Whats the point of collecting sealed games?

[robert89]

I want to hear some opinions on this.

[valce]

The same reason people collect unopened dolls and toys. To say they're the few in the world with a product that has never been opened, never touched, and ostensibly in the most perfect of condition (with the exception of its packaging maybe). Personally, I think the VGA and all other groups who "grade" video games for outrageous fees are a total scam and that games were meant to be played. I have but maybe 3 items in my collection that are sealed new and that's just because I found them cheap online and in thrift stores.

[bikingjahuty]

First and foremost I do not collect sealed games, but unfortunately have interacted with a few people that have. This was my experience with them.

Sealed Collector #1: This guy worked as a manager at EB Games from like 1997 until the mid 2000s and pretty much snatched up anything and everything as soon as the store wanted to get rid of it. He even stashed stuff until corporate wanted it out of inventory and would buy it up as soon as they did this. From working at a game store for almost two whole console generations he amassed a MASSIVE collection of sealed games from the 16-bit era all the way to PS3/360 titles. He had some insane stuff like multiple sealed copies of Panzer Dragoon Saga, several brand new copies of Lunar 1 and 2 on the PS1, and dozens of different sealed PS1 RPGs. I found about this guy on CL because he was selling some stuff (none of this sealed stuff of course) and he insisted on me looking at his sealed stuff which I found a little weird. He then proceeded to brag about all the sealed stuff and liked to remind me how much the last sealed copy of game X sold for on Ebay and also how none of it was for sale. I asked him politely what the point of having 4 sealed copies of Super Smash Bros was and he pretty much responded by saying because no one else does. It was obvious he got a huge ego boost from having so much desirable sealed games and got off on other people wanting his stuff, but not being able to have it. I didn't end up buying anything off him that day.

Sealed Collector #2: I was out hunting for games at a local retro game store and he was talking to one of the store employees about how he wanted to preserve games by getting them sealed and would pay top dollar if he had to. I found his reasons somewhat noble, but he was very arrogant when talking about his sealed collecting, again seeming to get off on the fact that he had sealed games that no one else had.

Aside from my personal experience with sealed collectors, I've heard they're typically a whole other level of crazy and anal retentive that most people don't want to deal with.

[kamikazekeeg]

People just like having nice collections, whether they play the game or not.  Some people buy sealed, while also buying an open or loose version so they can play if its something worthwhile.  I personally don't care as much about sealed stuff, though if I came across a sealed game, I'd probably keep it that way, especially for cartridge era games.  That's rare to find.

[pizzasafari]

They're a perfect, pristine replica of the game when it left the factory. If you were to open the sealed game decades down the line you'd be one of the few people still able to have the experience of opening the game as though you'd bought it new from the shop. And most of all they're the best possible condition for the game to be in which means they're far more valuable.

[badATchaos]

To me collecting sealed games is fine. - Even for the people who claim to be doing it as an investment. But when people do it to stroke their own ego, that's when it starts to become annoying. "Oooo Look what I have, and you don't."  What are you? Six years old?

[kashell]

I wouldn't bother collecting sealed games because I plan on playing them. I can sort of see the appeal, though. The collector wants something in the best shape possible.

If they're using them as bragging tools, then I just roll my eyes and carry on.

[desocietas]

I have a lot of sealed games but usually because I open games when I intend to play them. But when I'm looking for an older game to purchase (because I want to play it), a sealed copy is very appealing, knowing that it'll have all the components in it and isn't a fake cart (something becoming more commonplace, unfortunately).

Sometimes I end up finding a used/open copy for cheap of something I own sealed, so I usually figure I'll sell the sealed copy down the road but don't make a big deal of it to people looking at my collection.

[burningdoom]

I don't do that with anything. If I buy something, I intend to play/use/watch/read it.

I don't slab comics, and I don't keep games sealed. What a waste of an item. Games are meant to be played, and comics are meant to be read.

[sworddude]

I don't do that with anything. If I buy something, I intend to play/use/watch/read it.

I don't slab comics, and I don't keep games sealed. What a waste of an item. Games are meant to be played, and comics are meant to be read.

I dare you to say and do that with a rare factory sealed retro game or the more expensive graded comics 

You have some balls of steel if you do open one of those 

[burningdoom]

I don't do that with anything. If I buy something, I intend to play/use/watch/read it.

I don't slab comics, and I don't keep games sealed. What a waste of an item. Games are meant to be played, and comics are meant to be read.

I dare you to say and do that with a rare factory sealed retro game or the more expensive graded comics 

You have some balls of steel if you do open one of those 

Of course I would, unless it's something I'm not into anyways. I'd much rather use the thing than have it just sit there and collect dust on a shelf.

But I mean, if something I wouldn't care about otherwise, I'd just turn around and sell it. I still wouldn't hold on to it. (Then use that money to buy something I do care about).

If I got a sealed a copy of say Punisher on Genesis, yep, opening it, because that's a fun game. If it's a copy of Showcase #56 (1st Green Lantern), I'd open it up and read it to because I'm a huge GL fan. I mean, I'd definitely be more delicate about it, and immediately return it to where it belongs when I'm done. But it would be read.

[98dgreen]

I don't do that with anything. If I buy something, I intend to play/use/watch/read it.

I don't slab comics, and I don't keep games sealed. What a waste of an item. Games are meant to be played, and comics are meant to be read.

I dare you to say and do that with a rare factory sealed retro game or the more expensive graded comics 

You have some balls of steel if you do open one of those 

Of course I would, unless it's something I'm not into anyways. I'd much rather use the thing than have it just sit there and collect dust on a shelf.

But I mean, if something I wouldn't care about otherwise, I'd just turn around and sell it. I still wouldn't hold on to it. (Then use that money to buy something I do care about).

If I got a sealed a copy of say Punisher on Genesis, yep, opening it, because that's a fun game. If it's a copy of Showcase #56 (1st Green Lantern), I'd open it up and read it to because I'm a huge GL fan. I mean, I'd definitely be more delicate about it, and immediately return it to where it belongs when I'm done. But it would be read.

That's kind of dumb considering you could sell the sealed copy and buy it cib and have 70$ to buy something else you want to play with that.

[rayne315]

I never started as a sealed collector and will not stop myself from opening any of my sealed games, but I do have probably about 100 sealed games or so (mostly LRG). I will only ever buy a game used or sealed (none of the Gamestop "NEW" crap) so if I find myself wanting to play a game that is still sealed in my collection I have no quarrel with opening it up but if I have no pressing want to play it it will forever stay sealed in my collection.

[sworddude]

It is acceptable if you open an old game where the sealed difference is only like 50 ish $ at most I get that.

at a hundred or a bit more you better have a good reason to make it worth it and if the difference is a couple hundred to a couple grant if not more It's a getting pretty stupid especially if were having the argument that games are meant to be played   

Give the market that sealed game and get a used minty one

[burningdoom]

I don't do that with anything. If I buy something, I intend to play/use/watch/read it.

I don't slab comics, and I don't keep games sealed. What a waste of an item. Games are meant to be played, and comics are meant to be read.

I dare you to say and do that with a rare factory sealed retro game or the more expensive graded comics 

You have some balls of steel if you do open one of those 

Of course I would, unless it's something I'm not into anyways. I'd much rather use the thing than have it just sit there and collect dust on a shelf.

But I mean, if something I wouldn't care about otherwise, I'd just turn around and sell it. I still wouldn't hold on to it. (Then use that money to buy something I do care about).

If I got a sealed a copy of say Punisher on Genesis, yep, opening it, because that's a fun game. If it's a copy of Showcase #56 (1st Green Lantern), I'd open it up and read it to because I'm a huge GL fan. I mean, I'd definitely be more delicate about it, and immediately return it to where it belongs when I'm done. But it would be read.

That's kind of dumb considering you could sell the sealed copy and buy it cib and have 70$ to buy something else you want to play with that.

That is a great point. I like the way you think.