Boxed 2600 Games

[DominiRican05]

I wanted to know what is the general rule concerning boxed 2600 games. I noticed that several sites offer the option of buying boxed 2600 games, and I wanted to know if it was unethical to actually open them up, since I'm a gamer first (collector second) my main interest is in playing the games. I wanted to get them boxed so I can recreate what it must've felt like to buy a boxed 2600 game and open it up for the first time. I was thinking of keeping the boxes and putting them on my shelf.

 

Or is the general rule to leave boxed 2600 games sealed for future generations?

[keilbaca]

I don't own a sealed game, unless I have a double of it already. I opened up Plaque Attack and Frostbite not too long ago, because I wanted to play it. Now, any sealed game I get I'm going to leave sealed, because I can play it on a Krocodile cart. Its all up to you. If you want to play it, open it. But, as of now, I got 3 sealed games, and opened them all.

[Cassidy Nolen]

About half of my collection is sealed. I have loose copies of most of them.

Do what you like with them, man. After all, they are yours

 

Collecting is first, gaming is second for me. I do plan on opening them, but its going to be when I turn 50. Seriously, I plan on having a huge bash for my 50th. 19 years to go....y'all invited. Word.

 

 

Cassidy

[keilbaca]

I'm gonna take you up on that offer Cassidy

[Osmeroid]

Heh! Don't say things like that Cass - I've only 17 before the big 5-0.

 

I would also agree about the whole opening of boxed games - they're yours! I do have some sealed titles, like Sentinel, that I will probably open eventually. I did allow myself to open my red box Defender some weeks ago, partly I wanted to ensure that it was all red label - cart & manual, also it's been about a year since I last opened a sealed box.

 

One way around this dilemma is to buy some fairly common titles that are still sealed and open them up? I did this with Space Invaders and Asteroids, and it was still something of a kick, even after all of these years!

[Cassidy Nolen]

I'm pretty serious about having a big game party for my b-day. Who better than game fans to come enjoy that! My friends all think I am nuts around here, so it would be wasted without some game fans.

 

Looking most forward to playing my Avalon Hill stuff. It was made in Maryland, sold at Zayre and then sold as clearance stock to a local game shop. Its been nearby its whole life. Shame he did not have any Out of Controls.......

 

 

Cassidy

[DominiRican05]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't destroying any valuable antiques by opening them up. I used to get my 2600 games from Radio Shack back in the mid to late 90s, and I guess it was all overstocked stuff because all of the carts were sealed. I remember everyone thought that I was nuts for owning an Atari and trying to get games for it, but once Radio Shack started selling them again, I was a loyal customer. It was so much fun opening them up, it felt like going back in time. Plus, thats why most of my carts look brand-spankin new till this day.

[yuppicide]

If you are collecting them for resale value then I might keep them sealed, but mostly nobody I know just collects for the resale value.

 

I know this one idiot, Paul, in NJ. He has a very big collection and he's doesn't even play the games. He just collects to give it to his granddaughter when she is older. I guess so she can sell them. Problem is he writes in permanent marker numbers on every cartridge. lol.

 

I used to do some trades with him.. he'd give you one of his doubles for two games he needed that you give him. I always left feeling unsatisfied (and always thinking I should have just looted his place and ran he's an old guy I could have got away with some goodies, but I'm not like that).

[Philflound]

I've opened a couple of my games early on. These were shrinkwrapped, but don't always believe that shrinkwrapped games are originally sealed. There are many people with shrinkwrap machines. In fact I own one game where there is a price on the box itself, and then it was shrinkwrapped over the price sticker.

 

If a game is shrinkwrapped and I opened them or wanted to open them, I would slice the shrinkwrap at the very top. That is assuming these games had a flap open lid and not 2 piece box like most of the parker brothers. Then you can keep the shrinkwrap on the game to protect it from water or dirt and still be able to get to the contents.

 

Phil

[Zwackery]

I am a player before a collector, and although I've crossed over into the collecting side of the market, I still open all my boxed carts, mainly because I want to play the games (no matter how atrocious they may be). It is pretty fun to find a NOS game from, say, 1982 and know that you are the first to open the box. Once or twice I'm glad I opened the box because the label on the cart needed some glue (Parker Bros. anyone?).

 

As some people have already suggested, opening the box is a little bit of nostalgia, particularly that new plastic smell so unique to Atari brand games (and original Kenner Star Wars figures).

[Elthesh]

I wanted to know what is the general rule concerning boxed 2600 games.  I noticed that several sites offer the option of buying boxed 2600 games, and I wanted to know if it was unethical to actually open them up, since I'm a gamer first (collector second) my main interest is in playing the games.  I wanted to get them boxed so I can recreate what it must've felt like to buy a boxed 2600 game and open it up for the first time.  I was thinking of keeping the boxes and putting them on my shelf. 

 

Or is the general rule to leave boxed 2600 games sealed for future generations?

847785[/snapback]

 

The way I see it, if it's shrinkwrapped especially... Leave that aging yellowed plastic on there long enough and in 10-20-50+ years when someone goes to remove it, they're likely to remove a lot of the coloring/art on the box as well. I've already found some like that that started tearing up the box. Plus, I've noticed that some brands of that plastic wrap have begun to literally crush the boxes due to age shrinkage.

 

Just take care when you open games, that's all. With glued boxes, I used a heat lamp that melts the glue so the top pops right open for me. That's also good for resealing or repairing damaged boxes. Just melt the original glue and close whatever flap, side/top/bottom/etc that has come loose. Heat lamps work wonders on removing labels and remelting the glue to put em back on too.

[Mindfield]

As you can see there are pretty much two camps: The players, and the collectors.

 

I'm both, and I try and get the best of both; if I get a sealed game I'll keep it sealed until I find a loose copy of the game (if I don't have one already). I'll also try and get a CIB version as well, just so I've got something that has all the original contents so I don't have to open the sealed one.

 

Yeah, I know, that means 3 copies of every game. I'm a little OCD that way. :-)

[ATARIPITBULL]

The only thing you have to worry about, when it comes to sealed games, is that sometimes the shrinkwrap starts to crush the boxes, for me, as long as the box is in great shape, the shrinkwrap does not mean much. I had a sealed copy of Pengo, but the shrinkwrap started to crush the box, so any of my sealed games that looked like the wrap was getting tight, I removed them. I have around 450 or so boxed 2600 games in my collection and no dupes, so boxes mean a lot to me, but I also play the games that I want to play.

 

Edited May 3, 2005 by ATARIPITBULL

[DominiRican05]

ATARIPITBULL, I'd love to see pics of your collection.

[funtaday]

I don't think these games are as rare as some people would have us believe. I understand that there are hundrede of palletts of sealed games in storage in the mid west (near St. Louis?)

[ATARIPITBULL]

I have a very crappy logotech camera, but I will get my sister to use her camera and take some pictures by this friday and I will post them here.

 

[DominiRican05]

Sounds good! And don't worry a crappy camera is better than my alternative --- a disposable cam and getting my pics on a CD.

[ATARIPITBULL]

If you want to see most of my Atari 2600 controllers now, then go to www.gamerzuniverse.net and check out the Atari 2600 controller section, about 60 percent of those are mine and you will see my name on the pictures.

 

[video game addict]

My cellphone takes better pictures than Ataripitbull.

 

Me thinks it's his little one's doing all the pictures, from watercolors & crayolas.

 

He's just teasing us with these!

 

We demand high quality pics!

 

[ATARIPITBULL]

I promise I will buy a better camera soon, I even posted a new photo of my self in the Atariage gallery, but it makes me look like a porno person.

 

[DominiRican05]

Nice controllers, but yea your cam sux man, it's all fuzzy. Out of all those controllers which one is your fave? i've never used anything on a 2600 besides the standard joystick or the paddles.

[ATARIPITBULL]

I love the good old Atari 2600 joystick, but a close second are ones like the Slik Stick, Tac-2 & the Wico Command controller.

 

[Philflound]

As you can see there are pretty much two camps: The players, and the collectors.

 

I'm both, and I try and get the best of both; if I get a sealed game I'll keep it sealed until I find a loose copy of the game (if I don't have one already).  I'll also try and get a CIB version as well, just so I've got something that has all the original contents so I don't have to open the sealed one.

 

Yeah, I know, that means 3 copies of every game.  I'm a little OCD that way.  :-)

848155[/snapback]

 

I wouldn't have the room for 3 copies of everything. Hell, I don't have room right now for 1 copy of everything I own. I don't see the purpose of CIB if you own a sealed version. All the contents are there, in fact, probably more which may include warranty cards, catalogues and such. I'd scrap the CIB.

 

Phil