When's the best time to buy rarest games for system?

[smork]

I'm curious about something -- with the serious, completist collector, when is the best time to buy the rarest games for a system you are trying to build a complete set of?

For example, you are collecting Saturn (JP). You have a pretty good collection of say 200 titles and intend to complete the set some day, then you run across a Taromaru for, say, $200. Very hard to find, don't know when you'll come across one again, but it's $200 you could spend on a bunch of other titles. Assuming you have the cash and don't mind spending it, do you get the hard to find game now, or wait until you are further along in your collection to worry about it?

Do you work from the common titles to the uncommon ones to complete a collection, or just buy something you want, when you see it and can afford it?

[Iron Draggon]

Well considering that only $200 for Taromaru would be a real steal, I'd go for it for sure, if I had the money for it. I tend to get only the cheapest most common games that I want first, then work my way up to the rarest and most expensive games later, but if it's a good price and it's really rare, then no reason to risk not being able to get it later just because I could get alot more common games with the same amount of money. Common is common, rare is rare.

[50TBRD]

I've been working my way down the rarity list starting at R8s, R7s and R6s and for SNES, I have all R7s, all but Speed Racer/Mountain Bike Rally for R8s, and all but like 4 R6s. I think that I'm doing pretty good. I've also got most of the expensive SNES games knocked out except Harvest Moon, Dracula X, Mega Man X2 and X3, Speed Racer/MBR, DKC Comp, Star Fox Weekend and Miracle. More than half of the ones that I need are sports games

[Steven]

Is that "say" example really just that? ;)

Anyway, I imagine 95% would vote the option at the very top, as it makes a lot of sense, especially considering the habit of the average DP member.

[Griking]

If it's truely rare you really wouldn't have the oppertunity to buy one whenever you wanted so I'd pick it up whenever I was lucky enough to find one as long as I was happy with it's condition and price.

[klausien]

I impulse buy most of the time, but "rares" tend to require some preplanning, usually of the financial kind. It's always like, "Hmmm, what semi-valuable stuff can I put up on eBay to compensate for this?" Sometimes it just takes a bit of raw ballsiness, like when I decided to damn the torpedoes and get Rakugaki Showtime. Paid $160, but it was essential for a personal goal subset.

Recently I just did the same thing. I wanted to complete the 7 game SMS SegaScope 3-D subset and paid a little too much for OutRun 3-D. I was going to forego it for a while and just enjoy the 6 US games that I had already accumulated, having finally gotten the glasses after what I consider 19 years of waiting, but the collector in me was digging into my side. Had to have it. Paid the price. Zero regrets. Can't wait to get it in my fat fingers.

Of course, I now need to complete my OutRun collection. I only need the two versions, GG & SMS, of Europa, the MD Turbo OutRun (I want the Japanese version), and the SMS & GG versions of OutRun. All on the common side thankfully, but it never ends, does it? At least I have OutRun 3-D and Battle OutRun out of the way.

[smork]

Is that "say" example really just that? ;)

Actually, it is -- i've got alot more "wants" on my JP - SAT list that are cheaper than Taromaru (and I am only about 50 games in) - though I have pretty consistently seen Taromaru for not a hell of alot more than $200 (maybe $220-240). But for that $200ish I could likely pick up Hyper Duel, Battle Garegga, and possibly Image Fight/X Multiply, all of which I want and don't have.

I am about to buy a rare tomorrow -- saw a Chotetsu Bri'kinger for NGCD for way under market value (hidden in a case in an out of the way store, so I am confident it will still be there) and was wondering what other's philosophy is on the subject. I've got a bit to go for sure on my NGCD collection, but it's small and doable enough that I don't mind ponying up for the rarest game when I find it.

I guess what I wondered is what people do for the larger collections, like Saturn, or PSX (Rakugaki Showtime is a bitch to find), NES, etc.

[Nukie]

I'm slowly working on a NES and SMS collection, and for the truly rares, the ones that aren't on ebay every other month, if I have the money I jump all over them. Otherwise I'll wait a little and try to get a steal for the other rares that pop up fairly frequently. In the wild, if it's a good deal I take it over the commons and uncommons, but then I know a few store owners, so that helps me out with harder stuff.

[B - Mark]

In my opinion the best moment to buy a rare game is when have a low price about this product.

[christhegamer]

depends on what you mean by rare; for example, the NES game "color a dinosaur isn't" too rare but is certainly not a thing to be tossed-aside. anyways, this particular game goes for about eight bucks loose; now I'm not the MOST cheapest guy in the world, but If I saw one at that price I'd probably let it pass me by (unless my bartering skills can prove otherwise ;)).

I chose the first one because, even though the meaning of "rare games" was a bit confusing to me, you should never pass-up a good opportunity today when it could be completely gone by tommorow.

[megamaniaman]

Ok, this one is a tuffy. I was one of those suckers that bought Motorodeo and Ikari for $200 a piece complete in box. At the time I thought I had a steal. When I found out later on that they had found a whole bunch of them, I realized I was ripped off. Remember if something is too good to be true than it probably isn't.

[7th lutz]

If it is the right price. As a sms collecter it would be a matter of time to get Golden Axe Warrior it would take a long time to get the 3d glasses.

As a soon to be tg-16 owner, there are games that I never would get because the price wouldn't be low enough like Magical Chase. The only way for me or a family member wins the lottery or if my brother decides to go to Los vegas in the future and enters the World Series of Poker major event and finishes in the top 3.

[Ed Oscuro]

Those poll options are confusing; it's possible for both #1 and #3 to be true at the same time.

Anyway, I voted for three...rare games are expensive, so I only buy those I like.