This is something that has bothered me for a long time, and I'm still not sure what collectors should do. I like the idea of having two models of something, so you can carefully preserve one and play with the other. It's nice to buy something that is still in the original box, but I see little reason to keep it that way yourself as long as you keep it all in good condition. I'd hate to see somebody buying a rare game console just to let the 6-year old shove a hamburger into the cartridge slot.

Apparently, the Japanese tend to be more diligent about preserving the condition of games and packaging than Americans, though I just have Kohler's word for that at this point.