Recent NES black box sales

[Buyatari]

You guys paying attention to any of this? Holy shit !

look at some of these recent graded black box sales on eBay

Baseball 25k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251033234543

Pro Wrestling 20k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/250917548523

Stack up 18k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/160777087600

Duck Hunt 17k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300690124628

Wrecking crew 14k
http://www.ebay.com/itm/180855993296

also an ungraded Donkey Kong 7500
http://www.ebay.com/itm/170818714175

[skaar]

Idiocy on eBay and with black box games is nothing new.

Thank NA.

[DreamTR]

Yep, and I get yelled at asking for 1/3 of the price for one of a kind game!

Sealed collecting...

[98PaceCar]

Looks over at a sealed Tennis and wonders how it would do...

[Gameguy]

Yep, and I get yelled at asking for 1/3 of the price for one of a kind game!
Anyone can program a one of a kind game in their basement, one of a kind doesn't mean shit for value. Some kid's random refrigerator art isn't as valuable as a numbered limited edition lithograph from a well known/respected artist. Where does the quality of your game fall under?

[skaar]

Things are worth as much as they can be sold for. I don't blame him trying to maximize value out of a rabid and delusional market.

I'd blame the idiot who forks over the cash.

[Bojay1997]

My understanding from a thread on another site is this is all one guy and he goes back after he hits the BIN and negotiates the real price. Having said that, I understand that he is still way overpaying, at least compared to recent previous sales of the same titles. Sadly, this happens in every hobby from time to time and I suppose if there is any positive it's that somebody made a nice profit and it has no impact on the rest of us.

[old_skoolin_jim]

Things are worth as much as they can be sold for. I don't blame him trying to maximize value out of a rabid and delusional market.

I'd blame the idiot who forks over the cash.

This. +1.
I wonder if the buyers are winners of the recent Mega Millions drawing? Seems like they have money to burn.

[treismac]

Maybe I'm too suspicious, but something about this seems like bullsh*t to me.

"Who is selling and who is buying these games?" This is what I want to know. Is it so hard to believe that some team of entrepreneurs (less than reputable businessmen) is working in cahoots to inflate the market value of these sealed games. Couldn't friend X "buy" friend Y's sealed games on eBay with no real money actually exchanging hands. Is this so far fetched? If collector think these sealed black box NES games can sell for around $20,000 dollars, they will reason that buying one for a $1,000 is an absolute steal.

People can buy whatever they want for whatever they want to pay for it, but this just seems "off" to me.

[jb143]

Couldn't friend X "buy" friend Y's sealed games on eBay with no real money actually exchanging hands. Is this so far fetched? If collector think these sealed black box NES games can sell for around $20,000 dollars, they will reason that buying one for a $1,000 is an absolute steal.


Wouldn't they still get charged a hefty ebay final value fee on that though.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Unless they canceled the transaction, which would probably set off some alarms since eBay wouldn't get their cut.

[Kevincal]

definitely some kind of bullshit, nobody would pay pay that kind of cash for those games. nobody is truly that stupid.

[jonebone]

Yes, the buyer has a habit of clicking the BIN and then negotiating down afterwards. I'm not sure if any of the most recent sales have been paid for, but he at least paid $7,000 for a VGA 90 QUALIFIED (Not Sealed) Super Mario Bros., and several other expensive games. Like a $2,500 VGA 90 Castlevania II. And those sellers have confirmed that payment was received, and both parties left feedback.

There's no conspiracy here. It's just that someone showed up with very stupid amounts of money, probably from an inheritance or lotto winning. I've heard his grammar is mediocre at best, and his communication is rough. It's not some self-made millionaire businessman or anything.

This amount of spending cannot continue indefinitely, so many collectors are faced with the tough decision of selling their favorite collectibles at insanely high prices, or keeping them in the collection. Almost everyone has a price for everything, so many people are being tested.

People like this usually disappear as quickly as they arrive, so it should die down (hopefully).

[BeaglePuss]

Some of these sales have been confirmed by the sellers over on NA. From what people are saying, it appears to be one guy, and I don't believe he's part of NA or any other forum for that matter.

Having sold a sealed title in the five-figure range (and numerous others in the four-figure range), I can assure you these sales do indeed exist. Would I ever spend that type of money on a sealed NES game? Fuck No!!!! But you're damn right I'll sell one for stupid money. I'd rather have a brand new bathroom than a game in an acrylic case, but to each their own I suppose.

[T2KFreeker]

definitely some kind of bullshit, nobody would pay pay that kind of cash for those games. nobody is truly that stupid.


Yes they are. I've seen it in the "Collecting" market my whole life. I have collected Comic Books since I was a kid and lived through the boom of the 1990's. The stupid amounts people were paying for "Rare" items that had over a Million print run was stupid. Market crashed and all those "Stupid" prices dropped to pennies. Same thing happened to Baseball cards in the 90's. Move to the late 90's and early 2000's and Beanie Babies. Same damn thing. Stupid prices for ugly little bean bag toys. Now, you can't give the damn things away. Remember Tickle Me Elmo? Zsu Zsu (SP?) Pets? "Collectors" always pay stupid amounts of money for crap that isn't really rare. It's all in the perception of the buyer. Then again, these are obviously people that have way too much damn money to spend on stupid crap they don't need. mind you, I understand playing games and keeping the ones you like and play, but buying a game just for the sake of owning it for no other reason than to just pop it on a shelf in a plastic box just to say you have something rare . . . I never did understand it. And before I get the argument about works of art and all that nonsense, remember, art serves it's purpose; It was meant to be looked at and appreciated for it's brilliance and workmanship. Comics are meant to be read, toys to play with, and Video Games are meant to be played. Plain and simple, nothing more, nothing less.

[jb143]

I'd rather have a brand new bathroom than a game in an acrylic case, but to each their own I suppose.

Maybe he's laying acrylic tiles in his bathroom.

[treismac]

I'd rather have a brand new bathroom than a game in an acrylic case, but to each their own I suppose.

And I thought that I was the only one.

I would honestly enjoy having any of those black box games sealed. I would. I just couldn't justify spending over $20 for them. If they're sealed, they're decorations, and I don't pay stupid money for decorations. I would, however, spend semi-stupid money for a game that I wanted to play. And by semi-stupid I mean that I will continue to pass on Earthbound until it is going for around its original market price. I ain't spending $100+ plus for a video game.

[DreamTR]

Anyone can program a one of a kind game in their basement, one of a kind doesn't mean shit for value. Some kid's random refrigerator art isn't as valuable as a numbered limited edition lithograph from a well known/respected artist. Where does the quality of your game fall under?

I'm pretty sure none of that plays into comparison for sealed stuff. Rarity for certain games does equate to value in some cases, but not some in others. The one I refer to is a commercial game. Same reasoning as to why Gauntlet with a label would go for a ton of money for Atari 2600, the rarity alone...

[Genesaturn]

So being that I see these pop up on ebay for retarded prices...as a Sega guy...I have to ask..whats so special about the black boxes?

[T2KFreeker]

So being that I see these pop up on ebay for retarded prices...as a Sega guy...I have to ask..whats so special about the black boxes?

They were the very original box and label style that Nintendo was using for their first party games. many of them were reissued later on with different labels. That's it.

[Buyatari]

So being that I see these pop up on ebay for retarded prices...as a Sega guy...I have to ask..whats so special about the black boxes?

Black boxes have several things going for them.

They form a small subset that many people collect some exclusively.
Due to the nature of the black box wear is very evident and decent shape boxes are hard to find so sealed is a big plus.
As the first NES games available most copies were sold and played.

Also sealed collecting for Nintendo is bigger than it is on other systems of its day. These being some of the hardest titles to find sealed you will see crazy prices. Supply and demand.

[Buyatari]

Anyone can program a one of a kind game in their basement, one of a kind doesn't mean shit for value. Some kid's random refrigerator art isn't as valuable as a numbered limited edition lithograph from a well known/respected artist. Where does the quality of your game fall under?

Are you saying that you would rather own a sealed Duck Hunt cartridge over the unreleased one of a kind Socks prototype?

Not talking about reselling just owning.

Imagine you could find one of these items at a flee market for $10 but would not resell it. You can only have one so which one would you pick?

I'm not trying to bait you. I'm really curious which one you would rather own.

[skaar]

I just want a nice copy of a few of my favourites to own and play, not to sit in a plastic coffin.

[BeaglePuss]

I just want a nice copy of a few of my favourites to own and play, not to sit in a plastic coffin.
These insane sales prices have no real bearing on loose cart sales. You can still have all your favorite black box titles for next to nothing.

[Tempest]

Black boxes have several things going for them.

They form a small subset that many people collect some exclusively.
And I thought I was the only one who did this. Nice to know there are a few other 'black boxers' out there.

[wiggyx]

This is NOT the time to buy this crap. The bubble will burst, likely sooner than later, and these games will sell for a quarter of what they're going for now. There's no way the market can support these prices forever. All these games are coming from Nintendo Age members. That site is just a big circle jerk for VGA rated games at this point. They seem to be setting the market price for these games, and, for whatever reason, people seem to be buying them. Madness if you ask me.

[Bojay1997]

This is NOT the time to buy this crap. The bubble will burst, likely sooner than later, and these games will sell for a quarter of what they're going for now. There's no way the market can support these prices forever. All these games are coming from Nintendo Age members. That site is just a big circle jerk for VGA rated games at this point. They seem to be setting the market price for these games, and, for whatever reason, people seem to be buying them. Madness if you ask me.

Having collected video games and many other items for many years, I strongly agree with this. The NES market is extremely inflated at this point and there is zero chance if you buy a game at these inflated prices that you will ever recoup your investment if for some reason you need to sell down the road. I also can't imagine ever getting thousands of dollars of enjoyment out of any video game regardless of rarity.

[Gameguy]

Are you saying that you would rather own a sealed Duck Hunt cartridge over the unreleased one of a kind Socks prototype?

Not talking about reselling just owning.

Imagine you could find one of these items at a flee market for $10 but would not resell it. You can only have one so which one would you pick?

I'm not trying to bait you. I'm really curious which one you would rather own.
Not for owning, just for reselling. I'd rather have some unique prototype to keep, as long as the game was playable. Even if this Socks proto was priced at $200 I wouldn't buy it to keep, that's too much money to spend on a single game. For $10, yeah I'd keep it. That's pretty much my limit on SNES games.

Even for games worth hundreds, if I found a copy for $50 I'd keep it until I found a cheaper one. Then I'd sell the more expensive one to recoup the money. I wouldn't be done until I found a cheaper one to keep, I just don't like spending much on games.

[Kevincal]

This is NOT the time to buy this crap. The bubble will burst, likely sooner than later, and these games will sell for a quarter of what they're going for now. There's no way the market can support these prices forever. All these games are coming from Nintendo Age members. That site is just a big circle jerk for VGA rated games at this point. They seem to be setting the market price for these games, and, for whatever reason, people seem to be buying them. Madness if you ask me.

I agree about the bubble and nintendoage, I got banned from there because the moderators didnt like me, I didnt do anything wrong, but the mods there choose sides and pick friends and will ban you if they dont like your opinion. And the whole VGA thing is just pathetic in my opinion. The prices are stupid and even the grading is stupid, just like baseball card grading.

[jonebone]

Having collected video games and many other items for many years, I strongly agree with this. The NES market is extremely inflated at this point and there is zero chance if you buy a game at these inflated prices that you will ever recoup your investment if for some reason you need to sell down the road. I also can't imagine ever getting thousands of dollars of enjoyment out of any video game regardless of rarity.

Well not exactly. I wouldn't say zero chance, but I would agree that these are horrible purchases at these levels.

But it's just one guy buying all of these. All of these ridiculous sales are going to the same buyer. It's not all of Nintendoage conspiring to drive up prices. It's just one fool and his money, which are soon parted.

Think of it this way. You got a clunker car in your driveway that you thought was $250. Some guy shows up and offers you $20,000 for it. Are you going to sell it to him? You'd be a fool not to. Your neighbor also has a clunker, sees this sale, so he lists his for $15,000. That's what's happening now.

Of course these sales are outlandish and insane. The sellers are collectors first, and they would rather keep these items. But if they must part with them, then everyone has a price, and that's what they are charging. It is no different than DreamTR and his NWC Golds. It's been awhile, but when they were estimated around $15-$20k, he always had one for sale at $50k. Not because he's evil, just because he'd rather keep it. So if he's selling, you have to make it worth his while to motivate him.

It's funny, because these sales affect much less than 1% of the collecting community, yet almost everyone has a strong opinion about it.

[Buyatari]

It's funny, because these sales affect much less than 1% of the collecting community, yet almost everyone has a strong opinion about it.

I couldn't agree more. The loudest opinions seem to come from those who neither have these games nor are they seriously looking to buy them. Sure they may want the games but these games have always been expensive just not at this level. If the most you want to spend is $50 you were priced out of the market on black box games perhaps 10 years ago when sealed NES collecting really started to become a thing to do.

If anything this is great news for those people because as casual gamers or collectors there is a chance they will find one cheap somewhere in the future. Huge windfall for those that do to buy the things that they do enjoy.

[skaar]

No, that would be great news for profiteers or people who flip games for money, the collectors and the gamers are the ones getting screwed here by price inflation.

Nice rationalizing though.

[jonebone]

No, that would be great news for profiteers or people who flip games for money, the collectors and the gamers are the ones getting screwed here by price inflation.

Nice rationalizing though.

What's wrong with being a gamer, knowing market values, and buying and flipping stuff that you found for cheap so you can buy more games?

Why waste money from your own paychecks when you can just use money you've made from previous finds? I've never understood that mentality.

For some people, yeah reselling video games is their cash cow and they use it to improve their lifestyle. But for many, reselling video games is just used to further your collection. I don't resell to become rich, I resell to collect for free.

[skaar]

I didn't say there IS anything wrong with flipping games. I just disagreed with his statement that it benefitted anyone who wasn't in it for the money.

No need to get defensive.

[BeaglePuss]

the collectors and the gamers are the ones getting screwed here by price inflation.

Yeah, that's not true. Sealed collectors are the only individuals that can claim that these sales have any bearing on their collections.

Why would a gamer give two shits what a sealed title commands on eBay? All of these titles sell for $20 or less loose regardless of what their acrylic counterparts sell for.

[skaar]

Yeah, that's not true. Sealed collectors are the only individuals that can claim that these sales have any bearing on their collections.

Why would a gamer give two shits what a sealed title commands on eBay? All of these titles sell for $20 or less loose regardless of what their acrylic counterparts sell for.

To deal with all the "this only hurts the buyer and benefits the seller" statements in one swoop...

Anyone who's bought from a pawn shop, flea market, used game seller - whatever - has had the wonderful experience of having an eBay listing or final value price thrown in their face at some point as "this is what an item is worth"

Anomalous listings like this WILL affect all of this pricing at some level - from a seller seeing it and throwing up a listing at an inflated price in the hopes of riding the price wave to a valuation site compiling final sale prices of similar titles and skewing its pricing accordingly. This is where it affects everyone.

I've often said and I stand by my belief that anything is worth what a person is willing to pay for it - to that person, and that person alone.

Fluke sales will always happen. People are dumb. People have problems. The collector mindset is often characteristic of many other issues.

MY GOD PAWP ITZ N ORIGNAL NINTENDER THOSE ARE LIKE SIX GRAN ON EBAYS!

Addendum: I'm aware the market eventually corrects itself from these issues, but in the meantime we all have to contend with people overvaluing - and that's just a pain the ass ;)

[BeaglePuss]

While I understand your stance, I don't agree with it. These high-end sealed sales have taken place for some time now (years), while loose Black Box titles haven't increased more than a few dollars over past decade.

I agree that there will be plenty of morons overpricing their goods as a result of these sales (We've all seen it happen on Pawn Stars and Storage Wars), but they have yet to have a real effect on loose game sales. I'm not big into speculating, so I'll be worried when it actually happens.

For the time being I'll just scoop 'em up for cheap, slab them, and make the $billions$.

[jonebone]

Well I see both points.

Skaar is making the point that inflation of the hobby in general, not just sealed sales, hurts the collector / gamer. That's true to an extent, when a Little Samson cart goes from $100 to $300, someone who wants to play it is genuinely "hurt". Of course there's still emulation, but most gamers prefer original hardware, especially on platformers which require good timing / coordination.

However, the collector also benefits from the value spikes, as their collection is now worth more. The argument then becomes "But if the person is truly a collector, they aren't selling so they never see a penny of the increase". That's also true, but how many times have we seen a collector sell out for a true need? Loss of a job / loss of housing / death of a family member / etc. Collectors don't always plan to sell out, but when they have to, valuation does matter. So the inflation helps them.

And Beagle's point is that high end sealed sales does not affect loose cartridges, which I completely agree with. You might get a bonehead trying to sell used stuff at new prices, but it's not like you have to search for an eternity to find a $2 NES Tennis cartridge. You are merely inconvenienced by having to sift through a couple more bogus listings to find something at the price you want to pay.

Just my .02. The only one truly hurt by inflated prices are the brand new collectors who have nothing. But normal gamers / collectors also benefit by having their games increase in value.

[skaar]

One could say that a lot of the people who "sell out" have not properly evaluated their spending ON their hobbies... ;)

[Panzerfuzion]

I agree about the bubble and nintendoage, I got banned from there because the moderators didnt like me, I didnt do anything wrong, but the mods there choose sides and pick friends and will ban you if they dont like your opinion. And the whole VGA thing is just pathetic in my opinion. The prices are stupid and even the grading is stupid, just like baseball card grading.

I agree nintendoage is a creepy website, and they basically have a set group of friends that dictate what the overall all opinion of collecting should be. If you don't agree with that or fall into line then you're out. I also find it funny that the main "banning mod" is some kind of Boston tough guy that posts videos of his "boxing matches" yet he's stays skinny as hell because he's sacred to move up in weight and box with the big boys. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q30-2YYWb4&context=C43334bfADvjVQa1PpcFNp0esekmll_sMFXmBZdZm0 U7LzYdpblfs= LOL

I mean come on you think because you joined a boxing gym and you participate in there "tournaments" you're a tough guy? You're a collector (allegedly) yet your youtube channel is full of your sparring matches. Do you know how many boxing gyms there are in the country and there all the same you train for 6 months and if you want you can participate in there annual "tournaments"... Go to fighttips or boxingscene or sherdog if you want to show off your "skills" but trying to flex your E-Alphaness on a gaming website... And yes i'm aware that his partner in crime is bagelpuss.

They will be the first ones to "backdoor" someone and the first to justify why when they did it and that it was ok. Yet if someone else does it it's wrong... Him and his brother are part of the reason the community has become creepy and splintered , buying up prototypes and selling them in reproduction form for profit. And there always "Above everyone" like yea there collectors yet there not nerds because they box... Don't get me started on the rest of the creepy dudes over on NA. And no I've never been banned I'm a long time lurker that never felt it was a real community so i rarely post.

This collecting community as a whole has never felt more vapid and empty, most of the time when people post there "finds of the day" there just links to there youtube channels so they can get more hits. And as game collecting has become more popular it's become more empty, everyone and there mom is a re-seller now. Craigslist is a shell of what it used to be.

And from what i have seen as a whole people in this community are becoming much more inverted about what and how they collect, people get very jealous over other peoples finds or collection a lot more so then say 5 years ago. And WTF is with everyone over at NA keeping secrets about what they paid for stuff. It's a video game, they have no problem showing it off but don't tell anyone how much you paid for it what is that all about?

Do you really think people care that you decide to redo your bathroom instead of keeping a game sealed in a case? Does it make you feel better if people know that while you collect games you're not that "hardcore" because you redid your bathroom instead of keeping the Flintstones on your shelf. You and your brother act like you're above collecting but you guys seem to always be the first ones to e-prove yourselves that you're still cool...

The entire collecting community is a shell of what it used to be, more people seem to spend there time bitching about what everyone is paying for stuff and what is "right" or "wrong" ethically. Yet EVERYONE does and will backdoor people on ebay or craigslist given the opportunity or chance. At this point i say do what ever the fuck you want as long as it's legal and don't let anyone convince you what is right or wrong when collecting video games...

[skaar]

I agree nintendoage is a creepy website, and they basically have a set group of friends that dictate what the overall all opinion of collecting should be. If you don't agree with that or fall into line then you're out. I also find it funny that the main "banning mod" is some kind of Boston tough guy that posts videos of his "boxing matches" yet he's stays skinny as hell because he's sacred to move up in weight and box with the big boys. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q30-2YYWb4&context=C43334bfADvjVQa1PpcFNp0esekmll_sMFXmBZdZm0 U7LzYdpblfs= LOL

I mean come on you think because you joined a boxing gym and you participate in there "tournaments" you're a tough guy? You're a collector (allegedly) yet your youtube channel is full of your sparring matches. Do you know how many boxing gyms there are in the country and there all the same you train for 6 months and if you want you can participate in there annual "tournaments"... Go to fighttips or boxingscene or sherdog if you want to show off your "skills" but trying to flex your E-Alphaness on a gaming website... And yes i'm aware that his partner in crime is bagelpuss.

They will be the first ones to "backdoor" someone and the first to justify why when they did it and that it was ok. Yet if someone else does it it's wrong... Him and his brother are part of the reason the community has become creepy and splintered , buying up prototypes and selling them in reproduction form for profit. And there always "Above everyone" like yea there collectors yet there not nerds because they box... Don't get me started on the rest of the creepy dudes over on NA. And no I've never been banned I'm a long time lurker that never felt it was a real community so never so i rarely post.

This collecting community as a whole has never felt more vapid and empty, most of the time when people post there "finds of the day" there just links to there youtube channels so they can get more hits. And as game collecting has become more popular it's become more empty, everyone and there mom is a re-seller now. Craigslist is a shell of what it used to be.

And from what i have seen as a whole people in this community are becoming much more inverted about what and how they collect, people get very jealous over other peoples finds or collection a lot more so then say 5 years ago. And WTF is with everyone over at NA keeping secrets about what they paid for stuff. It's a video game, they have no problem showing it off but don't tell anyone how much you paid for it what is that all about?

Do you really think people care that you decide to redo your bathroom instead of keeping a game sealed in a case? Does it make you feel better if people know that while you collect games you're not that "hardcore" because you redid your bathroom instead of keeping the Flintstones on your shelf. You and your brother act like you're above collecting but you guys seem to always be the first ones to e-prove yourselves that you're still cool...

The entire collecting community is a shell of what it used to be, more people seem to spend there time bitching about what everyone is paying for stuff and what is "right" or "wrong" ethically. Yet EVERYONE does and will backdoor people on ebay or craigslist given the opportunity or chance. At this point i say do what ever the fuck you want as long as it's legal and don't let anyone convince you what is right or wrong when collecting video games...

Tell us how you REALLY feel. Don't keep it all inside :D

[Panzerfuzion]

Tell us how you REALLY feel. Don't keep it all inside :D

I thank you for your kind words of encouragement, I hope the neurons deep inside my frontal cortex lobes deiced to properly convey to my fingertips the feeling I have inside.

[Bojay1997]

I agree in part and strongly disagree in part with what you're saying here. The days of game collectors being a small community of people who help each other and share finds and deals seems to be long over. There are tons of flippers and resellers who basically hang out on the leading forums and auction sites and scoop up deals there or use the information they acquire to make more and more money. I think that has seriously hurt collecting in general as it makes it very hard to know who to trust or how much information to post about deals or finds.

Having said all that, I still have a small group of collector friends locally I meet up with regularly and I have a number of long-time collector friends here and elsewhere that I exchange info with through PMs and e-mails. It's just kind of sad that the old days of being able to trust and get along with the majority of collectors and knowing that the majority weren't just looking to turn a profit seems to be a thing of the past. I don't agree that the solution is to sink to the level of the flippers, side dealers and profiteers. Ultimately, like in every hobby, the bubble will burst and those people will move on and the collector population will shrink and things will go back to how they were in the old days or something pretty close to it.


I agree nintendoage is a creepy website, and they basically have a set group of friends that dictate what the overall all opinion of collecting should be. If you don't agree with that or fall into line then you're out. I also find it funny that the main "banning mod" is some kind of Boston tough guy that posts videos of his "boxing matches" yet he's stays skinny as hell because he's sacred to move up in weight and box with the big boys. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q30-2YYWb4&context=C43334bfADvjVQa1PpcFNp0esekmll_sMFXmBZdZm0 U7LzYdpblfs= LOL

I mean come on you think because you joined a boxing gym and you participate in there "tournaments" you're a tough guy? You're a collector (allegedly) yet your youtube channel is full of your sparring matches. Do you know how many boxing gyms there are in the country and there all the same you train for 6 months and if you want you can participate in there annual "tournaments"... Go to fighttips or boxingscene or sherdog if you want to show off your "skills" but trying to flex your E-Alphaness on a gaming website... And yes i'm aware that his partner in crime is bagelpuss.

They will be the first ones to "backdoor" someone and the first to justify why when they did it and that it was ok. Yet if someone else does it it's wrong... Him and his brother are part of the reason the community has become creepy and splintered , buying up prototypes and selling them in reproduction form for profit. And there always "Above everyone" like yea there collectors yet there not nerds because they box... Don't get me started on the rest of the creepy dudes over on NA. And no I've never been banned I'm a long time lurker that never felt it was a real community so i rarely post.

This collecting community as a whole has never felt more vapid and empty, most of the time when people post there "finds of the day" there just links to there youtube channels so they can get more hits. And as game collecting has become more popular it's become more empty, everyone and there mom is a re-seller now. Craigslist is a shell of what it used to be.

And from what i have seen as a whole people in this community are becoming much more inverted about what and how they collect, people get very jealous over other peoples finds or collection a lot more so then say 5 years ago. And WTF is with everyone over at NA keeping secrets about what they paid for stuff. It's a video game, they have no problem showing it off but don't tell anyone how much you paid for it what is that all about?

Do you really think people care that you decide to redo your bathroom instead of keeping a game sealed in a case? Does it make you feel better if people know that while you collect games you're not that "hardcore" because you redid your bathroom instead of keeping the Flintstones on your shelf. You and your brother act like you're above collecting but you guys seem to always be the first ones to e-prove yourselves that you're still cool...

The entire collecting community is a shell of what it used to be, more people seem to spend there time bitching about what everyone is paying for stuff and what is "right" or "wrong" ethically. Yet EVERYONE does and will backdoor people on ebay or craigslist given the opportunity or chance. At this point i say do what ever the fuck you want as long as it's legal and don't let anyone convince you what is right or wrong when collecting video games...

[skaar]

I thank you for your kind words of encouragement, I hope the neurons deep inside my frontal cortex lobes deiced to properly convey to my fingertips the feeling I have inside.

I actually did enjoy the rant, it's nice when people are willing to voice opinion. I just wish you had better grasp of there/their. That kinda took away from it for me.

[BeaglePuss]

Let me get this straight:
- Mark and I are both skinny
- We both box
- We get eBay side deals from time to time in order to flip for a profit
- I redid my bathroom with the profits from sealed games
- We buy prototypes and release the games as pirates/reproductions
- We flop our e-dicks on the table every chance we get

Well, I would love to correct you, but literally every point you've made is accurate. Eerily so honestly.

While I would love to further talk about myself, this thread has little to do with me. I didn't sell or buy a single title listed by the OP. So why don't we stay on topic?

These are the facts that I can gather:
- Sealed titles are selling for astronomical/insane amounts.
- Some people are pissed about it.

Did I miss anything? Bronies?

[Panzerfuzion]

I actually did enjoy the rant, it's nice when people are willing to voice opinion. I just wish you had better grasp of there/their. That kinda took away from it for me.

I want you to fully understand that any grammar errors that you might have come across are completely beside the point. The message as a whole is what i want you to except into your life, i want you to fully come to the realization that we are not alone and together in this simulated civilization we can unite. The force of words are sometimes beyond my control but if you view them in a way that is acceptable to the world around you then your life shall be a fulfilled sense of self-worth. You will be able to become an old man without shame or regret from your past transgressions.

[BeaglePuss]

I want you to fully understand that any grammar errors that you might have come across are completely beside the point. The message as a whole is what i want you to except into your life, i want you to fully come to the realization that we are not alone and together in this simulated civilization we can unite. The force of words are sometimes beyond my control but if you view them in a way that is acceptable to the world around you then your life shall be a fulfilled sense of self-worth. You will be able to become an old man without shame or regret from your past transgressions.

You're right, Nintendo Age is weird.

[Panzerfuzion]

Let me get this straight:
- Mark and I are both skinny
- We both box
- We get eBay side deals from time to time in order to flip for a profit
- I redid my bathroom with the profits from sealed games
- We buy prototypes and release the games as pirates/reproductions
- We flop our e-dicks on the table every chance we get

Well, I would love to correct you, but literally every point you've made is accurate. Eerily so honestly.

While I would love to further talk about myself, this thread has little to do with me. I didn't sell or buy a single title listed by the OP. So why don't we stay on topic?

These are the facts that I can gather:
- Sealed titles are selling for astronomical/insane amounts.
- Some people are pissed about it.

Did I miss anything? Bronies?

I want you to know that i fully understand the anger, frustration and sadness you have inside over the shame you have brought upon yourselves and the gaming community. What you have done can be forgiven over time but will never be forgotten. I want you to take command over your aura, let your synapse flow with positive energy. Don't allow yourself or your brother to be shackled by the weight of your sins. Never forget how much me or the rest of the community loved you and that we only are saddened by the continually of your arrogance. We have and will always be here for you and that the feelings you harbor are only your self projected fears that you've placed upon yourselves as a Defence mechanism. Take care my friend and may i hope your destination is as rewarding as the journey.

[BeaglePuss]

Go to fighttips or boxingscene or sherdog if you want to show off your "skills"
http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f53/my-first-amateur-boxing-match-video-1416853/

I've been a member there for almost ten years now. Seeing as you've followed me to NA, you might want to follow me there too. You can read the responses from the other armchair boxers on the site.

[Panzerfuzion]

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f53/my-first-amateur-boxing-match-video-1416853/

I've been a member there for almost ten years now. Seeing as you've followed me to NA, you might want to follow me there too. You can read the responses from the other armchair boxers on the site.

I'm extremely proud that you've followed your dreams and that you have not let the boundaries of your own insecurities prevent how you have lived your life. Once you realize the myth of forever is only an illusion and that being saddled with the burden of your own mortality only shapes what you allow it to. I hope you understand my child that we are all one in the same, we were all created from a single piece of matter and that over the evolution of time we evolved into the beings we have become. You and I will always have stardust in us never forget, take care my friend.

[portnoyd]

I would like nominate panzerfuzion for Internets User of the Century of the Week. Serious win in every post. Where have you been all our lives?

Onto the topics at hand.

Concerning the reselling/flipping trend, 10 years ago, we had these things called TRADEBOXES and we actually TRADED with them! Crazy, I know. Sure, you can make direct bank for more purchases but you give up the true community aspect that builds by trading with people where both parties get something they want out of it and you talk with someone more than you haggle with them. Believe it or not, 10 years ago, we didn't price everything here for a reason. WTT has given way to FS.

You can't look at black box sealed games as a secular bubble that won't affect general loose prices. Anything that increases the perception that NES is valuable and a worthy investment will bleed out to loose and complete titles. The one idiot who is buying up said black box games like very expensive candy, is the reason why. Based on what others posters have said here, since he seems to be one of the uneducated masses who use eBay as the sole metric (likewise, Etler's list as a guide - yes, these people still exist), you have to wonder what motivated him to spend so much on what we, the educated masses, would call a foolhardy investment.

And what's to stop the next person like this one to do the same, but spend more? Or what is going to stop him from using his wallet as a weapon on loose and complete titles? People like this will just follow the ones before them as they don't know any better... and things keep going up. You can't really say that these people will keep blinders on to other areas of collecting as well as be discrete with their purchases especially when they are not as educated collecting-wise as everyone who has posted in this thread. If you don't know any better, and you just saw someone spend $25k on a sealed Baseball (if you're not involved in the community, you'd never know he negotiates down!), would it make sense that you could think the value of baseball is even some percentage of that now?

Next: Why did sealed blackbox man make that decision to go wild with his money?

Due to the recession, traders and investors have moved from stocks and commodities to collectibles. And game collecting has made itself the perfect environment to enter. Prices show strong growth. There is a perfect dispersion of rare titles and popular ones to keep your options open. Nostalgia fuels bringing new collectors (and their disposable income) into the fold. VGA has arrived and made more quantifiable tiers to approach beyond loose, complete and sealed. Not to mention the Nintendo method for sealing games brings an identifiable (H SEEEEAMMM!!11) and relatively easy (compared to Genesis especially) way to confirm legitimacy.

So here are people like Braveheart69 (complete black box hoarding and prices), Mario's Right Nut (complete copies of SE hoarding) and gwyidion (homebrew prices and hoarding) with large bank accounts and opportunity to take hold of and so they did. And they are still around and not going anywhere. Also, this blackbox guy is proof more are on the way.

As someone who has benefited, and might I say greatly, from the increase in prices, I don't necessarily like it. The entry point to NES is constantly going up and new collectors are constantly having to short change themselves to collect like a lot of us did in the past. I am an old collecting fart, no doubt about it, and I know times change but I would want nothing to stop new collectors from experiencing what I did because it was great. It really has gotten to the point where old timers like myself are the ones who got driven to school and the new collectors had to walk 5 miles in the freezing cold to get there. That just doesn't jive with me and it all goes back to the point of skaar's posts.

Collecting is no longer a hobby. A hobby is for relaxation and enjoyment. Collecting is now an investment. And see how that worked out for the comic book investors back in the 90s. Which is why, if you are concerned with the value of your collection, you should have the trigger finger on Turbolister to sell everything locked and loaded. It's like the Price is Right, as close to without going over. I don't have my trigger finger on anything - I'm just observing now and trying to collect while dodging the insanity. I hope when the dust settles, everyone who posted here is too, fwiw, it'll show me that you were here for the right (that being, what I feel is right) reasons.

I genuinely hope it crashes down so it goes back to being an accessible, fun hobby again.

[skaar]

I want you to fully understand that any grammar errors that you might have come across are completely beside the point. The message as a whole is what i want you to except into your life, i want you to fully come to the realization that we are not alone and together in this simulated civilization we can unite. The force of words are sometimes beyond my control but if you view them in a way that is acceptable to the world around you then your life shall be a fulfilled sense of self-worth. You will be able to become an old man without shame or regret from your past transgressions.

*hug*

[Panzerfuzion]

You can't look at black box sealed games as a secular bubble that won't affect general loose prices. Anything that increases the perception that NES is valuable and a worthy investment will bleed out to loose and complete titles.

An extremely educated and astute point, this at it's core is the basis of the frustration over high priced sealed collecting.

[Buyatari]

An extremely educated and astute point, this at it's core is the basis of the frustration over high priced sealed collecting.

I think this is an overly paranoid view that sealed games and NA are somehow behind some plot which affects even loose common games.

Sure some people overprice their common games. So what. These games don't sell because they are overpriced and the seller is eventually forced to drop the price or hold them forever. Sealed black box games selling for 25k may create some higher asking prices on loose Top Gun carts at the flee market but it won't create higher sales.

Other than "shit I should have picked up more of these when they were cheap" I just don't understand why anyone would care esp to the degree that people do. If you do meet someone who is convinced that loose NES systems are now worth $500 I like to say "ok buddy I have 20 to spare how about I sell them to you for $50 each?"

If the most you want to spend is say $50-$60 (price of new retail game) and you just want to play the game there is very little in the past 5 years that has gone from affordable to unaffordable. Some loose games have even gone backwards. Hundred dollar games are now several hundred and thousand dollar games and now several thousand but most $10-$30 are still $10-$30

Loose copies of NES Punchout, Tecmo Superbowl, Contra, Zelda 1&2, Super Mario 1&2&3 have all gone nowhere in fact if you ask me they have gone down a bit in price. The only games that have really gone up in price are those that were already expensive anyway.

[Buyatari]

I would like nominate panzerfuzion for Internets User of the Century of the Week. Serious win in every post. Where have you been all our lives?

Onto the topics at hand.

Concerning the reselling/flipping trend, 10 years ago, we had these things called TRADEBOXES and we actually TRADED with them! Crazy, I know. Sure, you can make direct bank for more purchases but you give up the true community aspect that builds by trading with people where both parties get something they want out of it and you talk with someone more than you haggle with them. Believe it or not, 10 years ago, we didn't price everything here for a reason. WTT has given way to FS.

You can't look at black box sealed games as a secular bubble that won't affect general loose prices. Anything that increases the perception that NES is valuable and a worthy investment will bleed out to loose and complete titles. The one idiot who is buying up said black box games like very expensive candy, is the reason why. Based on what others posters have said here, since he seems to be one of the uneducated masses who use eBay as the sole metric (likewise, Etler's list as a guide - yes, these people still exist), you have to wonder what motivated him to spend so much on what we, the educated masses, would call a foolhardy investment.

And what's to stop the next person like this one to do the same, but spend more? Or what is going to stop him from using his wallet as a weapon on loose and complete titles? People like this will just follow the ones before them as they don't know any better... and things keep going up. You can't really say that these people will keep blinders on to other areas of collecting as well as be discrete with their purchases especially when they are not as educated collecting-wise as everyone who has posted in this thread. If you don't know any better, and you just saw someone spend $25k on a sealed Baseball (if you're not involved in the community, you'd never know he negotiates down!), would it make sense that you could think the value of baseball is even some percentage of that now?

Next: Why did sealed blackbox man make that decision to go wild with his money?

Due to the recession, traders and investors have moved from stocks and commodities to collectibles. And game collecting has made itself the perfect environment to enter. Prices show strong growth. There is a perfect dispersion of rare titles and popular ones to keep your options open. Nostalgia fuels bringing new collectors (and their disposable income) into the fold. VGA has arrived and made more quantifiable tiers to approach beyond loose, complete and sealed. Not to mention the Nintendo method for sealing games brings an identifiable (H SEEEEAMMM!!11) and relatively easy (compared to Genesis especially) way to confirm legitimacy.

So here are people like Braveheart69 (complete black box hoarding and prices), Mario's Right Nut (complete copies of SE hoarding) and gwyidion (homebrew prices and hoarding) with large bank accounts and opportunity to take hold of and so they did. And they are still around and not going anywhere. Also, this blackbox guy is proof more are on the way.

As someone who has benefited, and might I say greatly, from the increase in prices, I don't necessarily like it. The entry point to NES is constantly going up and new collectors are constantly having to short change themselves to collect like a lot of us did in the past. I am an old collecting fart, no doubt about it, and I know times change but I would want nothing to stop new collectors from experiencing what I did because it was great. It really has gotten to the point where old timers like myself are the ones who got driven to school and the new collectors had to walk 5 miles in the freezing cold to get there. That just doesn't jive with me and it all goes back to the point of skaar's posts.

Collecting is no longer a hobby. A hobby is for relaxation and enjoyment. Collecting is now an investment. And see how that worked out for the comic book investors back in the 90s. Which is why, if you are concerned with the value of your collection, you should have the trigger finger on Turbolister to sell everything locked and loaded. It's like the Price is Right, as close to without going over. I don't have my trigger finger on anything - I'm just observing now and trying to collect while dodging the insanity. I hope when the dust settles, everyone who posted here is too, fwiw, it'll show me that you were here for the right (that being, what I feel is right) reasons.

I genuinely hope it crashes down so it goes back to being an accessible, fun hobby again.

I just don't see it. Sure certain items have gone up in value WAY up in some cases but the vast majority of videogames are very afforable. For someone starting videogame collecting today there are so many games to collect under $50 or even under $20 that most will never reach the end of say a complete collection of every videogame priced under $20.

I don't understand why things are no longer fun because of this. Times have changed for sure but as some older games go up in price lots of newer games are going down in price.

[Panzerfuzion]

I think this is an overly paranoid view that sealed games and NA are somehow behind some plot which affects even loose common games.

Sure some people overprice their common games. So what. These games don't sell because they are overpriced and the seller is eventually forced to drop the price or hold them forever. Sealed black box games selling for 25k may create some higher asking prices on loose Top Gun carts at the flee market but it won't create higher sales.

Other than "shit I should have picked up more of these when they were cheap" I just don't understand why anyone would care esp to the degree that people do. If you do meet someone who is convinced that loose NES systems are now worth $500 I like to say "ok buddy I have 20 to spare how about I sell them to you for $50 each?"

If the most you want to spend is say $50-$60 (price of new retail game) and you just want to play the game there is very little in the past 5 years that has gone from affordable to unaffordable. Some loose games have even gone backwards. Hundred dollar games are now several hundred and thousand dollar games and now several thousand but most $10-$30 are still $10-$30

Loose copies of NES Punchout, Tecmo Superbowl, Contra, Zelda 1&2, Super Mario 1&2&3 have all gone nowhere in fact if you ask me they have gone down a bit in price. The only games that have really gone up in price are those that were already expensive anyway.

You have to understand that paranoia is a fear manufactured by the enemies that lie within, unless we decided to stand up for our civil rights as collectors the crimes perpetrated against us will never end. Money is only an object created by the inception into our thoughts, the continued movement forward will only further pixelate our minds. Like a sonic wind thrust upon us by the demons of the past we will only be eternally rewarded when the men whose deeds are unholy are pushed into the streets by the heroine's who have the unadulterated power to do so. This is beginning of a great revolution where the past becomes present and the present becomes clean once again.

[Buyatari]

You have to understand that paranoia is a fear manufactured by the enemies that lie within, unless we decided to stand up for our civil rights as collectors the crimes perpetrated against us will never end. Money is only an object created by the inception into our thoughts, the continued movement forward will only further pixelate our minds. Like a sonic wind thrust upon us by the demons of the past we will only be eternally rewarded when the men whose deeds are unholy are pushed into the streets by the heroine's who have the unadulterated power to do so. This is beginning of a great revolution where the past becomes present and the present becomes clean once again.

Drugs are bad.

[Griking]

My understanding from a thread on another site is this is all one guy and he goes back after he hits the BIN and negotiates the real price. Having said that, I understand that he is still way overpaying, at least compared to recent previous sales of the same titles. Sadly, this happens in every hobby from time to time and I suppose if there is any positive it's that somebody made a nice profit and it has no impact on the rest of us.

I haven't read all of the responses so I apologize if this has already been asked. So how does a person bid on this many items and then expect the seller to negotiate on what he's really planning to pay and still keep his eBay account? A bid is a bid.

[Jaruff]

Hindsight is everything. Instead of spending money to go to technical college several years ago, I wish I had invested that money in Apple. I'd be better off today. However, I didn't and that's tough fucking shit.

Same with games. That's why I'm thankful my mother bought me everything Sega and Sony as a kid; they're two of the few brands I collect. Prices are (usually) cheap and merchandise is readily available.

With regards to hoarding, I'm guilty of it too. I'm already hoarding certain items from this generation; good investments 5-10 years from now when the economy (should) be great and today's kids will have jobs and disposable incomes.

[peeingas]

"I haven't read all of the responses so I apologize if this has already been asked. So how does a person bid on this many items and then expect the seller to negotiate on what he's really planning to pay and still keep his eBay account? A bid is a bid. "
Ebay gives the buyer much too much power now

[Panzerfuzion]

Drugs are bad.

3 words is all you have, and you insult me with a cliche saying that's been around since before both of us were conceived. Just because my lyrical poetry is to much for you to comprehend in your current state please let me assure you that the clarity of my words will one day rain upon you like a glorious golden shower of extacy. Stay well my friend.

[Jaruff]

I haven't read all of the responses so I apologize if this has already been asked. So how does a person bid on this many items and then expect the seller to negotiate on what he's really planning to pay and still keep his eBay account? A bid is a bid.

That's quite simple. You're dealing with large numbers; if someone is throwing five figures my way, I'm going to tolerate a higher level of assholishness because that's a lot of money.

[Panzerfuzion]

I think the moral of this thread is to require immediate payments.

[Buyatari]

I think the moral of this thread is to require immediate payments.

If you sell a game like baseball which prior to all this was worth ehh 3-4k for 25k and someone actually hits the BIN and then says well I'm only going to pay 15k do you really say no if the best you feel you can do outside of this is 3-4k?

You could I suppose stick to your guns but most sellers realize that this is still a good sale.

[wiggyx]

3 words is all you have, and you insult me with a cliche saying that's been around since before both of us were conceived. Just because my lyrical poetry is to much for you to comprehend in your current state please let me assure you that the clarity of my words will one day rain upon you like a glorious golden shower of extacy. Stay well my friend.

you misspelled douchebagery.


Now that the tech for producing fakes is so readily accessible at a consumer level, I've gotta wonder how many (more) well crafted fakes are gonna find their way into the market? I could pretty easily create some relatively solid fakes here in my house. It makes me wonder how many "sealed" VGA rated games out there have a copy of SMB/Duck Hunt stuffed inside :/

[skaar]

http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/file.php?40,file=33115,filename=Popcorn.gif

[Buyatari]

you misspelled douchebagery.


Now that the tech for producing fakes is so readily accessible at a consumer level, I've gotta wonder how many (more) well crafted fakes are gonna find their way into the market? I could pretty easily create some relatively solid fakes here in my house. It makes me wonder how many "sealed" VGA rated games out there have a copy of SMB/Duck Hunt stuffed inside :/

They have seen quite a few fakes and it is not as easy as you think. Not only does the plastic have to be just right so does the cardboard and the weight. A black box game opened just once cracks the black paint.

[Panzerfuzion]

you misspelled douchebagery.


Now that the tech for producing fakes is so readily accessible at a consumer level, I've gotta wonder how many (more) well crafted fakes are gonna find their way into the market? I could pretty easily create some relatively solid fakes here in my house. It makes me wonder how many "sealed" VGA rated games out there have a copy of SMB/Duck Hunt stuffed inside :/

Friend, there is no reason to project your own shortcomings in life on to me in the form of such vile anger. Let's breakdown your name wiggyx, whats the meaning of it? Is it a acronym? The Middle name of a past girlfriend? A Cry for help? Let's disregard the X at the end and pretend you added that because you were having a drunken nostalgia trip over the early 2000's. So basically what we are left with is wiggy.

You used 3 words in your verbal assault against me, the 3rd letter in the alphabet is C. C is the creative force coordinated and communicated through words. The first 2 images that show up in google when i type wiggy are "You can touch my wiggy" and "Ask me about my wiggy" so I'm guessing your name was created under the rationale that no one would know it was you talking about your penis unless they were part of a homosexual underground movement. And that your verbal assault against me was just an underlying agenda to secretly try and get me to sleep with you. Well my friend while I have no qualms with your life choice I have to respectably decline your sexual advances.

[lakerstowin]

Yes they are. I've seen it in the "Collecting" market my whole life. I have collected Comic Books since I was a kid and lived through the boom of the 1990's. The stupid amounts people were paying for "Rare" items that had over a Million print run was stupid. Market crashed and all those "Stupid" prices dropped to pennies. Same thing happened to Baseball cards in the 90's. Move to the late 90's and early 2000's and Beanie Babies. Same damn thing. Stupid prices for ugly little bean bag toys. Now, you can't give the damn things away. Remember Tickle Me Elmo? Zsu Zsu (SP?) Pets? "Collectors" always pay stupid amounts of money for crap that isn't really rare. It's all in the perception of the buyer. Then again, these are obviously people that have way too much damn money to spend on stupid crap they don't need. mind you, I understand playing games and keeping the ones you like and play, but buying a game just for the sake of owning it for no other reason than to just pop it on a shelf in a plastic box just to say you have something rare . . . I never did understand it. And before I get the argument about works of art and all that nonsense, remember, art serves it's purpose; It was meant to be looked at and appreciated for it's brilliance and workmanship. Comics are meant to be read, toys to play with, and Video Games are meant to be played. Plain and simple, nothing more, nothing less.



Could not have said it better myself. even if I had went to grammar school!

[jonebone]

I don't even know what to reply to. At first I was heated, then I was confused, then I felt the need to accept Jesus Christ into my life, and then I felt like I was in 9th grade English class, practicing alliteration.

Couple of points:

1) Many collectors, including myself, still prefer to trade over selling. Even though Rarebucky is often outed as being evil for his reselling practices, I've still done at least 4-5 trades with him, while purchasing absolutely nothing. You only see sales data publicly through eBay, but there are many trades behind the scenes that never get talked about. I will always prefer to trade, it's just hard to trade sealed games to loose collectors and vice versa. You usually have to collect the same medium.

2) Sealed games can only affect loose prices on genuinely rare games. If Stadium Events jumps from $30k sealed to $300k sealed, then yeah the loose cart is probably going to get bumped up. But if Baseball goes from $2k to $25k to even $200k, the cart is probably still going to remain under $5. It's so abundant that the sealed price has no affect on it. You can make the argument that a hoarder would try to buy every Black Box sealed to drive up prices, but buying every single Black Box loose cart is impossible. You can walk into any flea market or thrift store and probably find at least a Golf for $1. Hoarders are naturally drawn to rare sealed / rare CIBs, but carts are simply too plentiful. Even hoarding rare carts would probably be a bad idea, though I'm sure there are people that have tried.

3) I agree that this "hobby" has become more like a part-time job nowadays, but that's the nature of the beast. Nothing stays the same forever, and you either evolve, move on, or just stop and watch the fireworks. I haven't seen any big collectors truly sell off their entire collection, so most people are evolving or watching to see how it pans out. For the game market to crash, you'd have to see several people unloading their large collections at the same time. I just don't see that happening...

[portnoyd]

I think this is an overly paranoid view that sealed games and NA are somehow behind some plot which affects even loose common games.

Did I mention NA in my post at all?

Funny that you call my post overly paranoid when you come up with a 'plot' that involves something that I didn't mention.

All I'm saying is this. Look at the chart on the right side.

http://videogames.pricecharting.com/console/nes?sort-by=name

A 50% jump over 2 years ago, a 37% jump over a year ago. That has to count for something.

[BeaglePuss]

Edit: Fuck it, I couldn't be bothered at this point.

[Genjackson]

Are you saying that you would rather own a sealed Duck Hunt cartridge over the unreleased one of a kind Socks prototype?

Not talking about reselling just owning.

Imagine you could find one of these items at a flee market for $10 but would not resell it. You can only have one so which one would you pick?

I'm not trying to bait you. I'm really curious which one you would rather own.

I'd go with the duck hunt. Prototypes are cool, but I would want something I could easily turn a profit on. There's a bigger market for duck hunt.

[Buyatari]

Did I mention NA in my post at all?

Funny that you call my post overly paranoid when you come up with a 'plot' that involves something that I didn't mention.

All I'm saying is this. Look at the chart on the right side.

http://videogames.pricecharting.com/console/nes?sort-by=name

A 50% jump over 2 years ago, a 37% jump over a year ago. That has to count for something.

According to that chart the average loose NES game is now worth about $12. Where do I cash in?

The expensive have gotten more expensive and the affordable are still affordable. If you average those two for sure the average has gone up but in reality only a few have gone nuts. The popular games people ask for at my store to play have gone nowhere in price.

http://videogames.pricecharting.com/game/nes/contra

[wiggyx]

They have seen quite a few fakes and it is not as easy as you think. Not only does the plastic have to be just right so does the cardboard and the weight. A black box game opened just once cracks the black paint.

Oh, I know it's no easy task. Those guys on Nintendo Age know how every seam should run, how every corner should bunch, how thick the shrink wrap should be, how snugly it should cling to the box, etc.

I'm not saying I could make a perfect fake, but it's a LOT easier than it was just 10 years ago for an amateur to get away with something like that (most of the time). You could arguably use the info that the Nintendo Age guys provide against them. They very publicly call out fakes and site the correct info about packaging while doing so. If a bootlegger were at all savvy, then they'd be keeping an eye on such communities for exactly that kind of info.

I guess I'm really just concerned that it may become a larger issue than it already is, and it could serve to saturate the market of sealed games as well as its potential to bring negative attention to game collecting, which could lead to new laws and legislature regarding the sale of used and new-used games. It's already a touchy subject, and the big 3 HATE used game sales (Sony especially, based on what I've read).



Friend, there is no reason to project your own shortcomings in life on to me in the form of such vile anger. Let's breakdown your name wiggyx, whats the meaning of it? Is it a acronym? The Middle name of a past girlfriend? A Cry for help? Let's disregard the X at the end and pretend you added that because you were having a drunken nostalgia trip over the early 2000's. So basically what we are left with is wiggy.

You used 3 words in your verbal assault against me, the 3rd letter in the alphabet is C. C is the creative force coordinated and communicated through words. The first 2 images that show up in google when i type wiggy are "You can touch my wiggy" and "Ask me about my wiggy" so I'm guessing your name was created under the rationale that no one would know it was you talking about your penis unless they were part of a homosexual underground movement. And that your verbal assault against me was just an underlying agenda to secretly try and get me to sleep with you. Well my friend while I have no qualms with your life choice I have to respectably decline your sexual advances.

We are not friends. But, if you'll touch my wiggy, I think we could work something out ;)


Edit: Fuck it, I couldn't be bothered at this point.

It has become a tad overwhelming...