Why sealed? Do you play too?

I'm interested in people's motivations for collecting sealed games.

Why do you collect sealed games?
Why do you collect the particular sealed games that you do?
Do you ever play games?

I'm just curious really.

I've read threads where people state 'I've been gaming since X system', but who then proudly (and rightly so) show off sealed games for systems they have by their own admission no historical affiliation with.
I've seen collections that appear to have no rhyme nor reason to them, other than the collector buying whatever they see sealed.
I've seen discussion (limited granted, given the forums nature) about games where its blatantly obvious that the person has never played said game, but has a sealed copy! (Does the gameplay seep through the wrap by some sort of osmotic process?)

I'm not having a go at anyone, nor do I wish to. There is no right or wrong way to collect, and people are free to do as they choose. (I've had the odd bit of corned beef for my collecting habits)

It does however strike me as odd that people would buy sealed games willy nilly, without some motivation behind it, or some focus to it. So what's the reason/motivation for you?

It does however strike me as odd that people would buy sealed games for games they have never actually played, or indeed ever intend on playing. So what games do you play? How many of your sealed games are games you've played as well? How many of your sealed games are games you love/hate/grew up with/bought due to 'collector value' (awful phrase lol).

I suppose I better give my answers lol.

So as background...I've been into gaming since the Electron. The arrival of the MD (I got one in 89) signalled the point in my life where I knew I'd be into gaming for a long time. I had a little hiatus from gaming when at uni (just from buying really, of course I had games to play, just not so many new ones - sex drugs and rock and roll meant no money for games). Back on the games once uni finished and job started. So I've been a gamer for 25 years now.

Why sealed then. All sorts of reasons. Its a wonderful thing to have a perfect spankingly new copy of something I enjoy. Its the ultimate compliment I can pay a game that I enjoy so much. They look nice. They smell nice. They are a challenge to find. They're a way of wasting time and money! They're collectible. You get to meet a serious type of collector along the way, with whom you know you can (generally) have decent games discussions. Insert any generic reason here lol.

Why the particular sealed that I have? For me this is the crux of the thread. When I buy a sealed game (other than new releases of course) its because its a game I really like. Or its a game that has a special place in my gaming history. Or its a game (or system) that I wanted back in the day, didn't have, have now and love. Or its because I'm at that level of collecting for whatever system that all there is left to go for is sealed games (or shite). Or in some cases its purely because its a very collectible item for a system I collect for.

So if I were to breakdown my sealed collection..

30% games I grew up with and loved
60% games I wanted back then but could only acquire once I grew up, then acquired, played, loved, bought sealed (for example I never had a pce back then but several friends did..been heavily into pce since paid employment commenced)
10% shameful 'collector' types with no real personal historical affiliation, or any real personal love other than being for a system I love to collect for and generally love. (The Eyeful Homes of my collection!)

90% of the games I have sealed I also have open and will have played them thoroughly. I play games!

100% of the games I have sealed are for systems I owned back then or/and own now. I would never buy a sealed game for a system I don't care for or collect for, no matter how rare/desirable to the masses it may be. Me and sealed willy nilly do not go hand in hand.

If you've read this far I commend you, I've gone on far longer than when I decided on this thread!

Over to you, looking forward to your, hopefully briefer, replies

we've had it discussed here.. somewhere..

I did look..but couldn't find any thread that detailed all my questions. Certainly no in depth motivations, more 'what do you collect' etc.

Meh, if noone replies Its only 20 mins of wasted life. Thats nothing for a gamer lol!

wheelaa wrote:I did look..but couldn't find any thread that detailed all my questions. Certainly no in depth motivations, more 'what do you collect' etc.

Meh, if noone replies Its only 20 mins of wasted life. Thats nothing for a gamer lol!

lol
http://sealedgame.heavenforum.org/general-sealed-discussion-f21/the-reason-behind-seal-mania-psychology-t440.htm
http://sealedgame.heavenforum.org/general-sealed-discussion-f21/sealed-collecting-more-than-an-investment-t91.htm

Hihi...yes, a good question.

Ok, I will let you know HOW I start collecting sealed games and then WHY I do it.

Start:
I am collecting now since about 4-4,5 years. I have to say that I play videogames since I was about 10 years old (1989)...started with a C64, MD and SNES.
When I was 25, I thought about getting all the old games which I loved most and remembering the good old times (Phantasy Star 2, Secret of Mana, FFIII...).
I did it and I started to collecting them...especially the RPGs. The condition of the games is very important to me (I think it's in my genes), so I tried to collect the SNES and MD-games complete and in near mint-mint condition.
It came the time that I also wanted the other RPGs made for the MCD, Saturn, PS or PS2...they also had to be in mint condition. But ONLY RPGs.
After about 1,5 years I had so much RPGs at home and some full collections of RPGs (MD, MS) that I "lost" the will to collect games. It was too much. And I saw that I never will have the time to play all the games. I was a student, but when you have a lot of friends, a girlfriend and a "Reallife" you don't have time to play games...maybe 3-4 hours a week.
Furthermore it came in my mind that this collection is "nothing" special. I can ALWAYS go to ebay and buy a Phantasy Star, a FF III, a Shining Force, a Lunar.....nearly every game is running out every day in ebay.
I said to me: Hey....do you want anything that is sooo easy to get, games that ANYbody can pick up for 10 Dollars??? No. I am more a collector than a Gamer and I want something SPECIAL. Games you can't find so easily...Games where you need a lot of time (and money) to find them. Games which maybe 5 other collectors have...in the WORLD.
So I started collecting sealed Games
I sold all the MD, MS, MCD, SNES stuff and build up a sealed collecting. I am collecting sealed games about 2,5-3 years. Ok...some are easy to get (some PS2 games), but a lot are a 10 out of 10.

Reasons for collecting sealed games:
- you have something special in your collection....Games which you never saw before in the wild. Take the German FF IX: I never saw it...and I am looking in a bunch of communities and ebay for 3 years (!!!!!). It's crazy, but the feeling is kind of cool and wicked. Ok...maybe there are 10 other people who have it in their garage or on the shelves. But hey...maybe there are also 20 other guys which have a Kizuna Encounter EURO for the NGH For "now" I am the only one.
Look at the stamp collectors...they also do not want stamps which are easy to get, worth nothing and running out in ebay every hour.
They also want rarities

- The game value is much higher than the value of a used one. And a lot of games are rising in value.

- The feeling of something which is 10-20 years old and never saw the inside of a console

I have to say that I have specialized my collection. 90% are PS and PS2 (mostly RPGs, but I will also have the important and popular games like MGS, SH, RE...)
The other 10% are SNES and N64...but I think about to sell them. So I just collect PS and PS2 sealed

I'll cut it short - we like to show off and do not play games. We surf ebay almost 24 hours a days. Our social life ended. We buy 20-year-old junk for a price of a used cars. We go to post office like if it was our casual job.
...
weeee neeeed to get a life. i'm serious.

del

Dark Sol wrote:

Dark Sol wrote:I'll cut it short - we like to show off and do not play games.

"Look i have a factory sealed Panzer Dragoon Saga! My penis is longer then yours!"

We surf ebay almost 24 hours a days. Our social life ended. We buy 20-year-old junk for a price of a used cars. We go to post office like if it was our casual job.
...
weeee neeeed to get a life. i'm serious.

Hehe. In that case my cock is huge, 2 sealed Pal PDS! :P (and a JP one..although that probably loses me inches its so cheap and common)

Seriously though, no need to be sarcastic. (I did see those other 2 threads of course, but they didn't answer all my questions)

Sammelhammel wrote:Good post

Yeah, iirc I sold you a few of the genesis strategy games years back. I know someone who had most of them sealed, as well as many/most other genesis rpgs. I'll ask if he still has them if you like.

wheelaa wrote:I know someone who had most of them sealed, as well as many/most other genesis rpgs. I'll ask if he still has them if you like.

genesis rpg's are mine! all mine! give em to me!!!

wheelaa wrote:
Seriously though, no need to be sarcastic. (I did see those other 2 threads of course, but they didn't answer all my questions)

hehe...it's actually truth in my words. And kidding as well. But we all share same passion. Gotta live with it. I'm also addicted to some sealed games. Although i don't buy every crappy tetris and daytona usa for 100$.. :cyclops:

Dark Sol wrote:
genesis rpg's are mine! all mine! give em to me!!!

Well I'll ask and see what, if any, he has left. This was 3-4 years ago so who knows what his stock is like now. Nice chap though, cut me a great price on a sealed Warsong.

(I have a Rings of Power if that's any good to you)

wheelaa wrote:

Dark Sol wrote:
genesis rpg's are mine! all mine! give em to me!!!

Well I'll ask and see what, if any, he has left. This was 3-4 years ago so who knows what his stock is like now. Nice chap though, cut me a great price on a sealed Warsong.

(I have a Rings of Power if that's any good to you)

Daaamn i've just bought Rings of Power off ebay recently. Still waiting for it to arrive.
Let me know what the chap has concerning genesis stuff. It's the main thing i collect.

The way I see it, most collector's want the items in their collection to be in the best possible condition. Obviously some people have higher standards than others, whereas some are content with just owning the games. Ie, there are collector's who might be happy to collect every NES game cart only, and at the other end of the scale you have collector's who want all of their games to be boxed and complete. Others, like us, take it one step further and go for sealed games.

It's not an recent phenomenon either, and neither is it limited to just video games. There have been collector's for decades collecting mint carded vintage Star Wars action figures ever since 1977 for example.

There is a certain satisfaction with owning a 20+ year old game which is still as perfect as the day it was produced.

Yes, I know all that. Although I don't collect anything else I do keep an eye out on other markets. I see movie posters sell for $350,000 (Bride of Frankenstein), 1st print signed Dracula for $40k (sadly my dad's copy is unsigned), NIB chogokin toys for $20k and so on.

But I was asking after people's personal motivations, not some generic reasoning!

Why do you go for sealed games? Do you play games? (Clearly not Oblivion lol ) How can one get satisfaction owning a game in perfect condition, a game one has never actually played? Its not like posters, books, figures, toys, comics, coins, cards etc. For nearly all of those you can gleam full normal usage (ie visual) from having them carded, graded, NIB etc. If you've never played a game you own sealed you're missing out on so much of the pleasure of owning it imo. Owning a perfect sealed game for a title you love to death is something special (and personal) let me tell you. (Much more special than just buying sealed games..especially given that very few gaming items are that rare or expensive...yet)

wheelaa wrote:If you've never played a game you own sealed you're missing out on so much of the pleasure of owning it imo.

YEEEEEEEEEES.
Amazing how people buy those shitty sealed tetrises and other crap. They will never play it.

Hmm, difficult to write in english, but I'll try to explain why I collect sealed games.

It began all because of Sammelhammel As you can read, he sold his RPG's and the buyer was often me. I wanted all the RPG's for the Super Nintendo and there were some semi-sealed games. It was and still is cool to own them, because they look so perfect, but you can play them. But I saw like him too, that it's nothing special and it's nearly impossible to play all the games. I sold many of my games and my art of collecting changes nearly every month

But that's another theme. I still collect more or less complete, but not sealed SNES and N64 games. The sealed collecting began with the Gamecube. I saw it on ricardo and I do not know, why I bought it. But it was cool to play with the GC, as it was my newest console I ever played with. The first game I really loved was Wario Ware Inc. and after play it through, I thought I must own it sealed. I don't know why. But it's special to own a game in perfect condition that you loved to play. So I got in the sealed collecting bug, as many others here. The GC games are not too hard to get and so it was perfect for me to collect them sealed. Not all games I own in sealed I played or I will play. For the GC I colect everything. Then there is also the GBA, which I own because of military service. I had to play something there and the little GB Micro was perfect for it. Now there I collect games I played and some others whcih are worth collecting, like the FF games, Golden Sun, Fire Emblem etc. but not everything (maybe 15 games and maybe later more).

So I collect sealed games for GC and GBA, but also everything which have to do with Zelda. But as you I would never buy sealed games I don't own the console for. So for example I'll never buy a sealed Twilight Princess for the Wii. I collect sealed maybe generally, but the games I love most in this condition are the ones I loved to play. For me OoT is the best game ever and I was so happy to get it sealed. Even it's not the rarest and most expensive game in my collection, I love it most.

In future I will also collect some SNES and N64 games, but then these are really only the games I loved to play or which have something special. For example i really played through Drakkhen This one I want to have sealed. Or 7th Saga would also be one, but this game is really great!

I hope you understand why I collect sealed games and I hope too I wrote the thoughts I wanted. But my english... -.-

I have most if not all my sealed games in raw carts. I like to have a perfect condition game for future love

Mate, your English is wonderful! As was your post!

Jaffar Sholva wrote:
It began all because of Sammelhammel

He has a lot to answer for!

Jaffar Sholva wrote:I sold many of my games and my art of collecting changes nearly every month

Tell me about it. It took me about 5 years of collecting to really narrow down exactly what I wanted to collect. I used to want to have most systems with lots of good games for each one, for all regions. But then over time that changed, many many times indeed! Now I've really focused on about 6-7 systems and have amassed very good collections for each. Plus there's a real pleasure in being able to really focus on everything to do with one system, the knowledge you gain, the people you meet, finding others with the same level of superpassion as you (sometimes even more passion..some of the pce collectors are insane!). I love gaming!

Jaffar Sholva wrote:
The first game I really loved was Wario Ware Inc. and after play it through, I thought I must own it sealed. I don't know why. But it's special to own a game in perfect condition that you loved to play. So I got in the sealed collecting bug, as many others here.

Just the same as me. Its almost like the greatest compliment you can give a game imo. I love you 'insert game name' so much I want to have you in perfect condition to treasure!

Of course its a real shame when you can't find sealed games for your favourites though. I love JP MD games but I could never find a sealed Gunstar Heroes or Bare Knuckle 2 as they were never sealed. I have mint copies that look new, but it isn't enough!!!!

Jaffar Sholva wrote:
So I collect sealed games for GC and GBA, but also everything which have to do with Zelda. But as you I would never buy sealed games I don't own the console for. So for example I'll never buy a sealed Twilight Princess for the Wii. I collect sealed maybe generally, but the games I love most in this condition are the ones I loved to play. For me OoT is the best game ever and I was so happy to get it sealed. Even it's not the rarest and most expensive game in my collection, I love it most.

Wonderful!

As I said above there's no right or wrong way to collect..but for me what you say above is what its all about.

And a sealed OoT is a lovely thing to own, I wish I had one! (What's your rarest and/or most expensive then?)

There was I time I wanted many consoles, only because of history. Sure it would be nice to own a Maxadon Odyssey, but there is no relationship to it. I also had a CD-i. I even made money with it So now I focuse on GC, GBA, SNES, N64 and, I hope so, PS3 too. But there are so many consoles which are interesting, also the newest one like the Xbox360 (even only for Gears of War!) and the DS. But for the moment I rest with the PS3 and maybe I'll get there some sealed games. But my problem is, that I'm maybe too old. No seriously. I grew up with the SNES and N64. The Next-Gen is to new for me. I really have problems with games like Viking: Battle for Asgard. I love playing them, but I'm too bad for it. So that only about gaming, which I love. But I think I'll get more and more a collector. But I hope I won't give up playing games.

Yeah, it's really something about to give a compliment to a game. What is better to buy the best games in sealed condition? For me, they don't have to be perfect, as for example OoT isn't too. But it's new and looks so great. The look is btw a reason more to collect sealed games. I love the Nintendo tear strip

I paid most for ALttP and I think it's the rarest one. Maybe a little more expensive (but not rarer) are Rendering Ranger and Majora's Mask Adventure Set. I saw them go for about 230 pounds each. Maybe this was an exception, I don't know. But both were not in perfect condition. And I'm lucky I paid not too much for them over a year ago. But they aren't sealed naturally.

ok here goes my story (nothing to do at work!)

As for me i've been a collector and gamer since childhood.
But assuming where i live it was different from what you could do in USA for example. I could not buy original games (i was in school). I could not buy consoles. I could only stare at them. Moreover - we had very limited original game market here. I don't even remember a single original snes game being sold here(only chinese pirated versions)....Only genesis, but very few.
Sega Genesis is what i've loved since that times. It's awesome. It does what nintendon't!
I've played nearly every game for it.
Back at the days i bought original Sega Genesis model 1 from a friend who actually brought it from Japan. (his grandfather was a musician and visited japan). Owning something "from Japan" was wicked and a show off. And i liked it. Not because of a show off but because it was actually well-crafted. It was so freaking awesome after all these pirate clones. And all this paperwork stuff. It was a different feeling.
And that's how it started i guess.
After several years i sold all my collection(a bunch of games and a console) to buy some PC games.
Several years later i discovered the emulators. I've started to play back all these old games from sega and snes. Like "OMFG now i can play games i could not even dream about!!!! holy shit!!!"(e.g look at my childhood.)
I really turned back to oldschool.
Years went by. I've started earning some cash. Somehow i've been browsing ebay and saw all these japanese games for sega genesis. Some of them i had in childhood. Very few. It was a new feeling. A feeling of beauty. Of a faaaarrr virgin beauty from japan. And i decide to try to buy some of games like Landstalker and Phantasy Star 4. Ouu myyy gaaawdd if only i knew what mistake i was doing...
I had nothing to eat i was wearing pants from secondhand but i was buying the games from Japan directly. Could not even dream about it. Dreams came true.

And so the story expands for later years.
I always was a collector, but not a sealed one. I've never bothered about the plastic as much, but i was a completist. I've never bothered about plastic simply because i PLAYED THE GAMES I BOUGHT(I've opened factory sealed Phantasy Star 2 and also Ogre Battle and some other games). And i thought that buying a second copy just to play it was a stupidity(still thinking btw. You always have emulators to play the games!). Not to mention i cannot afford to buy stockpiles of copies of games.
The games that i buy sealed are not just games. They are pieces of art and history. I won't open them and play them for sure. I buy them to stare at them. To sniff them, to lick them. Whatever.

As for things i buy - it's US complete editions of rpg games for all consoles. My rpg collection is one of the biggest on the internet (several thousands of games.). When i started buying original games i'd been only filling breaches of my rpg collection (e.g buying games not available for download). Then i turned into Sega Genesis rpg collection(back to the future). It's almost complete. Then i moved to snes rpg collection. Almost complete. And so on...
I've very dedicated and enthusiastic about it. I'm a fucking freak. But you have to be a freak to achieve anything in this life.

But the SNES RPG's aren't sealed at all? If yes, this would be awesome. There are so many RPG's on the SNES.

Jaffar Sholva wrote:But the SNES RPG's aren't sealed at all? If yes, this would be awesome. There are so many RPG's on the SNES.

Not sealed. Some partially, but opened. I've never been into snes that much. That's why i've been in "just complete" for snes. Snes rpg's collecting is not an easy task buy itself assuming how much they cost. And buying them all sealed...well. This is big money investment which i cannot afford and maybe never will i. :face:

For me, it's the feeling you get after waiting for ages for a game even in used condition is very rare, actually turns up new sealed, it is the thrill and excitement in knowing that there may just be a handful of copies out there in the world - and you have one!!

I collect for the Japanese PC Engine. For me the PC Engine was and still is in some respects, well ahead of it's time. So sometimes obtaining a game that is 20 years old can be very difficult indeed, even if it was very common and popular back then and even more so if the game had a very short print run for example like Magical Chase or Tatsujin. These games can fetch between $100-$150 in used condition alone. Obtaining these games are virtually impossible in new/sealed but if you wait long enough (and that can mean years) and if you are lucky and you pay big, you can get it. There is a great sense of satisfaction in obtaining the seemingly unobtainable.

Up to now, we are only dealing with investment "potential". The new/sealed market isn't flourishing yet say as the comic book market where some comics can go for upwards of $100,000. But there is the potential that in the future there will be a "craze" period when retro systems regain popularity and become the must thing to have - that will be the time to cash in!!

So personally, I believe the best investment is having a new/sealed system plus a collection of the most popular games (specifically but not limited to common games in used condition but rare as new/sealed). In the future, the majority of people are going to want to play the games that they did when they were younger i.e. ones that they remembered playing in the arcade or on a home system. So I think if you are looking to make a good return in the future, collecting for a popular a system together with a bunch of it's best games probably has a better potential of obtaining a high premium in the future.

So to sum up for me it's part feeling, part nostalgia and part investment.

Well ppl. I don't have cash anymore so i think it's a good time to stop ebaying and start playing!
Do you play anything right now???

I collect sealed stuff just for the fun of collecting coz looking for "usual" stuff is too easy and does not enjoy me anymore.
What gives me more fun is to track down and buy things way under their usual price.
I don't buy anything just because it's sealed, though. I'm collecting only 32x; pal sealed dreamcast; sealed master system; asian, korean and japanese megadrive stuff and anything tetris related among all this, there's only a very few stuff I'm ready to put big cash in it (things I'm realistic enough to know that you "can't wait for the cheap copy" coz it will never come, or if it comes, well you buy it and resell it to refund your expensive copy lol
However, I've got a list of like 30 games (stuff I had as a kid) that I'm looking for sealed and when I see them, well, I put what it needs to get (last in date: pal shinobi III for the megadrive in blister pack. won it 60 euros on ebay, put a 500 euros bid lol)