Should you keep the boxes?

I have just been reading through some older posts about playing those ancient games. I have over 500 games, most of them unplayed because I don't have the time. I always thought I would play all my wonderful games when I retired.

Anyway, my games are in a variety of states, depending on the source of purchase, but the overwhelming majority of my games are in their original boxes. Needless to say, I have cardboard boxes stacked up to the ceiling in my closet. I am torn between keeping the boxes and gaining space. I thought of collapsing the boxes and storing them flat - but I don't know if that would work.

If I ever finally played them and decided there were some I could either sell or give away, wouldn't they be more attractive in the original box? As it is, I am going to have to invest in software that will let me play games on either XP or Vista so there will be even more "stuff" to store (CD cases, printed material). I plan to will my entire collection to Gameboomers...

Any opinions?

Please KEEP the boxes. They are a collectors dream

As for storing them, I don't know... it's a huge problem for me too, because I kind of like looking at the boxes.

MooeyG you have an awful lot of games! I like keeping the boxes because the pictures on them help me to remember what they are about. GameBoomers will have to set up a Library for all those games if you donate them!

Yep, keep the boxes if you are wanting to sell them.
I have about 700, and can assure you that older games in boxes are a better bet than without.

Definitely keep the boxes, not just if you plan on selling but in that way you have the complete game in my opinion.

Thanks. Love you guys.

I thought of a compromise with myself 9after probably talking to myself out loud, but I don't want to admit that...) I may go through them to see which are collapsible and fold them in - keeping everything, but just folding it all in. The ones with hard corners will have to stay as is.

I was kind of leaning in the direction of keeping the boxes because I too love to just look at them. It is one of the many reasons I love adventure games to start with.

Please keep the boxes they truly are works of art. The boxes do make the game complete and they are a collecters dream.

MooeyG, I think you will be glad for keeping your boxes, especially if you love looking at them. I love looking at my boxes too.

I don't care how much room boxes take up - I will never part with mine - and I was really disappointed when DVD cases started to take over

I agree Mad. The little slip covers on many current dvds aren't too bad though, particularly those with fold out fronts etc. An upside is that they get squashed less in posting!

Keep your boxes . They are like the covers on your most treasured books . You wouldn't take the covers off of your books would you? I love my games and there boxes, they set on my shelves just as my books do. The games need to have there covers. I also love the boxes more so then the DVD covers. Especially the boxes that have the velcro open up front that shows a little more about the game.

*gasp* I think I just had a minor tremor... Yes, keep the boxes!

Trinny3 is right. Keep them.Could you image keeping your old records without the album covers?

Of course, you should keep your wonderful boxes. Having games in boxes, both older and newer ones are great I have many such games; they are all wonderful and very dear to me... the boxes and the game, I mean.

And they are worth more that way - both to you and to those that inherit them...

Ask yourself this: Would you want to buy a game
(or even play a new game) without seeing the box?
Me neither. Keep the boxes. Storage? Yeah, that's
a tough one. But, treasures are treasures. And the
older they get, the more valuable become all of the
pieces.
Good luck!

Hello. I am the Evil One.

The best moment for me is when I drop the box on the floor and jump up and down on it, crushing it flat and simultaneously hearing my malicious laughter echoing off the walls.

Thank you for your time. Have a nice day.

Be careful, those boxes know where you sleep

I am also a Devil apparently, I never keep cardboard boxes. Couldn't care less!! Give me the game and that's all I care about. Then I can store them in my desk drawer for easy access!! I LOVE the dvd case style boxes cause they are so small.

If I know I am going to trade the game I keep the box, but if its a keeper, into the trash it goes! If I could buy games without boxes I certainly would- and when I trade for games I usually request they send them without the box.

Errr, I've thrown away a number of the boxes in my time. I'm down to one massive box full of boxes. I just don't have room for hundreds of game boxes in my house. I keep the boxes that are special to me, and toss the rest.

I liked the GREAT BIG boxes (that came with the old games) the best - and they still have pride of place on my shelves

I could keep any notes I'd made on that particular game, a walkthrough I might have printed out and/or anything else I felt was relevant and important to the game.
All right there with the game itself

However, I understand the need to save resources so have gracefully (well maybe not gracefully ) given in and now put up with tidgy little boxes or (possibly nasty) plastic DVD cases.

[I say nasty because I do wonder if the DVD cases are the recyclable type of plastic ?? How disgusting if they're not because at least cardboard boxes of ANY size are !! ]

Hey Mad thats a good point about the plastic dvd cases! At least when I commit the sin of throwing away boxes I put them in the recycling bin!
Off to google!

If your community can recycle game boxes that are not corrugated cardboard (which they aren't) and that have plastic coating (which most have) then you are way ahead of my local recyclers!

As far as I know, the only recyclable part of the game box is the corrugated cardboard innerds that a few of them contain.

I suppose you could also recycle the manual.

I can't see the need for any game to come in recyleable packaging - after all we want to keep them don't we?

As for the thought of recycling the manual ......

I very rarely keep the boxes unless they are the DVD cases. They just take up way too much room and as long as I have the manual and gamedisk I'm happy.

Also, when I buy a used game here I generally ask them not to include the boxes as they cost too much to ship.

We have mixed paper recycling where I am. As long as the paper cardboard isn't waxed (like some frozen food containers or milk cartons) it can be recycled.

We're much further behind on plastics. They'll take plastic bottles, but that's about it. Broken DVD cases have to go in the trash.

Wow - 700 games flotsam - respect

I love looking at the cover art and reading the features/ descriptions on game packaging - but I'm not keen on having all the bulk and different sizes etc.

I have all my games in dvd cases (like movie cases) - mostly thinline. I love opening up the cabinet and seeing all the titles.

If a game comes in a box I throw it out and download the dvd covers for it from a site like moby games - I do have a good printer

Jenny100 -- you're way ahead of us!

Where I am we can recycle any kind of paper or cardboard except the waxed ones too. Called the local recycling place as far as plastic dvd cases- we can't put the dvd cases in the bins, but we CAN take them to a local recycling center. Jewel cases can go in the curbside bins ; the inserts and manuals go in the paper bin and the cases in the plastic bin. Good to know!

Wow! Pretty impressive.

RayBres - I was howling! Thanks for that image of boxes exploding and some crazy devil person jumping up and down on them. Ha! Ha!

I am most impressed with 700 games I thought I was a happenin' chick with 500...of course, I have not counted my downloaded games and HOGS...but still even that would not put me over THAT threshold (yet...long live BAAGING...)

Sassafras - Really like the idea of being able to see the titles. Right now, all my games are stored and stacked in copy paper boxes so I can't even see 'em!! I am pretty sure I will keep them. I still have LP albums - and yes - I would never just keep the records and toss the covers. Same with books.

We recycle pretty much everything in Gilbert, AZ with some minor exceptions. But they ain't gettin' my boxes...

Thank you, thank you. It's a relief to hear this. I've gotten into some difficulties in this forum in the past and have to be careful, because I discovered along the way that my sense of humor doesn't translate well in this medium.

As your reward, you can call me Ray from now on.

Well, your sense of humor works for me, um...RAY...Yikes! I got lots of willies running up and down my spine.

Thanks!

MooeyG