Loose game
Usually cartridge, disc, card, or HuCard only. Loose games are often easier to find, easier to store, and ideal for players who care most about access to the game.
Loose vs CIB value
The box can change the whole story of a retro game collection.
Loose copies are great for playing. Complete-in-box copies often drive shelf value. A serious collection tracker needs to separate them so your collection total reflects what you actually own, not a pretend average state that smooths everything together.
Complete in box
The original packaging and manual make the copy more complete as a collector item. CIB status is especially important for shelf collectors and full-set builders.
Sealed or graded
Sealed and graded copies should be handled as premium states. They can behave differently from normal CIB values and should not be mixed into a loose total.
Why this matters
If you mark every owned game the same way, your value can drift badly. A loose copy of a popular game may be common, while a clean boxed copy with the manual can be much harder to replace. Retro Vault Elite separates ownership state so collectors can see a more honest view of their shelf.
Where the difference gets serious
Shelf presentation
A complete copy often carries a very different emotional and display value from a loose cartridge, even before money enters the conversation.
Replacement difficulty
A loose copy can be easy to replace. A clean box, manual, inserts, and variant-correct complete copy may take much longer to find again.
Upgrade planning
Many collectors buy loose first and then work upward. A good tracker should help you see where those upgrades are worth chasing and where a play copy is good enough.
Trade and sell honesty
A trade or sale conversation becomes much cleaner when the ownership state is explicit and not buried in a note field.