What's with the high PS1 game prices

[Technosis]

In my area here PS1 games are like gold. Final Fantasy VII routinely goes for $60 to $80, other classics like Einhander or Bubble Bobble are also very high priced. Do you think that these prices will remain high or is this just a phase? I find it interesting since games like the Final Fantasy series had wide releases as "greatest hits". What is going on here?

[cyberfluxor]

I've never seen Einhander or Bubble Bobble around here but I know they'd be a hefty chunk of change even a few years ago. As for Final Fantasy 7, it use to be $10-15 until around Avent Children and has been easily $30+ in the hands of anyone who looks at eBay. It's just a trend and I can see it settling down to $10-20 within a few more years unless something insane happens.

[heybtbm]

In my area here PS1 games are like gold. Final Fantasy VII routinely goes for $60 to $80, other classics like Einhander or Bubble Bobble are also very high priced. Do you think that these prices will remain high or is this just a phase? I find it interesting since games like the Final Fantasy series had wide releases as "greatest hits". What is going on here?

Final Fantasy VII is the only higher priced PS FF game because new copies are "unavailable" at most online and brick and mortar stores. All the others are still available (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1/002-6008345-0431247?ie=UTF8&rs=229773&keywords=final%20fantasy&rh=n%3A11846801%2Cn%3A294940%2Ck%3Afinal%20fantasy %2Cn%3A229773&page=1) new (Greatest Hits) from Amazon. Most people think these things are long sold out.

[cyberfluxor]

Nice to know Final Fantasy Anthology is still in stock too! I've held back on buying it but one day I will have to and get some FF5 gaming on. I freaking loved the hell out of that game in middle school playing it on emulation (this was '97 so I got to play as Butz LOL).

[grolt]

Final Fantasy VII is the only higher priced PS FF game because new copies are "unavailable" at most online and brick and mortar stores. All the others are still available (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1/002-6008345-0431247?ie=UTF8&rs=229773&keywords=final%20fantasy&rh=n%3A11846801%2Cn%3A294940%2Ck%3Afinal%20fantasy %2Cn%3A229773&page=1) new (Greatest Hits) from Amazon. Most people think these things are long sold out.
Has anyone bought those new from Amazon? Are those the first release packings (like the pictures show) or the Greatest Hits?

[Aussie2B]

It may be a trend with Final Fantasy VII, but it's not surprising for Einhander and Bubble Bobble. I wouldn't expect those two to ever go down much. They definitely weren't big-name releases, so their obscurity resulted in low print runs and low sales. Once they disappeared, more and more people realized their quality, and a small but strong demand was created. Plus both the Bubble Bobble series and shmups in general enjoy cult followings which raise the prices higher than you'd see with other types of games (same kind of deal going on with RPGs).

[PingvinBlueJeans]

I've never seen Einhander or Bubble Bobble around here but I know they'd be a hefty chunk of change even a few years ago.
I easily sold my Bubble Bobble for $50 right after I bought Taito Legends for PS2. In light of the re-issue of Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands via TL, I don't understand why anybody would pay money for that...but apparently some people will.

[RJ]

I saw Einhander loose yest. for $60, & several others whose names escape me.

[neogamer]

Einhander is a great shooter and well worth the price. I have it and love it.

To answer your question though, I think Final Fantasy VII is over-priced and sorry to say over-rated. Too many were made. Eventually the price will fall back down to "normal" levels.

I see other PS1 games gaining value though....

[theshizzle3000]

You also see underrated games, get hype and never lower in price. The best example of this is Intellegent Qube. I find that most people are disinterested by the game at first sight, but once they play it are easily addicted to it. This combined with a low amount made makes for a game that easily goes for 50 bucks.

[cyberfluxor]

I easily sold my Bubble Bobble for $50 right after I bought Taito Legends for PS2. In light of the re-issue of Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands via TL, I don't understand why anybody would pay money for that...but apparently some people will.

Well I have Rainbow Island/Bubble Bobble for Sega Saturn and paid around $8 shipped for it and I already owned Bubble Bobble for NES but no Rainbow Island at that point. I'm not much for owning a bunch of duplicate games on different systems but when it's a good game I don't see why not for the convenience. And also I own TL for the PC and PS2; I purchased the PC one for $5 new at GameStop because I felt sorry for the Taito compilation sitting there for so many months not moving even at the price (yeah, they can be emulated free anyhow).

[neogamer]

I easily sold my Bubble Bobble for $50 right after I bought Taito Legends for PS2. In light of the re-issue of Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands via TL, I don't understand why anybody would pay money for that...but apparently some people will.

By that logic we would not have that many collectors in our hobby! I know I still pay a high price for games that I don't have for one system, but can easily get for another.

Same is true with most other collectibles. How many times do they reprint a "key" comic book. People still want the original, or the ones they are missing; even the reprints for that matter!

[tom]

I reckon PS1 will be collectable in the near future just like VCS.

[heybtbm]

Has anyone bought those new from Amazon? Are those the first release packings (like the pictures show) or the Greatest Hits?

They're all Greatest Hits. Amazon usually never bothers to change the picture.

[Poofta!]

i dont see ff7 going down in price anytime soon if ever. the ff7 name has become a game franchise on it own... there are at least 3-4 more games on the way set in the same setting.

[neogamer]

i dont see ff7 going down in price anytime soon if ever. the ff7 name has become a game franchise on it own... there are at least 3-4 more games on the way set in the same setting.


Yes, however the game is quite common! Look how many are available on eBay at any given time. Any flea market vendor has it as well. Millions of copies were made both of the original version and greatest hits version.

The price will drop in the coming years. Dealers are keeping the price of this game high right now! I remember when it sold on average for $80. Now it is down to an average selling price of $50-$60 and if you looked hard enough you could get it for a lot less. When I was a dealer on ebay I used to sell it for $39.99! I was happy because my local thrift store clears them out at $4.99 whenever they get them in...

Another note of interest: Both Final Fantasy II and III for the SNES have dropped in price as well over the years...

[Blitzwing256]

Another note of interest: Both Final Fantasy II and III for the SNES have dropped in price as well over the years...\

mostly becuase much better versions of them have come out that fixed most of the issues with the us snes releases of em.

[Kitsune Sniper]

FF7's price will not go down until Squeenix actually MAKES a remake.

Considering how many times they've remade their older Final Fantasy games, it's just a matter of time before they cave in and make one.

[Poofta!]

FF7's price will not go down until Squeenix actually MAKES a remake.

Considering how many times they've remade their older Final Fantasy games, it's just a matter of time before they cave in and make one.

well they havent remade any of the ps1 FFs... except fft i guess.

i agree though, a ff7 remake or rerelease will shoot the shit out of the price.

i dont care though, ive had my mint complete copy i got from ebay forr 20 bucks like 4 years ago.

[Sothy]

Final Fantasy 7 can get remade or sealed in carbonite or whatever... it is still a mediocre game at best.

[neogamer]

Final Fantasy 7 can get remade or sealed in carbonite or whatever... it is still a mediocre game at best.

I agree!

The price will come down. Again, there are milions of copies out there! Every time I go to a yard sale, etc., I run into the game! At least Einhander is truly a hard game to find, as is Intelligent Qube.

Some one stated that both SONY AND SQUARE hold the rights of FF VII thus preventing a true remake at this point. I have no idea (without doing some serious checking) how true that statement is. The manager at my local game store (Microplay) seems to agree with it, though, and he claims to have done the research. Anyone know for sure and have the FACTS to prove their info?

That being said...time will tell...

[FantasiaWHT]

well they havent remade any of the ps1 FFs... except fft i guess.

They remade FFT?

[Jimid2]

They remade FFT?
Ya, for the PSP... It should be released in North America this year, I think...

[vintagegamecrazy]

You guys are right about FFVII, it is a mediocre game at best. I beat it and enjoyed it somewhat but there was far better RPGs out at the time, and it doesn't compare to IV or VI at all. Still fanboyism will keep it high forever.

[ScourDX]

FF7's price will not go down until Squeenix actually MAKES a remake.

SquareEnix did release Valkyrie Profile Lenneth on PSP and the original haven't gone down in price. Same goes with Chrono Trigger for SNES.

[neogamer]

SquareEnix did release Valkyrie Profile Lenneth on PSP and the original haven't gone down in price. Same goes with Chrono Trigger for SNES.

Like I said time will tell...

Chrono Trigger DID drop in price from its high. Valkyrie Profile on the PS1 did not as of yet, although the PSP version is becoming hard to find as well, so I think that may be the reason behind that. I consider that game to become rare too, so if you can, pick it up!

None of the stores I shop at have it!

[Barbarianoutkast85]

Einhander and Bubble Bobble have gone for a nice chunk of change for a few years now. Other than that, all the pawn shops I go to sell PS1 games dirt cheap, but the selection isnt great. I've been looking for Heart of Darkness for the PS1 for a few months now and cant seem to find it anywhere.

[Iron Draggon]

well thanks to Amazon copycat sellers, pretty much any game for any system sells for a ridiculously high premium there... one seller gets the bright idea to charge way too much for a game, then all the other sellers mark theirs up to insanity also... either that or some asshole seller is running around on Amazon talking all the other sellers there into jacking up their prices beyond belief... the mentality seems to be that if every seller on Amazon is asking way too much for Game X, then everyone will be forced to pay way too much for it, if they really want it... it's gotten to where Amazon is even worse than ebay... in fact, I think that we should have an Amazon Insanity forum here now, like the old Ebay Insanity forum... and we could use an Amazon Gremlin too...

[noname11]

i dont think its insanity, but just a reflection of what value people attribute to the games

if you look up past auctions on ebay, alot of playstation games consistently go for high prices. thats just how it is.


besides, if you as a collector buy high, play the game, get tired of it after a few months, you can still get most / all your money back if you gambled rationally. .

[koster]

Simple solution for the high prices on Amazon - just don't buy the games. :)

It seems that quite a few sellers on Half.com have a similar mindset. I hate to say it, but Ebay has been my source for (relatively) cheap PSX games in recent months.

[Neo-Gozira]

Just be happy that Playstation game prices have not risen up to the level of Saturn game prices yet. Saturn games PWN me. PWN me real good. PWN me so good that I sometimes start to cry.

[neogamer]

How can you blame the seller if someone is willing to pay their asking price?

Or worse yet, bid it to new heights...

It is not the seller's fault!

Capitalism works because the market sets the price. Ebay and Amazon are perfect examples of true capitalism for now...probably one of the few examples that still exist...

sorry to say!

[PingvinBlueJeans]

By that logic we would not have that many collectors in our hobby! I know I still pay a high price for games that I don't have for one system, but can easily get for another.
That is certainly true...but in most cases, people want the original release. I own Tapper CIB for Atari 2600 and ColecoVision...and I paid decent money for them. But they are both the original home releases of Tapper from 1984 (and they are completely different from eachother), so a lot of people want them. They still command value even though Tapper can be had far more cheaply by purchasing the Midway arcade comps for PSX/PS2.

You can't compare PSX Bubble Bobble (a reissue from the late 90's which also has the cheesiest artwork I've ever seen) to the original Taito releases for the NES and SMS. I can understand why people pay money for those. But it defies logic for people to pay for a PSX comp (Bubble Bobble/Rainbow Islands), when they can just buy Taito Legends and get a whole lot more for a lot less. The games only came out a few years apart...and neither of them are original releases.

I am well aware of the "collecting" habits of some people in this hobby...but those habits aren't exactly sane.


Same is true with most other collectibles. How many times do they reprint a "key" comic book. People still want the original, or the ones they are missing; even the reprints for that matter!
People who pay serious money for reprints when they already have the original are dumb or they have OCD. This is probably one of the few hobbies (if not the only one) where people will do that.

In summary, it's not that I don't understand why people buy PSX Bubble Bobble...I just don't know why they'd pay $50 for it. :roll:

But hey, I got $50 for mine from somebody, so I'm happy. ;)




Another note of interest: Both Final Fantasy II and III for the SNES have dropped in price as well over the years...
The decrease in demand can be directly attributed to the recent reissue of those titles. ;)
Same thing happened to Phantasy Star for SMS.

[neogamer]

That is certainly true...but in most cases, people want the original release. I own Tapper CIB for Atari 2600 and ColecoVision...and I paid decent money for them. But they are both the original home releases of Tapper from 1984 (and they are completely different from eachother), so a lot of people want them. They still command value even though Tapper can be had far more cheaply by purchasing the Midway arcade comps for PSX/PS2.

You can't compare PSX Bubble Bobble (a reissue from the late 90's which also has the cheesiest artwork I've ever seen) to the original Taito releases for the NES and SMS. I can understand why people pay money for those. But it defies logic for people to pay for a PSX comp (Bubble Bobble/Rainbow Islands), when they can just buy Taito Legends and get a whole lot more for a lot less. The games only came out a few years apart...and neither of them are original releases.

I am well aware of the "collecting" habits of some people in this hobby...but those habits aren't exactly sane.


People who pay serious money for reprints when they already have the original are dumb or they have OCD. This is probably one of the few hobbies (if not the only one) where people will do that.

In summary, it's not that I don't understand why people buy PSX Bubble Bobble...I just don't know why they'd pay $50 for it. :roll:

But hey, I got $50 for mine from somebody, so I'm happy. ;)



The decrease in demand can be directly attributed to the recent reissue of those titles. ;)
Same thing happened to Phantasy Star for SMS.


I do agree, but could you please stop taking words and ideas from what other people have said and stop placing it under my direct quotes? I only take responsibility for what I wrote, not for what other people have written on the subject.

WOW, YOU DO REALIZE I DIDN'T EVEN COMMENT ON BUBBLE BOBBLE FOR THE PS, SOMEONE ELSE DID!?!

As for comic collecting, it's not stupid (check out the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide-it is a common practice and prices refelect this). When the US MINT reisssues coins, people do it in that hobby as well(though the prices are not as high as comics). Same is true with toys (i.e. recent GI Joe and Star Wars classic series reissues tend to go up in value over time,but not immediately).

In our hobby, the exact opposite appears to be occuring. When Final Fantasy I and II were re-issued the prices of the Super NES versions fell as said, and I do agree. I still believe that the price of Final Fantasy VII will FALL in the coming years...please quote me on that!

BTW: I have OCD-what's your point? I see it as a key to my success! If you learn how to manage it, you can make it an asset, not a liability. I'm the most organized person you'll ever meet!

I don't mean to come accross as upset, I just get mad when people put words, thoughts, or ideas and blame them solely on me. Maybe I took your post a little too personal, but you chose to quote me on ideas that I have'nt even commented on (i.e. Bubble Bobble for PS).

I have also been trying to put together a list of key titles for certain systems (i.e. think S & P 500, etc.) to try to track the market as a whole for certain systems. I will be putting this project together when time permits and think it will help sellers and buyers, as the research is informative. I will be asking for key titles across all platforms and will allow debates so we can agree on the titles. This should be interesting when I start it....as it will lead to more debates on games like the ones mentioned. I think Einhander is a diamond in the rough and is well worth having...some may disagree...

[Technosis]

I have also been trying to put together a list of key titles for certain systems (i.e. think S & P 500, etc.) to try to track the market as a whole for certain systems. I will be putting this project together when time permits and think it will help sellers and buyers, as the research is informative.

Wow this will be interesting! I can't help but draw a parallel between expensive or in demand classics, and a stock with an abnormally high P/E ratio (price to earnings) j/k. I'm sure this sort of "market watch" must exist for the comic and sports card hobby....

[smokehouse]

Like stated earlier, some of the high $$ PS1 titles are due to having unrealized quality on release. Einhander is one of them. I was lucky enough to pick up my copy from a pawnshop for $2 but it’s easily rare enough and good enough to demand a high price.


As for FFVII being mediocre….

Uh, WHAT?

FFVII is still an amazing RPG with an amazing storyline. It’s just too aged in the 3D parts. A remake of it would be nothing short of amazing. As for the high selling price…it does go for way too much $$, that game is FAR from rare.






Finally, the whole “That’s what the game is worth” shit is just that…shit. There are hoards of idiots willing to pay insane amounts of $$ for games not worth it. Unfortunate places like eBay/half.com and Amazon have ruined many used gaming markets (on and off the internet) with greed and high selling fees…

Yes, that’s capitalism and yes, that’s bullshit.

[neogamer]

Like stated earlier, some of the high $$ PS1 titles are due to having unrealized quality on release. Einhander is one of them. I was lucky enough to pick up my copy from a pawnshop for $2 but it’s easily rare enough and good enough to demand a high price.


As for FFVII being mediocre….

Uh, WHAT?

FFVII is still an amazing RPG with an amazing storyline. It’s just too aged in the 3D parts. A remake of it would be nothing short of amazing. As for the high selling price…it does go for way too much $$, that game is FAR from rare.






Finally, the whole “That’s what the game is worth” shit is just that…shit. There are hoards of idiots willing to pay insane amounts of $$ for games not worth it. Unfortunate places like eBay/half.com and Amazon have ruined many used gaming markets (on and off the internet) with greed and high selling fees…

Yes, that’s capitalism and yes, that’s bullshit.

If you think Capitalism is Bull**** I sincerely pity you!

An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it! If someone is willing to pay what you call an "insane" price for something, then guess what, that is what it is worth, at least to them.

How is it greed if the buyer sets the price by bidding or by using the BUY IT NOW option? I'm sorry, but I completely disagree!

[neogamer]

Wow this will be interesting! I can't help but draw a parallel between expensive or in demand classics, and a stock with an abnormally high P/E ratio (price to earnings) j/k. I'm sure this sort of "market watch" must exist for the comic and sports card hobby....

Comic book collectors utilize a combination of third party grading (i.e. CGC) and GP Analysis.

Coin Collectors utilize third party grading and a combination of other analytical sites to obtain the same type of information on what something is worth vs. its actual selling price.

Both prove very accurate! Another field that is quickly growing is the collectible toy and action figure market. They have adopted third party grading as well.

Let's see where the video game collecting field goes...

[smokehouse]

If you think Capitalism is Bull**** I sincerely pity you!

An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it! If someone is willing to pay what you call an "insane" price for something, then guess what, that is what it is worth, at least to them.

How is it greed if the buyer sets the price by bidding or by using the BUY IT NOW option? I'm sorry, but I completely disagree!

Shit sites like eBay have ruined the collectable gaming market…

Call it capitalism, call it greed, call it horseshit…I don’t care.

The FACT is the many of us have to play over inflated prices across the board now both online and in the “real” world thanks to places like eBay. The greed comment was directed at eBay and their constantly growing auction fees. This extra cost is being passed on to the buyers in the form of higher shipping costs and higher "Buy-it-now" prices. All of the sudden a $20 game will run you close to $30 by the time all the fees are paid and $40 by the time you add in the insane shipping charges now all too common to eBay. This is how the prices are constantly and artificially on the rise. EBay simply caught on to the $$ people were making off of them and are now dipping into the pie a bit more...this translates to either less $$ to the seller...or more commonly higher prices to compensate. Unfortunately this trend will not stop anytime soon. Like stated above, if I could just avoid eBay entirely I would but it's now leaked into the real world. 9 out of 10 brick and mortar places will now go to eBay in order to price their stuff, you get the high prices without even going online, how convenient. It's also common in places like this where the statement "Do you know how much the sells of on eBay?" or "This is what it sells for online." is often attached to sale threads.

It’s great anyone can turn a quick buck on eBay…then you’ll turn right around and give it right back when you pay 3 times what something is really worth because everybody now basis their prices on what morons are willing to pay for shit.

I’m just sick of seeing copies of Final Fantasy III sitting on pawnshop shelves for $50 or Super Mario 3 in some used record shop marked $18. It happens all the time now and I always get the same response…”That’s internet prices.”

I speak up about it from time to time just to get the shit flamed out of me.

You like paying insane prices for shit because some overly rich kid somewhere is willing to pay 4x cost for shit….knock yourself out. I just can't believe that game collectors actually like/support something that makes their hobby unnecessarily more costly...

As for me I’m thankful I bought most of my stuff when the world was sane.

[Technosis]

<snip>....Like stated above, if I could just avoid eBay entirely I would but it's now leaked into the real world. 9 out of 10 brick and mortar places will now go to eBay in order to price their stuff, you get the high prices without even going online, how convenient. It's also common in places like this where the statement "Do you know how much the sells of on eBay?" or "This is what it sells for online." is often attached to sale threads.

A couple of video game stores I know actually call up the GameDude "buy/sell" listing on the internet for pricing (right at the cash register no less).

[smokehouse]

A couple of video game stores I know actually call up the GameDude "buy/sell" listing on the internet for pricing (right at the cash register no less).

Ugg...GameDude. The "We buy your used games for $.99 and then turn around and sell them for $50." place. I remember their ads in the back of gaming mags way back when.

[MarioMania]

I agree with Smokehouse..Ebay ruined it..Amazon is getting bad...

[ScourDX]

I don't buy stuff on ebay or Amazon because you don't always get what the seller is posted. I use craigslist.org to search for classic games. Some people sell import games for cheap. This week I picked up Sakura Wars Complete Box & Langisser Tribute for $125. On ebay both will command $100+ each. One thing I like about craigslist is you deal with local seller. So you don't need to pay for shipping cost.

[bangtango]

If you think Capitalism is Bull**** I sincerely pity you!

An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it! If someone is willing to pay what you call an "insane" price for something, then guess what, that is what it is worth, at least to them.

How is it greed if the buyer sets the price by bidding or by using the BUY IT NOW option? I'm sorry, but I completely disagree!

I get the impression you are a regular Ebay seller who uses a Buy It Now price after checking completed auctions for the 2-3 highest amounts.

Just about everything I want to play, I end up finding locally sooner or later. If I don't and the prices are too high on Ebay, then I just go without. I already have too many games to play through as it is and I can certainly make do with what I have.

[neogamer]

I get the impression you are a regular Ebay seller who uses a Buy It Now price after checking completed auctions for the 2-3 highest amounts.

Just about everything I want to play, I end up finding locally sooner or later. If I don't and the prices are too high on Ebay, then I just go without. I already have too many games to play through as it is and I can certainly make do with what I have.

Nope. I used to sell quite regularly on eBay, but (this is going to sound egotisitical I know) make too much money at my job (financial analyst) and I am going for my MBA so I had to stop due to the time involved.

HOWEVER, when I did sell on eBay I sold Final Fantasy VII MINT and COMPLETE for $19.99 with $5.00 shipping, SMB 3 for $8 + $3 shipping, and I can give countless other examples. The point is I always sold low! Unfortunately, my BUY IT NOW items would sell within 15 minutes of being listed by other sellers who would flip them for a profit! Sad, but true. Then I had to raise some of my prices over time or offer them to certain customers who emailed me interest after the item sold (to try to be fair).

The point is I don't blame CAPITALISM,(which I love), eBay, Amazon, or any other website etc. for what is happening in any collectibles market.

Guess what: The same thing is happening in all other collecting fields! Prices have soared!

No one forces you to bid or use the BUY IT NOW feature. Stores have a right to sell an item for whatever price they want! Don't forget it works the other way as well. If you are dumb enough to sell your Final Fantasy VII (I like "picking" on this game as you can see) to a pawn shop for $3 and he sells it for $60, guess what, shame on you! You could of logged on to ebay.com to see what it was selling for! It takes about five minutes of your time!

[smokehouse]

edited...

This is the problem...the "If you can't beat them, join them." attitude is not helping a thing. Believe it or not, there are many people using small sites like DP to sell thing and at fair pricing. I also deal on a GI Joe site that sells for fair market value, not over-inflated eBay pricing.

If I had a spare copy of FFVII, I'd sell it here to another collector. Some may call that stupid but I don't consider it that way.
This "Capitalism is GREAT!!!, Gouge the fuck out of their wallets until there is nothing left to bleed!" attitude is what is slowly bringing America to it's knees (this is a different topic for a different time but I had to make my poke). Capitalism is good in moderation; something modern business knows little about.


If this continues the average gamer will not be able to afford many games because a $20 title had $35 worth of fees attached to it thanks to sites like eBay. Then you'll try to find it locally only to find a $50 price tag attached t it.

[Iron Draggon]

I agree with Smokehouse..Ebay ruined it..Amazon is getting bad...

I agree with smokehouse too... just because a GREEDY seller THINKS that a game is worth an absolutely insane amount of money, because some deep pocketed rich bastard might be crazy enough to actually buy it for that price doesn't mean that it really is worth that much. how is it really worth that much when another seller somewhere else is selling the exact same thing for a reasonable price? what sets the market is the AVERAGE price that people are willing to pay... and sellers who price their wares well above the average price are only attempting to increase the average price of the market... nothing more, nothing less... that's why those sellers are nothing but SCUM!

case in point... all the people who laughed at me for paying $150 for a sealed copy of Pac In Time for the SNES... everybody including me knows that the game isn't really worth anywhere near that much... it was only worth that much to ME because I wanted to buy a sealed copy of it, and the only seller I ever found who actually had a sealed copy of it for sale THOUGHT that it was worth that much... everyone else simply dismissed it all as INSANITY...

and as for Amazon, it isn't GETTING that bad, it IS that bad... $199.98 for a sealed copy of Strider 2... but roughly only $20 for a used copy, except for the one seller claiming that his used copy which doesn't even include the manual is "collectable", and therefore he thinks that his copy is worth $50... unbelieveable... and that's just the most recent example that I've discovered!

oh, and all you people who just shrug it all off with sighs of "that's just the way it goes", you are part of the problem... it's the people who perpetuate these notions that these games are actually worth their asking prices just because that's their asking prices that are causing this sort of problem... and even worse is the fact that here on DP, you guys will be the first to rip on someone over their asking price, if you feel that it's too high for selling it here on DP... you just want to be a cheapskate here, so you can be one of those greedy bastards on places like Ebay and Amazon, so you can make a profit...

[neogamer]

Sorry, but once again, I disagree. For a basic, simple transaction to take place all you need is a consumer, a seller, and a marketplace.

Once again: No one forces you to buy, you choose to. If a seller cannot reach a selling point at price "A" he will eventually move to price "B" thus causing a drop in his prices. This may happen in a short amount of time or over a long period of time, but it will eventually occur.

Once again, I know it is pointless arguing this because you guys feel very strongly about it, but I see no problem with capitalism, ebay, amazon, or the like. They are merely outlets that offer items for sale(i.e. either consumer to consumer or business to consumer, and sometimes business to business). You choose to buy and sell there.

Judging from some of your comments made (meaning some of you guys who directly disagree with me), I take it none of you ever made any money on eBay either?

Obviously nothing I can say can get you to see things my way, but if someone, even a pawn shop sells a game that they know is actively sold on eBay for $50 and they sell it for $25, they LOST money. They may have only paid $3 for the game, but in the end, they lost $25! That is basic business economics. I have to agree with it, otherwise I would be kidding myself, my education, and my associates. Sorry....

maybe that is the problem, but I see no problem with this situation.

Let me quick ask you guys a question: You ever buy a so called "near mint" or "mint" game on eBay, get it and realize it is nowhere near the condition described? The reason factory sealed games sell at a premium is because this happens consistantly in our hobby! I have been pushing for third party grading for a few months now. A friend of mine is supposed to be working out the kinks and may launch a company that grades video games in the next year or so (although I just think he likes his secretary-LOL-he is working out some "legal" issues with her over the company, etc.)

I'm sorry, but high prices will remain a factor in any healthy collecting business. I'm glad! I appreciate you reading through this whole rambling...any questions just ask! I will say this: within a few days my time here (meaning on these boards) is going to be limited as I have multiple projects to work on. If you have something to write post it and I will try to respond as soon as I can. I will be starting some new threads in the meantime as well...

[Cornelius]

I agree with smokehouse too... just because a GREEDY seller THINKS that a game is worth an absolutely insane amount of money, because some deep pocketed rich bastard might be crazy enough to actually buy it for that price doesn't mean that it really is worth that much. how is it really worth that much when another seller somewhere else is selling the exact same thing for a reasonable price? what sets the market is the AVERAGE price that people are willing to pay... and sellers who price their wares well above the average price are only attempting to increase the average price of the market... nothing more, nothing less... that's why those sellers are nothing but SCUM!

case in point... all the people who laughed at me for paying $150 for a sealed copy of Pac In Time for the SNES... everybody including me knows that the game isn't really worth anywhere near that much... it was only worth that much to ME because I wanted to buy a sealed copy of it, and the only seller I ever found who actually had a sealed copy of it for sale THOUGHT that it was worth that much... everyone else simply dismissed it all as INSANITY...

and as for Amazon, it isn't GETTING that bad, it IS that bad... $199.98 for a sealed copy of Strider 2... but roughly only $20 for a used copy, except for the one seller claiming that his used copy which doesn't even include the manual is "collectable", and therefore he thinks that his copy is worth $50... unbelieveable... and that's just the most recent example that I've discovered!

oh, and all you people who just shrug it all off with sighs of "that's just the way it goes", you are part of the problem... it's the people who perpetuate these notions that these games are actually worth their asking prices just because that's their asking prices that are causing this sort of problem... and even worse is the fact that here on DP, you guys will be the first to rip on someone over their asking price, if you feel that it's too high for selling it here on DP... you just want to be a cheapskate here, so you can be one of those greedy bastards on places like Ebay and Amazon, so you can make a profit...
I'm not convinced there is a 'problem' but certainly if there is, it is that people will pay those ridiculous prices. For instance, it may take a while, but someone might pay that 200 bucks for Strider. Or another example, I dunno, say $150 for Pac in Time. People that pay those prices are the 'problem'. It doesn't have to happen often, they only need to sell one every 6 months and they'll have made more than had they sold several copies at a more 'average' price in that time. You can go into inventory issues, but for a lot of folks just selling stuff out of their collection or for a little extra cash, inventory just isn't a big deal.

[FantasiaWHT]

High prices have another effect - they encourage people to do two things

a) If they have a pile of them in the attic, high prices encourage people to actually sell their "junk" instead of just throwing it away. Increased supply.

b) It also encourages people to hunt down games that might be buried or unnoticed at pawn shops, thrifts, etc.. Not really increased supply, but increased transfer of goods, making the marketplace larger.

Both are mitigating factors on the price (higher supply leads to lower price) and just increase the chances of somebody being able to find a game they want to buy.

[neogamer]

I THINK part of the problem is the lack of accurate grading standards in the video game collecting field.

The reason someone like me buys a FACTORY SEALED game and pays four times as much for it as someone who buys one as near mint or mint is due to the fact that everyone grades differently. I have already encountered some collectors and dealers tell me if it only has one scratch on the disc then it is mint! Nothing can be further from the truth! This is why I don't mind paying more for a game that I know is MINT (i.e. factory sealed)!

If we had a "third party grading" system set in place this would not occur and the prices of factory sealed games would of course, still be worth more than those that grade mint, but not four times as much!

This is why I support any measure to bring "third party grading" to the video game collecting field! It is highly controversial at best. For those that don't know what third party grading is I will give you a brief outline:

You submit your treasured collectible to a trusted third part grading company. This company cannot engage in the selling or buying of the collectible they are directly involved in. This prevents "market manipulation".

Second, The company grades your collectible on the basis of some set standard utilizing a numerical scale.

Third, the company seals your treasured collectible in tamper evident plastic. That is right, it is SEALED in a plastic "slab" (common term).

Fourth, you get it back and can either keep it sealed in the "slab", resell it, or open it up. Your choice.

If you choose to sell it you will get a better price for it because now it has been certified by a third party company. The buyer then can open it up or choose to display or resell it!

This is just a brief overview and is not meant to be viewed as an absolute "business model or plan". It already is happening in other fields (i.e. comic books, toys, and coins).

[FantasiaWHT]

I don't think that's a bad idea, neogamer. It honestly would help just to have a non-interested party create an objective scale, though, as well. Coins have had a scale with an objective rubric for grading for a long time, and oftentimes being able to grade against a scale is an acceptable substitute for paying a third-party company to do the same.

Separate out the components of the game (disc/cartridge, case, manual/inserts) and have a 1-10 scale for each, with objective criteria like:

10 = no visible marks
9 = 5 or fewer visible scuffs, no scratches
8 = 10 or fewer visible scuffs or light scratches, or 1 medium scratch
7 = 25% - 75% of surface area covered in scuffs or light scratches, or fewer than 5 medium scratches, or 1 deep scratch

etc.

Give a name to the scale, and then people can sell items and say that their disc is a "Smith 9", or whatever. People can still lie, but at least you have an objective standard to measure it against. That's sort of what I do when I grade objects for sale... it's not an objective scale, but at least I explain to my customers what the number means on the scale.

[neogamer]

Coins have had their share of scandals as well! Right now only two trusted thrid parties grade coins: NGC and PCGS. There are others, but only two have collector confidence...

I won't even go into discussion on the now infamous "Athena" Fund...a mutual fund that invested in graded coins...

[orangest]

$213.50 for a sealed intelligent qube. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190160331962&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=009)

wow.

[jwm2]

I'm guessing psx games are getting harder and harder to find in good shape. Most of them are prolly tossed in box's and sitting in someones garage or attic, where moisture and rodents can get to them. Its sad really.

[Rob2600]

I'm guessing psx games are getting harder and harder to find in good shape. Most of them are prolly tossed in box's and sitting in someones garage or attic, where moisture and rodents can get to them. Its sad really.

I think the owners of the games are to blame much more than moisture or rodents.

When I worked at a video game store, people (teenagers and fully grown adults) would bring in their PlayStation games to trade in and the majority of the time, I'd reject them. The games were usually covered in food or dog hair, severely scratched, and in cracked jewel cases. They'd insist the games worked fine, but I told them I'd never be able to resell them looking like that.

[misfits859]

I think the owners of the games are to blame much more than moisture or rodents.

When I worked at a video game store, people (teenagers and fully grown adults) would bring in their PlayStation games to trade in and the majority of the time, I'd reject them. The games were usually covered in food or dog hair, severely scratched, and in cracked jewel cases. They'd insist the games worked fine, but I told them I'd never be able to resell them looking like that.

Agreed, most PS1 games that show up at my local shop (which is a rare occurence anymore) are normally scratched beyond hope. If the case is presnt it is typically cracked and the manual is mortally wounded. I consider nicely conditioned PS1 games a good find nowadays.

[exit]

Ya, for the PSP... It should be released in North America this year, I think...

It's already released actually, I saw it in my stores game case the other day, I'm not the least bit interested in it tho.

As much as I love FF7, I really don't understand why there are fools buying it for such an insane price on e-bay, since it's really not that hard to come by. Oh yeah I forgot, it's e-bay and majority of the bidders on there are idiots.

[theshizzle3000]

I think the owners of the games are to blame much more than moisture or rodents.

When I worked at a video game store, people (teenagers and fully grown adults) would bring in their PlayStation games to trade in and the majority of the time, I'd reject them. The games were usually covered in food or dog hair, severely scratched, and in cracked jewel cases. They'd insist the games worked fine, but I told them I'd never be able to resell them looking like that.

Yeah the local play'n'trade has a copy of Diablo for the PSX I want to pick up but it looks like it got ran over by a train.

[Geddon_jt]

I agree with smokehouse too... just because a GREEDY seller THINKS that a game is worth an absolutely insane amount of money, because some deep pocketed rich bastard might be crazy enough to actually buy it for that price doesn't mean that it really is worth that much. how is it really worth that much when another seller somewhere else is selling the exact same thing for a reasonable price?

Forgive me for jumping in and stating the obvious, but...
...because that "deep pocketed rich crazy bastard" is willing to give the "greedy seller" his asking price?

And how does the fact that someone else in the world might be selling the game for what you think is a more "reasonable" price affect a games value? I bought a complete Peek A Boo Poker from a Flea market a couple years back for $20, does that mean its not worth $400+?

Ebay has the best worldwide exposure and is easy to use, so you will find the highest prices there. But if people consistently pay them, well, that's what the game's worth. Assuming, of course, that you are a seller who wants to get the most money you can out of the game.

We can argue all day about whether its "fair," whether sellers are "greedy" or whether buyers are "stupid" in paying the high prices. That's just the nature of the market. I know the feeling of missing out buying a game cheap just to see it become prohibitively expensive later, and indeed it sucks (to be thread specific, the original Persona comes to mind... ouch). But you have to be smart and try and anticipate those things, and when you miss out, suck it up and do your best to get it as cheap as you can. Don't blame a seller for trying to get the most out of their goods. If it was your game, I doubt you would intentionally take a hit just because the value was "unfairly inflated."

[kaedesdisciple]

I THINK part of the problem is the lack of accurate grading standards in the video game collecting field.

The reason someone like me buys a FACTORY SEALED game and pays four times as much for it as someone who buys one as near mint or mint is due to the fact that everyone grades differently. I have already encountered some collectors and dealers tell me if it only has one scratch on the disc then it is mint! Nothing can be further from the truth! This is why I don't mind paying more for a game that I know is MINT (i.e. factory sealed)!

If we had a "third party grading" system set in place this would not occur and the prices of factory sealed games would of course, still be worth more than those that grade mint, but not four times as much!

This is why I support any measure to bring "third party grading" to the video game collecting field! It is highly controversial at best. For those that don't know what third party grading is I will give you a brief outline:

You submit your treasured collectible to a trusted third part grading company. This company cannot engage in the selling or buying of the collectible they are directly involved in. This prevents "market manipulation".

Second, The company grades your collectible on the basis of some set standard utilizing a numerical scale.

Third, the company seals your treasured collectible in tamper evident plastic. That is right, it is SEALED in a plastic "slab" (common term).

Fourth, you get it back and can either keep it sealed in the "slab", resell it, or open it up. Your choice.

If you choose to sell it you will get a better price for it because now it has been certified by a third party company. The buyer then can open it up or choose to display or resell it!

This is just a brief overview and is not meant to be viewed as an absolute "business model or plan". It already is happening in other fields (i.e. comic books, toys, and coins).

Oh my, are we going down this road again? I think we all know full well that grading is happening in other fields, but those other fields have been around for more than ~30 years as well. In comparison with something like coins, our industry is in its infancy.

I don't understand how you honestly think that 3rd party grading systems would standardize the collecting practice. Stop and think for a second about the money that system will generate, and then how free market capitalism pretty much dictates that what one company does, 2 or 3 others will immediately emulate in order to steal their business. Who will set the grading standard that "everyone" will follow? This will only RAISE the prices of the games because we all know the grading companies won't do this out of the goodness of their own hearts, and no one will regulate them so they can charge whatever they want. Furthermore, even if it does come sealed, slabbed and graded with a 9 or 10, how would you know that without ever opening it? If you don't trust ebay or amazon sellers, then how can you trust the type of fly-by-night organizations that are sure to pop up? There's way too much potential risk with this type of business model and I can only see it hurting the hobby in general.

[GrandAmChandler]

I THINK part of the problem is the lack of accurate grading standards in the video game collecting field.

The reason someone like me buys a FACTORY SEALED game and pays four times as much for it as someone who buys one as near mint or mint is due to the fact that everyone grades differently. I have already encountered some collectors and dealers tell me if it only has one scratch on the disc then it is mint! Nothing can be further from the truth! This is why I don't mind paying more for a game that I know is MINT (i.e. factory sealed)!

If we had a "third party grading" system set in place this would not occur and the prices of factory sealed games would of course, still be worth more than those that grade mint, but not four times as much!

This is why I support any measure to bring "third party grading" to the video game collecting field! It is highly controversial at best. For those that don't know what third party grading is I will give you a brief outline:

You submit your treasured collectible to a trusted third part grading company. This company cannot engage in the selling or buying of the collectible they are directly involved in. This prevents "market manipulation".

Second, The company grades your collectible on the basis of some set standard utilizing a numerical scale.

Third, the company seals your treasured collectible in tamper evident plastic. That is right, it is SEALED in a plastic "slab" (common term).

Fourth, you get it back and can either keep it sealed in the "slab", resell it, or open it up. Your choice.

If you choose to sell it you will get a better price for it because now it has been certified by a third party company. The buyer then can open it up or choose to display or resell it!

This is just a brief overview and is not meant to be viewed as an absolute "business model or plan". It already is happening in other fields (i.e. comic books, toys, and coins).

Keep it up. Next time you bring this up an disturb the peace, you are gone. No questions asked. You have been warned. This hobby doesn't need a grading system, and considering the poll in this thread:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107263

About 87% of classic gamers do NOT want a grading system. Drop it.

-GAC-

[orangest]

to be fair, that post from neogamer is 2 1/2 weeks old.