Protecting Your Video Game Collection

Anyone who has been collecting for a decent amount of time has ran into this question: How do I protect my games from damage? There are many options on how to protect your fragile game boxes. In this video, I showcase some gems from my collection that are protected a little better with some game box covers. I thankful for the ongoing support of my channel and look forward to continuing to upload two videos a week!
www.retroprotec...

[@FistingGuru]

I'm happy MetalJesus directed me here, your uploads are great man, keep up the good work

[@SorAuron]

I'm gonna mention him in my pickup video today!! Retroprotection is the best best best!!

[@lonesquiff6551]

Thanks so much for this vid. I'd been wondering what might be out there to protect my fledgling collection. One critique though, it would have been nice to see you demonstrate "boxing" a game just to see how the protectors opened/sealed. I just recently subbed, really enjoy your enthusiasm! Keep up the great work.

[@IIZ3720II]

I'm convinced that you're the voice of John C Reilly

[@thehunter7422]

Lol I was just thinking he sounded like him and kind of looked like him . Then I saw your comment lol 😂 was like the second comment in here in the section. I'm convinced he's John C Reily too

[@pekalion]

So far with nothing, I don't have that many things, kind of really expensive to buy in Argentina old games, but everything that I got I put it in some shoe boxes. I know is not the best thing, but they are away from the sun, dust and maybe a fall. Wish that I could buy those cases, but here that is just a dream, haven't search for it. Now with your amazing video I will check out if there is a place here to buy them. Amazing videos John! Subscribed forever :D

[@loganthehennemann1]

I love retroprotection. Use their cases for everything. I have GameCube and Ds complete collections and they're all in cases

[@D33GS]

Can't say enough good things about Retroprotection. I use them for my Saturn, Sega CD, 32x, and Cardboard Genesis stuff. Looks great and fits the boxes really well.

[@G1megatron]

I love Retroprotection. I've been getting my box covers for over a year now. I was so glad when they made one for the Lunar PS1 games. I forget about the cardboard box games for Wii U and others like that. I'm glad I saw this video

[@WilliamSmith-ex9et]

You’ve come a long way John.

[@YanniBG]

Great video, John! I was wondering how to keep my stuff from wearing. Thank you for bringing Retro Protection up. I already contacted them, they have a fantastic customer service.

[@Aegris-Somnia]

Cool idea and thanks for showing us the good results of that product. All of my Saturn and SCD cases are cracked, but still a good idea to keep them from being scratched any further.

[@dougbrady5807]

Just got a cover for my NES Classic. Thanks for the rec!

[@TheGadgetGod]

Another awesome video, John. Thank you for the recommendation on the protective cases you use. I ordered a few today :)

[@thatJustinUknow]

You are cool immortal one, I feel your positive vibes over yon net waves... that aside, I come back to Sega over and over ,something about it... I don't know, right there with you buddy!

[@execution777]

Great stuff John! In the past I used videogameboxprotectors to order protectors but will test retroprotection out as both the pricing and shipping seem a bit better. Thanks for the tip.

[@TheSenseiNeo]

I really love your collection man. Thats big commitment

[@Mike-db4td]

Hey John, because of this video I just went to retro protection and purchased some protective covers for my games. I wanted to mention your name somewhere in the order just so you can get sone credit for this but anyhow I am looking forward to displaying my games with these new covers! Thanks!!!

[@herohunter81]

I'm the same way with my comic collection. I get Mylars and special Microchamber paper for preservation. The books that I'm after only come around every few years but now I'm letting go of that and coming around to video game collecting. Right now I'm just focused on good games just to play. Yardsaling and flea markets ect. But it's cool to know there are special cases for games too.

[@uncannyx]

those protector sleeves work really good, i was worried about them scratching up the boxes but they don't scratch at all

[@marccaselle8108]

Those protectors look nice John. I should have done that with I was collecting complete game boy color games and Sega Dreamcast games way back in the late 90s early 2000s. I could see if protectors work with my boxed intellivision games.

[@grod4willis]

love your videos!!! and i love the stories about how youve found all these games because youve been collecting for so long! its fun to hear how things were before retro game collecting has sky rockets like it has! you should do a video on how youve found some of your rare games etc consoles

[@SoftOtaku]

If RetroProtection ships internationally I will definitely give it a try! Thanks for sharing! I'm more worried about earthquakes than anything else here in Japan.

[@johnhancockretro]

Looks like that they do.

[@MarshallMathersthe7th]

Are you actually Japanese?

[@MarshallMathersthe7th]

And im sorry to say, i don't have proper protection for my games. But i don't have to many either, the thing i do is keeping my games safe in a closet, box or drawer or something like that. Only games i have boxed are Sega Megadrive games lol, (and afcourse ps1 to 3 games but i think that is obvious.) I just mostly buy cart only because its cheaper, and also because i can't protect them and i find it a waste to buy a nice boxed snes copy and have it damaged because i don't protect it.

[@konqrr]

I may be crazy lol... but I protect my box protectors with bags as well. When you have a large collection, the cost for these protectors adds up and I want to protect those also. Bags/sleeves are super cheap and easily replaced.

[@m42069583]

I use the n64 plastic covers for a bunch of stuff. They work on 64, SNES, NES and they work great for the 32x games. I keep all of my controllers and peripherals in Rubbermaid containers when not in use

[@sywsyl8729]

Great & informative video as usual. Keep em coming John!

[@zeroa6m5b]

I'm pretty sure i've bought from the same seller too; the name sounds familiar. I believe he was the only person selling some odd game protectors like the star fox n64 box that you had shown. I"ve also bought the heart gold pokemon protector case as well.

[@rmljr9106]

thanks john! for the life of me i couldnt remember where i had gotten my protective covers.

[@justintavella4567]

retro is the only guy in the business John I Buy from him

[@TheAngelofstealth]

Thanks for sharing, will check out the site you linked and talked about. Very jealous of those Lunar boxed PS1 games. :)

[@MVLGAMING]

I had some water damage to a lot of games as my roof leaked one time. Lost a lot, which almost had me putting all my games in grip seal bags in panic. Those plastic containers seem a lot more practical and presentable.

[@warrior31283]

Thanks for the video. Good information here.

[@dademan83]

Have you ever thought about writing some sort of complist guide (either in print or blog) that would have each game listed for a system, say the Genesis, and lists out what should be in the box? Mailers, Manuals, Pins, etc?

[@RetroPowerUp]

I should really invest in some of those box protectors! I don't have many games CIB, but I would like to protect the ones I do have!

[@deadghost5583]

It is not sealed. So molds can still get inside and damage the inserts.

[@michaelserrano7097]

Exactly

[@jadehawk]

Thanx for this video and info. Just got my hands on Lunar 1 & 2 in near perfect condition and this info is a godsend! Thanx again - Subbed

[@Roughman123]

John Hancock, that's a badass sounding name.

[@swifty1million]

hi john i really like the videos keep up the good work,couldnt help notice in this video the snes box killer instinct over your shoulder i picked this up about 14 years ago with a sealed copy of killer instinct but never had the outer box just the foam never opened it or the console i would like to pick up the outer box someday

[@lvpepe38]

Excellent product

[@seekah1]

Excellent idea, thankyou.

[@CStove]

Great video. I also use these same kind of cases. I need more though.

[@skippyb.coyote895]

Game wise I don't have anything valuable enough to need serious protection (the most valuable game in my collection is only worth $60'ish) so I just keep all the games stored inside stacking plastic drawers to keep dust off them. I do have a number of pretty pricey mint condition handhelds though, and all of those stay stored inside padded carrying cases made for each specific handheld when not in use.

[@Silvergun_Raven]

I own a couple of these protecting cases for games like Ogre Battle 64, Demon's Crest, and Chrono Trigger. I may have to invest in more for other types of consoles.

[@jfgme]

Thanks for the tips and ideas

[@mightyjoints]

John, check out Sharkprotectors. These are awesome.

[@laserbaser5034]

the best collection

[@tonk82]

As i collect Gb, gbc and gba loose games, i have them stored inside drawers. That way there is no problem with dust or light. The most valuable ones, have plastic cases too.

[@mediaglitch]

Those are nice.

[@43DRS]

thanks for the retro protection recommendation. I've used another company but their odd sized cases were garbage. I picked up the twilight princess wii u and skyward sword wii cases. they fit and look great. Thanks again.

[@sk8in113]

I love your hats man. I wear a hat all the time. I love them. Do a vid of u just showing off all ur hats.

[@CommodoreFan64]

I'll have to look into these, as I have some GBA game boxes that need protecting as they are fragile as all hell.

[@coffee84]

I like your videos john. but I have one question. whats with heat? is your room more cold or warm? One of my friends says its not good for electronics to have a too warm room.

[@xenkaroshi]

I just learned about the phenomenon of "disc rot" and im scared! Is there anything I can do to prevent it!?

[@RPKGameVids]

Make sure they're not stored somewhere where the humidity is high and where it can get really cold in winter and really hot in summer, like an attic. I don't think doing this will stop disc rot completely but it should help it to not happen to as many of your games and slow down the degradation.

[@LordsOfSkulls]

=o AWESOME!. When i get extra cash i am going to get some of this stuff, cause i have some REALLY RARE games i be heart broken even something ever happened to it... and some games that can be easily replaced but i still rather protect them

[@BaltimoreActual]

damn those boxes look good!

[@mykie242]

How do you protect yourself in the event of a disaster or robbery? Do you have any sort of inventory or additional riders on your homeowners insurance? Is there a company that specializes in this type of coverage? Do you have surveillance or a home security system? As my collection grows, I worry about this...

[@johnhancockretro]

Do it

[@oculedo9137]

do wat

[@aljr357]

Every one of my sega cd cases broke within the first 6to8 months of buying them when they were originally released in the early 90s. I wasn't a collector then so I just used my games and the cases couldn't take being opened and closed.

[@andrewstephens4492]

Another g8 video John... thanks

[@NINJA4RL]

i use these for nes and snes cardboard but they dont provide much protection against drops with heavier games. good for protection against dust and scratches, etc. though

[@MrPattykun]

Hey John, any idea where to get a box protector for a zapper? Dan hasn't made those of yet, just wondering if you knew of a different source.

[@CuCuz305]

What I do is I never touch my cardoboard boxes (old and recent games). I carefully pull out the cartridge or the disc and put it somewhere else, where it's ready to be played.

[@alanbrowning8788]

u rock keep on truckin

[@corruptedexe1758]

How would they stand up to travel I plan on buying some boxed stuff over seas

[@nabman11]

I put the discs in a wallet and store the cases in a box. Haven't had a single case get damage.

[@absoluteclownworld]

Are the tiny little holes of light that go through some of my games disc rot or just a imperfection from the factory when made new? Some Sega Saturn games have them and also some Wii U and PS3 games..

[@paulocezardecastilhos1093]

Muito legal a tua coleção de games.

[@nickwallette6201]

Now how do you protect the Lunar discs from rot? I'm bitter about this one. Perfect condition - haven't even played it yet, and the second disc is unreadable. So, for protection now, I use a CD-ROM, a PSIO, and a PSX with a parallel port. And a PSTV with Henkaku because PS3 controllers and HDMI!

[@RetroHabit82]

John,do these protectors have enough room to accommodate hang tabs for NES or even Gameboy?

[@adamhawley8107]

I use to keep in seprate room all nice and neat my early game room but when I got a job at a store called rhino one the guys who worked there showed me early versions of what you keep your games in but now I have mine all fitted out like you go but not on every game in my collection it would brake the bank to protect it all dont get me wrong slowly it all will be protected in sleeves its just a slow process

[@OOOHBILLY]

I'm going to get some protectors for my games. They're relatively cheap also

[@drw128]

How many PS2 games do you have? You said in a previous video that you have a prettysizable collection.

[@Grayfox82]

Does retro protection take request for cases of Japanese import games?

[@GaryMeacher]

How about Dreamcast games? Or Handheld gaming like game boy or NEO GEO pocket color? Any protection tips for those?

[@FakYuhGoogel]

Dan is great! :)

[@claudiotapiaf.7194]

Is the Lunar box of the same size of the Shenmue II for Dreamcast?

[@MrTweej]

I can't seem to find one for Mario Maker on the site. Is that just the Mario All-Stars protector?

[@dang2055]

That is actually just an Atari 2600 box protector. Pretty nice fit. Not 100% perfect but really close.

[@jimsey93]

Where did you get that hat brother?

[@that209gamepicker]

i use the same protectors! i wonder if they make ones for console boxes??

[@dgmsstuff]

Hey John, what do you do when you get an older system (or badly stored one) (or game) and it is smelling like mold? Is there a good way to get rid of the smell? Thanks!

[@johnhancockretro]

Clean the system. If it still smells bad consider not keeping it

[@peterjarvis7335]

What would recommend for storing loose NES carts? I am going to be getting a few loose NES carts in a few days and I want to keep them in good condition.

[@peterjarvis7335]

+SteelCityJJ cool, I will check that seller out. Thanks for the info!

[@Ripplin]

Above your SNES games, I see something saying SUPER NES, then the Killer Instinct logo under it. Is it a poster or a store display or...what? ;)

[@johnhancockretro]

+Ripplin killer instinct Snes system bundle

[@Ripplin]

Oh, cool. I didn't know they had done that. Thanks.

[@aljr357]

I keep my boxes in Rubbermaid tubs until I can afford something better.

[@deadgametech6624]

That's better than nothing, I do the same thing. I cook a lot and I don't want smoke/grease damage from the kitchen on my games. I have half displayed in my room but they are in glass displays.

[@havenmcgarity1472]

I also use retro protection they just don't make them like they use to I have 21 kids now because they tend to break as all of mine expired on my 16th birthday but theres nothing like the classics

[@JesterEric]

How can you protect games from disc rot?

[@WOMENBONER]

please do a video on proper way to dust and clean cases for systems like ps2, ps3, xbox 360, wii u, cleaning and dusting consoles themselves and what u shouldn't do as well how to clean the cases if u haven't before. are canned air spray cans the best, microfiber clothes, tissues etc. please and thank u. good thing 4 collectors and players to know :)

[@mariom6368]

Can anyone help me. I am looking for a case protector for my sealed copy of Metal Gear Solid: the Legacy Collection PS3. Not sure what will fit & I can't compare it to any other case.

[@oisinosborne2852]

How do you guys protect your game collection including light colored console and accessories from sun damage? For now i keep all my games in dark closets and drawers which sucks as i want to display them but i am too worried the sun might fade them.

[@demetriuspowell29]

Oisin Osborne buy some blackout curtains

[@chuy-retro-gamer1231]

asombrosa colección

[@PizzaReviewTime]

Do some let's plays!

[@mitchjohnson4970]

Do they have cases for console boxes?

[@FistingGuru]

Btw, I've been looking for a protector for my Grand Theft Auto collector's edition PS1 (PAL version). A normal double disk box protector doesn't fit with the cardboard, and I'm pretty sure the special Lunar boxes are too big. Does anyone know where i can get one?..

[@ricardomunoz2010]

saw ur vids on metal jesus rocks!!

[@43DRS]

do you have any nwc carts?

[@needler267]

what about case for console boxes ?? sega cd?

[@C4_84]

I need a protector for my Nghts into Dreams box. Ican't find one. Can anyone help me?

[@michaelserrano7097]

How about avoiding disk rot?

[@tomhardman9141]

I have never had DISC ROT and I have over 100 PS1 games dated back 18 years and 400 music Cd's dating back from the 80's and NO DISC ROT on any.......and they work work PERFECT

[@klaudijevtrkaciteritorij4301]

I protect my collection games on my room,whaever they got a dust,i can clean all of them and i enjoing use them

[@jeffkrug9045]

Does it make sense to protect ps2 games?

[@JOSEGT50]

do they do psp and ps vita

[@TortillaBuenoGaming]

You should try and workout a coupon code for this website! 😊

[@courage0243]

I like to use a heavy layer of clear silly string. It gives the box art added deminsion and protects against the kids chewing on the boxes by putting a nasty taste in their mouth. :P jk

[@derekjansz2950]

Ummmm... Interesting.