Every gamer loves to play video games, but what’s going on with sealed video games? Is it it’s own separate hobby or does it affect the retro gaming hobby in some sort of negative way? Also, how do games that are graded and slabbed affect all of this?
(Discussion) Are Sealed Video Games Ruining the Hobby for Non-Sealed Collectors? – Retro Bird / Are Sealed Game Collectors Bad for the Hobby?
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Source
The channel "Good Vibe Collecting" that I talk about in the video can be viewed here. The channel covers sealed unboxings as well as regular unboxings and occasionally some other videos as well. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH2OtZzlJtHLagtqjPzjhEw/videos
I can excuse having a handful of sealed games. Like for example, I want a sealed copy of Mario Kart Wii, not because it's value is in money but because it was the first video game I ever played and have that personal attachment. Of course if you just so happen to have an expensive sealed game then I understand, but buying them up for the sake of value increase is weird.
I fall more in the “if it’s yours, you can do what you want” camp. This likely comes from me being primarily a comic collector, and also one who does custom binds of comic runs that I love.
In the video game hobby, I own two sealed games, but both are games that are worthless monetary-wise, but I happen to love them. I have opened and beat-up copies of both.
I think modding your SNES to play SFC games also falls into the “it’s yours, do what you want” camp as well.
yeah screw keeping games sealed. seriously its just a seal!
lol Graded games have crazy jacked up prices sealed games are easier on the wallet if you wanted to open a channel.
Actually as someone who plays video games graded games are the least attractive option to me.
I would still consider a sealed copy for it's condition so when I play it there's no issues with scratches or oxidised cartridge connectors.
But a graded game has no value for me I would rather buy an opened copy
I only buy sealed game if I find them for a cheap price
Just this last winter I bought Jungle and Desert Strike for the Genesis sealed. $100cdn for both and I did it because I wanted to feel like Christmas morning in the 90s getting that brand new Genesis game. I tore open that package, threw them into my Mega Sg and for just a moment was a 12 year old kid again. That is why I buy sealed.
Flip side. I bought 2 copies of Axiom Verge for the Wii U, one to play and one to keep. I don't know what I am going to do with the sealed copy but I have noticed the Ebay sold prices lately…..
Explaining my Super Nt unopened and still bubble wrapped is a little more difficult.
I had a buddy look me in the eyes and say he hadn't played Resident Evil 3 remake because he had a copy that was 'mint and sealed' and it might be worth something one day like sure thirty years from now it might be worth twenty pounds more than the millions of other copes but if your bragging about a pretty much new release being sealed i dont think you understand why they have value in the first place.
I still have my original (opened and played of course) Panzer Dragoon Saga. It still has the receipt in the box from the day I bought it.
Watching prices, it’s really hard not to want to sell it – I don’t often play it, I’m sort of afraid of damaging it, and I could still use my ODE to play it if I sold it. On the other hand, I already sold most of my Saturn collection (when they were cheap!), and I really regret it. Ugh, decisions.
When I see those sealed, graded boxes though, it seems like a waste. If I had the money to buy them at those prices, I’d probably open them and play them, lol
I opened a sealed Bomb Squad for Intellivision on my channel last year. Ive actually sold sealed games Ive scored only to turn around and buy an open copy to play and pocket the profit. Its quite a conundrum because we like to know our games are increasing in value. But that also means some games we don’t have are rising too.
I had to think about this a bit. I open all my games. On another hand, I was asked to grade a couple of crates of old comics. I'm a big comic fan.
Boards and acid free bags are fine. But I want to enjoy the art and story. A minor bit of damage doesn't throw me off.
You could apply that to anything, really. The food idea occurred to me.
But I also thought about being in a relationship. Are you never going to… ahem seal the deal? Trying to keep it clean. No. You are missing out. Hopefully that's not offensive to anyone.
If you get a wrench or something, it's meant for a purpose. If I buy tacos I eat them. Nothing is permanent. It wasn't meant to be.
When my VHS player ripped up my copy of Blacula, I was mad for a day. Then I got over it. Nothing is perfect. Never was.
I saw the movie, enjoyed it, and went about other things.
Oddly enough the Blacula actor was the King of Cartoons on that Pee Wee Herman show. And Rob Zombie helped design the sets.
How does Endymion go? A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
I almost always open them up. It is a strange feeling opening something that has been sealed for over 30 years. I have yet to open my sealed Braindead 13 for the Jaguar cd because of the value and because it isn't a game I would play a lot. Have a full collection, so that is why I have it. I think I will probably open it anyway…
Mad Little Pixel opens up sealed games and systems over on his channel. Of course he gets tons of views/likes whenever he does it too, so it’s not like he’s getting ‘nothing’ out of it. 🙂 If you are opening this sealed stuff up alone in your room, I say you are fighting the good fight (if you believe in that type of thing). If you are opening them up on social media and just trading the potential $$ for likes and views, I don’t know what to think about that. Interesting topic!
While this isn’t a direct comparison, there are parallels and frustrations in the bourbon community. People are collecting for the sake of investment and sometimes never consume any of it. Prices have skyrocketed and it’s become very difficult to find bottles that were common just a few years ago.
I agree that grading will only make it worse for those of us who want to build a functional/usable collection. Having only recently started with snes and gameboy I see all kinds of great videos and recommendations only to find out that prices have doubled or tripled or more in just a few years…. 🙁
but hey, I now have the gameboy Bonk games even though I had to get the import versions due to price. Woot. 🙂
Nope, I love getting sealed games and breaking that seal.
How is sealed game worth more if it wasn't sold in the first place 😂🤣
Yeah, sealed games aren’t for me. If I buy a game, I want to play it!
Could someone explain me what "graded" means in this context? For me, a grade is to give a game an A or a 8 or something when reviewing it.
Gotta play em all. 🚫🦭
I can really be impressed by an old cardboard box game sealed up in a plastic tomb. For about 5 seconds and then it goes back on a shelf like any other and I never think about it again. Kinda like regular old games except the option to try this old classic has been taken away.