Artifacts from previous ownership

[FABombjoy]

Hey all,

Whenever I get a new (used) game, I always thumb through the manual and see if the high-score page has been filled out, or if there are sticky notes with codes on them. So I was wondering, how do you feel towards these sorts of discoveries?

To a certain extent, I get a kick out of it, even if the original instructions have been written on. To me, it gives the game a touch of personality, evidence that it was appreciated by it's former owner.

Also, what's the strangest thing you've discovered inside the case/instructions/cart of a used game?

[Anonymous]

Some time last year, I picked up a copy of Dragon Warrior IV with all the maps and Instructions in excellent condition. When I looked at the back of the manual, the original receipt was taped to the inside back cover. The amazing thing is that it was the receipt of one of the guys at my work! I brought him the game and he flipped out when he saw it. He said he gave it away some years ago, and now he had it again. Circle of life and all that.

[Achika]

Besides the codes written in, the sticky notes, and etc. I've found a few dead bugs and quite a bit of water damage. These 'bug' me. Yes, even the codes written in. My parents instilled F.E.A.R. in me as a kid, so I didn't write in my stuff...I always used a yellow legal pad.

[deadtech]

OK, I bought a used PC Engine game (Parodius) and the previous owner, apparently a Japanese person, had written the "Konami code" in ball point pen on the back cover of the manual. He had the kanji for "left" and "right", and of course, the I and II to correspond with the buttons on a PCE pad.

I don't know why they had to write it down though, it's not hard to remember.

-deadtech

[samuraiX]

I have recently found some 3x5 cards with pictures of most of the mortal combat characters on them with lists of most/ all of their moves and location of each character. Kinda neat and quirky. Other than that same as most of you have found, dead things, spider eggs, water damage, codes and the ocasional original reciept.

=]

neat topic

[FABombjoy]

Once, I bought a bunch of Genesis carts from a rental store in Grand Rapids, MI. One of the carts had changed ownership repeatedly, there were about 7 different rental stickers on it. As I finally got them all removed, the last sticker revealed that "Diamond Video" had been lightly etched in the back of the cart, along the recessed grippy edge. Diamond Video was my favorite video store from my hometown of Mt. Pleasant, which had closed down a decade earlier. Ahh, the places that cartridge must have been.

[stargate]

I recently picked up Astrosmash for INTV. On the high score page in the manual, some girl named Michelle had about 3 months of her and her friends high scores listed. The dates start at 12/25/81, Christmas day 1981. Considering I picked up the game 22 years later, it's pretty cool to see. I got my Atari 2600 Christmas 1981, probably at the same age as this girl. I just thought it was really cool. I could imagine her playing her new INTV Christmas day all excited.

[Tempest]

When I picked up my INTV III system from a SA it still had the original register receipt form Toys R Us and they had written down the date and price and location on the manual (I believe it was the Westland Toys R Us). I thought that was kinda cool. I also found the original Atari Club reciept for my Crazy Climber cart still tucked into the manual.

Other than that I usually only find codes or high scores in my manuals. Usually the high scores are pretty pathetic though.

Tempest

[Mayhem]

A few save game discs have been left in packages I've bought for the C64. And a few times the receipt has been present as well. Makes my mind boggle seeing how much you Americans paid for some of your software back then!

Most instructions have been mark free, a couple of AD&D manuals have had the codewords underlined for easier reading/pickout, a few passwords in the back etc. Nothing too major thankfully.

[Goblin]

In a crawl space in my parent's basement I found the long lost box from miner 2049'er. What made this all the more personal and special is that the back cover of the manual had the cheat code written on it in my brothers 6th grade handwritting. This was probably the last game he has ever played and is largely a techniphobe. At least I have tangible proof he touch a computer next time he makes fun of my collection.

[Mr-E_MaN]

I found the original receipt for rolling thunder (NES) inside the manual. I thought it was kinda funny that they would have kept it inside the manual since it had their name, address, phone number, and credit card information. I was going to look it up in the phone book and see if they still live there, but that would have been too much work for me (I'm lazy) and I threw the receipt out...

[davidbrit2]

I once purchased a small stash of Atari cartridges, and the 7800 Centipede reeked of urine from an unknown source. Don't ask don't tell, I guess.

[rbudrick]

I once purchased a small stash of Atari cartridges, and the 7800 Centipede reeked of urine from an unknown source. Don't ask don't tell, I guess.

-Yes, but you told!

I've seen thousands upon thousands of games in my time collectiong and I have never once found the orig receipt in the instructions as far as I can remember. You folks make this sound common! Strange

-Rob

[CrazyImpmon]

When I bought a load of CIB Inty games with Sears Arcade system, it also had a boxed replacement controller for the Sears machine. Inside it was a reciept from Sears. Dated 1-13-83 someone paid $19.99 for one new controller plus $0.50 shipping and $0.82 on tax. Part of the reciept's illegible but it seems to be for E. Cockerill of Flint, MI. It appears it was paid with a Sears card.

[portnoyd]

Heh, this is a cool idea for a thread.

Boogers. Yes. BOOGERS, i.e. HUMAN SNOT. Needless to say that manual got tossed.

My friend who got a Coleco Telstar Arcade from had an original handwritten receipt that was older than both me and my friend. That was cool.

Another cool one was when I bought a complete Might & Magic for the NES. The guy had a small notebook and a stack of about 50 pages of handdrawn maps and such for the game. Literally a complete strategy guide for the whole game.

Some of my original 5200 manuals have my and my sister's high scores from games like Pacman and Centipede. And my sister kicked my ass! And now, I also, have proof that my sister did play video games, hehe.

dave

[den68]

I found a complete copy of a Genesis football games, Madden 95 or something like that. It had the original reciept from Electronics Boutique for $68.95. WOW!

When I found my Pong Sports IV it was complete in the box and also stuffed in there was a Detroit Red Wings pocket schedule from the 1972-73 season. that was kind of cool.

[TheRedEye]

Yeah, I've had a few receipts in my day, the coolest being in my beat-up boxed French version Odyssey 300.

I also had a TON of handwritten notes stuffed in my copy of Phantasy Star II, mostly weapon names and stats.

Don't know if it counts, but I found the original receipt stuffed in the manual of my own copy of Sonic 3. I bought it on release day at Kay Bee Toys, using a $10 off coupon published in Electronic Gaming Monthly!

Oh, and also:

I've found a few dead bugs and quite a bit of water damage. These 'bug' me.

I can never, ever forgive you for that pun.

[IGotTheDot]

I love it when I find a receipt in the case or where ever. It is fun to look back at the date and the price.

Oh Fedco, how did it go so wrong?

[Mayhem]

Just got my copy of 3 Stooges for C64 I won on eBay. Besides the manual and quick ref card was a hand drawn map of the street detailing all of the squares you could land on over the 30 days. Should come in useful to plan out heh...

[ClubNinja]

I've turned up several receipts, but for some reason my favorite is the one taped to my Epoch Galaxy II tabletop box. The game was purchased at Child World on 11/21/81 (I'm guessing christmas gift.) The price was $38.88, tax (5% in MA) brought the total to $40.82, and the buyer paid in cash with $50.02 (hehe.) Fun stuff.

[Anonymous]

Another artifact I just remember is the boxed copy of Montezuma's Revenge for the Atari 800xl (or commodore, or something, I can't remember), which on the back has a sticker with Howard Phillips listed as the recipient. (picked it up at the garage sale.