That CL posting is crazy.
I could not care less about collecting shrinkwrapped 'sealed' games for old systems (although I do care about getting sealed games when I buy them new at the games store). I play the games in my collection, they don't stay sealed. Definitely not worth the premium. As long as the contents are complete and in good condition, I'm happy. If the original polybags are there, I'm even happier.
I've heard of people getting burned with nice condition games being re-sealed and sold as original factory sealed. Seems like yet another tempting way to rip people off.
And how do you know there isn't an Atari Combat cartridge in there without removing the seal?
I have heard of serious collectors who have bought sealed Tamiya RC kits getting them X-rayed to check the contents are correct. The funny thing is that the Tamiya kits were never factory shrinkwrapped, if they were shrinkwrapped, it was done by the distributor or hobby shop. But shrinkwrap is still desirable because it means the box is less likely to be scuffed or marked.
- James