buying a Jackson Pollock painting for this huge amount of money. In the course of the conversation it is revealed that he doesn't actually know anything about art, but nonetheless he ends the conversation by saying:
"I need it. Buy it. Store it."
He doesn't even want to see it, just to have it. Its kind of like a vanity project for him or something. I think its pretty much the same thing driving up the prices of all these collectible sealed games that nobody will ever play or have any use for but which people just MUST have!
yeah cart based japanese games dont hav a plastic seal. u just gotta trust the seller. and even when they prove on ebay that it's brand new. they will open it to show u everything it 10/ 10 condition.
well... if i'm crazy about to play that game well then sorry.. i'll open it up ;D
Hope this isn't too much of a thread bump, but wanted to throw in my own two cents, as I've collected both CIB games and sealed games (and I've had a couple 3-4 figure sealed games at one point or another). Sealed games, at least for me and the few other fairly hardcore sealed guys I've talked to, have a certain appeal to them. They are truly a "collectible", by which I mean they are bought solely just to have and look at; they serve no useful function. The same thing goes for many hobbies - graded comics aren't meant to be read, coins aren't meant to be spent, stamps aren't meant to be mailed. In video games, the only way you really get this "true" collectibility is through sealed games.
Which is why I quit collecting sealed games. I got into this hobby for the love of the games. As I drifted further down the sealed rabbit-hole, I realized that my sealed games were so much more forgettable than my unsealed ones. A sealed game is either: a) an investment; b) eye-candy. If it's an investment, cool. Hope it pays out for you down the road. If it's eye-candy, I'm just not interested anymore. I remember when I scored my first awesome sealed game (1 of only 2 known copies!) I found the high of acquiring it didn't last very long. The law of diminishing returns really hits when your only attachment to a game is its outward appearance. If you haven't experienced the content of the game, it really isn't being appreciated.
That said, I have hung on to a few of my sealed games as momentos of games that I've enjoyed over the years, and I'll probably still pick up a sealed game here or there for similar reasons in the future. However, unless a sealed game has little increase in value over a CIB, I'll either skip over it or just open the game myself. I recently took advantage of hit-japan's sale on ebay and nabbed a bunch of brand-new sealed FDS games for about $10 each shipped. I'll probably open every one of them to give them a go in my Disk System. As somebody else mentioned, it is actually pretty fun to be the first person to open a game and use it. There's a sense of ownership there that I personally find increases my experience of a game (which is why I rarely buy current gen games used).
I can understand both, but I basically don't trust sealed games anymore, and I don't think anything 8-bit sealed makes a difference.
Having said that, I've turned down new hardware before because the seller took it all out the box, photographed it and then put it back in. I like things factory fres, or as much as possible. I have a brand new unopened famicom like that and that's good enough for me.
Lotus - what was the rare game? I picked up an old stock Zelda and Donkey Kong game+watch each for $50 once, they were sat in a shop for 20 years and looked absolutely virginal, with the seal on the top and everything. So, they weren't sealed (none were) but it had the same effect to me, and I think that can be possible with new famicom games and hardware.
Well, I've got several rare Game Boy games sealed. Like I've owned an F1 Pole Position and still own Castlevania: Legends. F1 is like $400 CIB, but 3-4 times that sealed. I'm actually looking to sell my Castlevania because for the $750 it's worth I can grab a crapload of CIB games that I want to actually play (a CIB Legends among them, lol).
I'm not saying people shouldn't collect sealed games, just that it doesn't do anything for me anymore. Even if I won't play every game in my collection, it's nice to know that if I do pick it up off the shelf, I'm not destroying hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of "value" by playing it. This is one reason I actually love the Famicom and Super Famicom is because "new" games have no seal to them, so they will never command the same kind of premium as a sealed game in the US. I can buy a new copy of Chrono Trigger from Japan for what, $100 in excellent shape? A sealed US copy is going to set you back like $2000-3000. I think part of that is also due to what you mentinoed, that even if a FC game is new, you have no idea if it's been taken out of the packaging at all. I had a friend on another board buy a couple of new FC games and had them graded by the VGA service. They looked fantastic (I mean 10/10's), but VGA could tell that the boxes had previously been opened even though they could also tell the contents were unused. So for me personally, while I love picking up new games, keeping them new is just downright uninteresting.
I wholeheartedly agree - but I stay well away from the VGA and to me they're not nearly as informed as they make out. Perfect games given 85+??
Anything fresh from the manufacturer they'd never grade 100, those guys are ass and I find the whole VGA thing moronic entirely.
Quote from: L___E___T on July 27, 2010, 05:57:13 am
I wholeheartedly agree - but I stay well away from the VGA and to me they're not nearly as informed as they make out. Perfect games given 85+??
Anything fresh from the manufacturer they'd never grade 100, those guys are ass and I find the whole VGA thing moronic entirely.
You are definitely correct, they have been known to "misgrade" games. I have a friend who is probably as close to expert as they come on sealed games (he's bought/sold hundreds of sealed items), and several that he pegged as grading at 90+ they returned with 85's on them. I know that they do have rules they go by, but there is an arbitrary element there.
That said, I own like 2 VGA games that I do plan to keep and I will say they do look nice. Are they worth the money? Ehhhh, I don't know. It does make them much more attractive centerpieces, though. It's kind of like buying a nice matte and frame for an art print you really like. The print may cost you $150, but the framing is probably going to run you almost half as much or more. Looking at it from that perspective I don't mind the $50 it costs once in a great while to have a game I really like turned into a nice showcase piece. Honestly, though, I doubt I'll ever own more than a dozen graded games in my lifetime.
Do you understand my point though? If the maximum grade is 100 but it's never used (I've never even seena 95) then what's the point?
That in itself shatters the whole thing for me. I abhor the VGA, they seem to be experts on dog-eared corners and that's it.
Yeah, I definitely get your point. I've seen a few 100's (like 3 of them), but that's not many. What they're mainly grading is the quality of the shrinkwrap, though. The box underneath can be perfect, but if there are scratches all over the plastic wrap, it will get a crappy grade. I also understand not wanting to pay to have somebody call your valuable crap, though. Don't mistake my occasional use of their services for being an apologist for them. I've watched people try to argue for and against them, and all the arguments essentially end at "To each his own". So I don't make that argument, lol. That was the whole point about with my framing analogy, in that I'm not really using it as a way to boost the value of my games by having a nice number attached, but just as a way to make it a more attractive showpiece.
If you plan to resell, don't. If you collect/play, then do so. I have a sealed/boxed (shrinkwrap has a split starting on one side) Aladdin Dech Enhancer for the NES. As soon as I am able to get more of the Aladdin carts, it's gonna get opened! Until I do, I see no reason to pop the seal, even if there IS a game included with it.
It's all a matter of perspective and intent, no?
Fair point, I think the framing analogy is a really good one actually. That's actually made me consider them now for one or two pieces as well. I don't live in the States or nearby so I wonder if it's an option but I could consider it for a few items.
If I were going to frame a CIB game, I think I would remove the contents of the box first ;D
One alternative I know they offer is their "sliding-bottom case". It's basically an acrylic box protector in which you can remove the games whenever you want. For a standard NES sized box, I believe they run about $15 + shipping, which is cheaper than the $40-ish for having them actually slap a grade on it. I think if you're doing a custom sized case (like for a Famicom game), it's probably closer to $25 since they have to actually make it and don't already have a stack of them lying around. Just wanted to throw that out that as a more cost effective "framing" option :).
I don't order sealed games for pricy reasons but say right now, I'm ordering saturn games, what would make more sense to me is get CIB games since it feels better and displays better on the shelf. Also, despite what most say, I love the saturn cases for some reason, breakable as they are.
If you need replacement Saturn cases, I'd recommend buying some very cheap sealed sports titles and cannibalizing the cases. They can be had for $4-7 usually if you're patient, and might be worth it to make some nice expensive games look even nicer :).
i just opened today my sealed Dino Crisis 2 Demo version for the playstation... and of course I played it.. I need the full game of this T__T. huhuh so hanging.
I won't open it