Level 6: Loose, boxed or sealed?

Every collector has to make the decision at some point…how do I want to collect?

Some collectors like myself just collect the cartridges, some want a complete in box and some will only settle for factory sealed. Now obviously there’s collectors across the spectrum, as for myself there’s only one game I want to have complete in the box but I am however picky about the condition of my labels as all my games are on display and a poor label ruins the optics in my opinion.

Only $20 you say? You swear that’s Lone Ranger? 

Understandably, the box crowd feels the same about how their display looks and will track down the best boxes no matter the price but hey, at the end of the day you spend a lot on your hobby so you want it to look good.

The factory sealed crowd are really the OCD part of the collector family tree, hunting down games in their rarest form…factory sealed…and these collectors get real specific: checking seams, stickers that came on some packaging, etc but that’s their thing.

Only $29.99 you say? Not bad for a boxed stadium events.

So why does it matter? It doesn’t beyond how you choose to collect, sure a sealed game has a higher value but can’t be opened and played without jeopardizing that value. Loose carts don’t often come with manuals, maps or other add ins that a boxed or sealed game will but are accessible to play anytime. Boxes don’t always come in the shape you’d like or may still not have a pristine cart despite coming boxed.

I personally prefer collecting loose and concerning myself with the shape of the labels for a few reasons:
1. Pricing: Prices are more reasonable on loose carts.
2. Boxes/manuals have no value to me: Even as a kid I never kept the boxes and usually lost the manuals so they’ve never been part of the nostalgia for me.
3. Appearance: I like the way the loose carts look stacked on my shelf.
4: Accessability: I find a lot more loose games than boxed games so collecting loose has helped me find a lot more variety. (Although the opposite is something I run into as well where a game I want is only available in a box but not worth the price for a box I don’t need).

These are just the reasons I have for why I collect the way I do, everyone has their own tastes and that comes out in their collections. At the end of the day all that matters is your own satisfaction with your collection and how your game room looks whether its full of loose, boxed, sealed or a combination of all 3…it’s all about the games.

And R.O.B. even though he only plays 2 games….poorly..at least he played them unlike my next level post….

Until then keep on chasing!
#8bitliving
#retroredneck

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