Diary of a Retro Collector: Week 22
What additions I have this week for my collection? Well, here’s a weekly overview of some of the pieces I’ve been able to find and add to the Randall museum of retro hardware and gaming.
ZELDA: link to the Past SNES BOX Only (eBay BuyitNow)
One of my saved searches on eBay is for “Nintendo Box Only”, so everyday I get an email to let me know about any new listings with these keywords. This is a great tool for finding specifics like this and highly recommend anyone else to use this system. This Zelda box is not exactly mint, but it is a condition step up from my current boxed copy and for the price I got it for, not a crazy purchase at all. Whilst there is plenty of copies of this game floating around, it’s definitely not a rare item, it is in this condition. My older box only I guess will be going on eBay too.
ZELDA: Link’s Awakening DX (eBay Auction)
It would seem I am quite the fan of the ZELDA series and that is true in some way, I am more of a fan specifically of Link’s Awakening. One of my favourite Game Boy games of all time and potentially my fave Zelda title for many reasons. I already have the non DX version in my collection but since playing the colour dungeon on the Switch release, I wanted to go back and try the Dx version.
I won this on action at a decent price. To me though, it’s not about grabbing a bargain or saving pennies (although that’s a bonus), I like to know exactly what condition a game is like. eBay is great for this. If the photos are blurry or missing an image of the back, I will stay clear. If I see an item at a decent 7/10, I will go for it. This particular one is just about a 7/10 but I am very happy to add it to my collection for sure.
Game Boy Play it Loud Hard Case
As luck beholds, only a week after I got the Play it Loud DMG, one of these empty cases came up as an auction listing and of course I went for it. The case itself is a really good case and display solution. The Game Boy has a raised platform so it sits proud at the top, plus space underneath for the booklets. Two compartments to the left side that can house 5 carts (3 at the top and 2 on the bottom) and a rigid holder for the 4x AA batteries. There’s even an embossed Nintendo Logo on the back.
Slowly I will restore this as close to the original glory. Manuals, included accessories and the artwork that slips inside. This hard case edition is not that common as the traditional carton boxes, so finding a source for the card inserts will be a tough step, I will possibly have to make them myself for decoration purposes.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System Controller: Switch Online (Nintendo.co.uk)
This official Bluetooth controller in the shape of the original SNES pad, is a little short on supply and spends most of its time “out of stock”. But if you can grab one, it’s well worth it. An official SNES pad for the Switch generation. Although the 8BitDo alternatives are awesome as well, it’s always great to have the official version.
It’s designed to work with the Nintendo Switch, but I am keen to see what other devices I can get to work with it. My hopes, is that I will be able to get a Bluetooth receiver for the original SNES and pair with my Analogue Super NT, for the closest to genuine experience in HD. I will of course, be sharing my findings on social, on here and maybe even a video if I think it’s worth it.
What stuff have you lot been busy collecting? Anything I clearly am missing and wanna show off? Give us a shout on social media to chat retro.
Not exactly a weekly round up this week. But a single topic that actually could spawn an entire video or podcast on its own. Yellowing of retro consoles is a real thing and un-doing it is a big task. So here’s what I’ve been up to this week.
Game Boy DMG “Play it Loud” Clear – eBay Auction
I already have a diverse collection of Game Boys, you probably won’t be surprised to hear, including original DMGs. but strangely none are of the PLAY IT LOUD coloured housing range – or in this case, lack of any colour with the original see-thru transparent shell. But also, with my lockdown situation, I needed a DMG to measure up for an upcoming project and everything is in storage about 120 miles away. So I needed to grab one on the fly.
This bundle I won on auction after a quick search revealed that Game Boy console prices have risen dramatically since I first started collecting a good 6 years ago, for convenience I probably overpaid here against market prices, but I’m not concerned. Back then most retro shops and even eBay had Yellow ones, pockets and Game Boy Advances for £15-£20. Now, you are lucky to get consoles unboxed for below £30 really. Recently I have even started helping a friend get a Game Boy Colour and he faced exactly this challenge. In this listing I won, it also included some bundled games that are a bonus but nothing I don’t already have. Maybe I will keep them as test carts or pass them on.
What I didn’t realise at the time of bidding this particular one, is despite being in excellent condition otherwise, theres quite a bit of yellowing. Not the end of the world at all, but now I have an added task of restoring this guy as much as possible and reversing the yellowing is a process that takes care. There’s a few different processes to reverse this yellowing; you can use a mixture called Retro-Bite, or some Oxy-Action Whitener, or the
My approach with this guy, is the latter. We have just entered the summer season here in the UK and my garden is South facing, so should be able to get a solid 6-8 hours of direct sunlight for a couple of weeks to see the effects. I did this before with a GameCube Wavebird controller for a friend and did an excellent job. See below photo to show a before an after. So I am very hopeful that I will be able to repeat the same success on this Game Boy and return it to it’s former glory.
Ofcourse, then, my OCD now demands that I get hold of the orginal Play It Loud hard plastic case that it came in. If I can get one with the full retail card inserts, Winning!!
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Here’s a weekly round up of what bits I have added to the Randall Media retro museum of all things gaming and technology. Not an actual museum obviously, but our own treasure trove and collection of awesome hardware, software and products, that are worth talking about.
Official Donkey Kong Country 2 & 3 Strategy Guides – eBay Buy it Now
I only wanted to get my hands on DKC3 guide to complete my SNES trilogy, I have the first one and second one is in my big box edition. I took a gamble on this double listing from the US, but the seller not only undersold how good condition they were on the listing, but they also went above and beyond with making sure they turned up pristine. Huge shout to eBay seller Elceepher for their great service here.
PS One Console Box Only – Facebook marketplace
Some of you know the heartache that is of having original hardware unboxed. But buying complete in box stuff can be way more expensive. So it’s always a win when you find some box only listings for a decent price. Saw this on one of the Facebook seller groups and managed to snag this decent condition box for my PSOne console for less than a tenner. Bear in mind that I picked up the console 5 years ago for a fiver, this is now a huge winner and a great addition to my collection. Stephen Smith is not only a great person on social media to follow, but also the organiser of many north-east retro gaming and collector events. Check out his Collectorabilia website for details on his upcoming events.
PS3 Console Box Only – Facebook Marketplace
Another bundle of console boxes only. Beauty of Facebook groups is that sometimes someone just wants rid of extras they built up quickly and you can jump on them quick and grab some particulars, or in this case two at once. For me, that’s a box for the 40GB chunky PS3 and White Nintendo Wii. Neither of them particularly collectibles yet really, but another set of unboxed consoles of mine that can now go proudly on display in the original packaging. I’m unsure what to do with the Switch box, apart from wonder who’s un-lovingly, discarded their boxes for this great piece of hardware. I might just have to eBay those off for someone, like me, with unboxed hardware and a concerning level of OCD.
Super Famicom Style Game Boy Advance SP – Deadpan Robot
Lastly, a little Game Boy modifying. Now, it’s a bit of a cheat as I bought all the bits necessary for this mod months ago. But due to work commitments, it’s been sitting in a box, waiting to be done. Well, last week I finally took the plunge into doing my first SP re-shell and even installed an IPS screen whilst I was there. The finished result is pretty tasty and perfect for my SNES themed portables and the GBA series I did recently. There were some learnings doing the SP versus other consoles, the two biggest challenges come from the hinge design. First, the ribbon cable has to loop as if to follow the hinge from one side to the other. Then, there’s the hinge caps, jeez… I should have read a tutorial before I started. Anyways,below is a quick time-lapse and video I did of this transition. I guess, I’ll have to design a custom box for this little guy now.
What awesome treasures have you been collecting recently? Any favourites you wanna share? Come join us on social media to talk about retro collecting.