My $.02 on the retro game pricing insanity

[The 1 2 P]

You're right I was speaking of a version with a clam shell, instructions, and in overally REALLY good shape.

I remember the clamshell versions of certain games being more than the boxed versions and Bloodlines, Sonic 3 and Contra: HC were among them. But this was a few years ago. Not sure if they all held up in price.

[Tron 2.0]

You're right I was speaking of a version with a clam shell, instructions, and in overally REALLY good shape.
Yup it has at least from what ive notice.Beside it being a exclusive for the genesis console still.Konami,has never release it for a compilation or even digital for the virtual console.Few years ago i wanted bloodlines with it's clamshell complete and i did win it on ebay,but in total it cost me $40.00 :p

[Nature Boy]

Collecting is always pretty cyclical, especially on what are essentially mass produced pop culture collectibles.

QFT.

If you can predict the highs and lows of a cycle, you can make a killing. For example, the fact that Wreck-It Ralph came out in November is *probably* at least one reason for heightened retro-collecting activity. And the DVD just came out like a month ago too if I'm not mistaken.


If playing on original hardware is all you really want, I'll put in a good word for the NES PowerPak. It's not the same thing as a reproduction, because you obviously can't mistake it for a real cartridge, but when all you want to do is play the game on the actual hardware, it's amazing.

I personally have the SNES and NES PowerPaks, the Cuttle Cart 2 (for playing Atari 2600 & 7800 games), and the SIO2PC cable (for turning my old school Tablet PC into a virtual Atari 1050 disk drive), and love them to death. Especially the SIO2PC cable, which means I don't have to worry about my actual Atari 1050s breaking down.

[Manga4life]

I recently posted about the pricing in another thread, the following is what I said....

I truly think that sellers need to lower the prices on some classic/retro games. I know of a store about 30 minutes from me that specializes in classic gaming (with some modern gaming) and his prices are absolutely insane. He has a copy of Contra for the NES sitting in a glass case with other more expensive games with a price tag on it of $17, and it's been there for what seems like years. Retro gaming is not as big as it was some years back, I remember 2001-1007 there being multiples stores that dealt in retro gaming in my area and other stores that had a small section of the store specifically for retro gaming, now they're all gone. All of them. People are buying their games online and even then they're more expensive than they should be. Unless the game is truly a rare find and/or comes with it's original box with instructions and sleeve than I don't think anyone should have to pay more than $5-$10 for an NES game, and $10 being a rare thing. If we're talking a Dragon Warrior IV or something than that's different, but a game like Contra or Kid Icarus shouldn't cost me nearly $20 to buy.....that's just plain silly.

With that said, I'm willing to pay good money for a rare game, but not too much since the market really isn't in a "boom" like it once was before. A big reason as to why I don't actively buy classic games as much as I used to is because of the price and because local dealers are stubborn and give you all these stories about how they get so much for these games and they sell like crazy, but yet you see the same game with the same price on it year round on their shelves. I can tell some of the games are the same carts because of markings on the cart. Dealers need to lower the prices and then they'd see an increase in sales which would level out for them.

[SparTonberry]

but a game like Contra or Kid Icarus shouldn't cost me nearly $20 to buy.....that's just plain silly.


Wasn't Kid Icarus actually like a $50 game before the VC release?
And I remember Bubble Bobble 1 was another game that used to be about that until Taito/Square-Enix finally saturated the market with enough ports/compilations on modern consoles.

[bb_hood]

Wasn't Kid Icarus actually like a $50 game before the VC release?
And I remember Bubble Bobble 1 was another game that used to be about that until Taito/Square-Enix finally saturated the market with enough ports/compilations on modern consoles.

Nah, Kid has always been a 8-15$ title, Bubble bobble 1 has always been 8-15$ also.. both fairly easy to find. If Kid Icarus did go up to 50$ at one point I must have missed that, and that is ridiculous.

[recorderdude]

Nah, Kid has always been a 8-15$ title, Bubble bobble 1 has always been 8-15$ also.. both fairly easy to find. If Kid Icarus did go up to 50$ at one point I must have missed that, and that is ridiculous.

The hype machine does inflate things a bit. For a while, parappa for PS1 doubled in price when PS allstars came out at around $40 - now it's settled around $30.

[bb_hood]

The hype machine does inflate things a bit. For a while, parappa for PS1 doubled in price when PS allstars came out at around $40 - now it's settled around $30.

It sure does. When the Silent Hill Movie came out the ps1 game shot up to 60-80$ for a short time. It then went down quite a bit, but before the movie came out it was like a 5-10$ game.

[Gameguy]

I truly think that sellers need to lower the prices on some classic/retro games. I know of a store about 30 minutes from me that specializes in classic gaming (with some modern gaming) and his prices are absolutely insane. He has a copy of Contra for the NES sitting in a glass case with other more expensive games with a price tag on it of $17, and it's been there for what seems like years.
Contra for $17 isn't crazy, it's a $20 game and it's been that way for at least several years. A game store close to me has a loose copy priced at $100 and that's a crazy price for Contra.

[recorderdude]

I think I've found that most who whine about slightly higher prices on common games forget about the "demand" part of "supply and demand" - if more people want it, it's going to be worth more, and only the highest-tier rarity games can really command a super high price AND suck. That's why I got a copy of the hard-to-find renovation/wolf team flop "Earnest Evans" for the Genesis for $5 but a copy of Super Mario World ran me $15.

[o.pwuaioc]

I think I've found that most who whine about slightly higher prices on common games forget about the "demand" part of "supply and demand" - if more people want it, it's going to be worth more, and only the highest-tier rarity games can really command a super high price AND suck. That's why I got a copy of the hard-to-find renovation/wolf team flop "Earnest Evans" for the Genesis for $5 but a copy of Super Mario World ran me $15.

What Manga4Life was saying though is that there isn't a demand for it. Just some guy who can't move a cart. People need to be aware that demand for X in one setting does not equate to demand for X in another, nor does the demand for X necessarily have any bearing on demand for Y. Maybe, just maybe, you can get lucky and have someone buy it for such an inflated price, but pricing it at $15 and selling it earlier would be smarter, since you'd be turning potential capital (with the risk associated with loss) with real capital, keeping the business alive longer. Time and time again economics have shown that jacked up prices on non-essential commodities only work in certain cases and only for the short run (diamonds being the famous exception, thanks to some real bullshit).

[dbm11085]

The current prices make me glad that I still have a majority of my games from childhood (I am 27). Remember when EarthBound could be had for $25 at FuncoLand? That's how I got it, with the Player's Guide which happened to be on the rack with it for another $10. I would never pay $500+ for it today. Same thing with the Mega Man games on SNES (I have X1-X2 CIB and X3 cart only, but will have to bite the bullet to get MM7 again one day).

I am currently on the hunt, mostly for NES/SNES/N64 games, but I am mostly interested in games I played or used to own years ago. Sure I can spend a minimal amount for loose carts and fill my collections fast, but I think it'd be more worthwhile and valuable if I get them as close to complete as possible, especially my favorites. To me it was gratifying to re-acquire Mischief Makers on N64 for instance, even if I paid $40 for it (CIB).

I don't plan on reselling anything in my collection and generally do not resell my purchases unless I end up with duplicates (depending on what it is), but it feels good to have full shelves in the other room of my games, my "treasures".

[bb_hood]

Contra for $17 isn't crazy, it's a $20 game and it's been that way for at least several years. A game store close to me has a loose copy priced at $100 and that's a crazy price for Contra.

It depends on who the buyer is. If someone just wanted to play contra, then sure, 17$ is reasonable. But for a collector looking to build a collection of NES games paying 17$ for contra is too much. Its just a very very common NES title. There was a time when contra was a 4$ game on ebay.

[Gameguy]

It depends on who the buyer is. If someone just wanted to play contra, then sure, 17$ is reasonable. But for a collector looking to build a collection of NES games paying 17$ for contra is too much. Its just a very very common NES title. There was a time when contra was a 4$ game on ebay.
I found a few copies of Contra for a cheap price, at least once at $4.99 with I think 20% off and another time for $0.99 with tax included. I'm pretty sure I found another one for $2.99 as well, this was all awhile ago so the details are a little fuzzy. I know it's not really a rare game, not like Contra Force which I still haven't come across yet. I definitely wouldn't pay $20 for a copy, not when I can find actual valuable games locally for around the same pricing or less(obviously not that often but it still happens). I spend more time looking for cheap games than most people.

I just meant that if a game is priced in a physical store for less than current ebay selling prices it's not really overpriced. If most of their games were around ebay selling prices without any shipping costs I'd be happy. Pretty much all the stores I can travel to are either overpriced well beyond ebay or Amazon or they have a really poor selection with nothing I want.

[Ed Oscuro]

I remember the clamshell versions of certain games being more than the boxed versions and Bloodlines, Sonic 3 and Contra: HC were among them. But this was a few years ago. Not sure if they all held up in price.
I think the cardboard box releases were later Majesco versions, probably with a b&w instruction booklet, and probably not with as nice a print job on the box itself.

Ninflation tends not to apply to SEGA games that much,
Sega don't Ninflate.

[bb_hood]

I just meant that if a game is priced in a physical store for less than current ebay selling prices it's not really overpriced. If most of their games were around ebay selling prices without any shipping costs I'd be happy. Pretty much all the stores I can travel to are either overpriced well beyond ebay or Amazon or they have a really poor selection with nothing I want.

I agree, i think in many respects ebay is a good price guide. If you can find a game locally for less than you would spend online for it then I would agree you got a decent deal. But I do think there are quite a few games for nes and snes that are just really really common (super mario/duck hunt, Mario 3, contra, MT Punchout!). If you are the type to go hunting for nes carts at goodwill or flea markets you WILL come across multiple copies of these titles for little to nothing. It pays to wake up early and get your ass to the flea market sunday morning.

Local retro games stores in my area (except for one) are the same way. They excel at offering nothing that I am interested in, and overpricing the common/uncommon games.

Oh yeah, and Contra force is a rare title. Not nearly as many copies of THAT game as the regular contra in circulation. For every 1 copy of contra force I have found locally, I have found at least 50-80 copies of contra. No joke.

[dbm11085]

But I do think there are quite a few games for nes and snes that are just really really common (super mario/duck hunt, Mario 3, contra, MT Punchout!).

When I read this, I remember Funco having Mario/Duck Hunt for 9 CENTS. When I see it on eBay or my local retro game store (in my case it's DP, heh) and it's priced at $10 or so, I feel bad.

[Nesmaster]

My take? People with more money than brains are driving up prices too much, too quick, and the market won't support it forever. There is no reason for Little Samson to go from a $250 CIB to $1250 CIB in just two years, among many other grossly overpriced titles now.

[Gameguy]

I agree, i think in many respects ebay is a good price guide. If you can find a game locally for less than you would spend online for it then I would agree you got a decent deal. But I do think there are quite a few games for nes and snes that are just really really common (super mario/duck hunt, Mario 3, contra, MT Punchout!). If you are the type to go hunting for nes carts at goodwill or flea markets you WILL come across multiple copies of these titles for little to nothing. It pays to wake up early and get your ass to the flea market sunday morning.
The original Contra is still common but not dirt common, Super C or Super Mario 3 turn up more often but Contra doesn't seem to come up like that.

Over the years I've found plenty of R7+ games locally for next to nothing. So far I've never purchased a game online and everything I have was purchased in person either locally or while travelling somewhere(not counting online contests I've won). I'm more used to buying bundles of games, keeping what I want, and selling the rest to break even. I really don't pay much for games anymore. It's now harder to find bundles of games worth buying on craigslist as everything is pretty much overpriced junk.

The thrifts local to me rarely get any games anymore and when they do they're overpriced and final sale. I don't seem to find many games anymore at thrifts closest to me. Usually I try to visit thrifts daily during the week, even going that often they rarely get games anymore. Flea markets aren't that great near me, the closest one only had overpriced games in beat up condition and I often see the same sunfaded stuff that's been there for years with the same vendors. I might find the odd thing worth buying once but it rarely feels worth it. Other flea markets are over an hour away and only slightly better. I'm hoping yard sales will be better once they start up, last year I actually found some neat stuff worth keeping though nothing really amazing or rare with games.

[recorderdude]

General commons that everyone wants, you also have to keep in mind, are going to be in a LOT of people's collections, too, so every time someone adds a copy to their library, there's one less in the wild.

Of course, those that are wise enough to collect responsibly and keep them for their entire lives (or at least until an age where VG collecting will have majorly slowed down) are balanced out by those who buy and end up reselling due to lost interest or foolishly purchasing at a rapid rate which they cannot afford. Despite that, even these people end up either learning their lesson and collecting wiser, and usually create lesser goals for themselves that STILL involve those much-desired commons. I guess you can blame the slow, cost-conscious hunters for the gradual inflation of commons to an extent, eh? ;)

Not for stuff like little samson, though, uber-rares and costlies seldom stay in collections for long and inflate due to the hype machine more than anything.

[Zing]

My take? People with more money than brains are driving up prices too much, too quick, and the market won't support it forever. There is no reason for Little Samson to go from a $250 CIB to $1250 CIB in just two years, among many other grossly overpriced titles now.

I disagree. The price on this game was already high when the demand was relative low. The demand is most certainly many times higher now, and the supply, while overall higher due to exposure, is relatively lower.

[Slypty]

I disagree. The price on this game was already high when the demand was relative low. The demand is most certainly many times higher now, and the supply, while overall higher due to exposure, is relatively lower.


I'm probably most of your most hated person, a reseller, but I'm not as bad as you think. I generally buy broken equipment for Older Systems, fix em up, and resell. That said, I'm certainly not innocent of finding great games at cheap and reselling for high. No one hear can say that they wouldn't jump at a great deal, even if their intentions are to Collect as opposed to sell.

It's due time to look in to a different Industry. I've been doing this for about 4 years, and it was easier just a few months ago. Now, I can't find a decent deal on Kijiji or Craigslist... never mind 'decent', I'm talking stuff that isn't inflated. I can regularly find a better deal on games on eBay than on Kijiji, which is my usual stomping ground. Who's to blame? Resellers. We're the one's that inflate the price, and unsuspecting uninformed citizens that just want their favorite game, will figure that 'hey that's the correct price.' The problem right now, is that because us resellers have jacked the price up SOOO much, it's become common knowledge that Video Games can hold a lot of value. The result is an increase in kids selling their games at phenomenal prices since their Parents are aware of people like me.

Its' gotten so bad that I can go to the local Value Village, and guess what? They've jacked their prices to astronomical amounts as well. I saw a copy of Mario Bros 2 for $29.99, as well as a few other NES games, which is well above retail value. Hell, a reseller in Video Games is just as bad as someone who resells used clothing and jacks the price up, the only reason people are jacking prices on Vid Games, as opposed to other novelties is because the Reselling business just had the roof blown on it and now everyone wants a slice.

[o.pwuaioc]

I'm probably most of your most hated person, a reseller, but I'm not as bad as you think.

Yeah, you are.

[Flam]

After my search for Battletoads & Double Dragon .

Just as an FYI since this thread has resurfaced, I'm sure it wouldn't come as a shock to anyone but the store where I offered to buy that BT&DD for $35 has, you guessed it, the same game, sitting in the same display case, for .... how much.... $45. So it's been sitting there for over two months and I expect it to still be there two months from now.

[recorderdude]

Just as an FYI since this thread has resurfaced, I'm sure it wouldn't come as a shock to anyone but the store where I offered to buy that BT&DD for $35 has, you guessed it, the same game, sitting in the same display case, for .... how much.... $45. So it's been sitting there for over two months and I expect it to still be there two months from now.

Somebody pulled that shit with a gamegear Xmen CiB I was going to buy literally seconds before I did. I told him about it, he told me it was a "mistake" but he didn't change it back because he wanted to see if it would sell for that price.

It didn't.

[Slypty]

Yeah, you are.

Would like to know a few reasons why resellers are hated. Is there good reason to hate? Are we so different from any other business that resells?

Enlighten me.

[Polygon]

I have a general disdain for resellers because most of them go around and buy up all the games at cheap prices locally, and then turn around and sell them for absurd amounts of money. I'm buying games to enjoy them. I don't mind people making money, but I do mind people being greedy assholes.

[Doonzmore]

How do you all think the potential internet sales tax will effect the online retro game market?


http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/06/tech/web/internet-sales-tax/index.html

I've also noticed a few stores are now carrying "replicas" of rare games like Little Samson and Duck Tales 2. How in the world can this be legal?

[wiggyx]

Would like to know a few reasons why resellers are hated. Is there good reason to hate? Are we so different from any other business that resells?

Enlighten me.

I don't know if there's "good" reason to hate, but there are definitely reasons.

None of us collectors like paying jacked up prices, and that's what resellers are doing with what they buy. None of us want to miss out on a good find at a yard sale or flea market, and we all know those are prime hunting locations for resellers. So naturally that puts the collectors at odds with the resellers. It's bad enough when another collector beats you to a good deal on something, but it's really annoying when it's just some guy who wants it for nothing other than resale. Resellers buy multiple copies of hard to find limited editions and whatnot, making it harder for those that just want the damned game for themselves, then of course artificially drive up demand/prices.

Basically, you suck a lot of the fun out of what us collectors have, well, collecting. I don't hate resellers and I'd be lying if I said I'd never made a purchase of my own with resale in mind, but it's not something that I actively pursue.

Not hate. More like disdain.

[Zing]

I have a general disdain for resellers because most of them go around and buy up all the games at cheap prices locally, and then turn around and sell them for absurd amounts of money. I'm buying games to enjoy them. I don't mind people making money, but I do mind people being greedy assholes.

I see this from a different perspective. Resellers are doing the work of rounding up all the scattered games and bringing them together for convenient purchase. I'd much rather pay higher prices than have to scout out my own games.

[Manga4life]

I hate the sellers that price their stuff based on eBay's "Buy it now" pricing, local merchants need to realize that they're not the main source of buying games anymore and they need to price their games to sell. If they're over paying for the games to then point to where they need to jack up the prices to make a profit than they're going about getting their games wrong.

The average person buys online these days and doesn't seek out gaming stores anymore, so they're not going to pay high in store prices if they can seek it out cheaper online.

[Polygon]

I see this from a different perspective. Resellers are doing the work of rounding up all the scattered games and bringing them together for convenient purchase. I'd much rather pay higher prices than have to scout out my own games.

I wouldn't mind paying a little more for that either, but most of them are blatantly gouging. I don't support that in any form. People like that can piss right off.

[Tanooki]

Polygon you and him both have a good point, the thing is there's a fine line. If the general sales rate on X game is $30 and someone snaps it up for a few bucks awesome for you. But if they're going to just sell it, price it within the point of fair sales. When someone is willing to buy it then pop it up for $50 on a BIN on ebay waiting for a chump which in turn will end up perhaps buying it later just causes the problem of escalating the prices higher which is just a vicious cycle that eats upon itself. Resellers are fine, gougers cause problems.

[Polygon]

Polygon you and him both have a good point, the thing is there's a fine line. If the general sales rate on X game is $30 and someone snaps it up for a few bucks awesome for you. But if they're going to just sell it, price it within the point of fair sales. When someone is willing to buy it then pop it up for $50 on a BIN on ebay waiting for a chump which in turn will end up perhaps buying it later just causes the problem of escalating the prices higher which is just a vicious cycle that eats upon itself. Resellers are fine, gougers cause problems.

Yep, exactly.

[wiggyx]

How do you all think the potential internet sales tax will effect the online retro game market?


http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/06/tech/web/internet-sales-tax/index.html

I think it'll have just about zero effect.

Joe Blow on eBay won't be required to collect sales tax unless he's gonna claim it as income and is operating in that capacity as a business.

Plus, we're just talking sales tax. We pay it every day for just about every offline purchase we make.

[Immutable]

I thought it was frowned upon to make reproductions of certain games, I read some debate on this topic in Nintendo Age.

That may only be for the Famicom conversion games.

[Flam]

That may only be for the Famicom conversion games.

What I now understand since I made that statement is that it is frowned upon to make reproductions of games released in North America (eg Little Samson) reason being it would devalue the current games and potentially cause an influx of fake copies into the market.

[Immutable]

Well, I think a part of the hysteria is partly due to these popular collectible shows (Pawn Stars and "the Pickers"). It seems like a lot of people are seeing dollar signs from watching too many of these bartering contests...

[Polygon]

Well, I think a part of the hysteria is partly due to these popular collectible shows (Pawn Stars and "the Pickers"). It seems like a lot of people are seeing dollar signs from watching too many of these bartering contests...

I honestly don't think either of those shows have contributed to the current retro video game boom. As some have already stated, I think a lot of these retro YouTube channels are part of the cause. I think there are a lot of variables to be honest with you, but I don't think any of the shows on the Discovery group of channels have any bearing on that.

[Baloo]

Nerds hate resellers because nerds feel the inherent need to own everything regardless of cost, so they are forced to pay those prices if they want something. If you want to complain about high prices, stop buying games at high prices. Oh wait, that's how supply and demand works. People want an item, they will pay for it. The more they want it, the more they will pay for it depending on the supply of the item. So that copy of Earthbound that everyone currently wants and doesn't have a ton of copies in circulation, people are willing to pay for. It is not because of "dirty re-sellers" that game prices are going up, it is because of nerds who want to collect every video game and the general populous who wants to play video games converging on a bunch of games that everyone wants to own.

Me, I will gladly take advantage of the ignorance of the buyer and the people who want to pay $25+ dollars for a plastic case and paper manual for a game that I find cheap at a yard sale. I have bills to pay and I want to buy things too.

People who hate resellers need to get a life, because obviously you don't have one if you hate people who are "greedy" and trying to make a living. The profit margins on freaking used classic video games is not high enough for people to be greedy with.

[Flam]

If you want to complain about high prices, stop buying games at high prices. Oh wait, that's how supply and demand works. People want an item, they will pay for it. The more they want it, the more they will pay for it depending on the supply of the item. .

well that's part of this thread, how much is actually demand and how much of it is some jack ass that overvalues a game which will never sell and "sit on the self" for months. I guess at some point theoretically the seller will lower his price, but that's not happening right now.

I am pretty confident that we are at the high water mark of game prices, I don't see them climbing, I think it's leveled off

[o.pwuaioc]

The "sucker" theory isn't supply and demand. It's oversupply and fabricated demand coupled in with gross ignorance. It's predatory. And that's why I feel absolutely zero pity for resellers who complain of the pool drying up. Fuck them. The same goes to the Republicans who crashed the economy in 2008 and then blamed it on the guy who came in afterward. If it weren't for resellers jacking up prices, we wouldn't be paying the amount we are now for games. It's why I'm done buying unless I somehow get an ebay game for well under market value or else I deal with friends on forums, and none of what I sell is ever purchased for the sake of reselling.

This doesn't just apply to games, it applies to anyone who buys something for cheap and then sells for a 200% profit. It's slimy, and there's a reason the very idea of this practice was widely condemned (even if only in word) by the ancients, along with usury. Greedy people wanting to be greedy. It's not illegal, so do whatever you want to do, but I can't see how anyone who gets burned being greedy or complains that they can no longer be greedy can expect sympathy for anyone, and I get even less how anyone can sympathize with their "plight".

</moralrant>

[Baloo]

The "sucker" theory isn't supply and demand. It's oversupply and fabricated demand coupled in with gross ignorance. It's predatory. And that's why I feel absolutely zero pity for resellers who complain of the pool drying up. Fuck them. The same goes to the Republicans who crashed the economy in 2008 and then blamed it on the guy who came in afterward. If it weren't for resellers jacking up prices, we wouldn't be paying the amount we are now for games. It's why I'm done buying unless I somehow get an ebay game for well under market value or else I deal with friends on forums, and none of what I sell is ever purchased for the sake of reselling.

This doesn't just apply to games, it applies to anyone who buys something for cheap and then sells for a 200% profit. It's slimy, and there's a reason the very idea of this practice was widely condemned (even if only in word) by the ancients, along with usury. Greedy people wanting to be greedy. It's not illegal, so do whatever you want to do, but I can't see how anyone who gets burned being greedy or complains that they can no longer be greedy can expect sympathy for anyone, and I get even less how anyone can sympathize with their "plight".

</moralrant>


How is it slimy exactly? Where is the fabricated demand coming from? Is someone deliberately underproducing goods here to increase the demand? With classic video games, there is a set amount of product so therefore supply and demand shifts when less or more games are on the market at any given one time. There's no fabricated demand here for anything.

And honestly, if I have a game I bought for cheap and I know someone's going to pay more than I can get from most other people, I'm going to sell it to the one person. Because when all is said and done, I'd rather have more money, than less money. The sellers are not deciding the price here. They're not the manufacturers, they aren't the ones setting the price either. They just hold the items. And rather than actually you know, buy the item, people like yourself would rather bitch and moan and buy it anyway and say it's their fault for selling it at that price. Don't want to buy it at that price! Don't pay for it! But then you don't own it. But you can't have the best of both worlds. Sellers don't have to just give a discount and cut into their own standard of living because they feel bad for the person paying more for MOTHERFUCKING VIDEO GAMES. It'd be one thing if it was food. But it's not. It's video games. Pointless bullshit in the grand scheme of things.

[ApolloBoy]

Geez, no need to bite people's heads off.

[BricatSegaFan]

Geez, no need to bite people's heads off.

Agreed

[wiggyx]

Baloo, you're spittin' in the wind.

No need to reiterate the reseller rationale over and over. Everyone understands perfectly well why people resell. It's not a mystery. Also, you'll probably find very few people here rallying to your cause, so it might not be the best plan to freak out.

You're a reseller. We understand why. Many of us don't care for that sort of thing. There's no debate to be had, and thus no need to keep yelling across the web.

[Zing]

It is clear that some people actually do not understand. You see the word "gouge" thrown around repeatedly. The truth is that games are more or less priced appropriately based on global demand. Just when you think that game which used to sell for $20, but now listed for $80, is ridiculously priced, someone comes along and buys it. Of course, this leads to further generalizations favored by gamers such as "more money than brains", but the fact is, the demand for even common games is very high right now.

I feel the issue for us here is that all prices are now based on the global eBay demand, and not local or even regional demand. All sellers, at swap meets, flea markets, retail and private via forums are basing their prices on the global supply and demand presented by eBay. Clearly, this doesn't represent the local or regional supply and demand. However, since it is so easy to sell something on eBay, it affects prices everywhere. There is effectively no longer any local pricing.

[o.pwuaioc]

It is clear that some people actually do not understand. You see the word "gouge" thrown around repeatedly. The truth is that games are more or less priced appropriately based on global demand. Just when you think that game which used to sell for $20, but now listed for $80, is ridiculously priced, someone comes along and buys it. Of course, this leads to further generalizations favored by gamers such as "more money than brains", but the fact is, the demand for even common games is very high right now.

I feel the issue for us here is that all prices are now based on the global eBay demand, and not local or even regional demand. All sellers, at swap meets, flea markets, retail and private via forums are basing their prices on the global supply and demand presented by eBay. Clearly, this doesn't represent the local or regional supply and demand. However, since it is so easy to sell something on eBay, it affects prices everywhere. There is effectively no longer any local pricing.

I call BS. If you were to look at for example R-Type III JP. Within the past two months, the prices for BINs on this item have ranged from $28 to $58 both up and down. It hasn't "gone up", nor is it really fluctuating, since there isn't a clear stream of prices which change to meet demand. People are buying whatever is put up. But I bet you that if it went up for auction, it wouldn't go up to $58. People are buying it because they are impatient and want to spend money now.

The same with Shantae. There was a recent auction where the game didn't even hit $150. It never met the reserve price. The demand isn't that great, and yet this guy thought he could get more. Same with that $7,000 Pluto prototype. Everyone calls that guy an idiot because he refused to take $7,000 for something to which there clearly wasn't a demand for.

As I try to price the items I have for sale, I look constantly at how much games are going for - granted these are only the games which I try to sell. Very few are consistently one price. It changes on whim, sometimes a game selling for $10 one day, and $20 the next, and then back down to $10 again on the third day. What you and most of the armchair economists in here don't realize is that supply and demand only fits production line, and is pretty much irrelevant in modern output systems. There isn't a great "demand", and that demand could be easily set. But ignorance and impatience means that people who see 1 copy of R-Type III on ebay will think that it's super rare, so they must get it for the $58 price, when in reality if they just wait a bit they could see a much cheaper version.

That's why for one game I'm looking at, I laugh every time I see the same seller put up the same game $15 higher than the game has sold for. He's just waiting for the right sucker. And when that right sucker comes along, it's going to "raise" the price of the game in places like VGPC, and other idiots will look through recent sells and say, "Well, it has been selling for $30, but this one sold for $45 so it must be worth more." It's a self-defeating cycle. The only way to break free is to control your impulses, inform the masses about how pricing really works, and not condone resellers.

This doesn't just apply to video games, which apparently aren't even a commodity worth getting upset over (although it did make Baloo furious). It applies to resellers as a whole. Which should have been obvious from lines like "This doesn't just apply to games, it applies to anyone who buys something for cheap and then sells for a 200% profit."

[Polygon]

It is clear that some people actually do not understand. You see the word "gouge" thrown around repeatedly. The truth is that games are more or less priced appropriately based on global demand. Just when you think that game which used to sell for $20, but now listed for $80, is ridiculously priced, someone comes along and buys it. Of course, this leads to further generalizations favored by gamers such as "more money than brains", but the fact is, the demand for even common games is very high right now.

I feel the issue for us here is that all prices are now based on the global eBay demand, and not local or even regional demand. All sellers, at swap meets, flea markets, retail and private via forums are basing their prices on the global supply and demand presented by eBay. Clearly, this doesn't represent the local or regional supply and demand. However, since it is so easy to sell something on eBay, it affects prices everywhere. There is effectively no longer any local pricing.

The problem is that I'm seeing it locally, and I'm sure other people are too. I've seen stores ask $45 for a loose Mario Kart 64 in what I would call "acceptable" condition. That price would make even most eBay sellers blush.

[Manga4life]

I have a video game store near me where the owner is literally selling some NES games for $30 and the same games are sitting on the shelf and nobody is buying them. You can tell they're the same games too because they have some writing on them or some label damage that give it away. This owner refuses to sell his NES games cheaper and claims he sells tons of NES titles at the prices he demands. I've been in his store multiple times over the past 2 months and nobody is ever in his store and when they are they seem to be just browsing and leave before I do, so nobody is buying his stuff but yet he absolutely refuses to budge on his prices. I always chuckle at him when he says that and reply with an, "Sure buddy, I can see that." in a sarcastic tone. Another store near me is doing the same thing, he's got a copy of Contra for $17 (which is kind of cheap for the game) but it's been sitting in the same glass case unsold for months on end. I told him I'd give him $10 for it one time and he basically laughed me out of the store, when I returned a month later I made a comment that the game was still there but he shot back that it was a different cart and the one I wanted to buy he sold later that day. Problem is, he didn't sell it because the same sticker that some kid put on the game was still there in the same place and it was obviously the same cart.

Store owners and eBay sellers are price gouging and it's making it hard to buy the games I need (and other people too) and those sellers aren't exactly selling the games like they would be if they lowered the prices. There is no reason SMB3 should be $15-$20 on eBay when just a few years ago I got a copy online for $7. I've seen Contra on eBay for $25-$30, which is absolutely disgusting for an NES game that wasn't rare and this madness needs to stop. No wonder why people are emulating.

[BeaglePuss]

Same with that $7,000 Pluto prototype. Everyone calls that guy an idiot because he refused to take $7,000 for something to which there clearly wasn't a demand for.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251269226255?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Now, there could easily be shill bidding involved, but take a look at some of the individual bidder's activity. This guy for example:
http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidderProfile&mode=1&item=251269226255&aid=6***8&eu=MrZhch%2FRdrKwyAOyDULiN8JH1oIe9%2FB4m5PsCG1D2h8 %3D&view=NONE&ssPageName=PageBidderProfileViewBids_None_ViewLink

He's bid on 16 different items, all owned by different members of eBay. Judging by that, I would say it's unlikely that he's shilling up this particular auction. He's bid over $11,000 for The Pluto.

To say there is clearly no demand for the auction would be incorrect.

[ApolloBoy]

You're a reseller. We understand why. Many of us don't care for that sort of thing. There's no debate to be had, and thus no need to keep yelling across the web.
That's what I was gonna say, nobody usually gets that worked up about something like this unless they're being real defensive about it.

[o.pwuaioc]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251269226255?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Now, there could easily be shill bidding involved, but take a look at some of the individual bidder's activity. This guy for example:
http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidderProfile&mode=1&item=251269226255&aid=6***8&eu=MrZhch%2FRdrKwyAOyDULiN8JH1oIe9%2FB4m5PsCG1D2h8 %3D&view=NONE&ssPageName=PageBidderProfileViewBids_None_ViewLink

He's bid on 16 different items, all owned by different members of eBay. Judging by that, I would say it's unlikely that he's shilling up this particular auction. He's bid over $11,000 for The Pluto.

To say there is clearly no demand for the auction would be incorrect.

I'll be surprised if it passes his reserve price.

Edit: That's not to say I can't be wrong about this particular incident. If it does pass his reserve price, good on him. He made a profit resellers (and anyone, really) could only really dream of. And really, too, that kind of reseller is different than a person who purposefully goes out of their way to snatch up all the cheap stuff merely for the sake of profit. There's a difference.

[Viper0hr]

I happened apon this page and site by accident but made an account to reply to this.

I agree with most of what you said, and especially with the BS overpricing and fall that will happen. But there are still alot of us younger people in out 20s who will continue to collect.

[wiggyx]

Hell, I've run into quite a few teenagers that are super into retro gaming. It spans the generations it would seem.

[Tanooki]

That's why for one game I'm looking at, I laugh every time I see the same seller put up the same game $15 higher than the game has sold for. He's just waiting for the right sucker. And when that right sucker comes along, it's going to "raise" the price of the game in places like VGPC, and other idiots will look through recent sells and say, "Well, it has been selling for $30, but this one sold for $45 so it must be worth more." It's a self-defeating cycle. The only way to break free is to control your impulses, inform the masses about how pricing really works, and not condone resellers.

This doesn't just apply to video games, which apparently aren't even a commodity worth getting upset over (although it did make Baloo furious). It applies to resellers as a whole. Which should have been obvious from lines like "This doesn't just apply to games, it applies to anyone who buys something for cheap and then sells for a 200% profit."

You know that right there is truly the whole argument on all these pages in the best stated easy way to grasp. You throw the bait, you wait, and eventually some impatient or unschooled 'mark' finds the thing and bites the bait on the end of the pole. When that fish gets reeled in, other fishies see the new value and some call that guy a fool, but also some think it's trending upwards and they'll jump on the bandwagon too and there you have your increase with another to come when the next guy tries to inch it up another $5. It's not just games, it's whatever people want to stick the screws to a consumer over if it's frivolous games or something some are stuck using like oil (gas for a car to plastics which require oil to be made.)

Manga4Life made a good example too. I've seen that in action as well with stuff that sat and could still be sitting on the shelves years later. Ex-friend of mine owns a shop, around 5 years back he broke his old price plan and started charging for manuals, boxes, and even dust sleeves, then started copying EBAY Bin 'asking' prices, and from there started going like 2x the value of 'paid' prices on stuff. I know he had the same copy of some high end priced SNES carts rotting for years always putting a bigger sticker on it waiting on a chump. Thankfully most chumps didn't go there, but he'd still grease people for $100 on a NES, SNES or N64 with a beater game thrown in and the original parts/accessories they came with and we know what that hardware is worth. Some people just never learn and won't because they can screw over the unknowing on the little ones (the $20 SMB3 carts) that flip fast and often so they can afford to wait on the really wallet raping goodies on the shelf for some year they find a rich target.

[o.pwuaioc]

I'll be surprised if it passes his reserve price.

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&_trksid=p2047675.l2565&rt=nc&item=251269226255

$15,550, evidence of shill bidders, and it didn't pass his reserve price.

[airman_miller]

I actually registered just to join this conversation! I am pretty new to collecting, and love playing the classics. When I first started going back into retro gaming, I emulated them. I bought some cables to play on my pc using the original controllers. I just felt there was some sort of missing element by playing this way, so I started collecting. At firs, I blindly bought games I played as a kid. Looking at the prices I paid for some of those games makes me shudder. Yard sales here are pretty much a bust, because the sellers don't really know what a game is worth. most people running yard sales see storage wars and pawn stars and get their confirmation bias from BIN prices on ebay and think their copy is just as good($10 for a half burnt copy of sm/dh?). luckily people where I am from (NE Oklahoma) don't bite, and the gaming economy here is better for it. I can go into mom and pop game stores and get games like turtles in time for $15 and Super mario RPG for $20. I have been known to resell games from time to time, and what I normally do is this: go to Ebay(now wait, hear me out), filter for auctions that sold(not just ended), and sort by price + shipping lowest first. then I go through the list until there is at least 2 games listed for roughly the same price and sell my game for 5 dollars less than that. I mostly use the money from selling games to get more expensive games that I want. Sorry for the rambling post and I hope to continue to be a part of this community!

[sloan]

The sellers are not deciding the price here. They're not the manufacturers, they aren't the ones setting the price either. They just hold the items.

This is the fallacy that many pure capitalists would like you and I to believe. Case in point: collusion among resellers. I have seen pages of BIN auctions on ebay that are all grossly overpriced, and it is not 'pure supply and demand' that is driving those prices as capitalists would have you believe. What I have witnessed, if not collusion to drive prices up for game 'X', is at least group-think among them. Games I have seen will sit there unsold, be continually relisted at said inflated BIN prices, and the resellers will not back off their elevated asking prices. Now, I have a business degree and know fully well that people like Baloo here will argue that the resellers are merely 'holding the items', and I call BS. Most honest people can see through price gouging, and it is evident that three pages of overpriced games on ebay amounts to ample supply that does not equate to stupid prices that are being blamed on demand.

[Tanooki]

He is right they do hold the items, and no one does force a fool to pay for that crap price. But going off my other post, the fact is some dumbass will eventually get impatient or just not be familiar with the real going rate and will buy it. Sure they hold the item, they may hold it for a month or six months, but some pigeon will get it eventually. And that's when the whole row of dominoes takes over and when one sucker dictates the value, then another will see it 'could' go for that much and be ok not waiting and now your price average ramps up and we all lose. Once those items on hold get not-held, they see it's not low enough anymore and will put it another ten bucks over what's reasonable for the next fool to be the first mark to screw it up for everyone else.

[bigbacon]

sadly it all comes down to what people are willing to pay. If people are paying the prices go up. Once people stop spending the bucks on the games, they'll start to go down.

I have no problems spending 25 bucks on a game I want even if most of you or major collectors would think that is crazy. I also don't spend my time driving around all over the place trying to find games. I hop of ebay, look for a cheap buy it now or an auction ending soon that I can snipe and if the prices don't work for me, I just wait.

I'll look at flea markets and garage sales if I happen to go to one but I spend any time going to them just in thehopes I can get lucky.

I'm more on trying to get the actual consoles right now than the games. Once I have the console, if I see something randomly somewhere I can pick up a game or 2 and be happy.

[TheRetroVideoGameAddict]

I honestly hate that retro games have skyrocketed in price over the past few years. I remember back in 2002-2004 I could get a copy of Punch Out or Contra for almost next to nothing, now games are $20-$30 if not more, it's just nuts to me. It seems like every single important game is either in the hands of a collector and not for sale or in the hands of a re-seller and selling for more than it's really worth, it shouldn't be that way. I am better the only ones who disagree are the re-sellers themselves, though I could be wrong, but regardless I do long for the days when the average SNES game wasn't almost $20 on eBay and classic NES titles were only like $3-$5 with a rare title being maybe $20 (aside from a specific few gems).

[wiggyx]

I see a lot of people saying that games are selling for "more than they're worth". If they're consistently selling for XXX, then they're worth XXX, regardless of whether or not they're worth that much to you.

What is annoying about game collecting is how pricey super common games have become. Stuff like SMB2/3, Contra, etc. These games are in no short supply, yet they command an increasingly higher dollar amount. My only guess is that video games, unlike many collectibles, actually have a use other than collecting dust on a shelf, and, *surprise*, people want the games that are actually worth playing. Just so strange that it works that way, from a collector's standpoint. I'm so used to rarity and condition being pretty much the only value measuring means for collectibles.

[PreZZ]

I honestly hate that retro games have skyrocketed in price over the past few years. I remember back in 2002-2004 I could get a copy of Punch Out or Contra for almost next to nothing, now games are $20-$30 if not more, it's just nuts to me. It seems like every single important game is either in the hands of a collector and not for sale or in the hands of a re-seller and selling for more than it's really worth, it shouldn't be that way. I am better the only ones who disagree are the re-sellers themselves, though I could be wrong, but regardless I do long for the days when the average SNES game wasn't almost $20 on eBay and classic NES titles were only like $3-$5 with a rare title being maybe $20 (aside from a specific few gems).

The internet getting mainstream is the culprit. Before 2002, flea market sellers just couldn't sell an old game for more than 30$, because local buyers would not buy it. Now with ebay, the market has gone worldwide and the prices for games went to the roof. I got most of my collection before 2003, and I bought sealed games like Metroid, Zelda, contra for 30$, and the games werent flying off the shelf, they were still there the next week! I can still find some sweet deals sometimes, but its a lot more harder than it used to be. Last week I got a genny non tmss, 2 controllers, zombies ate my neighbors, shadowrun, sonic 1 -2 and flashback for 60$ on ebay. The guy did not list the games in the description, you could only see them in the pictures.

[TheRetroVideoGameAddict]

One thing I hate the most is when I walk into a video game store and browse their NES selection of games and nothing is priced. The reason for this is so you are forced to ask for a price which gives the seller a moment to check their "price list" online to see how much its selling for, which is nothing more than eBay.com of course. I've had a few people do this and I've even sneaked a peek at what they're doing and instead of selling below the price online to make the sale they just use it as a price reference, it's so annoying. When that happens I leave with nothing and the seller goes another day with his NES games collecting dust.

Most of these guys get these games as a trade in and pay next to nothing for them anyway, I know a lot of these guys raid yard sales and Goodwill stores too and pick these games up for dirt cheap so I don't see the need to sell them for top dollar. If I got a huge lot of like 20 NES games from a trade-in or paid someone who dropped them off in my store $5 credit for them and someone came in looking for SMB 2 or TMNT II (or whatever) and I had the games they wanted, the last thing I'd do is check eBay for the prices. I'd probably sell an average NES game for like $2-$4 with some of the more popular games for $5-$7. If I had a Bubble Bobble II or something like that I'd probably try to get more for it by selling it on eBay, but Contra or Zelda does NOT need to be selling for $20+, it's just silly.

[Flam]

What I find funny is the fact that my local store has the same games priced differently in the same display case. For example, just this weekend they had one Ikari Warriors priced for $7, then another in another row for $5 (condition of the game was not the factor). I wonder which one will sell first? They had this same discrepancy when I bought Golf, they had one for $3 and one for $5.

[wiggyx]

One thing I hate the most is when I walk into a video game store and browse their NES selection of games and nothing is priced. The reason for this is so you are forced to ask for a price which gives the seller a moment to check their "price list" online to see how much its selling for, which is nothing more than eBay.com of course. I've had a few people do this and I've even sneaked a peek at what they're doing and instead of selling below the price online to make the sale they just use it as a price reference, it's so annoying. When that happens I leave with nothing and the seller goes another day with his NES games collecting dust.

Most of these guys get these games as a trade in and pay next to nothing for them anyway, I know a lot of these guys raid yard sales and Goodwill stores too and pick these games up for dirt cheap so I don't see the need to sell them for top dollar. If I got a huge lot of like 20 NES games from a trade-in or paid someone who dropped them off in my store $5 credit for them and someone came in looking for SMB 2 or TMNT II (or whatever) and I had the games they wanted, the last thing I'd do is check eBay for the prices. I'd probably sell an average NES game for like $2-$4 with some of the more popular games for $5-$7. If I had a Bubble Bobble II or something like that I'd probably try to get more for it by selling it on eBay, but Contra or Zelda does NOT need to be selling for $20+, it's just silly.

I refuse to shop at places like that. Luckily there really aren't shops like that around here. The "lemme check ebay" thing is garbage.

[TheRetroVideoGameAddict]

I refuse to shop at places like that. Luckily there really aren't shops like that around here. The "lemme check ebay" thing is garbage.

Unfortunately it seems like that's how sellers are becoming. Another store by me keeps all of his NES and SNES games in the back where you can't see them, instead he has a sign up that says something like "Ask me about my huge stock of NES and SNES games!". When you ask, he brings you to his laptop that has his eBay page listed and you're supposed to either "buy it now" right at the counter and pay right then and there, or he'll remove the auction and sell you the game for the same price he has it listed for. And the prices are the typical high eBay seller prices, of course. It's becoming such a hassle to be a retro video game collector unless you're pocket is bulging with cold hard cash.

[bigbacon]

One thing I hate the most is when I walk into a video game store and browse their NES selection of games and nothing is priced. The reason for this is so you are forced to ask for a price which gives the seller a moment to check their "price list" online to see how much its selling for, which is nothing more than eBay.com of course. I've had a few people do this and I've even sneaked a peek at what they're doing and instead of selling below the price online to make the sale they just use it as a price reference, it's so annoying. When that happens I leave with nothing and the seller goes another day with his NES games collecting dust.

Most of these guys get these games as a trade in and pay next to nothing for them anyway, I know a lot of these guys raid yard sales and Goodwill stores too and pick these games up for dirt cheap so I don't see the need to sell them for top dollar. If I got a huge lot of like 20 NES games from a trade-in or paid someone who dropped them off in my store $5 credit for them and someone came in looking for SMB 2 or TMNT II (or whatever) and I had the games they wanted, the last thing I'd do is check eBay for the prices. I'd probably sell an average NES game for like $2-$4 with some of the more popular games for $5-$7. If I had a Bubble Bobble II or something like that I'd probably try to get more for it by selling it on eBay, but Contra or Zelda does NOT need to be selling for $20+, it's just silly.

BS. If you knew you can get a game at trade for say $5 dollars and you know it could easily sell for say, $50. you'd do it and you'd do it in the store or on ebay. You would not sell a few dollars profit when you know you can get 10s of dollars in profit.

If people are going to pay 30 bucks for contra, then that is what it is worth.

[Gatucaman]

General commons that everyone wants, you also have to keep in mind, are going to be in a LOT of people's collections, too, so every time someone adds a copy to their library, there's one less in the wild.

Of course, those that are wise enough to collect responsibly and keep them for their entire lives (or at least until an age where VG collecting will have majorly slowed down) are balanced out by those who buy and end up reselling due to lost interest or foolishly purchasing at a rapid rate which they cannot afford. Despite that, even these people end up either learning their lesson and collecting wiser, and usually create lesser goals for themselves that STILL involve those much-desired commons. I guess you can blame the slow, cost-conscious hunters for the gradual inflation of commons to an extent, eh? ;)

Not for stuff like little samson, though, uber-rares and costlies seldom stay in collections for long and inflate due to the hype machine more than anything.

In my case, i did bought a copy of Panic Restaurant for $10 at the very end of 2008 on Obregon City Mexico, in an small video game store that mostly sold..........well, piracy for PS2 and Xbox, but they had some NES and SNES games, i was looking for Ducktales, and they have it, but it was also at $10, and it had a damaged half label, so i looked at a game from TAITO that looked familiar, i did google it before, so i gave the owner $4 because i dint have more, and he did reserve it for me in a few days, so when i got more income (i got misery back then), i came back and bough it, the store itself was very small, no joke, i remember going back at 2009 during Xmas and it was pretty much closing, and came back in 2011 and it was gone, heck i even got a photo when it used to be.

6680

It was kinda by accident, and i have played trough the game many times, and to being honest, i am kinda in the fence as to what to do with it, since i honestly find the game just average at best, and i was thinking if i was lucky to find a copy for cheap even if it was beaten up, sell the one i had for a BIG price, but now that the whole Speculator Problem has REALLY become a problem, i honestly don't know if i should just keep the game or if i sell it, sell it for a reasonable price, maybe $35.

Other "RARE" games, (and by that i meant just uncommon, you know, those that DON'T pop up [mostly] at Flea markets) for the NES are Ducktales 2 (which i got in 2008 for only 15 Pesos [BARLEY $1]), Princess Tomato in VERY USED condition for $2.5.

Right now i am focusing on SNES games, but here only a few titles are at $3.5 (50 Pesos), most of them, the sellers at Flea Markets sell them at 200 Pesos ($16) REGARDLESS of what game it is and its condition, and right now, these are the games that i NEED to buy.

Pocky and Rocky
Pocky and Rocky 2
Ninja Warriors
Kirby's Dreamland 3
Demon's Crest

And with the whole SPECULATOR ISSUE, my chances of getting them are very null.

And teh Whole Game Grumps DRAMA (them causing the inflation in prices, according to 4chan) isnt helping either, plus i dont like those posers, specially Egoraptor, he comes off as a Pretentious Fake Gamer to me.

[sloan]

BS. If you knew you can get a game at trade for say $5 dollars and you know it could easily sell for say, $50. you'd do it and you'd do it in the store or on ebay. You would not sell a few dollars profit when you know you can get 10s of dollars in profit.


People that make statements like this are being highly presumptuous. Just because you are a cold calculating cut-throat capitalist, does not automatically mean that everybody else is. I am of a similar mind as that of theretrovideogameaddict, in that I would not be always trying to quadruple my purchase price for an item. Its called being human and wanting to help fellow collectors out. If I paid $5 for a game, then a selling price of $7-$8 would be sufficient, no matter the title.

[TheRetroVideoGameAddict]

BS. If you knew you can get a game at trade for say $5 dollars and you know it could easily sell for say, $50. you'd do it and you'd do it in the store or on ebay. You would not sell a few dollars profit when you know you can get 10s of dollars in profit.

If people are going to pay 30 bucks for contra, then that is what it is worth.

On certain games, sure. Like I said, if I had Bubble Bobble II and I was a small video game shop owner I wouldn't be selling it for $5, it would be up on eBay for sure. But if I had a common game like Punch Out or Contra I wouldn't be selling them for eBay prices, I would want to be inviting and give good deals to keep my customers happy and coming back. Chances are that if someone was coming into my store to buy NES games they would have some knowledge of eBay pricing and would appreciate the fact that they could get them locally and from a reputable dealer instead of having or order online and pay for shipping. But again, this is all based on me finding these games cheap at yard sales or through trade in's at the store. If I had to pay $20 and wanted to sell the game I'd be forced to try to sell it at a profit so I wouldn't lose money, that alone is basic economics.

[wiggyx]

Unfortunately it seems like that's how sellers are becoming. Another store by me keeps all of his NES and SNES games in the back where you can't see them, instead he has a sign up that says something like "Ask me about my huge stock of NES and SNES games!". When you ask, he brings you to his laptop that has his eBay page listed and you're supposed to either "buy it now" right at the counter and pay right then and there, or he'll remove the auction and sell you the game for the same price he has it listed for. And the prices are the typical high eBay seller prices, of course. It's becoming such a hassle to be a retro video game collector unless you're pocket is bulging with cold hard cash.


Luckily that hasn't started happening around my neck of the woods yet. The retro game stores here are typically run by pretty decent folks who cater to the collector and don't expect eBay prices.

[Tanooki]

I believe the retro game addict guy there for sure. It's really not that bad of a strategy, but I'd tweak it a bit on a case by case basis. Sure a game that will fly for $40+ I'd have on ebay easily as it would move fast and keep a store open. The other stuff though, I'd probably spot check ebay once a month on sold prices and readjust stickers, and I'd keep things on the low end of $5 to pay for enough to cover the minimum with bank/card charges and other junk, and the rest I'd place like 1/3 under ebay with shipping not factored into it. It's enough to keep predatory reseller scum out who would buy cheap to punish another on craigslist or ebay themselves, yet it would be a deal enough not to deal with those websites or jerks so everyone wins. If you start pricing stuff 1/2 the going rate or less as ebay does, you'll get picked clean quick and keep no stock in which would discourage future visitors and return people too.

[ProjectCamaro]

I'm lucky as the guy that owns the shop by my house is an honest individual that sells everything at realistic prices. It's to bad other resellers are giving people like him a bad name.