Playing Actual Carts of Expensive Games

[DracMetLink]

Hi Everyone,

 

I need some advice.

 

I have been saving some CIB games for when my kids were old enough to play and we could enjoy them together. At the time when I purchased them they were not that expensive, but now their worth a lot. I don't know if I should let them play them anymore. A single tear to a box or manual can cost a lot of money. Should I just emulate and say look kids here is what the original looks like but don't touch. I'm sure there must be many collectors that was thinking the same thing when they first started collecting. I'm not sure what I should do now.

[Tanooki]

I can give you three suggestions.  It would come down to your willingness to get over it or not.

 

1) Don't look at it as money, just show general care and show them what that care is up front, and just play.
2) Realize money is there, but short of them covering it in food/drink or throwing it, keep the games and their boxes/manuals apart so that games can be easily used without wearing the paper down

3) ME ME ME, no touchy.  Buy a SD2SNES/Everdrive/EZ Flash Omega/??kit?? and that's what they're allowed to use.

 

I can't really think up a fourth choice because banning them isn't your intent.

 

Personally for the few boxes and number of manuals I have, the games are not kept with them, so I'm option #2.  I do have the kits since prices are toxic now, though I got them when I saw the pain was to come.  Also got my kid her own GBC to start, then a Switch, let her use a spare GBA too for a time, grandma gave her her old DSlite which broke and I upgraded to a 2DS for her, and for real retro I got her both the NES and SNES Classic Edition for her room.  Plenty of variety more than hours in a day to ever care around school work and after school stuff.

[+Gemintronic]

I have flea market and garage sale loose carts for playing.  Packed up boxed up CIB for keeping.

 

Much more fun to hunt down loose carts than agonize over destroying personal assets.

[haunted_ipa_]

On 2/3/2023 at 3:49 PM, Gemintronic said:

I have flea market and garage sale loose carts for playing.  Packed up boxed up CIB for keeping.

 

Much more fun to hunt down loose carts than agonize over destroying personal assets.

Same. I don’t want to tear any flaps or put wear and tear on boxes, so I just keep a loose copy also 

[DracMetLink]

Thanks for the replies. Good advice to be had. I like the idea of keeping the boxes and manual separate as well as a flash cart option. Even I should play the more valuable games on a flash card. 

[glazball]

To echo Tanooki's first point - don't look at the games as money.  The carts were created for just this reason - to play them!  Just give the games proper care and TLC, and your children will understand that these are things worth taking care of. 

 

After all, part of the joy of playing NES is inserting the cart and starting it up.  They should be able to see that side of it, in addition to the gameplay, which a flash cart just can't deliver.  I'm curious which games you are planning to play with them??  Have fun!

[DracMetLink]

All the classics that defined the system and some games that are considered very good that came out later.

[Tanooki]

If you fear the kids messing up the original but still want the feel, get a cheap chinese copy of the older model of the NES everdrive.  You still have to put the game in the slot, push the power button, just the added step of picking what to play and hitting a button.  If they break it, you're out $50 or whatever, not $100 or $300+

[Austin]

If you have the carts, definitely use them. It's a big part of the experience. Just keep the boxes separate, as the carts themselves don't generally get worn much with use. Grab some box protectors while you're at it if you don't already have them, as they will help keep the boxes from getting scuffed up further.

 

Go for a flash cart if you are playing solo, or if there is something you'd like to show the kids that you may not actually own.

[Warmsignal]

If your kids used to them as hockey pucks, they'd still be worth just as much. Trust me, nobody takes condition into consideration when it comes to pricing "rare" games, or any games. If a game is pristine, or missing the label entirely, they seem to get away with asking (and mostly getting) the same price. That's one of the more frustrating points of video game collecting... but as long as your game still technically works, I wouldn't worry about them loosing too much value.

[Wayler]

Your signal may be warm but that take is ice cold. 

[Tanooki]

Ice cold. Dumb eBay buyers on the higher end loose cart stuff he kind of has a point which is sad.