What are your feelings on self-cut styros?

[dunkoff]

Like the subject, what do you guys think about cutting styro for boxed games? It's really easy to get a nice, clean, original-looking styro rectangle by purchasing a sheet of insulating styrofoam from Home Depot and cutting it into rectangles.

However, it is, of course, not an original piece, and won't look EXACTLY the same (different texture).

I see a lot of games being sold missing the styro, and there was that vendor selling replicas. It's really easy and dirt cheap to just do it yourself though (although somewhat messy).

Any opinions?

[Perkar]

i personally have no issue with homemade styro for NES games. i know that CueWarrior had some made up not too long ago and was selling them. sold quite a bit to board members, if i recall.

i didn't have any need for them when he was selling them, but now it seems i need a few... hmm.

[dunkoff]

i personally have no issue with homemade styro for NES games. i know that CueWarrior had some made up not too long ago and was selling them. sold quite a bit to board members, if i recall.

i didn't have any need for them when he was selling them, but now it seems i need a few... hmm.

I can make some for ya. I'd only charge for shipping + the actual cost of the styro.

[jajaja]

It doesnt matter imo. Its not like the value sink any because you have made your on styros (i asume your talking about NES games). Styros also gives the box a better shape if you know what i mean.

There is a guy here thats selling (or atleast sold) NES styros.

[dunkoff]

Yeah, he was the one I saw selling them a little while ago.

And yes, NES games. I guess I should have said that :P

[mailman187666]

thats probably something I would do for my own boxed games I have that are missing the styro piece. I know its not the original but it does help to keep the box from getting crushed. So I guess for protection purposes I would do it. If I were to be selling or trading I'd just note that i cut the piece myself to replicate the original boxed form and mostly just to keep it from getting crushed. especially if you have them stcked on top of each other, it keeps the tower of them from sitting awkward and tumbling down. I don't know if it would be worth selling sets of 5 pieces or something like that on e-bay cause if they weren't original, anybody could make it themselves.

[Darth Sensei]

A person at home can't possibly cut the styros so that they look as good or better than the originals. This is why I paid a styrofoam company to make them.

I think it's worth it, and everybody who's bought them seems to agree.

Incidentally, there's now another Ebay seller selling my styros so he must agree too.

[dunkoff]

thats probably something I would do for my own boxed games I have that are missing the styro piece. I know its not the original but it does help to keep the box from getting crushed. So I guess for protection purposes I would do it. If I were to be selling or trading I'd just note that i cut the piece myself to replicate the original boxed form and mostly just to keep it from getting crushed. especially if you have them stcked on top of each other, it keeps the tower of them from sitting awkward and tumbling down. I don't know if it would be worth selling sets of 5 pieces or something like that on e-bay cause if they weren't original, anybody could make it themselves.

This was my thought. I wasn't planning on doing it for a profit, just for my own games or games I sell.

How about this question. If you received a CIB game, and noticed that the texture of the styro inside was not original, would you be pissed?

A person at home can't possibly cut the styros so that they look as good or better than the originals. This is why I paid a styrofoam company to make them.

I think it's worth it, and everybody who's bought them seems to agree.

Incidentally, there's now another Ebay seller selling my styros so he must agree too.

I agree. They aren't "perfect", although they're damn close (except, again, the texture).

[Darth Sensei]

Well, to answer your question, I suppose I would do it for my own games, but I wouldn't sell CIB games without informing the buyer that the styro inside was "home made".

[jajaja]

Well, to answer your question, I suppose I would do it for my own games, but I wouldn't sell CIB games without informing the buyer that the styro inside was "home made".

What about the ones your factory made? Would you inform about that? (This question might sound rude, but thats not my intention at all, its just a normal question )

[Darth Sensei]

No, I prolly won't bother. They're perfectly straight and perfect. Nobody would be likely to notice that they weren't original. However, I don't care how skilled you are with a knife or whatever, you're not going to cut those straight enough to "fool" anyone.

However, I do specify when I sell them that they're professional reproductions, whereas that seller I mentioned actually sells them as official Nintendo product.

[mailman187666]

if I bought a game that was CIB and i noticed that the styro piece wasn't the original texture or anything like that, I really wouldn't care. But thats comming from me, the guy who will buy disk only copies of rare games to save money and will buy nes games that have little Joey's name written on it in magic marker. I'm only anal about my games to the point where they have to work, and they can't have any cracks or un-identifyable labels on them. Its true you probably can't get the foam pieces absolutely perfect at your house, but if you make a stencil piece and used an exacto knife, you can probably get it pretty damn close.......but then again I'd just be putting them in my own boxes for my own collection or letting the buyer know i cut it up and put it in there.

[dunkoff]

No, I prolly won't bother. They're perfectly straight and perfect. Nobody would be likely to notice that they weren't original. However, I don't care how skilled you are with a knife or whatever, you're not going to cut those straight enough to "fool" anyone.

I cut them with a straight-edge and a hacksaw blade. The hacksaw blade makes the edges nice and sharp (as opposed to using a knife, which "crushes" the styrofoam). The straight-edge keeps them pretty damn straight. I'll bet you couldn't tell the difference

[videogameoverdose]

After some trial and error, I was able to replicate the original styro inserts for the NES boxes.
Finding the correct size (thickness), density and size of pellets was more of a challenge.
Using a ULTRA sharp 2" blade (surgical scapple) and a straight edge, I was very pleased with the results.

I purchased styros from quewarrior because it was convenient.

The replacements are for my own collection, not to be re-sold or sold as CIB "complete".

Either way, I can't tell which ones are replacements (mine or quewarriors) or originals.

Just my 2 cents worth.