Condition to Claim CIB

[foxhound1022]

What is the deal with spine cards? I get a lot of people asking me the specific condition of the spine card. I even get people asking me to discount the item up to 50% saying they don't want the spine card. For example, if I am selling a Saturn import for $50, they'll say "I'll give you $25 and you can keep the spine card"

Seriously, wtf is up with that?

Man, that shit is stupid. I don't even care about the spine card, I just want the game, manual, and back artwork.

[JoeAwesome]

There can't be a spine card worth half the price of the game.

I think some say CIB means "complete in box" but I take it as cart, instructions, and box (plus maps if any), and anything else is extra.

[Gunstar Green]

It's the same with me but I have some "coming soon" inserts that came with a loose 2600 lot I bought and I wonder if people are going to be looking for things like that with Wii games one day.

I've got dozens of Atari software catalogs as well as few 3rd party ones. They are cool to look at but there's so many of them you can probably buy a stack for a few cents if you wanted.

What is the deal with spine cards? I get a lot of people asking me the specific condition of the spine card. I even get people asking me to discount the item up to 50% saying they don't want the spine card. For example, if I am selling a Saturn import for $50, they'll say "I'll give you $25 and you can keep the spine card"

Seriously, wtf is up with that?

Man, that shit is stupid. I don't even care about the spine card, I just want the game, manual, and back artwork.

I don't get it either but there are people out there who will not accept a game as complete without the spine card, and depending on a game might be willing to pay a lot for it.

Those people asking for a 50% discount are jackasses though.

[pierrot]

What is the deal with spine cards? I get a lot of people asking me the specific condition of the spine card. I even get people asking me to discount the item up to 50% saying they don't want the spine card. For example, if I am selling a Saturn import for $50, they'll say "I'll give you $25 and you can keep the spine card"

Seriously, wtf is up with that?

Man, that shit is stupid. I don't even care about the spine card, I just want the game, manual, and back artwork.

I don't get it either but there are people out there who will not accept a game as complete without the spine card, and depending on a game might be willing to pay a lot for it.

Those people asking for a 50% discount are jackasses though.

Not entirely. It's all about condition of the item. If you spend a good deal of time looking through sold listings for imports on ebay, what you'll end up finding is that people are paying higher prices for games that approach mint/like new condition. Where the trouble comes in is that sellers, and some buyers, assume that that value applies to items in a lesser condition as well. In Japan, spine cards add about a 100 yen to 5% increase in value at retail. (Actually, super potato's online store now charges as much as 20% more for more popular/valuable games that include spine cards, over a copy that does not.)

I don't really see how this would be a foreign idea to collectors. It's akin to Gamestop asking full price for a disc-only copy. Some only choose to focus on condition as it pertains to CIB, others work on grading scales of overall condition. Value is placed accordingly by the individual. Collectors looking for items that look brand new are willing to pay closer to MSRP (or more in general) for an item that meats the criteria. For imports, this includes spine cards and reg cards. With spine cards (at least on the Saturn) there tends to be tag lines / information / artwork to them, also.

[Luke]

Ditto for me on game, case, manual, and any maps if included. If one were being super duper OCD, then aside from the ads and things, Nintendo cart games would need to have the plastic baggie too to be truly complete and Sega/PS1 longboxes would need to have the foam block too.

I guess I'm OCD then, as complete means complete to me. I want the comics included from Atari games, the adverts from NES games, and the surveys in Genesis games.

But I'm picky. If I was a seller, CIB would mean Cart, Instructions, Box.

[Hobie-wan]

@ Luke

Oh yeah, I like all of the other misc bits to be in there too, but they're not a deal breaker. I consider them extra bonus.

[Luke]

@ Luke

Oh yeah, I like all of the other misc bits to be in there too, but they're not a deal breaker. I consider them extra bonus.

If I was a seller, I would totally agree with you. As a buyer/novice collector, I love those surveys and adverts that you always seemed to get with games from the 90's (especially anything that was marked "postage already paid", as I thought it was so tubular that a company wanted MY opinion).

[ExedExes]

As a buyer/novice collector, I love those surveys and adverts that you always seemed to get with games from the 90's (especially anything that was marked "postage already paid", as I thought it was so tubular that a company wanted MY opinion).

I remember getting free newsletter subscriptions from Taito and Romstar from NES games. I sent them out and ever got any

[Gentlepoke]

As long as it comes with the game, box, instructions and outlay, then I'm happy. On the occasion that feelies are included, I consider them gravy.

[pierrot]

Gravy feelies don't sound like something I'd want, personally. I don't care much for gravy, though.