Help? Selling b/c of lost job!

[backguard]

I have been given notice that I have to leave my employer by the end of January (pretty generous given the economy I guess). I expect to have a pretty hard time finding something before then, so.....I think I'm going to need to sell my collection.

Naturally - I will give people here a good shot at it, and will give DPers a discount on things that go up on ebay!

But, for budgeting purposes, I really need to figure out what I can get out of this. I mean, I need to figure out how many more mortgage and student loan payments we can make!

I have posted a link below to a list of everything. (Fixed it so its a webpage and don't need a download).

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pgrQ3QEdWafFuB3JRJUETVw

Any estimates on its value are greatly appreciated! I really hope it doesn't come to selling and quitting the hobby, but unfortunately I think it is going to happen. :(

[carlcarlson]

Sorry to hear that man. I'd try to help you with an estimate but I don't have Excel.

[thetoxicone]

You can defer your student loan payments if you are out of a job. I had to for 6 months at one point when I could only find part time work.

[backguard]

i'm going to need to - i have ridiculously high s/l payments.

also, i fixed the op so no download is needed.

[Bojay1997]

Assuming everything that says "new" next to it is mint/factory sealed, you have at least $7,500 worth of stuff there, probably more. Would it be tacky and inappropriate to start making inquiries about items on the list?

[backguard]

99% of everything that is new is mint/factory sealed. others might just have minor tears. it is too early b/c i'm not selling yet, but i will be posting here once things officially go on sale.

[PapaStu]

Are you moving everything, just the valuable stuff, specific systems? You've got a freight train load of stuff there that if sold individually would net more (but it depends on if you're ready and wiling to break ALL of that up). Time is against you as if you were going to sell, now is the betterish time because of the season, but then again, with more and more people losing their jobs it could pin you and you'd end up selling a good chunk of your rare stuff (leaving you with all the 'commons' that no ones wants)and or most of your stuff at a loss.

[carlcarlson]

That's a ton of stuff. After just a glance I would say you've got anywhere from $7500-$10,000 there. As Stu said selling individually would net you the most, but it would take a loooong time. Now is the best time to sell but the two months after Christmas aren't bad either as people are looking to spend their holiday money on things to entertain them while they're holed up for the winter.

If you need money ASAP you should just pick your top twenty or so most valuable items and sell them now. That will buy you a little time so that you can figure out how much to charge for everything else. It took me about a week to price about 300 NES dupes, and you've got a lot more than that.

[glorfindel]

i didnt see the tabs at the top of the page...whoa thats alot of stuff there

[backguard]

That's a ton of stuff. After just a glance I would say you've got anywhere from $7500-$10,000 there. As Stu said selling individually would net you the most, but it would take a loooong time. Now is the best time to sell but the two months after Christmas aren't bad either as people are looking to spend their holiday money on things to entertain them while they're holed up for the winter.

If you need money ASAP you should just pick your top twenty or so most valuable items and sell them now. That will buy you a little time so that you can figure out how much to charge for everything else. It took me about a week to price about 300 NES dupes, and you've got a lot more than that.

I was really hoping to get 20k+. Do you think that is even possible? Unlikely?

[Trebuken]

20k+ seems really unlikely to me. I think the others are about right in the $7500-$10000 range. Games are selling for less on ebay then they were. I think more games might be getting listed in some areas beacause of situations like yours and people are being more careful in what they buy so it's a buyers market.

You might get lucky with some of the sealed stuff espeacially any older stuff but the newer games from this generation and last will not fetch you much (that's my guess anyways).

Good luck whichever way it goes...

[backguard]

i think you are right 20k may be a stretch. i do think 9k is a reasonable target for the ps1, ps2, gamecube, xbox, nes and snes stuff. That leaves a bunch of random stuff left over.

[Arcade Antics]

I was really hoping to get 20k+. Do you think that is even possible? Unlikely?

In this market? Impossible. It's gonna be a buyer's market for the forseeable future.

[backguard]

The webpage doesn't have the breakdown of numbers, but there are 3200+ new or complete games, 300+ loose, 200 guides, 50+ systems. About 25% of everything is new. 20k seems low to me, but maybe I am out of touch.

Gamecube - 283 (all new)
Sega CD - 42
SNES - 212 (20 are new)
Genesis - 177
NES - 264 (33 are new)
DS - 38 (34 are new)
Dreamcast - 104 (27 are new)
N64 - 38 (17 are new)
GBA -135 (67 are new)
GBC - 19 (18 are new)
PSP - 24 (20 are new)
3DO - 27
Saturn - 76
SMS - 77
PS2 - 382 (181 are new)
PS1 - 772 (230 are new)
XBOX - 579 (135 are new)
Random other incomplete games (2600, T16, CDi, etc.) - approx. 300
Guides - 200
Systems - 60 (13 are new)

[mailman187666]

if you sell them individually and make small bundles of common games with a couple sought after titles thrown in with it, you could probably get more than 10K for all of it. If you were to mostly bundle things together, You could get maybe less than 10K. Do individual sales and it should keep you on your feet I would say. Check e-bay's completed listings for certain titles so you have an idea of what kind of $$$ you are looking at. Remember that games go for less than market value usually here on DP. I'd say $10K at DP, $14K on ebay. Just my 2 cents though, I haven't kept up with current market values within' the past few months.

[backguard]

if you sell them individually and make small bundles of common games with a couple sought after titles thrown in with it, you could probably get more than 10K for all of it. If you were to mostly bundle things together, You could get maybe less than 10K. Do individual sales and it should keep you on your feet I would say. Check e-bay's completed listings for certain titles so you have an idea of what kind of $$$ you are looking at. Remember that games go for less than market value usually here on DP. I'd say $10K at DP, $14K on ebay. Just my 2 cents though, I haven't kept up with current market values within' the past few months.

Boy, I've seen smaller collections go for more than 10k, and that was in bulk. I'm not sensing a lot of optimism here..... :(

[Arcade Antics]

Boy, I've seen smaller collections go for more than 10k, and that was in bulk. I'm not sensing a lot of optimism here..... :(
Key word: "seen." Past tense. Simply put, your timing is way off. It's a classic-gaming buyer's market and the country is in a recession.

[Sniderman]

Boy, I've seen smaller collections go for more than 10k, and that was in bulk. I'm not sensing a lot of optimism here..... :(

You keep posting in hopes that we'll suddenly say, "You're right! $20K monies baby!" But we're not. And it won't. And hoping ain't gonna cause the price to tic upward. $10K-$14K is more than accurate.

[backguard]

actually....someone made me a 20k offer, which i am presently considering.

[The 1 2 P]

I gotta get me one of those spread sheets. If you do decide to start selling them off piece by piece, make sure to give us a heads up on the sale.

Also, keep some stuff for yourself. That way when you finally decide to start collecting again(and I sincerely hope you do) you'll atleast have a little bit of a head start. And try to keep some of your favorite games so that you have something fun to play and to also help ease your mind thru these rough times:)

[Trebuken]

The webpage doesn't have the breakdown of numbers, but there are 3200+ new or complete games, 300+ loose, 200 guides, 50+ systems. About 25% of everything is new. 20k seems low to me, but maybe I am out of touch.

Gamecube - 283 (all new)
Sega CD - 42
SNES - 212 (20 are new)
Genesis - 177
NES - 264 (33 are new)
DS - 38 (34 are new)
Dreamcast - 104 (27 are new)
N64 - 38 (17 are new)
GBA -135 (67 are new)
GBC - 19 (18 are new)
PSP - 24 (20 are new)
3DO - 27
Saturn - 76
SMS - 77
PS2 - 382 (181 are new)
PS1 - 772 (230 are new)
XBOX - 579 (135 are new)
Random other incomplete games (2600, T16, CDi, etc.) - approx. 300
Guides - 200
Systems - 60 (13 are new)

This breakdown looks more promising than browsing the spreadsheet. New games fetch a better price the majority of yours are for newer systems and are not tough to find, but a reseller would do well to have them. I think we may have been low-balling a little 10-14k sounds like the better estimate...hope you can get 20k though.

PLease let us know if you do. Sales like this can help others estimate the value of their collection...I personally have had to pay additional insurance to cover my collection and would like to know if I am paying too much/little.

[Sniderman]

actually....someone made me a 20k offer, which i am presently considering.

"Considering?" You were concerned that you weren't going to get close to that, and now you tell us you have an offer but you're only "considering" it?

Unless you're planning to hold out for $25K, I suggest you jump on that offer before the offer-maker sobers up!

[mailman187666]

if you can get the 20K, I would take it. At one point, I priced out my collection of about 1200 games and with the titles I have, it seemed as though I would be able to get close to 20K for mine. This was probably before the summer of this year when I did so. You have just about twice the amount that I have, so getting close to the price you want for them doesn't seem too unrealistic. I think some of the estimates made were what THEY would pay for the collection. If you were able to get top dollar for each of these games, 20K monies wouldn't be to far from your grasp.

[carlcarlson]

I would definitely jump on a $20k offer.

[Arcade Antics]

I suggest you jump on that offer before the offer-maker sobers up!

Big time.

[ooXxXoo]

Take the 20k.....

[Bojay1997]

Key word: "seen." Past tense. Simply put, your timing is way off. It's a classic-gaming buyer's market and the country is in a recession.

Not only that, but it's the holidays and my experience is that the period from early November through early February is a bad time to sell anything, especially video games. I would agree with all of the opinions here and despite the fact that 25% of the games are new/sealed, most of them are not games that are in demand. Spend some time on Ebay or Half.com and look at how many of the mass retailers sell those games for next to nothing even when you factor in their inflated shipping. Common games, even if they are complete don't necessarily have much value. There are quite a few PS1, PS2, Xbox and GC games that regularly sell for $3-$5 complete here and on other sites because nobody is looking for them and it's not worth putting them on Ebay.

If you have a $20,000 offer that's legit, I would absolutely take it. Best case scenario even in the best of economic times, it would be tough to get $20K for what you have in that spreadsheet. There's just not enough rare or in demand stuff there and I'm frankly surprised that someone would offer that much, even if they were a dealer or collector.

[carlcarlson]

Not only that, but it's the holidays and my experience is that the period from early November through early February is a bad time to sell anything, especially video games.

Wow, my experience has been the exact opposite for about 4 years now. I purposefully save things for months just so I can sell them around Christmas.

[Bojay1997]

Wow, my experience has been the exact opposite for about 4 years now. I purposefully save things for months just so I can sell them around Christmas.

I guess I would have to say that it depends what it is. If you're selling relatively new, sealed stuff that people can give as a gift, it will absolutely sell for more than ordinarily because people are buying to give them as gifts and it might be hard to otherwise find what they want. Similarly, if it's relatively new and something that would appeal to kids and teenagers who might have received a lot of cash for Christmas, it will probably do well. For stuff that appeals to more mature or specialized collectors, the double hit of spending before the holidays and dealing with credit card and other bills immediately after the holidays makes sales tough.

[aaron7]

1) holy crap that's a lot of stuff
2) I'd estimate $10k for it, but never as a whole... only sold as smaller lots or individually
3) If someone is offering $20k they're high, but take advantage of high people whenever possible lol

[jahvybe]

Wow, my experience has been the exact opposite for about 4 years now. I purposefully save things for months just so I can sell them around Christmas.

That's what I do as well. Not only do I sell more stuff this time of year but for higher prices.

By the way I was playing around with the math and it makes 20k not sound as crazy when you break it down this way:

3200 sealed games + 300 loose games = 3500 games
3500games x $5.00 each = $17,500

60systems x $40 = $2,400

total $19,900

It's more than I would pay, but I'm cheap. I'm sure you could still make a profit if you were buying for resale.

[backguard]

This is an awesome time to sell, even for classics. I've been selling for years to help support this hobby - prices always go up this time of year and items move quicker. Classics in particular move better than usual this time of year; I think largely because of the nostalgia factor.

I have decided to put off selling this (please keep the flaming to a minimum for that decision). It will be a last resort sort of thing and hopefully I will not be faced with the very difficult decision to quit the hobby.

I appreciate all of the input people have given on the value of this collection. I will keep those thoughts in mind going forward.

[Arcade Antics]

actually....someone made me a 20k offer, which i am presently considering.


I have decided to put off selling this (please keep the flaming to a minimum for that decision). It will be a last resort sort of thing and hopefully I will not be faced with the very difficult decision to quit the hobby.

For an offer of 20K for that list, you'd have been much better off taking it and starting the collection all over again.

[backguard]

For an offer of 20K for that list, you'd have been much better off taking it and starting the collection all over again.

Can you give it a rest please? You've already made your opinion abundantly clear.

[Bratwurst]

What do you think this collection is worth exactly, backguard?

[Arcade Antics]

Can you give it a rest please? You've already made your opinion abundantly clear.

Not true, but since brought it up, let's be abundantly clear: nobody ever offered you 20K for that collection.

[The Shawn]

heh. I was wondering when someone was going to point that out.

[backguard]

Not true, but since brought it up, let's be abundantly clear: nobody ever offered you 20K for that collection.

Actually they did. And your comment is a total cheapshot because you know I can't reveal who made the offer.

[Bojay1997]

Actually they did. And your comment is a total cheapshot because you know I can't reveal who made the offer.

Obviously whoever was interested was reading this thread, and comments like "they must be high" aren't helpful. I believe DP isn't fond of sale spoiling, but I guess mods can make exceptions for themselves.

I'm gonna be honest with you here, I think your tone is very inappropriate. This isn't a sale forum. This is a help forum for people interested in determining the value of items. You asked us for our opinions and then became very defensive when literally everyone here agreed that your expectation of the value of your collection was double what we all agreed it was. I know it's hard when you collect for a long time and learn that the rest of the world doesn't necessarily agree with your own personal beliefs about value, but sometimes the truth hurts. I also understand how stressful it can be when you're going to be losing your job. Having said that, I find it hard to believe that someone offered you $20K for the collection, but I suppose it's possible that someone just doesn't know the current value of a lot of items and did a rough calculation of $10 per game. It is my opinion that $20K is more than you would ever get selling the collection individually on Ebay or here, so it is my opinion that you missed out on a great opportunity. Now that it has passed, perhaps it's time for you to move on and begin searching for a new job instead of getting involved in further arguments with people who were trying to help you.

[Buyatari]

I'm gonna be honest with you here, I think your tone is very inappropriate. This isn't a sale forum. This is a help forum for people interested in determining the value of items. You asked us for our opinions and then became very defensive when literally everyone here agreed that your expectation of the value of your collection was double what we all agreed it was. I know it's hard when you collect for a long time and learn that the rest of the world doesn't necessarily agree with your own personal beliefs about value, but sometimes the truth hurts. I also understand how stressful it can be when you're going to be losing your job. Having said that, I find it hard to believe that someone offered you $20K for the collection, but I suppose it's possible that someone just doesn't know the current value of a lot of items and did a rough calculation of $10 per game. It is my opinion that $20K is more than you would ever get selling the collection individually on Ebay or here, so it is my opinion that you missed out on a great opportunity. Now that it has passed, perhaps it's time for you to move on and begin searching for a new job instead of getting involved in further arguments with people who were trying to help you.


He does have a point. You post the thread in "What is it worth" so you have to expect people to chime in and say what they think it is worth. Don't go on the offensive here.

I understand your situation and it sucks to be in. It might be hard to sell it all if you spent so much time gathering it piece by piece. I wouldn't get to upset over it. I didn't go over your list very carefully but at first glace it does not appear that there is anything there that you can not buy again once you have a job. Just think of it as taking equity out of your collection and when you have a job you can start buying it all back. Good luck with your sale and finding a new job.

[backguard]

Fair enough. I retract my comment about sale spoiling.

Thank you again everyone for your input. If you know someone (besides Iran) who needs a nuclear physicist please pm me. (joking)

[SegaAges]

Fair enough. I retract my comment about sale spoiling.

Thank you again everyone for your input. If you know someone (besides Iran) who needs a nuclear physicist please pm me. (joking)


Yeah dude, they are correct, welcome to the fun world of game collecting and finding out what the value or your collection REALLY is.

I got a huge surprise when I personally priced all of my stuff out, yeah, I am nowhere near 10k.

mine was around 5-6k when I personally priced it out, and that is a stretch (plus I suck at pricing stuff).

It would be nice sometimes if more people in the world collected, but with our luck, there are not alot of us.

Good luck with your stuff bro

I did have a few questions though dude:bonks adventure used complete

military madness used complete
dungeon explorer used complete
splatterhouse used complete
tv spots football used complete

Those were under DC?

If those are legit, hmm, I didn't even know some of those were released for dc bro, you might have some awesome gems there home skillet