A pertinent question for you variant types...

mb7241mb7241
in Collector's Corner
...Where do you draw the fine line between calling a game/manual/box a variant and calling it a duplicate? Do you just count obvious differences like a gray Legend of Zelda versus a gold Legend of Zelda, do you count less-obvious differences like the presence/absence of catalog numbers on the black-box games, or do you go so far as to call two manuals as variants simply because the 5-digit code on the inside of the back cover is different (though everything else is the same; I guess the equivalent of this where carts are concerned would be different manufacturer ID numbers on the back label)?

Comments

  • BrontyBronty
    no magic answer, all depends on the person. Technically they are all variants I guess it just depends on which ones are important to you.
  • Dr. MorbisDr. Morbis
    ^ What he said image Seriously though, there seem to be two camps: collect ALL variants (including screw, seal, etc) and collect only MAJOR variants. I fall into the latter group; if something had a major reissue (color of cartridge, wholesale change to box art, etc) I count it, if it's just a seal variant or something, I couldn't care less. The problem, of course, is deciding where to draw the line. Bases Loaded 1 has "Jaleco" in both orange trim and blue trim - should a major variant hunter like myself count it? I don't know the answer to that, but for the record, I do.
  • Braveheart69Braveheart69
    I count all obvious differences, basically anything... but I have never gone to the 5 digit code inside manual backs... LOL. I do count all seal variants, TM, R, -1,-2,-3, hang-tab/non-hang-tab, codes, *'s, region codes, made in Japan, etc....
  • albaileyalbailey
    I'm the same as Braveheart, although I generally have no idea which boxes go with which games.  Wayne Gretzky Hockey is a prime example of this.  The -1 box doesnt look at all like the -1 cart.

    I dont actively seek these games, I just keep them as I encounter them.  And up until now, I havent been looking for Rev A and Rev B carts, but thats about to change.

    I also keep an eye out for copyright differences.  Example: Xevious has copyright 1983,1984  and another is 1982,1988.
    Or Slalom where on some carts the copyright symbol is a symbol and on others it is the word "copyright"

    For me, hoestly, the reason I do this is so that I can eliminate a "finish line" in my NES collecting. There are always going to be games I dont have.  Many of them will be inexpensive commons.

    Al

  • NationalGameDepotNationalGameDepot
    For me, hoestly, the reason I do this is so that I can eliminate a "finish line" in my NES collecting. There are always going to be games I dont have. Many of them will be inexpensive commons.




    Bingo, that is my exact reasoning. Always having something to collect will make my hobby continue for years to come. Plus I think it is cool and important to document this type of stuff for the future.

    ~~NGD
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