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Zippy Zapp
CA, USA

Posted Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:40 am

I have a dilemma. I have a lot of boxed software for Amiga, Commodore, PC etc and am running out of room. Now normally, over the years, I would get to a point and just toss the boxes, put the manuals in a single box or a shelf and the software to cases. Most of my PC games are like this. Boxes went bye bye. But people today say that is sacrilege and act like you are a committing a sin by chucking the cardboard. If that is a sin, they don't get out much.

I am not a collector per se. I have a large collection but only because I started it in the 80's and never threw anything away. I buy what I want to use nothing more.

So I have all these boxed games and software and am at the point where it is taking up too much space. So, many boxes must go. Where do you draw the line? I have a few games that I really like the box art and they typically have large manuals and the box is filled nicely. (SSI, Sierra) Same with some of my productivity software where the manual is hard bound in a binder and slides into a hard cover slip case (Directory Opus, Word Processors, Amiga OS). Those make sense to keep. But then there are the boxes like Pinball fantasies, shootem up games, etc that are basically a disk and a box with a flimsy ref card or manual. Those can go.

So what do you do with boxes?

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:03 am

If you want to keep the games and manuals, and never want to give them away or sell them, it becomes a bit of a game of Tetris. For things I like to look at (yes, just look at, because I have a strong connection to the box art or the experience) I actually put those on display somewhere in my retro computer room. Currently I'm displaying M.U.L.E., Lurking Horror, Wasteland and Final Fantasy III.

But that doesn't even approach the issue you're dealing with. For all of my other boxes (and I have a ton) I am using very long bankers boxes. These you can label and organize, and are easy to stack pretty high as well as get into when needed. I open them up for use about 2 times a month when I need to get something out or put something in. And since they are all labelled on the ends, it's very efficient. You can put quite a lot in there. So I have one for use Operating Systems and Utilities, one for Productivity (e.g. word processors), a couple for Games.

I have a storage room in my house that is luckily right next door to the computer room. You can only access by going into this room of mine, which really is a glorified giant closet in some ways. The storage room is just a square tomb that also holds my furnace and water heater. In any case, I have the banker's boxes stacked in there from floor to about 5 feet high, several columns-worth.

I think the sacrilege part comes from people like me who do still like to collect. Like, I actively hunt for certain games each month, and if they didn't have the box I'd figure, "What's the point?" I want the whole thing: even the paper ad inserts and what not. If it was just a disk I often can go download it off somewhere. But hell, I will sometimes get shrink wrapped games and (gasp!) love opening them. I figure this kills their value but I don't really care about that as long as I keep everything together.

If you're never planning on giving any of your stash away, the only reason to hang onto the boxes would be for historical purposes, like for after we're all gone. Ideally our stuff would get donated or dispersed in an estate sale some day to future generations.

If you're running out of room, you might consider slowly selling or donating some of the stuff you really just don't think you'll ever use again. It's not easy - I know. But I currently have a bookshelf with boxed software that I need to do that for myself that I've already organized out of my "preferred" stash.

We have to purge at some stage. But get some banker's boxes! It'll help when you're organizing things.

User avatar
Zippy Zapp
CA, USA

Posted Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:39 am

Well it sounds like we do sort of the same thing. I have so many bankers boxes my, ahem, better half, is growing a bit impatient. But yeah I keep most things in the file those storage boxes. But I do like to have my software accessible.

Perhaps it is time to reorganize and rethink. I don't plan on selling any of my software stuff. I may at some point sell a 64 or two and maybe an A500 because who really needs 4 A500s, and 6 64s? I don't anymore. I only have that many because I found deals that I couldn't pass up and bought one lot of 4 A500's in various states of disrepair for next to nothing. I do believe in having at least one spare though.

One thing I wouldn't chuck are the EA game folios. I love those things and they don't take up much space at all. Ah MU.L.E. Alas, I still have the folio and manual but my disk has gone missing. Tough to find a MULE disk by itself. If you find one let me know. :)

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:49 am

The EA folio sleeves are my absolute favorite game box. Bigger art, skinnier footprint. The only downside I've ever run across is that inner sleeve disk access hole, which some kids BITD ripped when they jammed disks into them (especially 3.5" disks for Amiga - C64 5.25's were usually pretty safe).

There's really no reason to ever get rid of those, IMO, and most of the EA games from that era are solid gold. <3

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:38 pm

I may at some point sell a 64 or two and maybe an A500 because who really needs 4 A500s, and 6 64s?
Well, dang, not that I need to add more to my pile, but if you do decide to purge a bit let us know! I wouldn't mind a 2nd 500 backup. And even a 64. Mine both work perfectly, but it's nice to have some backup chips or keyboard keys just in case. And my 500 is so yellow its embarrassing (it was a gift I couldn't turn away). And it has some animal hair and dust... But other than that it hasn't seen much use in 20 years. I've ordered a new set of keycaps for it for whenever that Kickstarter ever delivers later this year or next.

User avatar
Zippy Zapp
CA, USA

Posted Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:51 am

Will do. I don't much care for the yellow look either. I have two A500's that are not yellow and two that are. I usually do the peroxide soak method to get rid of the yellow. I get rid of the dust/dirt/food/hair/insect carcasses inside the keyboard and unit. It is a long painstaking activity to take the keyboard apart and clean it but I must as I can't stand knowing someone else's filth is in there. :lol: I usually test the keyboard fully first especially all the key combinations like CTRL + Amiga + Amiga as sometimes keys don't work so I like to know so I can figure out if I need to replace any of the plungers. It is usually dirt on the contact or the little rubber feet that cause the key to stop working. I also have a keyboard with a bad controller chip. I use that one to scavenge keys and plungers from.

But I digress, boxes. Does anyone actually want boxes to games or software? I mean it seems silly to me to ship out a box but I guess if someone is collecting.

So far this is on my junk pile:

Pinball Dreams
Pinball Fantasies
Vegas Poker
Shootem up Construction Kit
Tass Times in Tonetown
A few others that I can't remember off hand

I also found I have extra manuals for some Commodore stuff that I also have taking up space:

C64 users guides
Commodore 64 Programmers Reference guide
A couple various programming books for BASIC (C64)
A500 Basic
A500 Users Guide
KicksStart 1.3 Enhancer manual.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Wed Mar 29, 2017 9:43 am

You could probably put each stack in a Lot sale on Ebay and get a few bucks plus shipping (I'd just stick the auction at $1 and let it go). As long as someone pays your shipping fees it'll go somewhere that'll give it some love rather than the dump.

I think those computer manuals have a decent shot at getting a little attention, especially if you practically give them away.





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