Why are certain game boxes tend to have more wear?

GPX

The title of the thread was just a passing thought literally 1 minute ago, as I was browsing NA. However, it is a thought based on repeated observations of some game boxes showing more wear than others. For example, some of the Pal N64 sports games boxes I collect, despite being mint (or even new) condition on the insides, have more wear than other N64 titles.

2 possibilities that come to mind:

1. The game itself may well be crap or not as adored, and so tend to get the maltreatment by gamers/collectors.

2. The box material might actually be different compared with other games from within the same console platform? Being different material may give rise to faster rate of decomposition/wear? Or maybe different material, such that bugs/insects might prefer to munch on them as their main meal?



Anyone got any bright ideas? Or maybe you know the actual answer? Share some thoughts!

SNESNESCUBE64

I know N64 boxes were probably the most disposable meaning that the carboard is thinner. It also may be just luck of the draw in all reality. All of these carboard boxes were meant to be thrown away or recycled. No one at Nintendo or any of these publishers thought that people would collect packaging.

Bort License Plate

There's no one right answer. Shittier condition is less desirable, people will buy whatever mint stuff comes up and leave the shittier ones on the market. Some games are quite common to find boxed like perfect dark, there's no reason to buy a shitty one because even a mint one doesn't go for that much. Some games like GB-GBA being handhelds are very tough to find boxed, since it's less likely someone would keep it for a handheld. There's a lot of factors to take into account.

WATA GRADED WEBSITE

Wear is like a spectrum, maybe the good games have spine wear from being slid off a shelf a ton and being played a lot. Sports or crap games maybe treated bad because they go unloved? My chronotrigger box has a dinged corner because I handled it a lot and eventually dropped it on accident.  

Bort License Plate

Originally posted by: ALTQQ

Wear is like a spectrum, maybe the good games have spine wear from being slid off a shelf a ton and being played a lot. Sports or crap games maybe treated bad because they go unloved? My chronotrigger box has a dinged corner because I handled it a lot and eventually dropped it on accident.  

I did that to my ocarina of Time box 

wesr

Even on my amazingly well preserved N64 boxes it looks like just sitting on a shelf wears the ink off. To be honest I don't think Nintendo ever envisioned anyone keeping the boxes, as most of us never did, so they went with as cheap of materials as possible. I know my 2 famicom boxes are insanely thin cardboard even compared to that for NES games. Sega on the other hand had the plastic cases knowing it would encourage folks to keep the games and cases. NES boxes aren't as sturdy as the later boxes just from the lack of interior support like the trays you see in the SNES games, which is odd since Famicom games had plastic trays in the boxes.

GPX

Thanks for the responses guys. But my topic is a bit more specific than "why are there wear to game boxes?"

I've been a collector for nearly 10 years, and have purchased many mint/new games. During this time, I have noticed certain titles have more wear on their boxes, despite their insides looking mint or untouched.

In other words, some titles I've still yet to see a mint box for. Thus just curious to learn/discuss if there is any weird science happening here.  

DeuceGamer

Originally posted by: GPX



Thanks for the responses guys. But my topic is a bit more specific than "why are there wear to game boxes?"

I've been a collector for nearly 10 years, and have purchased many mint/new games. During this time, I have noticed certain titles have more wear on their boxes, despite their insides looking mint or untouched.

In other words, some titles I've still yet to see a mint box for. Thus just curious to learn/discuss if there is any weird science happening here.  

Some titles may have ended up in a bargain bin before selling any significant amount at retail. If you've seen most places bargain bins they are likely all thrown in together where many many hands are sifting, shoving, throwing, stacking, etc... to find one they like. That alone could cause certain titles to have less mint boxes, especially if they were in small print numbers to begin with.