you've got a great point there but a cib collector will still get an original cib copy and a lose cart collector will just never get a cib copy since the price is very high, the decision to get all your carts in custom cases or not won't make a difference.
Custom boxes will most likely almost exclusively be for lose cart collectors but there are also cib collectors who store them carts seperately for them to be ready to play. But that could be done more space efficiently and with simpler name lables not to mention for a cheaper price.
It really depends on how much you want to show of your collection so i can imagine that allot of people might just never get them since extra money is extra money not to mention that many people who collect everything especially cheap titles are probably no fans of spending more on the plastic boxes than the games that are inside them.
Also i might have missed it in some former messages on this particular topic but high quality colour prints and printer ink in general is also pretty pricy wich makes the total a bit higher per case.
It's just a matter of economics for me. In most instances, I cannot bring myself to spend $80 for the same game I can get for $30, simply because of a cardboard box. You are essentially paying $50 for a piece of cardboard that is usually all bent, torn & beat up as well. There are games where I will make an exception and if I find reasonably priced, complete in box Zelda games I will pick them up.
This only applies to games that originally came in a cardboard box. Anything from Gamecube up, I'll only buy if they are complete with manual, artwork and case.
You got a great point there as far as savings go but for a cib collector there is not really a solid reason why one needs a cib game especially if one where to explain this to a non cib collector.
A cib collector just wants to have it complete fully original. Using a cardboard box as storage for the cart is just not the reason why one would pay high amounts for just some cardboard.
There is absolutely no logic why one would spend hundreds or thousands on a cardboard box of certain nes snes or gameboy games, some people just want the original thing for personal reasons. Obviously reproductions are out there and not to mention that you could personalise the custom boxes to your exact liking wich are superior in looks compared to the original wich are also super durable instead of those very fragile original cardboard boxes.
Than again you could kinda say the same thing for carts wich is way less extreme than cardboard boxes wich are harder to explain to especially lose cart collectors but you could emulate them for free or just get a multicart to save allot of money on the carts and them extra plastic box protectors.
Collecting in a nut shell if you would like to have my opinion everything is not needed It's just a hobby for fun after all.