Game price inflations?

[BetaWolf47]

Why do certain games inflate in price like they do?

Demon's Crest for SNES (US version). The online rarity guide has it going for $15 loose, with an R2 rating. The guide (http://www.gamefaqs.com/snes/916396-snes/faqs/40446) on GameFAQs, written in mid 2006, has it listed as $10 loose, with a D rarity rating.
Now, it's going for $40+ on ebay, with listings calling it "rare" (it's really not super rare). It's now going for more than Pocky and Rocky 2, an A- game on the GameFAQs guide, and R6 here. What can cause this to happen?

[Porksta]

Well, all SNES games tend to be rising in value. Probably due to all the kids that grew up with it now having jobs and disposable income. Also, the DP guide (and as you mentioned, the GF guide) are pretty old and outdated.

And don't ever go by the ebay listings. Hell, people would probably label SMB/DH as rare if it would increase the value.

[Gameguy]

Popular games seem to get more expensive and common or unpopular games go down in value. Plenty of rare games are lower in price now than they were a few years ago, the ones increasing in value are the ones more talked about now like Action 52 which everyone started reviewing as the worst game ever.

[Griking]

Why do certain games inflate in price like they do?

Demon's Crest for SNES (US version). The online rarity guide has it going for $15 loose, with an R2 rating. The guide (http://www.gamefaqs.com/snes/916396-snes/faqs/40446) on GameFAQs, written in mid 2006, has it listed as $10 loose, with a D rarity rating.
Now, it's going for $40+ on ebay, with listings calling it "rare" (it's really not super rare). It's now going for more than Pocky and Rocky 2, an A- game on the GameFAQs guide, and R6 here. What can cause this to happen?

I wasn't aware that the online rarity guide has been kept up over the past years since the last guide came out. Prices have changed a ton since then and as was already said, a new generation of kids have grown up and now have money to burn on nostalgia.

[PapaStu]

I wasn't aware that the online rarity guide has been kept up over the past years since the last guide came out. Prices have changed a ton since then and as was already said, a new generation of kids have grown up and now have money to burn on nostalgia.

Prices in the guide will be off, but the rarity should be pretty spot on for stuff that old.

@BetaWolf I've seen people call Crash Bandicoot games 'rare' in auction listings. People put what they want into a listing. MINT! R@R3! Shit like that should mean nothing to everyone, but we all love buzz words.

What does happen though when popular places do a review on a game (AVGN for example) or a 'best of the unknown' prices spike up. Cinemassacre just did a top ten unknown SNES games, Demon's Crest was listed as #3 on that list.

[chrisballer]

Well, all SNES games tend to be rising in value. Probably due to all the kids that grew up with it now having jobs and disposable income. Also, the DP guide (and as you mentioned, the GF guide) are pretty old and outdated.

And don't ever go by the ebay listings. Hell, people would probably label SMB/DH as rare if it would increase the value.

I second all of that.

Games that are rare don't always go up in value, but games that are popular most always do.

If you are a collector going for a complete set grab the rares first while the price is down, and let everyone else over pay for the popular games. When everyone else decides they want a complete set, and now need the rares you will have them, and you wont have to pay crazy prices. This is what I did to complete my NES collection a long time ago. Most of the rares I bought back then literally go for ten times the amount. For example, I picked up my Panesians and Stadium Events for the NES in the $200 range apiece, and the adult games were all complete. That is just my two cents.

[chrisballer]

Prices in the guide will be off, but the rarity should be pretty spot on for stuff that old.



Absolutely, I still use the guides for certain systems to look at rarity and just ignore the prices. They still can be a great tool.

[BetaWolf47]

I wasn't aware that the online rarity guide has been kept up over the past years since the last guide came out. Prices have changed a ton since then and as was already said, a new generation of kids have grown up and now have money to burn on nostalgia.
They're not kept up. I was using that and the GameFAQs guide to show people how much it went for back then. I just find it weird that a non-RPG R2 can go for that much nowadays. It truly is a great game, by the way.

[IronBuddha]

I looked into buying Conkers Bad Fur Day, I haven't played that game in a while. Went looking and everyone wants $80-$90 for only the cart!

[Atarileaf]

Being primarily a collector of pre-crash systems, I'm glad that the NES/SNES/N64 seems to be the big ticket systems right now. I've been able to buy some Atari games that, just 2 or 3 years ago, would have cost more than twice what I've been able to get them for recently.

[furcointalk]

Well, all SNES games tend to be rising in value. Probably due to all the kids that grew up with it now having jobs and disposable income. Also, the DP guide (and as you mentioned, the GF guide) are pretty old and outdated.

And don't ever go by the ebay listings. Hell, people would probably label SMB/DH as rare if it would increase the value.

"Probably due to all the kids that grew up with it now having jobs and disposable income." Do you think when this generation of kids grow old and eventually dies out; will game prices for their generation crash as a result?

[xelement5x]

"Probably due to all the kids that grew up with it now having jobs and disposable income." Do you think when this generation of kids grow old and eventually dies out; will game prices for their generation crash as a result?


That's the general consensus for the most part and I agree partway, but there are a lot more variables with these generations compared to pre-1982 stuff.

The thing I think will make a difference and possibly keep prices higher longer is that Nintendo as a brand is much stronger than Atari and other older systems. Not to mention that they continue to do sequels for older IPs so the can draw interest back to the older games.

[delafro]

I'm honestly surprised by how much prices have been going up for certain games (especially SNES stuff) and I don't see how it can continue at this pace. It might be worth it to sit out for a while and see what happens.

Or I could be totally wrong and everything will be 2x-3x as expensive in a few years. Who knows.

[neo-zen]

i sold in 08
flintstones surprise at dinosuar park for over 100
little samson sold for 78.00
ninja gaiden trilogy for around 70
action 52 sold for 50 if i remember right.
i was looking back through my ebay... and i feel like i should have waited... and the rare games i have now that i am thinking about selling im torn if i should hold on to them after seeing the way prices have went and where they are going.
but i look at it like this... if they go down i have some great games... if they go i have alot of $ :D its just what it takes to get me to sell them :P

[samspade]

I think it's gonna either crash or at the very least, level out a great deal. The prices the way they are can't sustain themselves and still allow new collectors to thrive in the hobby. People are gonna bail while the prices are high and sell out. Market is gonna get flooded with tons of high prices shit and it's gonna sit there. It will level out. Most collectors are in a time in their lives where they're getting married, having kids, life happens and there's always people that get out for a variety of reasons. It will level out.

[neo-zen]

i think supply and demand is going to play a huge role here. they can emulate them... but for me its not the same. so rare games will stay high... because these will fall into collectors hands that will not move them. and i think thats why alot of the prices are getting up there. but i may be off on this... time will tell.

[GizzyGames]

I can't say I have ever seen a Demon's Crest in the wild for sale =(

[wingzrow]

Just wanted to say I just sold a copy of Duck tales for NES for $23.00 this morning. A few years back I couldn't get rid of it for more than $10.00, so I guess there really is game inflation going on.