The order-of-operations every collector should read first. The vocabulary of the medium, the three-tier model, and how a print window becomes a price.
The vocabulary, the tiers, and the first identification points. Where to begin.
The cutoff: a game enters the catalogue when its secondary-market value exceeds MSRP.
The single most important model in the hobby. Why a game is never one price.
H-seam, V-seam, sticker seals, and why sealed is its own market from €500 to €2M.
Box, manual, inserts, dust sleeve, poly bag. The line between CIB and 'mostly there'.
The attainable floor. Label revisions, board variants, and authenticity on bare media.
The print-window story the market prices precisely. First print vs reprint, everywhere.
The cardboard hanging tab on early boxes. The insider tell that dates a print run — and our namesake.
Rev codes, oval/round SOQ seals, 'Player's Choice' and 'Nintendo Power' banners.
Why region defines a different game, a different box, and a different market.
The physical formats and what each means for condition, completeness, and value.
Reg cards, posters, maps, sleeves. The ephemera that separates CIB from complete.
eBay, dealers, auction houses, shows, forums — each channel, its strengths, its landmines.
The same channels in reverse, plus when to grade first and when not to.
UV, humidity, cart contacts, box crush. Protectors, shelving, and long-term archival.
Full-set, franchise, console-complete, or grail-led. Choosing a thesis and pacing the buy.