I never knew how badly I was getting ripped off on Amazon

[LimitedEditionMuseum]

I built most of my Transformers and statue collection from Ebay, about 3 years ago I stopped using ebay and forgot all about it. I started using Amazon when I started collecting video games for the last 3 years. my wife opened up a ebay account last Friday and I started looking at the video games and the HUGE amount avaliable and the HUGE difference in prices compared to Amazon. Using Ebay, I could have had about 3 times the size of my current 3 year collection if I would have started off with Ebay. some boxed NES games that go for $200 plus on Amazon are as low as $50 on Ebay. I have never bought a boxed NES game off Amazon because of the prices, but now I might pick up a few off Ebay, where I would have done a lot better is with the SEGA, Gameboy, PSP and PS1 games. I could have bought lots of 10-20 for the price I was paying for one game.

[Natty Bumppo]

I generally check both - and half.com - for games, books, dvds or laserdiscs - and then go with the best deal (considering shipping and condition etc.) One nice thing about ebay is that you can often check what other copies of something have actually sold for in the recent past (although you used to be able to go back much further) so you have some basis to gauge things on. (Also this can give you an idea of how common something is.) Another useful aspect of this is on buy it nows with the offer function in place you can see if that specific item has been listed before (or how long the current listing has been running) - the longer the item has been around the lower the price the seller is likely to take.

[Tanooki]

The problem with amazon is that the trolls there know they can find suckers far easier than ebay. You go to amazon and you feel you're buying from Amazon or a trusted member and their prices and return options and overall package feel safer and more solid. eBay historically before like 80%+ of the game auctions on there went stupid buy it now trying to be amazon were colossal crap shoots of people trying to win the thing at the last moment or falling under the radar and getting an awesome deal but required actual work. Amazon also doesn't make people prove quality up front, you just take the grade and pray, ebay you can pray too without an image and get lucky, or you get the image, but you can odds on find a far better price at ebay for all its crappy short comings in the last few years. Amazon isn't all bad, but you have to watch it like a stalker on a game by game basis of something you want because if a CIB game pops you want that's cheaper than ebay, it could sit for weeks or months, or be gone in under an hour as you're probably not the only one looking.

[Rickstilwell1]

The problem with amazon is that the trolls there know they can find suckers far easier than ebay. You go to amazon and you feel you're buying from Amazon or a trusted member and their prices and return options and overall package feel safer and more solid. eBay historically before like 80%+ of the game auctions on there went stupid buy it now trying to be amazon were colossal crap shoots of people trying to win the thing at the last moment or falling under the radar and getting an awesome deal but required actual work. Amazon also doesn't make people prove quality up front, you just take the grade and pray, ebay you can pray too without an image and get lucky, or you get the image, but you can odds on find a far better price at ebay for all its crappy short comings in the last few years. Amazon isn't all bad, but you have to watch it like a stalker on a game by game basis of something you want because if a CIB game pops you want that's cheaper than ebay, it could sit for weeks or months, or be gone in under an hour as you're probably not the only one looking.

Yeah once on ebay a $10 picture-less Atari 2600 with no power cord and one joystick turned out to be a 1980 promo display unit with the yellow markings instead of orange, which I managed to sell on Atariage for $200. Sometimes taking a chance can be beneficial.

[Gameguy]

Yeah once on ebay a $10 picture-less Atari 2600 with no power cord and one joystick turned out to be a 1980 promo display unit with the yellow markings instead of orange, which I managed to sell on Atariage for $200. Sometimes taking a chance can be beneficial.
These 4 switch promo units are worth $200? If it's the same model I think it is, I have one. Found it years ago at a thrift. I didn't think they were worth that much.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

I generally try to find games in the wild, if I can. They're cheaper that way. Usually. U'll still pay top dollar most of the time at retro game shops, but you'll find tonsa great games there. Thrift stores can have fantastic prices, but most thrift shops in my area have zero games. Goodwill is starting to catch on to the top-dollar prices, but most mom-n-pop shops have not. In a little local thrift shop I went in on a whim one day and found a Gameboy Color complete in box, for $1.50. Along with 2 other boxed games 1.00 each. That boxed system sells for over $100 on Amazon or Ebay. So yea. Thrift stores and game shops are my main hunting grounds.