Shrinkwrapping

[Silent Ken]

I've been lurking for a little while, enjoying the intelligence on the boards.

 

I'm wondering what you guys think about shrinkwrapping. Some people have talked about re-shrinkwrapping a box, and it seems to defeat the point. The excitement is in opening something which has been sealed since manufacture. I'd hate to pay a premium for a cart only to find the manual had thumbmarks, the cart's contacts were dirty, etc.

[Albert]

Hi Ken, welcome to the boards!

 

I agree that opening a shrinkwrapped game, especially one that was sealed twenty years ago at the factory, is somewhat exciting. It amazes me that many extremely rare games still sometimes show up shrinkwrapped, new in the box (assuming the shrinkwrap is genuine). However, as a collector who likes to enjoy his collection and not just stare at it, I generally remove the shrinkwrap from games that enter my collection. I also do this to prevent further shrinking of the plastic wrap, which tends to crush the box. Some boxes, such as those from Parker Brothers, are immune to this type of damage since they're so well constructed.

 

If I have more than one shrinkwrapped copy of a game, I'll generally leave the shrinkwrap intact since I'll probably end up trading those extra copies away. While the shrinkwrap doesn't mean a whole lot to me, it may make the game more valuable in someone else's eyes. However, I despise people who shrinkwrap games to deceive others into thinking that these newly shrinkwrapped games are new, sealed at the factory. It's not usually difficult to discern a home shrinkwrap job, especially if you have (or have opened) original shrinkwrapped games from the same company. Given how easy it is to reshrinkwrap games, they don't hold much more value to me than a mint and complete boxed copy of a game.

 

..Al

[StanJr]

Yeah, people who re-wrap are slime balls. UNLESS they are up front about it, but that really makes no sense. I was in a pickle for a while about whether or not to unwrap some games I got from moycon (who is the coolest), but in the end I decided to open them. I'm not a total collector type, so to me they are much cooler out of the package.

 

 

But, like Albert said, if it was a copy of a game I already had, I'd leave it wrapped for somebody else. I know its a thrill to open a wrapped game.

 

All wrapped up Stan

[bcprs1]

I think the main enjoyment of collecting games is playing them. Unless the game is super rare, take off the shrinkwrap and play it. What's the point of having the game if you're never going to use it?

[atarigamer]

There should be a page or forum about Re-Shrinwrappers. So we know who not to buy shrinkwrapped games from.

[ATARIPITBULL]

When I first started to buy games that were shrinkwrapped, I could tell that some of them had been re-shrinkwrapped and that pissed me off a lot, but now I have some nice rare games complete and mint, and I am thinking of buying a shrinkwrapping machine to keep them free from stains and that sort of damage, but after a while, the shrinkwrapping can start to crush the box, so now I don't know what to do. I have all my games in big plastic containers, but now I am thinking of building some display cabinets to show them off, but I would still would like to protect them a little extra.

[StanJr]

HEY! I just realized something....Silent Ken spoke! Crazy.

 

Although it feels like I'll regret it everytime I do it, I currently rip the shrinkwrap off my games and play them. If I were collecting boxed games I'd make the exception. And as long as you re-wrap for your own purpose and not to sell, like ATARIPITBULL, I think its a-ok.

 

Not silent Stan

[CosmicJoke]

atarigamer :

quote

There should be a page or forum about Re-Shrinwrappers. So we know who not to buy shrinkwrapped games from.    

Thats a good idea! Perhaps people could just reply to this post with the eBay(or other)sellers that have sold reshrinkwrapped games. I wouldn't have a problem with this if it was stated in the item description, but, to deceptively sell games and not state that they have been re-shrinkwrapped is clearly wrong

[Atarinvader]

I suppose that it all depends on if your more a collector or a gamer. I like to think of my collection as a preservation for future generations

 

But there is a surprising amount of shrink wrapped games about at the moment. And alot of games companys over here are selling off there 'new-old stock', so I dont feel guilty for ripping that new game open.

[King Atari]

Here I go to complain about this again, but I've got a question. I've just bought a sealed "E.T." off of ebay for $5, from the picture it looked like it was original, not like it had just been re-wrapped, the bottom looked a little rough, but intact. My question is, how can you tell? Look at the scan on this site of the box, it's shrinkwrapped, if mine comes like that, would it most likely be original.

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by King Atari:

Here I go to complain about this again, but I've got a question. I've just bought a sealed "E.T." off of ebay for $5, from the picture it looked like it was original, not like it had just been re-wrapped, the bottom looked a little rough, but intact. My question is, how can you tell? Look at the scan on this site of the box, it's shrinkwrapped, if mine comes like that, would it most likely be original.

---

 

Well, one way you can tell is by looking at the shrinkwrap on the back of the box. If you look carefully, you can see where the shrinkwrap overlaps by about an inch, going down the center of the box vertically. It would be extremely difficult to replicate this type of shrinkwrap at home. Assuming Atari only did one *huge* run of E.T. carts, any originals probably all have this same exact style of shrinkwrap.

 

..Al

[King Atari]

Albert,

 

Thanks, that's what I was trying to say, but I didn't have a clue as how to explain that.

It should be here in few days, I hope.

[King Atari]

Got my ET today, it's exactly like the one in the site, it also has the remnants of a price sticker on the side, so there's no doubt it's an original. Box condition is good, the bottom on the back is a little pressed in, but that's to be expected. Thanks for helping me figure out about new/reshrinkwrapped games, everybody.

[Albert]

Glad to hear you got an original shrinkwrapped copy. Did you immediately tear it open?

 

..Al

[King Atari]

No, I've got more than enough playing copies , might as well keep a spare one mint!

[dwh]

There are a few Atari red box/label games I got shrinkwrapped that I just had to open to try the game out.(I still have not figured out the emulation programs,and would rather plug the game in and play the way it was meant to be played--but that's another topic)The games are Road Runner,Off The Wall,Sentinel,Xenophobe.Nine others are still shrinked.

[sway3]

I actually got a pretty rare game in trade that was shrinkwrapped and looked completely original to me.

 

However, after I sold it (shudder, I know I know), I got an email that it was not original. I was very embarrassed. Fortunately, the purchaser was still satisfied and happy with his purchase... but it has made me very uncomfortable selling small company games "still" shrinkwrapped.