Game Collecting Pet Peeve: Cracked Game Cases 

welcome to 90% of sega cd and Saturn games. This is why God made cheap sports titles so you can swap out the mint cases from the games nobody played :D

Cracked, dirty and stickers on jewel cases is a pet peeve of mine too. I have had about 10 jewel cases cracked when it got sent through the mail. I use some of same solutions you showed in the video. The early Play Station games that came in the cardboard long boxes are irreplaceable. Great video John.

Same here. Cracked cases, cases that don't close properly, tabs broken so the case won't stay together, labels that are hard to remove ..... some of us like to take care of our things. :)

"Look at that guy's smiling face, you can tell his worst problem must be having a cracked game case or something..."

missing game manuals is the one for me

Cracked double CD jewel cases can actually be swapped out with the back side of a single jewel case. As long as the black plastic frame is intact it's an easy fix.

I feel you on this topic. I'm always grabbing empty cases whenever I see them. Usually if I ask politely, they just give them to me as there arent any discs in them.

PAL Dreamcast games are the worst, I had to replace half of my cases, luckily I found a guy in the UK that was selling official replacement cases, otherwise my DC collection would look like crap.

My two annoyances are the tabs. The door ones that break so easily and the ones for the CD inside. Nothing I hate more than see them pop off opening a game.

I do use after market jewel cases if there is a crack. Cracked & residue are a no go in my collection. Keep the great work & content, John.

That red alert cover art is still dented and damaged from where the original case was broken… I would have to replace the whole item and sell this one on

man, what I have found for replacing jewel cases for PS1 games is going to goodwill and buying cheap audio cds. I have even found the double disc ones. Ebay is a ripoff for replacement cd cases. You can usually get a $1 a piece, if not cheaper, without shipping and it's instantly in your possession.

I really like the new opening John. It's a keeper. I do buy aftermarket game cases. But, only if it's absolutely necessary.

"completely jacked" love it! thanks for the vid

I share this peeve. One thing that I do on the clear cases is to take out (snaps apart) and use the original plastic piece that actually holds the game disk. It has stamps in the plastic that replacement cases don’t have and this keeps it more original. Around here, Fred Meyer frequently has sales on perfect PS1 was clear replacement cases, 10 for $2.99.

you did not mention cases that have specific markings on them such as stickers or other identifiers. for example, it may be pretty easy to replace a damaged case for something like outrun 2006 coast to coast but there is a holographic sticker that makes the case authentic that cannot simply be removed and re-applied to a new case. In those situations, i leave them as they are and just deal with it. Something as simple as a sticker can make or break a game truly being considered "Complete"

Great video. My pet peeve is these new BluRay cases break so easy.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you feel about replacement cases, the UK used bespoke cases for PS1 & Dreamcast. So rather than the standard design CD jewel cases, they have specific thicker branded cases. The Dreamcast ones use especially brittle plastic, and seeing broken hinges on game cases is very common.

Probably the only thing I don't mind replacing is a jewel case. Since the original jewel cases weren't anything special for most games that use them (PS1, Dreamcast, etc), it's not much of an issue in my mind to swap out the broken, filthy ones with ones that are brand-new.

My dull cases I tend to use a little bit if armor all to hide the scratches and brighten them up.

The problem is people have been replacing parts with new replacement bits but refusing to disclose that when selling and then playing them off as original

I’m all about replacing nasty or cracked cases. I like having everything look pristine!

My local game store has been complaining about the double CDs issue for a while. No one produces replacements for double CDs anymore. This is probably too expensive for him to replace his inventory but I'm still going to send him that link.

nothing is more satisfying to me then replacing a cracked or gross case on one of my games in my collection especially ps1

I always it up my local small shop because most PS games are about $3 on average and I can buy good original cases for cheap and sell the game back without a case.

Completely understandable. I bought a repro case for Crusader Of Centy on the Genesis. It's the only rare game I own and I wanted to keep the original cardboard box safe. Hope you and the family have a wonderful week!

John I totally hear you and I do the same thing with replacing cases. Especially if it is cracked or just flat out broken. If it’s a little scratched I will usually leave it. Non original cases I also don’t do either. I recently got a game that came with a non original case and swapped it with some replacement ones I had.

Probably why I gave up collecting PS1 games, they are always just smashed, and PAL game cases are now just the regular Jewel cases , so they are hard to replace. The older PAL double cases can be replaced. Anyone know of PAL PS1 cases anywhere ?

Im the same way with broken/missing cases, I usually get them on amazon. They also have really nice N64 cart cases for games missing a box. I thoroughly sanitize Everything that i buy used with alcohol cloth and Q tips.

I buy up CDs at goodwill for 50¢, and after I rip them I use the cases for when I find ps1 games with beat up cases or sometimes they got the cover of the manual itself but not the rest of the manual, but I love doing this, restoring the cases feels like a fun DIY project

I feel your pain John. That is my Ultimate nightmare I hate cracked and scratched cases. I struggle with changing cases as I love the original. I will only change the clear part and keep the inserts that say playstation and so on.

aftermarket game cases and even reproduction cases. Of-course I would be picky if i was collecting collecting. I more of building a game library of games i played or want to play. As long as I can make it look good on the shelf and protected I am happy.

Great video! Sometimes I also pick up cheap $1-2 sports games to switch out the cases with cracked ones in my collection too. 👌

I also do the same thing as you. As much as possible save the original, but if the conditions are severe I also try to replace it. Even buy the same item again. Sometimes friends tease me, they think I'm too over because it's just a case, it's not a big problem if it's cracked. The important thing is the game is still good. But not for me, they don't understand.

Finding a replacement case for Countdown Vampires was such a pain. It's a special case with an extra tray. Only way I could do it easily was buying the version of Dino Crisis that comes with the demo disc. They happen to have the same extra tray.

I leave them at the store. My OCD will not let me even buy them in that condition.

My pet peeves... - cracked/scratched game disc cases - buying a game new and having it delivered with disc popped out of the case - Greatest Hits versions - PS1, PS2, and PS3 games that come in a non-official game case, missing instruction booklet, etc I prefer to buy games brand new, factory sealed.

For the dual CD cases, if the black plastic piece is good, you can take the backs of two clear jewel case to make the "doors" of the case. I have done this when I get a cracked one. And it's cheaper than those aftermarket dual cases.

I can't stand budget version cases of games (greatest hits, platinum, players choice etc.)

I do use aftermarket replacements for games that either A) I never had a case for to begin with, and B) for my jacked up Sega CD/ Sega Saturn longbox jewel cases. Having originals is great and all, but sometimes it's just not worth the time, effort and/or money for me to bother with.

To be honest I don't really care about whether my cases are original or not. I once bought a PS4 game (it was pretty rare in my neighbourhood) which had a cracked case. It was really cheap due to the broken case and I had some replacement PS4 cases so I switched the broken one with a perfect replacement case. I also have some promo PS4 games, I put them into replacement PS4 cases and even borrowed the games' artworks from friends who had them so I could copy/printed them. I prefer owning the original artwork and booklet, but if I had to choose then I can easily live with replaced cases and printed artwork (but just high-quality ones only for my promo discs). But I can totally understand if somebody really care about owning an all-original game or even people who don't care at all. All that matters is to be happy and satisfied with our collection, right?C:

-Broken cases -Cases with residue/ or dirt on them -Missing manuals -Stickers on cases -Major scratches on cases -The inside part of the case that holds the disc in place ends up being damaged. It causes the disc to get jostled around. The disc gets scratched in the process, which means that I will have to replace the game as well as the case. This something that seems to be the case sometimes. but not all the time. Some people who sell games on Ebay will have in the description, that a particular game is in great condition. However, when I finally get the game in the mail, it ends up being heavily scratched or with a broken case. Building a substantial collection isn't cheap. Everything costs money whether it's a common game or a rare game. At the end of the day, I always try my absolute best to take care of pretty much everything that I have. Sure, replacing video game cases isn't expensive, unless I'm buying a bunch of them. It's all because someone else can't properly take care of a particular video game. As a result, I have to go the extra lengths in order to get a replacement case (maybe even the cover art or manual if necessary). Thanks for the great video. I really appreciate the hard work. Keep it up!

Presentation is everything ;)

wow thats exactly how I feel as well. I'll replace the jewel cases if I see a crack or a hard to get off sticker.

I went to my local Dollarama store and they had discounted CD's for $2 each, so I bought a bunch of them just to have actual jewel cases for my PS1 and Dreamcast games, not flimsy knockoff ones. It's kind of funny the strange look I got from the cashier because many of these CDs was a children's album by Dave Coulier lol

I’ve bought new cd cases in bulk for swaps...must of the time I see no issue with it The only case swaps I don’t like doing is sports games that have those holographic stickers that are impossible to remove on them...

One of my Saturn games has a case with broken hinges and I just deal with it. I really think the type of plastic used in these cases should have never been used. I'm more bothered by a missing manual or artwork or scratches on the disc than damage to the case, which after 20 years is nearly unavoidable. Even boxes to NES games are more than likely not going to be in mint condition. I don't like resurfaced discs, either, but what can you do about that? I'm also not a huge fan of DVD and Blu-Ray cases from recent years. They are made of very thin plastic that flexes too much.

Even your collectors' ocd is awesome... 😉 Loved it! Thanks for the awesome tips. Your videos always a treat! Thanks Mr. Hanckock!

Can we get an update on the museum?

I’ve gone as far as to get a replica case and manual just for better display purposes. The biggest pet peeve I always had was games in those dumb GameStop cases with the name written on it in sharpie.

The cases are just made cheaply. I stopped buying NEW CDs on Amazon because they kept sending me cracked case CDs, even repeatedly.

PAL PS1 cases are notorious for cracking and splitting. I've had to put some in jewel cases as the cases were just falling apart but the difference is so noticeable.

Yeah PS1 and especially Sega CD/Saturn cases crack very easily. Buying newer jewel cases isn't difficult but I find they don't feel exactly like the originals - the edges feel sharper. I don't collect seal games myself but I wonder how frustrating it is for someone to find a sealed game they're looking for, only to find the case has cracked.

Great video John! I try to keep things original but in a sense of cleanliness and looks I have slight ocd. As for cases I usually buy them in bulk from Uline.

I'm sure it would be worth it for you to buy them directly from ULINE - they sell a variety of cases and they're dead ringers for the originals. Same gauge of plastic as well. We used them at the game store that I worked at. No one could tell the difference.

Great video! Do you have any suggestions for cleaning cart labels without damaging them?

Unless it's an import game with a unique case, I replace it. The difference is usually with the black/gray trays. The texture on some of them are different, but then again, you can find one with the same texture after a little bit of searching since most of the cases are generic. If the tray is fine however, like you've pointed out, I only change the outside shell.

og & 360 game cases are different colors, often hard to tell on ebay

Sega Saturn ones are a nightmare too.

as long as you can replace it with something virtually identical, I am fine with it. most of these things are fairly universal, but when someone puts a Wii game (for instance) in a standard black DVD case, or a ps3 game in a blue BluRay case, even if all the artwork and such is there, it tends to push me away from buying it

I wish I could get a replacement case for my copy of Riven: the Sequel to myst for the PS1. It has 5 disks and I can't find a case that holds that many in the Thick PS1 format

When I get doubles I keep the good cases and the cracked case goes on the double and gets traded or sold. For the front and back of single cd games I will use any cd case that fits well. The inner piece is the toughest because they are harder to find in music cds bc most are the black kind and not the clear or they have a different holder pattern. Fortunately the inner peice doesn't seem to break as much.

I want to buy some replacement cases. Especially long box for my Sega Saturn and Sega CD. As of now, I do the cheap sports title trick lol.

I buy my clear jewel cases in bulk from amazon (200 at a time) swapped out over 1000 cases easily so far...makes a huge difference and there really is no difference between these and the factory cases....recently started doing my longbox jewel games as well

That’s the good thing about both PlayStation one and sega Dreamcast cases over in the US is you can use standard cd cases, over here in the UK however bother the Dreamcast and PlayStation cases are unique and finding decent replacements can be a pain.

My biggest pet peeve other then cracked cases is GAMES FROM SMOKERS! Nothing like buying games or controllers etc from people that smoke in their house, I bought a huge lot at a yard sale, when I came home and opened the box it was like getting smacked in the face with old grandma Mildred’s cigarette smoke breath after her morning coffee and cancer stick. Then last week I bought 2 PS4 games off a dude and when I opened the cases BAM! There’s grandma and her smoke stack lungs again.

I have the same problem, but in my case I collect Sega Master System, Genesis and 32x. The problem with these is worse since replacement cases do not have the logo. Do you know about a good site to buy used Sega Genesis cases?

New cd cases and replacements cases are cheaper than originals, the plastic is not as thick. I usually use old cases from music cd etc and weight them to make sure its the same as an original case...

Wow this is eye opening, so you replace a cracked with a new one? Amazing idea.

I am obsessed with having 100% clean cases. I have spent hundreds of dollars replacing damaged cases over the years. If the original case has any noticeable flaws, I buy Brand New replacements as close to the original as possible. The only thing I have to complain about New replacement cases are Long Box for Sega CD and Saturn because they are expensive. They are worth it though. Flawless cases are an absolute for me.

i don't have the space. over 30 consoles&computers ... carts in a box, discs in binders, instructions on tablet. i just sell off the rest that i don't need! -> collecting is much easier for me

Do they make aftermarket japan cases? They are different than the US cases.

Do you ever replace just the doors to the case and not the back? I have done a lot of that with my vintage CD collection. Have you ever watched the channel baremetalHW who restores old Hot Wheel cars to look new and uses several polishing techniques to clean up the original windscreens which can be very jacked up? You might be able to use similar techniques if you want to go that far.

Those larger disc sets can be repaired by just replacing the clear sections since they are just single case backs. Of course that doesn’t help if the black middle piece is broken. I replace any and all of my cases if they are too scuffed or cracked. For early disc games, it’s just a jewel case. For most dvd games, it’s a basic dvd case. It’s got to be an original though for systems like Wii, Xbox, GameCube and so on.

My biggest peeve is the discs falling out inside the case of modern games.

Great video! I have been using Dan for my SNES games. I found him on Ebay and really love the loose SNES protectors.

I found colony wars 2 about a month ago at good will. Changed out the case, and it's perfect. I was so stoked. Also a bunch of ps2 racing games for the nice cases, for 1.18.

It's an even bigger problem in the UK with PAL games. Our PS1 cases are thicker than standard CD cases. It's the same situation with Dreamcast cases and it's rare to find one that hasn't cracked somewhere. Sega Saturn games come in flimsy card/plastic cases that easily fall apart

I just buy from thrift stores - like an old super crappy music collection of something that nobody ever wants to hear :) Usually just 1-2 dollars and they look exactly the same as the originals.

Thanks for the tips. I think it’s cool wrestling fan. Who are some of your favorite wrestlers?

I did the same with MGS 1for playstation 1. I accidentally bent the manual at the tip. I bought a second complete copy and switched the manuals. The games do look nicer in a clean case. I would get second hand cases. I have a full repro case and manual of Suikoden 2 with original game.

This was an awesome video. Could you maybe make more videos concerning other games like the cartridge based games what you could do if you only have the cartridge and would like to put it in a case please?

I hate trying to replace my cases for the 2 disc gamecube games lol

What if it has an important hype sticker or price label and the case is cracked?

cant be having manky cases, good video john

I don't like jacked up cases either, but the worst thing is missing manuals. You can at least fix the cracked cases. Missing manuals can be harder to locate if the game is not common.

It's hard to find PS1 games without cracks, I always hated the PS1 cases, the PAL cases are even worse, badly designed and due to their unique design are harder / more expensive to replace

What I hate is when a seller on ebay or amazon will lie about a game disc being in perfect shape but when it arrives in the mail it's all scratched up???I dont have no problem using new cases when they looked like ones you have that were jacked up.😉

Missong manual.. ps1 n 2 most common... cracked or torn cases... And just down right broken

NTSC PS1 & dreamcast cases are easy and cheap to replace , but here in germany the cases are diffrent and getting new Original cases can be expensive

There is one thing I've encountered that's worse than cracked cases and it's more common with Ps1 and Gamecube games. Cracked discs! I've got so many thoroughly played games with spider cracks and even a few chips around the center....

I wish I could do that with my PS1 games. I'm in the UK so it's the larger PAL cases. I can't even find cheap sports games to swap out cases with as most people have already done that and the sports games are in cases worse than that copy of C&C. I also collect Dreamcast and PAL Dreamcast cases break if you even breath near them.

I ended up cracking most of my old ps1 cases, and cd cases. Jewel cases have always been a terrible design. They're way, way, too fragile. Drop them once and they always crack. Love that Sony abandoned them after the ps1 gen.

The residue from stickers that won't peel off all the way.

I bought a used PS3 original model because I wanted a system that would let me play PS1, PS2, and PS3 games. The system I got was in good condition and came with some games. Sadly nearly all of the cases were in poor condition. I don't know why it's so hard for people to take care of their stuff? These games were originally 40 to 60 bucks, why not take care of them? Rough cases, scratches on the disk. Thankfully I had replacement cases on hand and all the games seem to work. So I suppose I can't complain too much, but still...

For me it’s ripped art. Wii U box art rips and punctures so easily with pressure. I sell games if they have bad enough rips in the case art. I hate rips in my manual and art. It’s just drives me nuts. I wish it didn’t.

I completely agree with you. I hate that about PS3 and PS4 games. With those it's so much more difficult to do

Best idea for new CD jewel cases: Whenever you buy a game or CD at the thrift store, always look for new CDs on the shelf, when you find one...open that MFer up and switch inserts and disc. I don't this hundreds of times, all my best games PS1 & PC Engine have brand new cases! Even switch out PS2 & Xbox cases for other games on the shelf if they have better cases...don't settle for beat up cases...use my game plan and have nice stuff...

Great video John! Do you keep loose discs on the shelf with your CIB PS games?

I usually replace mine if there bad or the hinges are cracked