Re: [SWCollect] Other Collector Question

2000-08-18 Thread Richard Pickles

This is my first post to the group so hello everyone. I got invited round a 
week or two back by Jim and the recent flurry of activity has finally 
insipired me to post here. I'm more of a player than a collector but after 
playing games for so many years I guess I've got enough of them to 
constitute a collection. It mostly consists of adventure games and anything 
published by Origin.

I figure answering all Lee's questions will be a pretty good introduction to 
the group so here goes:-

A I'm primarily interested in adventure games with a bit of an interest in 
some of the story based RPG's. Infocom was a bit before my time so I'm 
really only interested in anything with graphics. I played Hitchhikers guide 
recently though and really enjoyed it so I may change my mind on that. With 
so few adventure games coming out you have to go back a few years to find 
anything worth playing and for some reason I seem to prefer most of the 
older games.

BC I basically started collecting for collectings sake by trying to get 
hold of all the Ultima games in their original packaging. This spread to 
getting all the other Ultima stuff like the hint books and the novels, then 
when I got all of them I started collecting all the other games Origin has 
published. Not sure what happens if I ever manage that. I'm nearly there but 
I don't think I'm ever going to find a copy of Caverns of Callisto.

D I might pick up a game on the basis of hearing how good it is but I won't 
neccessarily keep it. Unless its to complete a series I'll only keep games 
I've really enjoyed otherwise they get sold/traded on. I've only got so much 
room and its cheaper.

I'm not into collecting different box variations, although I may pick up 
special editions of some games. I'm really only interested in getting the 
game in its complete original version.

I'm curious as to how all you guys started collecting. Also, what do you do 
with all these games once you've got them? Are they all stored away or do 
you put some of them on display?

Rich


[EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
  Sorry, I forgot to include my other question in my last post.  Most
(but not all) classic video game collectors are trying to get as
complete a collection as possible for each console they own.  Whether
that includes cartridge label, box, and manual variations depends on
the collector.

I assume you guys have more defined goals that "get it all."  Do you
collect based on:

a) Type of game (adventure, driving/racing, interactive fiction, etc.)
b) Publisher (Activision, EA, Infocom, etc.)
c) Series (Ultima, Wizardry, Leisure Suit Larry, etc.)
d) Games you've enjoyed/heard good things about
e) Other

I believe I once read in an article that Hugh wrote that he and/or
others collect the "album-type" EA packages.  Maybe I should have just
submitted this as a poll question at MobyGames.

Since I don't truly consider myself a collector, I probably fall
mainly into category D.  I'm mainly interested in games I've heard
good things about and think I'll enjoy.  I do pick up complete Infocom
interactive fiction games for the PC when I find them because I
enjoyed a few from my Apple II days, they have neat extra items
(Microscopic Space Fleet!), and most of them run fine on the latest
machines since timing isn't usually an issue.  I don't usually pick up
non-PC versions, although I might grab an Apple II one if I saw it.

And since I mentioned it, do you collect box variations?  How many
people are on this list, anyway?

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Re: [SWCollect] MobyScale 0.1

2000-08-18 Thread Lee K. Seitz

Jim Leonard boldly stated:

The Official MobyGames Software Collectables Condition Grading Scale
Version 0.1

-

Background:

another wildly overused the term "MINT!", etc.  This lack of standardization
can lead to confusion when trying to asses an item's value based solely
  ^
I think (sincerely hope) you meant "assess." 8)

Condition Grades:

- Very Good Plus (VG+):  One or two slight defects (small scratch, or slight
  worn corner on box, etc.) that prevent a Near Mint rating.

- Very Good (VG):  More than a few defects (slight crease in manual, all
  corners slightly worn, etc.) but still in acceptable condition.  

Since you're asking, I really think you shouldn't have two conditions
with such similar names.  I think it will lead to confusion.  Perhaps
they should be FS, NM, VG, G, Fine, and Poor instead.  (VG+ becomes
VG, VG become G, G becomes Fine, and drop the Fair off F/P.)

Q: Why only six grades?

Six grades is fine with me.  I use my own system for grading
video game cartridges, boxes, and manuals which has only 5 major
levels (well, maybe six, depending on how you look at it), and
sometimes have problems deciding between two.

Q: Why isn't "Rare" on the grading scale?

???  Did someone actually ask this?

"The Official MobyGames Software Collectables Condition Grading Scale" is a
mouthful, isn't it?  :-)  It's suggested that you merely tell other
collectors, "I'm using the MobyScale."

Hey, can I get credit for that? ;)

I don't know how feasible it is, but my biggest suggestion is to
create a page (and mention it in the text) that shows scans of items
(primarily boxes) that demonstrate each condition.  A picture really
is worth 1000 words.  If necessary, you might want to have closeups of
the defects.

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Lee K. Seitz  *  [EMAIL PROTECTED]  *  http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/
Wanted: |   Visit the Classic Video Games Nexus
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Re: [SWCollect] Other Collector Question

2000-08-18 Thread C.E. Forman

 I'm curious as to how all you guys started collecting. Also, what do you
do
 with all these games once you've got them? Are they all stored away or do
 you put some of them on display?

I got started when I first attempted to accumulate a complete set of
Infocom packages, shortly after I first discovered the Internet in
college.  While doing this I came across other games I wanted to play
(like Michael Berlyn's "Oo-Topos") and Infocom package variations
beyond the grey boxes.  I was fascinated, one thing led to another...

My entire collection is kept in the back room of my apartment.  I have
four floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that I file them on (still with a good
deal of expansion space), alphabetically by publisher, then by title,
then organized by package variation.  In addition, I have three cassette
cases (need to buy a fourth pretty soon) for my tape-based Spectrum and
Amstrad adventure games, and three trunks (I like the "treasure chest"
motif) for my Infocom greys.




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Re: [SWCollect] MobyScale 0.1

2000-08-18 Thread C.E. Forman

 Chris:  I made sure to describe Factory-Sealed to include original
store-sealed
 packages as well, to cover early sealed Infocom games that never had
*factory*
 seals.  (Just out of curiousity, were there other publishers as well that
 relied on the store to do initial wraps?)

Not to my knowledge.  The Infocom greys were unique because you could either
wrap the whole box, or just the inner tray (which is what Infocom did for
some
titles) so that the retailer could choose whether to leave the browsie part
open
for potential customers to skim through.

 - Good (G): More severe defects (box slightly torn or crushed) or minor
   missing components (reference card or catalog missing); acceptable only
if
   the item is hard to find or highly desired by the collector.

Again if you're using this to grade the overall package I'd personally
prefer
to avoid grouping missing ref cards in here, as they're minor and shouldn't
significantly devalue an otherwise VG+/NM package.  Maybe clarify this?

I also noticed on Moby that you include "Item Missing" on the list.  I know
your system proposes rating individual components and that this is useful
for indicating just what's missing in Moby's database.  However I was
wondering if you'd object if, for the Shoppe, I were to use "IM" as an
extension to the normal ratings you've given above.  See, let me explain:
I was hoping to incorporate these ratings at the end of my item
descriptions,
but to keep the text detailing the specific defects.  That way, somebody
just browsing for a NM title could simply scan the ratings, check out the
ones with "NM" and quickly screen out everything else.

My concern is, while I want to use Moby's rating system, I don't want to
have to essentially adopt Moby's *database* format in my descriptions,
listing every prop, every condition for those props, etc.  (The Shoppe page
is long enough as it is, plus it'd be too time-consuming at the moment for
me to go through and rewrite it all.)

So I guess my question is, on the Shoppe page, could I have ratings such
as: "VG, IM" to describe the whole package, and then detail why said
item is "VG" and which items are missing, while still conforming to the
Moby standard?

 Q: Why isn't "Rare" on the grading scale?
 A: "Rare" isn't an indication of condition; it's an indication of value.

This is nit-picking, but I would like to point out that rare does not
necessarily
equal valuable, it merely equals hard-to-find.  Example: Awhile back I
bought
a small stack of "Beatle Quest" games from the author for a low-low price.
The game was only released in the UK, only for Commodore 64, only on
cassette, the author's personal stock is now depleted, and I have less than
10 copies left.  That's rare.  But it's not valuable, because I still *have*
those copies left -- nobody seems to want the damn thing, and the most
I've ever gotten for one was $15.  Quite a contrast from the Starcross
saucer, of which far more were produced, but which consistently fetch
$500+ at auction.  It seems more to be the combination of scarcity and
the number of collectors who want it that add up to a valuable game.



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Re: [SWCollect] MobyScale 0.1

2000-08-18 Thread C.E. Forman

 Since you're asking, I really think you shouldn't have two conditions
 with such similar names.  I think it will lead to confusion.  Perhaps
 they should be FS, NM, VG, G, Fine, and Poor instead.  (VG+ becomes
 VG, VG become G, G becomes Fine, and drop the Fair off F/P.)

This is a good point, however in most collecting scales (coins, for
instance) "Fine" is considered better than "Good".  I'm pretty sure,
anyway.

 I don't know how feasible it is, but my biggest suggestion is to
 create a page (and mention it in the text) that shows scans of items
 (primarily boxes) that demonstrate each condition.  A picture really
 is worth 1000 words.  If necessary, you might want to have closeups of
 the defects.

This is a great idea!  I have a large number of Infocom "Cutthroats"
packages in varying condition that I could donate scans of.



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