What does CIB mean? Loose vs CIB vs new, explained
CIB stands for complete in box. In video game collecting, it means you have the game itself plus its original box and its original instruction manual. You'll see it on eBay listings, in price guides and all over collector forums.
CIB is one of three condition labels that most price guides use, next to loose and new. Which one fits your copy changes the price more than almost anything else. Here's what each label means, what counts as "complete" for different kinds of games, and how to describe your own copy so a buyer knows exactly what they're getting.
Loose, CIB and new at a glance
| Condition | What's included | You'll also see |
|---|---|---|
| Loose | The cartridge or disc only | Cart only, disc only, game only |
| CIB | The game, its original box or case, and the original manual | Complete, complete in box, boxed |
| New | Everything, still in the original factory seal | Sealed, brand new, NIB (new in box) |
A few things to keep in mind:
- Loose says nothing about how nice the game is. A loose cart can have a perfect label or a torn one. The word only tells you what's included.
- CIB means the original box and manual. A printed copy or an aftermarket box doesn't count, and an honest listing says so.
- New means the factory seal has never been opened. Once the wrap is off, the game is CIB, even if nobody ever played it.
What counts as "complete"
The idea is simple: everything that came in the package when the game was sold new. In practice it depends on the kind of game.
Cartridge games (NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy)
Complete usually means the cartridge, the cardboard box and the manual. Many of these games also shipped with extras, such as the plastic dust sleeve for NES carts, a cardboard tray inside the box, posters, maps, registration cards or catalogs.
Collectors don't fully agree on whether those inserts are needed for "complete." Price guides generally treat game, box and manual as CIB. If your copy has the extras, list them. If it's missing them, say so. Being specific beats arguing about the definition later.
Disc games (PlayStation, GameCube, Dreamcast, Xbox)
Complete means the disc, the original case with its printed cover art, and the manual. Watch out for replacement cases. PlayStation jewel cases crack easily and often get swapped, which most buyers accept as long as the original artwork and manual are there. Just mention it if the case isn't the original.
Plastic cases vs. cardboard boxes
Nintendo cartridges came in cardboard boxes. Most Sega Genesis games came in hard plastic clamshell cases, at least until around 1995, when many new Genesis releases switched to cardboard. Disc games came in plastic cases too. That difference matters for value, as you'll see below.
Japanese and European releases
The same rules apply, but the packaging is different. A Japanese Super Famicom game has its own box and manual, and a European release may come with a multi-language manual. A US manual inside a European box doesn't make that copy complete. Prices differ by region for the same reason, so it's worth checking the market your copy is actually from.
Why a complete copy usually costs more
The short answer: most boxes didn't survive.
In the '80s and '90s, plenty of kids opened a new game, played it and tossed the cardboard box. The cartridge was the part that mattered. Decades later, loose carts are everywhere, but a box in good shape with its manual is much harder to find. That's why a complete copy of a cartridge game often sells for several times the loose price, and why boxes and manuals sell on their own.
The gap tends to be smaller for games that came in plastic cases. People kept Genesis clamshells and PlayStation jewel cases because the cases were storage, not packaging. More complete copies survived, so complete copies are less rare.
Condition still matters within each label. A crushed box, a torn manual or a price sticker that took the artwork with it when someone peeled it off all pull the value down, even if the copy is technically complete.
New and sealed: what to know
New, or sealed, sits at the top of the range, and it's also where you need to be most careful.
- The seal has to be original. Resealing happens, and a resealed game is really a CIB game in fresh plastic. Learn what the factory wrap looked like for that platform and era before paying a sealed price.
- "Like new" isn't new. Some listings call a game "new" when it was opened but barely used. In price guides, new means factory sealed. Anything else is CIB.
- Graded games are their own market. A graded game has been sealed in a clear plastic case with a condition score from a grading company. Graded copies sell in a separate market, so don't use their prices to value an ungraded copy.
Other labels you'll run into
- Box only or manual only. Just the box, or just the manual. These sell on their own because people buy them to complete a loose game.
- Game and box, no manual (or game and manual, no box). Not CIB. Some sellers write "CIB minus manual," which is clear and honest.
- Player's Choice, Greatest Hits, Platinum, Nintendo Selects. Budget reprints with a different label or case design. Collectors usually treat them as separate from the original print, often called "black label," and the reprints usually sell for less. Check which version you have before you look up a price.
- Reproduction box or manual. Newly printed copies, sometimes sold to "complete" a loose game. (Whole reproduction cartridges exist too.) Fine for a display shelf, but the copy isn't an original CIB and should be listed as what it is.
- Tested or working. This is about function, not completeness. Good to know, but it's separate from the condition label.
How to describe your own copy
Whether you're selling, trading or just cataloging your collection, the most useful description lists the pieces and their condition:
- Say exactly what's included. "Cartridge, box and manual, no poster" beats "complete."
- Describe each piece. Label wear on the cart, creases or tears on the box, writing or missing pages in the manual.
- Photograph everything you're selling, including the back of the box and a close-up of the cartridge label.
- Use the label that fits. If the manual is missing, it's not CIB. If the seal has been opened, it's not new.
- Note the region and version. US, European or Japanese, and original print or reprint.
Tip: Accurate descriptions prevent most disputes. Trouble usually starts when "complete" means one thing to the seller and something else to the buyer.
Checking the value by condition
Once you know which label fits, you can look up the right price. In the RetroWorth app, you scan the game (even a loose cart with no barcode), choose Loose, Complete or New, and pick the market: US, Europe or Japan. The estimated value range updates to match. It's an estimate based on market prices, not an appraisal, so check recent sales before you sell anything valuable.
If your copy falls between two labels, like a game with its box but no manual, look at both the loose and the complete estimate. What it actually sells for usually lands somewhere in between.