Collector rules...

[Mindfield]

To the issue of NIB games, there is only one case where I will ever open sealed games, and that's if I have another one I can keep sealed -- and then only if it's a common game, and if I don't already have a loose copy of it. If I already have the game loose, I'll just use that and never open the sealed ones regardless of how many I have. If I have only one copy of a sealed game and no loose copy of it, I'll keep it sealed and wait 'til I do find a loose copy.

 

Having said that, I don't have very many sealed 2600 games. Star Raiders, Joust, Venture (Atari rebrand), and maybe one or two others. I actually have more Intellivision and Lynx sealed than anything else. :-)

[israelg]

What's the point NOT to open a rare sealed game ?, U are NOT playing and enjoying this game...

 

This game is like a picture, it's a waste... , so the only option to play if u have a one copy of a sealed game is through emulation...??

[taxman]

If you're keeping to play then I guess it doesn't matter, but keeping it sealed in box has more collector appeal and hence is worth more money.

[The MilkMan]

What's the point NOT to open a rare sealed game ?, U are NOT playing and enjoying this game...  

 

This game is like a picture, it's a waste... , so the only option to play if u have a one copy of a sealed game is through emulation...??

 

Whats wrong with not opening a sealed game? It's Mindfield's game, he can do what ever he wants with it. Thats the whole point of collecting. IMO.

[israelg]

Whats wrong with not opening a sealed game? It's Mindfield's game, he can do what ever he wants with it. Thats the whole point of collecting. IMO.

 

What about opening a sealed game? play some time... and than sealed it again...is this ok ? ( I don't have sealed games... )

[The MilkMan]

Whats wrong with not opening a sealed game? It's Mindfield's game, he can do what ever he wants with it. Thats the whole point of collecting. IMO.

 

What about opening a sealed game? play some time... and than sealed it again...is this ok ? ( I don't have sealed games... )

 

Sure. Go for it. Thats the beauty of owning your own stuff, you can do whatever you want to it!

[hex65000]

Just to point out the problem in a different light with a 'similar but different' analogy...

 

I also collect Transformers (you know those robots) and I have a fairly comprehensive collection. I've got a couple of gaps from late Beast Wars, Robots in Disguise, and Armada series. I've also got a pretty decent Japanese and Euro collection underway too.

 

Anyway, in a lot of cases, I bought packaged out of production Transformers with the intent of opening them up. And therein lies the problem: part of the joy I get from the series is that pleasure of transforming a peice for the very first time. So leaving the toys in packages is somewhat self-defeating. I mean what's the point of a transformer if you don't _transform_ them?

 

Hex.

[ Shiny happy people killing things... ]

[israelg]

So who else is using the second best unit as the "playing unit" and the

better unit as a "show box" and rarly or ever is using it as a "playing unit" ?

 

What is more important the fun ? or the collection ?

[Mindfield]

The reason I want to keep games sealed is mainly for show pieces. There's something special about having a title that has never been opened, never seen the light of day, never been touched by human hands. It's like having a piece right out of the store -- except of course you can't walk into any store and buy these things new anymore. Which is kind of the point. At some point, sealed games will be very, very rare indeed, particularily when there are more people buying what sealed items are left and opening them. O'Shea's still have lots of sealed commons, of course -- they have for years and will probably still have lots in years to come. But they only have a limited selection of titles. Eventually they'll run out and then the only hope of finding sealed games will be eBay/Bidiots or trades/private sales. Part of it is simply the fact that sealed is worth more. Its value will only appreciate over time. Mostly, for me anyway, it's simply that I've got something in showroom condition which has never been opened and never will be -- at least not as long as I have it. Besides. I have loose copies of the games I have sealed, so I just play those.

 

The same goes for sealed, mint, or otherwise very desirable hardware. I have a mint, boxed Sears heavy sixer as my show piece, and I use a Coleco Gemini (which is also complete and boxed but not mint) as my testing and playing machine so I don't subject my sixer to any more wear and tear than is necessary. I'll drag the sixer out from time to time, just because it's nice to play and those first-year spring-loaded sticks are sweet, but for every day sort of playing and testing, the Gemini takes the abuse.

 

And there is fun in both the collecting and the playing. The two don't have to be mutually exclusive. I'm thrilled when I find or score something nice to add to the collection, and usually have just as much fun playing it. If I find a showpiece, it gets stored in the showpiece area and I use my "grunt" copies (the loose and/or tattered copies) to play. But coming across a nice mint boxed item, or a sealed item, holds a great deal of excitement for me.

[The MilkMan]

The reason I want to keep games sealed is mainly for show pieces.  There's something special about having a title that has never been opened, never seen the light of day, never been touched by human hands.  It's like having a piece right out of the store -- except of course you can't walk into any store and buy these things new anymore.  Which is kind of the point.  At some point, sealed games will be very, very rare indeed, particularily when there are more people buying what sealed items are left and opening them.  O'Shea's still have lots of sealed commons, of course -- they have for years and will probably still have lots in years to come.  But they only have a limited selection of titles.  Eventually they'll run out and then the only hope of finding sealed games will be eBay/Bidiots or trades/private sales.  Part of it is simply the fact that sealed is worth more.  Its value will only appreciate over time.  Mostly, for me anyway, it's simply that I've got something in showroom condition which has never been opened and never will be -- at least not as long as I have it.  Besides.  I have loose copies of the games I have sealed, so I just play those.

 

The same goes for sealed, mint, or otherwise very desirable hardware.  I have a mint, boxed Sears heavy sixer as my show piece, and I use a Coleco Gemini (which is also complete and boxed but not mint) as my testing and playing machine so I don't subject my sixer to any more wear and tear than is necessary.  I'll drag the sixer out from time to time, just because it's nice to play and those first-year spring-loaded sticks are sweet, but for every day sort of playing and testing, the Gemini takes the abuse.

 

And there is fun in both the collecting and the playing.  The two don't have to be mutually exclusive.  I'm thrilled when I find or score something nice to add to the collection, and usually have just as much fun playing it.  If I find a showpiece, it gets stored in the showpiece area and I use my "grunt" copies (the loose and/or tattered copies) to play.  But coming across a nice mint boxed item, or a sealed item, holds a great deal of excitement for me.

 

Well, thats about all you can say about that.

Nicely put Mindfield!

[gulag picture radio]

I usually pick up pretty much every reasonably priced system I find. The reason is that lots of times I'll have a friend over and they'll get all misty eyed about missing their Atari, and I can send them home with an Atari care package - or surprise them on their birthday or something. So really I buy them to spread the love.

[Heavy Sixer]

I'll pick up virtually any Atari items I find, so long as the prices aren't ridiculously high. Since most of these items are common and relatively inexpensive, I've always gone for sheer quantity first, and worried about rarity afterwards, the end result being ~1200 carts and ~40 consoles presently in my collection. These days, I find Atari things so infrequently that the hobby doesn't suck much money out of my pocket, anyway (I've been spending more time and money on arcade PCBs). I actually found nine games at the Salvation Army about a week ago (all common, except for Kool-Aid Man), and two more at another thrift store; these were my first finds in ages. I went back to the SA a few days ago, and dug out a bunch of paddles, sticks, and power adapters. Today, I might stop by a used game store and see if they'll let me split up some of their shrinkwrapped Atari cart packs for titles and variations...

 

HEAVY***6***er