Tips to Keep your Video Game Collection in Great Shape!
Spenser Clark
These days having a great video game collection or game room seems so commonplace so we wanted to write some tips that can help keep your collection in great shape for playing or collecting for years to come! Some of these will be a given but are always worth saying just in case.
1. Keep your collection in a climate-controlled environment. Whether your games, consoles, or accessories are in their forever home, or you are on the move, you should always try and invest in keeping your collection in a safe area that isn’t subject to the elements. Whether it is heat, cold, over-exposure to light, or a damp basement, it’s best to try and keep it in a nice room temperature room with no direct sunlight that is kept around 65F to 75F depending on your preferences. If you run out of space, try to go for a climate-controlled storage unit to keep things safe in the meantime until you free up some space or are done moving.
2. Always put your discs/cartridges away! We have all committed the sin of leaving out discs or cartridges on top of their cases, but to prevent any scratching or misplacement, always make sure to put them away. You can buff any CD style disc and typically return it to back to brand new condition with a professional disc buffing machine such as the one we have for $2 a disc, but Blu-Ray discs are a much different story. They have a harder coating, so they are harder to scratch, but once any scratch appears, the lasers are much more sensitive and prone to pick up on those. The coating is also a double-edged sword that prevents games from buffed out like regular CD based games so it’s very important to put those discs away.
3. Invest in a bag of rubber bands for stray cords or controllers you aren’t currently using! We have seen a lot of people wrap the controller cord around the controller itself if it is wired, and having a bag can really help you from having a giant ball of cords that takes forever to unravel.
4. Schedule time once to twice a year to blow out your consoles to keep them clean internally and running properly. Typically, modern consoles pick up a lot of dust and pet dander over time and this will cause them to run hot after so long. To cut down on this, invest in a can of air that you can use to blow into the ports and fan of the console to knock down on any excess debris or for a more long-term solution, you can buy one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Dusters-Electronics-Environmental-Alternative-Type/dp/B0BXF1GXQ8/ref=sr_1_5?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OzIC2IoT2ZahRib1vR5fMvGuucu6IrOOX3vBwF97N31LSWo_s10IDOJMe3UPzOjKe9sS8jRFNCRUq8iFd-84sJXpww-1mhWsY7K9s_ROYV8S7GsQ3C5Gh_xBEbffFnNcPYB3tbpwUGAxVIAerJyQOzgIU-fG5XHZSV30ivBtGoMBDY7bW1oW1iIMJDez8_iFe2UJreXM4Gi5J9fubaMSQp7bz3t2OMAx04IMJeUy-_Y.QjP5yzfK8AcEoAnjjnSSRIEHvcXh5d4PENYCLWe_2xk&dib_tag=se&hvadid=700180639636&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1021148&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1749044903323827249&hvtargid=kwd-2309996991812&hydadcr=952_1014973535&keywords=air%2Bduster%2Belectric%2Bfor%2Bpc&mcid=d985ff8141e437e98e3bfb7821284503&qid=1740255745&sr=8-5&th=1 This will be a one time investment for you and you’ll be able to clean your consoles or PC at anytime to help make sure they continue running smoothly for as long as possible.
5. Before throwing out certain games because you fear they don’t work, don’t be afraid to reach out to us with any additional questions in-store, online, or at our phone number: 828-322-2343. There are times that cartridge-based games just need a deeper cleaning, a disc needs to be buffed, or a console/accessory just needs a simple part or tweak in order to keep going. We love gaming and are life-long fans who want to help you out whenever we can! Don’t be afraid to reach out so we can help you and figure out what’s going on!
Just like your vehicle or home, your collection these days can hold a lot of value and fun so it’s best to try and protect it as well as you can for the future. These tips will help you out in the long run to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Have fun as always everyone!
