The collecting 'process'...

[hex65000]

This is really more a rant about my own collecting habits and I was wondering if I was truly losing my mind, and what other folks do.

Anyway, by process I mean that an item goes through stages and piles before it hits the end in my collection, before it is accepted into the collective per-se.

 

- Aquire item: It can be anything, a cartridge, CD, controller, a system. I just bought it and I'm taking it home. (Taz Happy Boy. )

 

- Clean item: The most tedious, annoying, time consuming, and occasionally rewarding aspect. There is little more satisfying than a near immaculate cartridge brought back from the hell that was a video rental store. This gets broken up by type.

*carts-- non original Stickers are removed if possible, permanent marker removed/faded, plastic scrubbed down, contacts cleaned and RE-cleaned

*cds-- washed to remove fingerprints, foreign stickers removed if possible, cd case wiped down

*controllers/systems-- All but the most difficult to disassemble are torn completely down. All plastic parts are scrubbed, dirt is very carefully cleaned off of circuit cards if necessary. Reassemble. (This takes a lot of time, but I can't stand the idea of the crud that gets wedged in controllers from use. Sometimes I have to reclean my own ctrlers because I make em' funky.)

 

If an obviously serious problem is found, the item goes in the 'junk/repair me' pile.

 

- Test item: I've gotten to the point where I have 'criteria' that lets me deem an item good. With a cartridge game it's pretty easy: does it fire up and play? With CDs you have to play a while just to see if anything obvious is going to break, and even then there are no guarantees. Controllers I try to excercise all of the buttons in a very deliberate manner. That way I can see if I just missed a button press or is the controller actually not working. Systems are pretty easy, throw in a couple of favorite games and play for a while.

 

- The junk/repair me pile: It's literally a pile of every questionable item or apparant non working peice I have come across. Usually I'll put some masking tape with a note on it to tell myself why it went in that pile in the first place. So on a cold rainy day (that probably will never come) I can take the time to properly resplice cables back together and cannibalize for parts if needed. It also gets the real crap out of circulation. Think of it as a publice service...

 

- Collection upgrade?: Sometimes I'll buy stuff to get a 'nicer copy' of what I already have or the new copy has a manual included or doesn't have 'Bobs Video Game and Pr0N Barn' stuck onto the cart and the only way to get it off would destroy the original sticker. Regardless, items are checked to see if it actually makes my existing collection (mound) of stuff better or should I just keep the one I have.

 

- I hate this game (a lot): Sometimes I'll play something that annoys me so badly that I deem it not even worth keeping just to say I have it. (IE: Dream TV(SNES)) Not only was it not good, it was annoying. It takes a special breed of non-sports game to get that kind of a reaction out of me. Games that hit this category are true badges of shame for their creators.

 

- Into (semi-sorted) collection: I actually do attempt to keep my collection in some sort of order. I fail at this task regularly. I do however have it grouped rather well and can at least locate the 'stack' of interest. Sometimes the space eaten by a game type is the limiting factor. Right now my Genesis carts in cases are a serious offender in that respect by existing in 3 different locations in the house.

 

- Recycle the extras and unloved: Get the unwanted processed items into the hands of someone who would give it a better home than I. And hey, since it at least is in healthy shape it shouldn't be too bad right?

 

And that's it. What do you folks do?

 

Hex.

[ Putting the Ayyyy in tension... ]

[eric_ruck]

Lately dump it in the basement for later until I have time. Haven't been getting much new stuff lately.

 

Actually I've been getting new old stuff, because the current gen and portable systems are all upstairs, so they have walk by value/play time.

 

Eric

[Room 34]

Everything you described is pretty similar to my process, although my process as such has pretty much stalled. I think the only classic games I've gotten in the last year and a half were a couple of 5200 carts, and even those I don't remember exactly when I got them. I do know that Taz was my last new 2600 acquisition, and I got it in about October of 2003. Lately I've mostly been buying GameCube games, and I even SOLD a bunch of 2600 and Intellivision carts on eBay last week. (Sure, the 2600 carts were mostly 3's and 4's, but I just REALLY do not need Squeeze Box in my life. I only kept Dishaster to remind myself that I'm a glutton for punishment.)

 

Anyway... when I DO get new games, that's pretty much the process. The new games are quarantined from the rest of the collection until they've been "processed." For me that includes:

 

1. Adding an entry to my database ( http://atari.room34.com ). Of course I also do this with NEW GameCube games, but usually that's the end of the process for them, unless they are new GameCube games that happened to be the last in-stock copy at EB Games, and therefore have their crappy price stickers applied DIRECTLY to the case. (Oh yes, and please put your permanent-bonding seal on there too after you've replaced the fingerprint-laden disc... yeah, thanks. I was afraid I'd never use up that bottle of Goo Gone.)

 

2. ALL carts get their contacts cleaned with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.

 

3. If necessary, the cart itself is also cleaned as much as possible, in mostly the same ways you described.

 

4. Test that sucker! In many cases, this represents the first AND last time the games see any action. (Case in point, Squeeze Box.)

[ButtonMasher]

*carts-- non original Stickers are removed if possible, permanent marker removed/faded, plastic scrubbed down, contacts cleaned and RE-cleaned  

*cds-- washed to remove fingerprints, foreign stickers removed if possible, cd case wiped down  

 

Yeap, thats me too

 

*controllers/systems-- All but the most difficult to disassemble are torn completely down. All plastic parts are scrubbed, dirt is very carefully cleaned off of circuit cards if necessary. Reassemble. (This takes a lot of time, but I can't stand the idea of the crud that gets wedged in controllers from use. Sometimes I have to reclean my own ctrlers because I make em' funky.)

 

Big time! It's worth it when you scoop'd up something cheap or free that's mint under the filth.

 

- Test item: I've gotten to the point where I have 'criteria' that lets me deem an item good. With a cartridge game it's pretty easy: does it fire up and play? With CDs you have to play a while just to see if anything obvious is going to break, and even then there are no guarantees. Controllers I try to excercise all of the buttons in a very deliberate manner. That way I can see if I just missed a button press or is the controller actually not working. Systems are pretty easy, throw in a couple of favorite games and play for a while.

 

Ditto..

 

The junk/repair me pile: It's literally a pile of every questionable item or apparant non working peice I have come across. Usually I'll put some masking tape with a note on it to tell myself why it went in that pile in the first place. So on a cold rainy day (that probably will never come) I can take the time to properly resplice cables back together and cannibalize for parts if needed. It also gets the real crap out of circulation. Think of it as a publice service...

 

Kinda, Junk is Junk and hits garbage. Though I'll still keep afew things for parts, and I do not label my stuff.

 

- Collection upgrade?: Sometimes I'll buy stuff to get a 'nicer copy' of what I already have or the new copy has a manual included or doesn't have 'Bobs Video Game and Pr0N Barn' stuck onto the cart and the only way to get it off would destroy the original sticker. Regardless, items are checked to see if it actually makes my existing collection (mound) of stuff better or should I just keep the one I have.

 

Me too, Always upgtading my fav games if I come across a better copy.

 

I hate this game (a lot): Sometimes I'll play something that annoys me so badly that I deem it not even worth keeping just to say I have it. (IE: Dream TV(SNES)) Not only was it not good, it was annoying. It takes a special breed of non-sports game to get that kind of a reaction out of me. Games that hit this category are true badges of shame for their creators.

 

Nope! Gone for trade twards stuff I want

 

Into (semi-sorted) collection: I actually do attempt to keep my collection in some sort of order. I fail at this task regularly. I do however have it grouped rather well and can at least locate the 'stack' of interest. Sometimes the space eaten by a game type is the limiting factor. Right now my Genesis carts in cases are a serious offender in that respect by existing in 3 different locations in the house.

 

Ditto again. I don't go as far to alphabetize(sp?)

 

Recycle the extras and unloved: Get the unwanted processed items into the hands of someone who would give it a better home than I. And hey, since it at least is in healthy shape it shouldn't be too bad right?  

 

True

 

 

LOL! Good to know I'm not the only geek on the planet, same goes with my Sports cards/ car ect..

[nester]

As I have said before, I kinda like to have rental stickers on my old carts. It gives them more of a history. I guess they're oficially in my collection when I arrange them into my collection. I don't really have much fanfare with my controllers. They're just kinda there.

[Draikar]

Rental stickers are no bid deal, I take them off with lighter fluid, even if nester here likes them.... Sorry nester I hate them.

 

Permanent marker is a KILLER, you have permanent marker then that's it, just like sun fade its there forever. (IF NOT PLEASE TELL ME HOW)

 

As to CDs, cd last as long as wet sh*t, if its got scratches and no case or a poor case its gone. Some places can "buff" them but that is or was done by rental stores only...

 

Remember wet sh*t (or games), its only as good until a dog sniffs it and wants to take the time to (mark it) buy it.... or some thing like that ("don't keep wet sh*t")

[spacecadet]

I do pretty much the same things, the only real difference is I often don't bother doing anything to clean carts unless they're rare or otherwise special. I will generally glue down any wayward labels, whether the game's rare or not, because a) it's an easy fix and looks a lot better, and b) it's a pain when a label falls off and you can't tell what it is anymore (without either picking it up and looking at the big label, or actually having to play it).

 

I do clean systems until they're looking minty, with cotton swabs and toothpicks if necessary. This can take all night for one system.

[Stingray]

1) See it

 

2) Want it

 

3) Buy it

 

4) Play it

 

5) Stick it on the shelf with all that other game crap I have

 

-S

[Famicoman]

Step 1=dump it in my room and forget about it.

Step 2=ignore it for a week

Step 3=Try it out

Step 4=what you said

Step 5=Put on shelf, and forget it for a little longer.

[sega saturn x]

First i see a game that looks good then i go online to see if it is good. Then if i hear positive things i buy it then i play it if its bad i gos next to my other bad games. If its really bad it goes next to battle arean toshiden ura and a beat up fighting vipers in a desk. If its good it goes next to the good games where i can pull it out at any time and enjoy it.

[ClassicBoy]

Permanent marker is a KILLER, you have permanent marker then that's it, just like sun fade its there forever. (IF NOT PLEASE TELL ME HOW)

 

Mr. Clean magic eraser...works like "magic" with marker. Amazing product.

 

http://www.homemadesimple.com/mrclean/prod...ts/eraser.shtml