c/retro-gaming-finds

Update: My perfect NES game find is making me mad

I found a Nintendo game in mint condition. I paid a lot for it because it was so nice. Now I don't want to open it and play. Others say to keep it sealed, but that feels wrong. This obsession with condition takes away from the games themselves.

Picked up a box of old PC games from a yard sale, but some disks are unreadable

I found this whole set for cheap, and most games work fine. However, a few like 'Myst' won't load past the title screen. Any tips on restoring scratched CDs without fancy tools? I'm hoping to add them to my growing collection (you know, like using toothpaste or something?).

Found an old NES with a faulty power adapter. What's a green method to get it running again?

Chrono Trigger in a box of junk: is traveling for retro games even worth it?

Last summer, I was driving through Ohio and saw a sign for a vintage shop. I pulled over, kinda on a whim, and spent an hour digging through boxes. I found a copy of Chrono Trigger for the SNES, but it was missing the manual. Paid twenty bucks for it, which felt like a steal. Now, some folks say hunting like this on trips is the best part of collecting, you never know what you'll find. But others think it's a huge time sink and you're better off just checking eBay from home. I mean, I almost missed my hotel check-in because of this, and my wife was not happy. So what do you all think? Is the adventure worth it, or should we stick to online deals?