Displaying/Storing your collection....

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Baseball cards, Comics, stamps , coins etc. all have some sort of products that you can buy to display and store your collection -- is anything available that can be used for vintage video games?

 

I'd like to frame a few Atari carts and mount them on the wall. I know there are plastic cases for other collectable items, is there anything that we can use for Atari carts? (Atari 2600 game sized boxes for example?)

 

Just wondering if anyone has ever thought of something like this? I would think it would be cool to have boxed Pac Man, Asteroids, Space Invaders on the Wall in some sort of display case.

 

Perhaps if there is enough interest, we can get these made?

[sku_u]

I'd like to frame a few Atari carts and mount them on the wall.  I know there are plastic cases for other collectable items, is there anything that we can use for Atari carts? (Atari 2600 game sized boxes for example?)

 

You could probably use a shadowbox or something along those lines if you want to frame parts of your collection.

[Esc]

What exactly is a shadowbox?

[CPUWIZ]

What exactly is a shadowbox?

 

Something like this ...

[Esc]

Nice, how did you mount those carts? Is the backing cut out and you insert the carts into slots? or did you use crazy glue the backs of the cartridges so they stick to the backings :-)

 

I assume you went to some framing place and picked that up and did it yourself?

[CPUWIZ]

Nice, how did you mount those carts? Is the backing cut out and you insert the carts into slots?  or did you use crazy glue the backs of the cartridges so they stick to the backings :-)  

 

I assume you went to some framing place and picked that up and did it yourself?

 

The prototypes were shrinkwrapped and I stuck velcro tape on the back of them and on the surface of the shadow box.

 

You can buy boxes like that at stores like Michael's Arts And Crafts etc.!

[sku_u]

Try looking for them during off-season times when the craft stores are having sales. I picked up a few 4 X 6 boxes from Joanne Fabrics for other uses for 99 cents a piece during their big post-Christmas sale.

[Voch]

Have a look at my collection. I'm moving in late March to my new place and will use the spare room for all of this stuff (right now it's in my one bedroom apartment's dining room area).

 

Barrister shelves are great for this stuff. Everything's visible but protected.

 

Voch

[Mendon]

Have a look at my collection.  I'm moving in late March to my new place and will use the spare room for all of this stuff (right now it's in my one bedroom apartment's dining room area).

 

Barrister shelves are great for this stuff.  Everything's visible but protected.

 

Voch

 

Very nice collection. Its funny how those not interested in gaming view these things: I say its a shrine, a work of art, a matter of pride, a thing of beauty; my wife, on the other hand, has two words for it: DUST CATCHER!!

 

Of course dust never touches her knick-knacks

 

Mendon

[Voch]

Very nice collection.

 

Thanks. I guess what I'm missing and Esc and I would like is a safe way to display cartridges. I still think light is one of the theoretical causes of stuff like Actiplaque and label fading. I keep my carts in an easily accessible but dark, dust-free place (well, as dust-free as my apartment can get).

 

I'm also looking for the perfect Ziploc bags for my small collection of rarer games. I have three such bags that fit perfectly but they were used to protect carts that were shipped to me and I don't remember from whom I purchased them from. Maybe a trip to the comic book store is in order...

 

Voch

[ATARIPITBULL]

Like some of the other's have said, it is better to buy shadow boxes when they are on sale because some of them can cost a lot of money and Voch, you have a very nic collection going on there, do you collect games in there boxes at all?

 

[Voch]

Voch, you have a very nic collection going  on there, do you collect games in there boxes at all?

 

     

 

Yep. The boxes are emptied and, currently and unhappily, stacked inside three closed white plastic garbage bags until I move next month. Then I'll hopefully display 'em somwhere in the new game room. I currently have about 100 game boxes for various systems.

 

Anyone have a box display tip? I was just going to stand 'em up like books on a shelf (you know...the OBVIOUS display standard).

 

Voch

[Esc]

What about this:

 

 

It holds a Star War MIB Figure, but the dimensions

are big enough to hold an Atari Game Box.

In fact, you probably can put two game boxes

back to back since the games are only 1" thick.

 

[Voch]

What about this:

 

I was just going to get thicker or bigger comic book bags. The plastic box a nice way to store rarer boxes, though...

 

Voch

[Esc]

Are those hard plastic? I was just going to get thicker or bigger comic book bags. That's a nice way to store rarer boxes, though...  

 

Yes, Acrylic hard case and I believe is wall-mountable. They are expensive, about $10.00 each. Might be nice for a wall display, or for rare CIBs

[sku_u]

If any of you store your games, manuals or boxes in plastic bags or plastic sleeves, make sure the plastic is acid-free or the bag will discolor the labels over time. I learned that the hard way with my old baseball card collection.

[ATARIPITBULL]

Most good comic book stores sell the acid free plastic comic book bags, they even say so on the top of the bundle.

 

Esc, where did you buy those plastic boxes?

 

[Esc]

Esc, where did you buy those plastic boxes?

 

I haven't bought them yet, I was looking for something to store some games and this is the only thing that I could come up with (that was close enough to fit a boxed game)

 

http://www.wholesalecases.com/star-wars-supplies.html

[CPUWIZ]

Yes, Acrylic hard case and I believe is wall-mountable.  They are expensive, about $10.00 each.  Might be nice for a wall display, or for rare CIBs

 

I keep my boxed Video Life in one of those.

[Voch]

If any of you store your games, manuals or boxes in plastic bags or plastic sleeves, make sure the plastic is acid-free or the bag will discolor the labels over time.  I learned that the hard way with my old baseball card collection.

 

My manuals and overlays are stored in Ultra*Pro Platinum series plastic pages. They're excellent and not too expensive (well, more expensive than throwing 'em in a shoebox, but it's nice to have the ability to flip through a binder to find a manual).

 

I'm likely just going to put my box collection (nothing is rare) on another barrister shelf someday.

 

Voch

[Atari Rescue Group]

I found one of those acrylic cubes at a baseball card shop that holds 3 loose cartridges. Probably made for figurines or something, but it works great for carts.

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That looks to be a baseball arcylic holder.