Bagging Your Games

[racketboy]

Another great article from our new RoomPlay writer, SegaVega:
http://www.racketboy.com/roomplay/2006/ ... ur_18.html

I never thought of this idea, but it is pretty interesting for those cartridges that you don't really have cases for, but you want to preserve.

Does anybody have anything to add?

[shallowgamer]

As far as bagging is concerned, my priority was the MANUALS. Bending isn't your only foe: If you keep them stacked together, the colors will eventually bleed onto one another. Dark blue Sunsoft manual meets stark white Konami.

If you've got the box for the game, just keep it there. But I imagine most of you have tons more manuals than you have original boxes. Unless you were a good kid that kept your boxes neat..

For the smaller ones (GB, NES, etc..) I used 4X6 or 5X7 ziplock bags. For the larger manuals that came with the actual consoles, I slipped them in a cardboard backed comic book sleeve. You can get the sleeves/backer board at any comic store.

[Cynic]

Hi.

I'm thinking of bagging my entire Sega Saturn PAL games collection. However, I don't know much about plastics, so I don't know just how chemically safe it is to keep first generation PAL Saturn game boxes (which have no outer plastic cover like DVD cases, ie, the cover is made of paper) in contact with polyethylene/polypropylene/poly-whatever. Will the cover paper be affected in the long term?
Surely it can't be worse than not bagging them at all and just let them collect dust and grind against each other, but since I'll be paying for the bags, I might as well pay for the safest affordable option available.

Does anyone have any advice? If so, please let me know what you think it's best.

[metaleggman]

I actually just make cart slot covers for most of my cart games. I do it for SNES and NES mainly. I use tape and zipless plastic baggies. If you want, I can make a guide for how I make 'em. As for the Manuals, you should prolly keep em in baggies, seperating em with cardboard, or use those TCG card covers if they fit.

[Cynic]

As for the Manuals, you should prolly keep em in baggies, seperating em with cardboard, or use those TCG card covers if they fit.

Isn't there a risk that in the long term the plastic of the bag will adhere to the manual cover and make the colours bleed, similarly to what shallowgamer described? This kind of concerns is really the only thing stopping me from buying a bunch of polyethylene bags to put all my games in.

Most of my Saturn games are in the original PAL cases with paper cover, which after 10 years are still in good condition, so I fear that by bagging I might degrade them a lot faster instead of helping to preserve them.

[americankgb]

Just buy that photo storage stuff that is acid free. As long as you get something like that you should be okay. You can order that kinda stuff from an photo company or even get it at micheals.

[Cynic]

Ok, thanks for the suggestion.