Anyone else think this is strange?

The potential for inevitable rot within so many electronics makes them as ticking time bombs from the factory. I knew of a guy who had one of the higher-end Pioneer SX receivers from the 70s golden age. These receivers were built very well and were capable of producing a very powerful stereo sound. Unfortunately, he refused to get it recapped because he wanted it to be "completely original". As a result, the quality suffered a substantial loss. At the same time, it appeared that the resale value stayed higher.

That common mentality that drives the inherent worth of many goods does not bide well with many electronics. I think the market would be very open and even welcoming to a response that addresses this with some form of white-glove refurbishing based on a set of rigorous quality standards. If people are open to the idea of spending $1,000 on a "VGA-graded" cart because of a rather shallow "Brand New=Best" mentality + vacuum sealing, they would likely be open to something that goes to a deeper and far more precise level of preservation for the same price or more. This site absolutely has the talent to bring something like this to fruition, but who has the time, want, and desire to hunt down a bounty like that? There is never enough time.

Preserving a perfectly-boxed time bomb would be silly. Sealing vintage games up like this is no different.

 

I think a lot of the hardcore collectors view them like other collectibles instead of what they actually are. Video game cartridges aren't like vintage toy cars or baseball cards. They have a finite lifespan and it is only a matter of time before they can't be used anymore. Best to replace replaceable parts before it is too late.

When it comes to video games, preserving means repairing and preventive maintenance as well. If you don't want to do this to your old game carts, don't collect them.

 

That's a good one. Battery's do leak when they got old.

 

Very true, there used to be a guy on NintendoAge who was all like "videogames are art and unless your collection is exclusively sealed games in 100% mint condition, you're a shit collector". Strangely enough though, I don't think he ever got into VGA grading.

 

like XBOX unopened , when it 100% new, it should near 99% internal cap leak .....