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Condition
Loose, boxed or sealed: what condition does to a price
What loose, complete in box (CIB), sealed and graded mean for a retro game, what moves the price within each, and live examples.
The four conditions
- Loose: the cartridge or disc on its own.
- Complete in box (CIB): the game with its original box and manual. Some games also came with inserts such as posters, maps or cards.
- Sealed: still in its factory seal, as the seller describes it. Resealing exists, so a seal is a claim, not a guarantee.
- Graded: inspected and sealed in a clear case by a grading company, with a grade on the label.
Live prices, condition by condition
Live sold-price estimates. Most valuable games →
What moves a price within a condition
- The box. Cardboard boxes crush, tear and fade, and their condition moves a boxed price more than anything else. Plastic cases mostly matter through the cover art and the manual.
- The manual and inserts. A missing manual means it isn't complete. Original inserts add value.
- The label and the case. Scratches, stickers and writing lower the price; a clean original label raises it.
- Does it work? Some cartridges keep saves with a small battery that can run flat. A working game is worth more.
Missing the box or the manual?
Many game pages show what an original box and an original manual sell for on their own, under "Complete your copy". Buying the missing piece is often the cheapest way to a complete copy.
Questions
What does CIB mean?
Complete in box: the game with its original box and manual.
Is a sealed game always worth more?
Usually much more, but sealed copies are rare and resealing exists. We rate sealed prices for confidence and never claim a seal is genuine.
Does a reproduction box count as complete?
No. A reproduction or replacement box makes a copy incomplete, and we leave those sales out of boxed prices.
Prices in GBP, converted from US-dollar sales at the 2026-10-23 ECB reference rate.