The price of collecting

[samanosuke]

I've just recently started getting into SFC collecting and after grabbing myself two rather cheap boxed games, Ranma 1/2 Ranbu Hen and Gradius III, I figured I may as well continue collecting boxed games as they look so much nicer on the shelf.

Now, game I've been after for a bit is Mickey's Magical Adventure 3, and it's a game I've never seen appear on eBay nor have I seen it at the usual importers VGI, Genki etc. I did however find it recently at another import site and promptly ordered a boxed version for $40. Slap on shipping charges, a credit card surcharge and a f*cking pitiful exchange rate, the game ended up costing me £40 but I was half-happy as I'd never been able to get hold of it before.

A few days later I noticed that the very same place had a cart-only copy of the game for just $13! I was so peeved that I'd payed $27 for what amounts to a piece of card and a printed booklet, especially as it's the cartridge itself that appeals to me. I am a gamer first and foremost so that's $27 that could have been spent on more loose carts. Or indeed food as I am also a student.

The thing is, I even worry about those flimsy cardboard boxes that SFC games come in as they'll inevitably wear out as I keep taking carts in and out to play. So that is that, as of now it's loose carts only for me and to prove it I just bought Chrono Trigger for £35 instead of £100+.

What about you guys? To box or not to box? And what do you think about paying up to $50 and even more in some cases for a piece of card?

[noobish hat]

You paid £35 for a loose cartridge of Chrono Trigger? It's only worth about 500 yen boxed. Anyway, it has to be boxed for me, all the way. As I've said before, I'd rather have a box with no game than a game with no box :P I've got about 25 or so super famicom games, but I think the only ones that aren't Nintendo or Squaresoft are r-type, castlevania, and mother 2. I do love those boxes. The Squaresoft ones look great all in a row, since they're almost all white.

[honeymustard]

£35 for a SFC version of Chrono Trigger? Yeesh. It should cost like £10 tops for a complete copy

e:f;b

[Skull Commander]

The game is the most important part to me. If I get the box and instructions then it's a bonus. Gamer first, obsessive nerd second.

[noobish hat]

Wait 'til you hear how much he spent on Front Mission!

[samanosuke]

Guess I should've mentioned that I paid £35 for the US version... c'mon guys, give me some credit!

[gamelife]

Ive been collecting SFC games for a couple of years now (have around 50) and have finally got to the point where i have all the games i want for the system, all mint/new. For me the box etc is important if your looking to collect.

As for US games, the only ones i buy are RPG's cart only. Because they are far too expensive mint and i'm only buying them to play. I still have the Japanese counterparts in mint condition.

I have US copies of Zelda, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 3 at the momemt and i paid around ?20-25 each.

Ive probably spent a fair bit on SFC games but i think they are defo worth more as a collection.

Happy collecting!

[Papercut]

The real cost, once you have filled your house, is in storage.

[noobish hat]

The real cost, once you have filled your house, is in storage.

Absolutely, I've had to buy 5 book cases so far, and now they're all full. My room is quite big, but the walls are all covered now, so unless I start lining them up in front of each other like in a library, I'm gonna have problems.

[nintastic]

I'm waiting for my bext unboxed game collector hero to post ...........we all know who that is !

[samanosuke]

The real cost, once you have filled your house, is in storage.

Well I've never managed to do that! After collecting AES, Saturn and PCE games for years I eventually ended up selling almost everything. Now I am restricting myself to just SNES/SFC and MD/MCD. I don't intend on having too big a collection again!

[nem]

I'm stupidly anal when it comes to collecting, and I found it pretty early on that it's nigh on impossible to collect absolutely mint Nintendo stuff. I'm not deep pocketed, so I sold the small amount of stuff I had and bought loose copies instead. Now every single game in my Nintendo collection is cartridge only. In fact, I won't even buy games that come with boxes or manuals -- I'll leave them for other collectors.

Saves a whole ton of space too.

Mind you, my loose cartridges are super clean. No tatty games in my collection.

[BaudAttitude]

The real cost, once you have filled your house, is in storage.

This, quoted for emphasis. I've been in a spacious 3-bedroom place for 8 years now, and about two years ago I decided I wanted to be able to move overseas if the opportunity presented itself.

I've since sold hundreds of games and half the consoles and it staggers me how much room is STILL being taken up by games.

[nintastic]

The real cost, once you have filled your house, is in storage.

Getting your girlfriend/wife to move out might help that ... I mean who uses wardrobes to keep clothes and shoes in

[teenagewasteland]

If I just want to play it and then move it on, it doesn't matter if it's complete.
If it's going in the collection, it's got to be complete (or at least stupidly rare enough that if it doesn't matter too much if it's cart only etc)