Proof Of Care
How we grade it.
Verification and testing for every video game cartridge that comes through our door.
This isn’t a checklist we run to cover ourselves. It’s the actual reason a cart from us boots the first time. Four stages, every unit, no exceptions.
Verification
Every cart gets pulled apart before it gets a price. We check the label print, the PCB stamp, the chip dates, and the shell mold marks against known-good references. Repro labels, bootleg boards, and reshelled carts get flagged and priced as what they actually are — never passed off as originals.
- »Label print and font check
- »Board/PCB stamp and revision check
- »Shell mold marks and screw-type check
Cleaning
Contacts get cleaned with isopropyl and a proper contact-cleaning tool, not a pencil eraser dragged around until it looks shiny. Shells get hand-washed and dried. Boxes and manuals get gently wiped down — no chemicals near the cardboard.
- »Contact pins cleaned and inspected under light
- »Shell washed, dried, checked for cracks
- »Box and manual spot-cleaned by hand
Refurbishment
Battery-backed carts get old batteries pulled and corrosion neutralized before it spreads to the board traces. Bent or corroded pins get straightened or replaced. If a repair would compromise originality (like a board swap), we disclose it — it doesn't get quietly folded into the listing.
- »Dead/leaking battery removal and corrosion treatment
- »Pin straightening and connector repair
- »Any non-original repair disclosed, not hidden
Testing
Nothing gets listed off a visual once-over. Every cart goes into real hardware, powers on, and gets played far enough in to confirm saves hold and there's no corruption. If it doesn't boot clean, it doesn't go up for sale — it goes back to refurbishment or gets pulled entirely.
- »Powered on in original hardware
- »Played past the title screen to confirm saves/progress
- »Pulled from listing if it doesn't test clean