|
 Simple enough question no? As the hobby, which I believe has already peaked a couple of years ago, begins to shake those along for the short term or changes how others approach their own collecting, collectors find themselves under several different classifications defined mostly by the condition of their games. ======= Let me go on a tangent (pun?) for a moment here and explain "peaked". I'm of the opinion, that collecting as a growing, thriving hobby has reached it's maximum growth as a sub-culture of gaming. In the early to mid 2000's, there was a mad rush to scour the flea markets, online auctions and basements of relatives for that rare find or expensive game or even system. Collecting was new for many, crossed generational gaps, worldwide borders, even spawned a new interest in classic games that no doubt went a long way to re-invigorating old franchises and interest in buying titles for nostalgia through various download services. That same craze was no doubt partly responsible for the massive wave of "retro game compilations" that found their way onto just about every game system. What has changed? Well the compilations only trickle out now as opposed to the torrent of years past, even then hardly different than those of the previous generation. The majority of rare games and other collectible treasures have been bought, sold, traded and in many cases, marked up beyond the limits of most gamers' checkbooks. The online auctions sites like eBay have given way to more private, gamer oriented ones that cut out Joe Casual Consumer or the middle man powerseller wanting to cash in on the craze. Sure the ranks of collectors still grow, RF Generation's memberlist is a sure sign of that. Also great scores are still being had by those dedicated enough to the hobby to spend many hours a week doing footwork with a critical eye or sniping the occasional auction from an unwary seller. But the hobby is leaner, more focused and less mainstream than it was when massive collections and once in a lifetime finds were the media darling of a new breed of collector. A collector that arose from the Atari and NES kids of yesteryear looking for a piece of their past. ======= As for those classifications I had mentioned? It's safe to say that there are three major ones to which one of applies to each of us: - Loose carts/discs/disks - Some people buy games to play, others to build massive libraries of titles with a tight budget, others because it's whats available to them in their area. Buying loose games allows one to amass a huge collection for a fraction that complete or sealed costs while offering more avenues to find these titles.
- Factory sealed games/hardware - Those looking for future investment, bragging rights or just to enjoy the new and virgin packaging of a game that has never been handled fall into this category. Fantastic display/photogenic potential but very little entertainment value. Almost a fringe niche collecting habit all onto itself whose ranks are select and few.
- Somewhere in the middle - I think it's safe to say that where the first two are the the outer edges of collecting that are in stark contrast to each other, "Somewhere in the middle" is where most of us fall. We have sealed, we have CIB and we even have loose games kicking around as well. We buy to play, we buy to display and over time may even indulge in numbers 1 and 2 to a varying degree.
So what I wonder, in the minds of my fellow collectors, is what complete in box means to you? At one time years ago I had considered that to be a title that has it's original box, game and manual. Over the years however as my collecting has evolved, my definition has changed significantly. Here's how my personal collecting "evolution" has progressed: - Getting into the hobby - I bought everything I seen that I didn't own regardless of it's completeness as long as it was clean and not damaged, even then I made exceptions sometimes.
- A couple of years in - I take a critical look at my own collection and decide that having boxed games with manuals was important, and sold off nearly half of my collection (some 350-400 games) to begin buying them boxed or complete instead. Meanwhile becoming slightly choosier in the titles passing up endless game after game that while complete, maybe even new, didn't interest me as a player.
- Years later (present day) - I take an even more critical eye to my collection and begin removing games that were boxed without manuals I couldn't easily replace, or selling/trading slightly battered copies for better ones while deciding that CIB means more than just the manual.
So here I am today. While I still have many loose games for certain systems, other systems have been overhauled to the point where as far as I know, each title even has the registration cards, included posters, advertisements you name it. That's what complete in box means to me now. Basically to be truly complete in box a game or hardware has to have everything that was included when you bought it. While many may scoff at this and say it's just me being overly picky (or worse!), consider that posters and advertisements from decades past are as much about experiencing gaming past, and present as watching old commercials or enjoying the full page ads in comic books from the 80's. Not every game had/has these extras, bit it feels more thorough if they do. I guess part of this stems from my enthusiasm in working to help this site and it's database grow while wanting us to raise the bar as an online resource. I remember a week or two ago there was a thread where someone asked what paperwork was included in a particular console. A year or two ago I couldn't have answered that nor could I have showed them. But scanning images into the database with my new collecting mindset in place, I was able to show that person everything included right down to the registration card. Is it a pain in the ass? You bet! Passing over games for missing extras even when they include manuals or finding cartridge trays and styrofoam almost seems like a senseless task or a waste of time. Then you place that title on your shelf confident that unless you had a TARDIS or a Money Bin for one of those factory sealed investments, you couldn't find a better, more complete copy anywhere! So I ask again, what does complete in box mean to you?
Recent Entries At Least One RF Generation Member is Running in This Contest (1/6/2009)
Unloved Wii & NGC games that deserve better (1/6/2009)
System Review #5: Atari 2600 (1/5/2009)
2008 games. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1/3/2009)
RF Generation Timeline Part 3: 2006 (1/2/2009)
|
For me CIB really depends on how the software can be displayed attractively, and usefully.
NES and SNES games are my favorite to collect because I will accept most Cart only games as long as they are in very good condition. They are easy to display attractively either in box or without, and the top part of the label makes it easy for me to organize and find the games quickly. While they do look impressive CIB, I think they look fantastic without aswell. Because of this I also spend a lot less money collecting then I potentially would getting CIB only games.
For any CD based game its pretty essential for me to have it CIB. A CD binder, for loose games, just dont do them justice. Since I'm already looking for the case and cd to be in good shape I try to make it a point to have the manual included just so that I get that extra perceived "value". Although I do make exceptions from time to time depending on price, rarity, or desire to play/own the game, I always make sure its got the case and CD for sure.
The odd man out in my collection is the N64 titles. I really think its necessary to have N64 games in box to have an attractive and well organized collection. If they had a top label this probably wouldnt be an issue. I dont find the manuals a necessity for some reason when it comes to these titles either. They look very impressive with Box and Cart only, in my opinion.
| |
Simply put, for me personally, CIB means the game has manual, box and the CD/cartridge unless I know for a fact that it came with other stuff, such as maps.
But I wouldn't advertise a game as CIB if it didn't have the styrofoam or inner cardboard pieces as well as the aforementioned items.
I think the main reason people call games with just the game, box and manual "CIB" is because there are just no resources out there that specify what all came with a particular game, and even then, the advertisements in a game probably change as other games come out if it has a long enough production run. So it's really hard to know for sure what came with a game unless you're buying sealed games.
As far as what I buy, I buy anything I can get my hands on at a great price. If it's a cartridge, I don't care if it's loose or sealed, although I obviously prefer CIB or sealed. CD games I only buy CIB unless it's a few loose discs in a lot of CIB games. And for the record, for jewel case CD games' (e.g. PS1, Dreamcast) box to be a jewel case with the paper insert (or just the paper insert if I've got a spare case laying around).
The only real exception to my rule has been SMS games, I only buy them if they are at least boxed. The reason is because I've only ever seen one loose for a good price, which I bought before I came up with this rule. Since then I've decided loose SMS games look stupid, so I only buy them boxed.
And on a side note, when I first got into collecting I used to think "CIB" stood for Cartridge/CD, Instruction manual, Box.
| |
"Basically to be truly complete in box a game or hardware has to have everything that was included when you bought it."
This. Very this. It's not complete-in-box if it's not complete.
I'm pretty pedantic when it comes to this stuff. :/
| |
Heh, I thought CIB meant "Clean In Box". But I guess "Complete In Box" makes more sense. 
For me, sealed games beat the whole point of gaming. I don't see the point of having nice games on your shelf that you can't even play. Maybe the games aren't even in the boxes! Who knows...they're sealed after all. 
If I ever found (and bought) a sealed game I'd probably open it to see what's inside and, of course, play the game.
For me, CIB is when the disk/cartridge and manual are in the box. That's enough for me.
I don't really care much about CIB though, except for disk-based games for obvious reasons. Cartridge games are much more handy when loose, although Europe has it pretty bad with (besides N64) SNES games not having a top label either! 
| |
"For me, CIB is when the disk/cartridge and manual are in the box. That's enough for me."
That used to be enough for me too, and that's what I always considered it to mean, but as I've collected more I find that's no longer the case, and I want complete to mean conplete. That's why recently when Ive been submitting images I've scanned or photographed everything in the box so that people know what should be there.
When I first started out collected NES stuff I took decision that it'd be cart only, because hey, I was collecting to play. It only took 2 purchases like that before I realised that I couldn't do it, so I had to buy them boxed too.
| |
"I want complete to mean conplete". lol
| |
I try to get everything CIB or sealed.
Going thru my collection though it isn't hard to see that i have alot of loose items but i either work on getting CIB copies of them or getting a missing box/manual down the road.
I also tend to snatch up loose boxes/manuals/inserts on the off chance i will someday need them or someone is looking for a missing item to complete their game.
| |
For used games, CIB = Game + original box + original manual + original front/back cover artwork sleeve at a minimum. For those games that are supposed to include a code card in it for bonus content or a 48hour Xbox Live offer, it should also be in there and the code unopened/unscratched.
I've been collecting these code cards whenever I can, nowadays most games include unique artwork specific to the game purchased (i.e. Gears of War, Forza Motorsport 2, etc.) for their XBL 48-hour offers.
| |
To me Complete in Box means: Game, Manual, Box, and any maps, etc. I don't really worry about the registration cards, advertisements, etc.
When I started collecting I took anything in just about any condition. But now I am a little more picky. But if I don't already have the game I will usually get it unless it is really bad.
CD based games have to be CIB though.
| |
It means two things to me
1) The commonly understood, traditional "Complete In Box"
2) On my own Excel tracking spreadsheet, I have 3 columns for each game, title, etc. "Cartridge Instructions Box"
C = own cart, disc, dvd, etc. (whatever type of media it is)
I = own instructions, manual, etc.
B = own box, packaging, etc.
To see what I mean with that, you can see my list at http://home.ptd.net/~tholly/Collection.xls
| |
To me it means paying more for extra stuff I don't need. 
| |
CIB to me is not having to track down a manual, map, or second or third disc for a game just because some joker thought having most of the game and a box made it complete.
| |
For me CIB has been a term I have over time grown to dislike, mostly due to experience with online sales. The problem is exactly what this post highlights in that there is a problem to what "CIB" means. What most who are fair would say is CIB should mean the box, manuals and game. This is regardless to if you feel CIB means Cart Instruction Box, Complete in Box, Comes in Box ect. Now there will be those who say CIB should include the inserts, advertisements and registration card ect but for this I prefer to use the term complete. Complete to me means what you are buying is everything minus the factory seal. CIB is to vague and I like to see listing that either list the items that come with the game media or are called Complete.
| |
many of good people have felt the wrath of collectors wanting everything to be included(registration warranty cards, posters of releases, etc). For self, complete means booklet case or box and instructions. As for items I sell, unless I have everything (including the registration cards , i will not tag it as complete. to those of my rf brotherin collectors selling saturn games, beware as some collectors won't dare touch it unless it has "the gray rectangular sponge" to my hardcore import complete cd based game collectors: I am flyng over mount fugi in my chopper! I want one hundred billion dollars (better yet) pounds or i will dump tens of thousands of spine cards over! I'll DO IT!
|
|
Login or register to comment
|
|
It appears as though you are not a member of our site, or are not logged in.
|
It appears as though you can not comment currently. Becoming able to comment though is easy! All you need to do is register for the site! Not only will you be able to access any other site features including the forum and collection tools. If you are a registered user and just need to login then you can do so here.
Comment! It's easy, thoughtful, and who knows you might just enjoy it!
|
|
|
|
|
