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Condition perfectionist

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    • Seen Nov 14, 2023
    How much of a perfectionist (if applicable) are you when it comes to the condition of your video games whether it's a cartridge or a disc?

    For me, if I'm working on a collection that I really care about such as collecting Pokemon cartridges, then I am a huge perfectionist. Things such as sticker quality, original release instead of re-release and if there are any chips or scuffs on the cartridge itself. (I'm literally on my 3rd order of Pokemon Red because the first one was a re-release with the updated ESRB logo, the 2nd one had a chip on the top of the cartridge, and the 3rd one I'm expecting in the mail might be the perfect one lol).

    If I'm just buying any other game, I don't mind if the disc or cartridge has few scratches or if the sticker has small smudges. As long as it's playable and looks good enough then I'm satisfied. Though I do prefer to buy my games brand new instead of used just so I can rest more easily lol.
     
    I always keep the original packaging and all the contents in storage (in a box or a drawer) so almost all my games are in near mint condition. Some discs get misplaced but that's usually the worst that happens. Only exception was a old copy of ridge racer 3d that ended up in the washing machine by accident (left it in my bag) but miraculously still worked.
     
    I care a lot, surprisingly.

    Despite how much I like digital gaming, when I do buy physical copies, I want them to be in good condition. A recent example: I bought the 3 Inazuma Eleven GO games (Dark, Neppuu, and Supernova)- New, there are very specific conditions needed for me to buy a used game. I got them, but GO 2 was chipped slightly, a small piece of its plastic and art having been torn in packaging. It's not eye catching, but I examine my games' cases, manuals, and the like when I get them, and when I saw that, I nearly considered getting another copy. I actually got rid of my copy of The Last Story because its case was in such horrible condition.

    So I care a lot. Am I a obsessive about it? No, I mostly lament about a badly kept case- and it's moreso the case I care about than the game itself- not so much because I don't care about the game but more because the case's purpose, or half of it, at least, is showcasing.

    This said, I never get 3rd party cases. Those abominations...for an example, Gamestop's used game cases? I can't stand those. I'm not talking about replacement cases where people use the appropriate cases with the art included, that's fine (though again, very defined circumstances involved in terms of whether I'll go official or replacement), but 3rd party cases? Nono.
     
    If a used game doesn't have the original case and manual, I won't buy it (except for stuff like GB/GBC/GBA games and cartridge console games). I do have a few games I bought when I was a lot younger that don't have the manual or have kind of beaten up cases and it still bugs me sometimes, but there's not much I can do about it now. For some of those games, I've even bought replacement cases and printed out cover art to make them look better, though that still doesn't fix the manual issue.

    I try to take care of my games and keep them in good shape. There are a few that have picked up minor cracks in the case or some picks in the plastic sleeve, but for the most part my games are in pretty good condition and I try to keep them that way. They're as much a collection as anything.
     
    Not much, I don't particularly mind if the used game I buy is missing a manual or the disc isn't in top condition as long as it's playable.
    As for new games, I obviously take care so they don't get damaged.
     
    Never really thought about it. It isn't particularly difficult to keep discs in good condition, and if I get something that is second hand which has a few scratches on it, all I really care about is that it works. I don't obsessively strive to keep everything pristine, but at the same time I don't put my games or cases in places where they could get scratched, or broken, or whaever else. Taking care of your things is natural, right?
     
    I like to keep my games in as good of condition as possible. However they usually end up looking like shit.
     
    Most of my PS2 games don't work any more because I was a little kid and didn't realize CDs can break easily, so nowadays I keep my games in as good condition as possible, whether they're discs or cartridges.
     
    100% perfectionist.
    Mr. Boyfriend actually picks on me for my "obsessive" care. "They're not going to end up in a museum, you know."
    [PokeCommunity.com] Condition perfectionist


    My games all sit on a shelf in alphabetical order 24/7. I almost never buy games used; I want to be the first (and only) owner so that I know they're well cared for. If I am buying an older game used, it needs to come with everything - game, case, original cover art, and manual - and it all needs to be in an appealing condition. Or I need to be able to locate an acceptable replacement. I have bought "just the cartridge" but only because I could buy the replacement case and manual separately on ebay.

    And aside from the few used games in my collection, the only scratches on the discs are from playtime, and there are no missing or torn manuals/cover art; zero scratched, broken, or missing cases. Everything is there in its entirety.
    For older games, we have lost most of the boxes throughout our several moves from NY to NC, but I still have the manuals in a safe box, and I have taken the time to stuff the little hard plastic covers over the bottom of my N64 games and set them aside in a shoebox at the bottom of my shelf. And my Gameboy/GBC games are all sitting in a case with individual pockets for each game, or in their hard plastic containers.
    If I'm taking one down to play it, the disc goes straight into the console and the case goes right back in its place on the shelf. Manuals don't stray far from the case, if they ever even leave it in the first place.


    I just kind of picked this up from my parents and my sisters when I was little. My parents wound up with a large collection of video games via trading at flea markets and the like, but it was instilled on us that they were expensive and, more or less, irreplaceable. If we wanted them to last we had to take good care of them, and so we did.
     
    Eh... nah.

    I care a lot more about the content of the cartridge or jewel case than what it looks like. It's very nice having the manual; the manuals add a lot to the experience, especially for older games. But the box... or even the sticker on the front... eh. It could be totally scratched off with just the name of the game scribbled on with permanent marker and I wouldn't really care as long as it worked. Heck I have a copy of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky that has a damaged sticker and frankly I don't give a hoot because I can stick it in my DS and it'll still work.
     
    When buying games, I tend to be much more lenient towards cartridges that use cheaper materials for boxes. Many SNES games are expensive enough with the cart only, going out of my way to find complete copies is only going to end in disappointment.

    I have a higher standard for PS games and the like since the cases are actually used to protect the fragile discs.
     
    I really don't care too much about the condition as long as the game is functional. I try my best to keep my games in good shape, but sometimes it just can't be helped if a disc gets a little messy. Luckily I own a Game Doctor. I just wish I could find it, lol.
     
    I dont beat the hell out of them or anything, but I dont go out of my way to take care of them. Ive spilled beer on them, burnt discs with cigs, etc. It happens.
     
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