Starting collection, couple questions.

[mjmjr25]

If you want the collection to look classy, why not opt to buy original packaging instead?

Often, "original packaging" despite descriptions or even clever photos, arrives w/mildew, smoke, creases and other not too classy realities. You can swap out a PS2 case, you can't swap out an Earthbound box.

I want my collection to look nice on the shelf - I can spend $60 on DoReMi Fantasy cart, put in a nice case w/nice art for $63 total. Or I can buy it complete/original and HOPE it arrives as described and mint for $225+. I'm going the $63 route...

[Erik_Twice]

You have to ask yourself, are you collecting for the sake of collecting or are you going to play?

For good or bad you can collect games much, much faster than you will be able to play them. You can get carts for so little today you can fill entire shelves with just 100€.

After some impulse buys and way too many 80 hour RPG sitting on the shelf I decided to buy only what I want to play and only the best or most interesting titles. You may notice I'm overly demanding sometimes when it comes to games and that's the reason.

Don't buy games just beacuse you hear they are good. If you haven't watched it's gameplay and read a couple of reviews that explain the mechanisms of the game don't buyit beacuse it will just sit on the shelf forever.

It was actually surprising how many games were initially in my list just because I heard they were popular or good. It's really a trap.


I also think it makes for a more interesting collection. I can pick most titles I have and say why I like them. You see too many people who just have too much money to spend and you cans ee that yes, they have a nice collection but it's kind of souless.

Just my two cents =P

[aaron]

someone was talking about glossy prints for a game collection...

i have an Epson Artisan 725 (which cost around $120, which is a decent price for so many features) and purchased some HP Brochure Paper, downloaded a cover from thecoverproject and printed it out and i couldn't be any happier. it looks and feels like a legitimate cover. no nasty inkjet lines, no cheap looking regular letter paper, it looks awesome. i would recommend going this route as you're going to save yourself a lot of time and money with all that professional printing. the price of ink is kind of a bitch (especially since epson won't let third parties refill their 9X series of cartridges yet ) but totally worth it in the long run for me.

i actually just send this very cover (for The Orange Box) to our own wooodyjohnson so maybe he can chime in and tell you if i'm just overzealous about my printer or not, haha.

[mjmjr25]

[quote="aaron"] the price of ink is kind of a bitch (especially since epson won't let third parties refill their 9X series of cartridges yet )

/quote]

My canon printer did not recognize when I refilled my cartridges, got to a certain point and says to replace the cartridge, and even though it was full, it would not print - refused to do anything until I bought a NEW cartridge. Some quick google searching produced a code to over-ride this error and once again am able to refill the ink at 5% the cost of new cartridge.

This makes it much more cost-effective and I have become a major proponent of custom cover art vs. the jacked up prices of some boxes. Form meet function.

[wooodyjohnson]

someone was talking about glossy prints for a game collection...

i have an Epson Artisan 725 (which cost around $120, which is a decent price for so many features) and purchased some HP Brochure Paper, downloaded a cover from thecoverproject and printed it out and i couldn't be any happier. it looks and feels like a legitimate cover. no nasty inkjet lines, no cheap looking regular letter paper, it looks awesome. i would recommend going this route as you're going to save yourself a lot of time and money with all that professional printing. the price of ink is kind of a bitch (especially since epson won't let third parties refill their 9X series of cartridges yet ) but totally worth it in the long run for me.

i actually just send this very cover (for The Orange Box) to our own wooodyjohnson so maybe he can chime in and tell you if i'm just overzealous about my printer or not, haha.

hey just got in the orange box and the cover you gave me looks and feels just like a real cover art. theres barely any difference in quality compared to the real cover art.

[Kwixotik]

Thank you for all the replies. They've been helpful. I purchased my first additions to my collection today. Picked up Wetrix, Buck Bumble, Banjo-Kazooie, Space Station Silicon Valley, Blast Corps, and Star Wars Episode I Racer all for $24. Pretty decent, I think.

Do you guys use any program or website to catalog your collections?

[CFFJR]

Do you guys use any program or website to catalog your collections?

A lot of people do actually.

rfgeneration.com is a popular choice.

[weaponepsilon]

I use ms notepad. I frequently email myself the list so I always have a copy for insurance purposes.

[Bradtemple87]

I gave up caring about genesis box tabs years ago. I mint manual and art insert make me more than happy

[Kwixotik]

I can't access rfgeneration.com through my college's Internet connection for some reason. Bummer