Collecting, start boxed or loose?

[shadow460]

This question was raised in the 5200 forum, and I think it applies here, too. We have a little easier time with boxes than they do, but it can still get expensive.

 

I started collecting CIB games for the 7800 from the git go. I have my share of loose games, too, but so far I have been lucky and had to buy only a couple of dupes to get boxes. Empty boxes are out there, but you have to look. So are the instructions.

 

What do ya'll think is the best way to start?

 

2nd question, since we have backward compatibility right out of the box, do you seek out 2600 games, too? (I do.)

[Lemmi]

when i started back in the 80's buying 7800 games i would throw out the box and keep the manuals

then when big lots had their $1 to $3 games for sale i kept the boxes for those, then when i hit ebay i would only buy boxed if i could but i would also grab the cart and manual auctions if the price was cheap enough

 

for me as long as it has the manual its complete enough for me

im missing 23 boxes out of my 58 games (one being Beef Drop tho ) but they all have manuals

[Mayhem]

When I started, most of the sellers in the UK were flogging complete games so my choices were quite obvious. In fact I've never bought a loose official 7800 game in my life, everything has been complete. I think the supply of some of them has dried up in the years since I started though...

[Lord Helmet]

I started out all of my collecting just grabbing anything I could. Now I'm looking at replacing all of my loose stuff with boxed. If I had started with boxed games, I would have had a lot less games to play

[Crazy Climber]

You can track down a CIB 7800 collection rather cheap. Now a CIB 2600 collection, forget about it

[+Sauron]

I've only been collecting loose carts, and only have one that has the box & manual (Ballblazer). Perhaps if I finish my collection some day I'll start collecting boxed games, but I really don't have the room for it right now. Besides, I actually like being able to play the games.

[Atarifever]

1) For the 7800 I started with all loose carts from the wild. Then I started to order mostly loose games online. Then I made the mistake of buying three or four boxed ones together, and I stopped being able to settle for loose carts. I've now replaced most of the loose ones (outside of homebrews of course) with boxed copies. With the Odyssey 2, I try for boxed, but I'll take loose games. With the 7800, I only buy boxed games.

 

2) I only collect three types of 2600 games at the moment.

i) Homebrews (obviously boxed options are few and far between)).

ii) Red label games from the Atari Jr. era (and only boxed ones of those now).

iii) The ones that come with comics (I only started this when I mistakenly ordered Defender with a comic a month ago, now I want them all). I obviously need these boxed.

 

I'm thinking of adding boxed Imagic titles to the collection because they look cool.

[phuzzed]

To me, since I play my games, all I care about is a good condition catridge. If it has the manual, i like that too. Finding a place to store most of these boxes is a problem for a lot of people. The boxes i do have, I have collapsed (if I can), and stored them in Rubbermaid container.

 

Now, if you want to collect nothing but CIB, still sealed, that's a different story. I just don't get a thrill out of collecting somethign I can't play.

[Dauber]

I'd say start with whatever you can find. The game play on the 7800 is far more valuable than any pristine-condition cart+box combo you'll ever happen upon.