classic games industry/ flea markets '06

[mailman187666]

has anybody noticed a trend starting at their local flea markets. Since last summer, I've been going to this huge outdoor fleamarket in the MA area. For the past year, I've noticed that more and more people are selling videogames. Not only that but I've also noticed that more and more people are crowding around the tables where there are videogames for sale. I even hear people talking to each other saying things like "finally i found an NES", which most likely indicates that people are still now just starting to get into the classic games collecting. A good amount of the sellers at the flea markets also are starting to realize the true values of some of the games and are putting thier prices up a bit more. Even to the point where they mark on the price tag "rare" kind of as a reminder to not let the price get negotiated down too low. Does anybody think that the used classic games industry is going to quickly see an uprise in demand and value? I recently read an article that suggests that the videogame industry is on a quick rise.

http://cube.ign.com/articles/713/713796p1.html

The article mainly pertains to the next gen console war and has a lot to do with Asia and European sales. But if what the article says is true, that means the demand for videogames is going to rise, which in my theory will make the demand for the old school higher as well.

let me know what everybody else has been seeing in thier area. lets get some speculation going on here.

[CartCollector]

The price for classic games HAS been rising. I mean, how can Game Crazy get away with it's outrageous pricing? Once, I looked at their "used console" shelves, and there wasn't anything there besides a PS1. I asked the attendant where the usual "classic" consoles were (NES/SNES/Genesis) and he said that there were waiting lists for them. Waiting lists! Please note that they go for around $20-$30.
Oh, and there's the "im so hardcore and 1337s coz i gots an NES!!!!111one" culture that's formed among the kiddies (think Hot Topic NES T-shirts). Since demand is rising among kids who don't know their stuff, they'll pay higher prices than what us educated collectors here on DP would. Therefore, prices rise.

[Griking]

The price for classic games HAS been rising.

Are the prices going up or going down? I'm hearing different people give oposite answers. This is definately the slow time of the year for games on eBay.

[bangtango]

has anybody noticed a trend starting at their local flea markets. Since last summer, I've been going to this huge outdoor fleamarket in the MA area. For the past year, I've noticed that more and more people are selling videogames. Not only that but I've also noticed that more and more people are crowding around the tables where there are videogames for sale. I even hear people talking to each other saying things like "finally i found an NES", which most likely indicates that people are still now just starting to get into the classic games collecting. A good amount of the sellers at the flea markets also are starting to realize the true values of some of the games and are putting thier prices up a bit more. Even to the point where they mark on the price tag "rare" kind of as a reminder to not let the price get negotiated down too low. Does anybody think that the used classic games industry is going to quickly see an uprise in demand and value? I recently read an article that suggests that the videogame industry is on a quick rise.

http://cube.ign.com/articles/713/713796p1.html

The article mainly pertains to the next gen console war and has a lot to do with Asia and European sales. But if what the article says is true, that means the demand for videogames is going to rise, which in my theory will make the demand for the old school higher as well.

let me know what everybody else has been seeing in thier area. lets get some speculation going on here.

Well, my local pawn shop owner recently learned the value of older Genesis, NES and SNES games. He had no idea up until 2-3 weeks ago. Hate to say it but I was the one who told him. Him and his wife are old family friends so I figured I'd mention it in passing one day. He hasn't had anything valuable in awhile but at least he knows to look.

I figured it was payback for him letting me test all their systems and games in the past (circa 1991 to around 1996). Since he was a family friend, he used to let me test every single system and game that came through there, on the house. He didn't have the time to test all that stuff and only had two employees (including himself). So I was able to "rent" pretty much every NES/SNES/Genesis game, and system, that came through there. Keep in mind this was back when all these systems were still being sold new in stores.

I'd get to take all this stuff home and try out games I might have never rented or bought otherwise. I never had to pay a cent. I'd get to keep them a week or two to a time to play all the way through them and make sure they worked :D I also got the occasional free game or very good discounts on a pile of games. It went on for at least 4-5 years. I guess letting the cat out of the bag was my way of thanking him for being so nice. The only bad part is that he now has 4-5 employees and no longer needs someone to test out current-generation stuff LOL

[cyberfluxor]

I'd say it depends on where you're going. On eBay prices fluxuate depending on demand; ie. just look at Super Punch-Out for the NES and its price rise a bit because someone made a YTMND about it the other year.

Now as for around here, there's a few pawn shops that have dropped prices for 16-bit systems and older (10-50 cents per game) but still hold more expensive newer titles, like making all the N64 games $5-10. It's alright because you can find some pretty nice deals sometimes that aren't a bunch of sports titles (Like Dr. Mario 64 or Paper Mario for $5).

The privately owned shops tend to raise and drop their prices as demend goes locally and a few go by eBay and DP's guide. I find it quite amusing when I trade in rare games and the pull out the DP guides or hop on-line to check pricing and the price they give me is what I told them they'd say after looking it up (I do research through several things before I sell my duplicate games). So ya, their prices will very. One day a price of some Genesis title is $3, the next month it may be $7 or $2.

Now on to national chains like EBgames, Gamestop and all they just do whatever the hell they want. I don't know how they chose their prices because it's some internal deal, but I find it to be both sluggish for price drops (Want maximum profit) and when it does drop it's still above what other places resell used titles for. I have found national outlets to be good for just 1 thing: New games. When I'm getting a game for a new system I own I go new, older systems I go used. It's just the way I work. :)

So, what it all comes down to is it depends on where you live, where you buy from, and what you choose to do. All I can really say is make sure you have a general idea of what you want to buy and their pricing because around here prices are always bouncing around, just keep an eye out and you may see some uped prices eventually.

[ryborg]

The flea markets around me have a ton of classic game stores/booths, which used to be amazing during the mid-90s, but ever since ebay became huge, it is absolutely impossible to find a good deal or even an acceptible bargain there. They all have the same selection and the EXACT same prices.

The only time I ever see a decent deal is at booths that don't typically sell video games, booths run by old people who don't know what they sell, or "junk" booths (which InsaneDavid has some great stories of on his website).
________
LandonLUX (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/cam/LandonLUX/)

[mailman187666]

One flea market that I go to sometimes only has one person selling videogames at it. The only thing is that all of the prices are the highest that i've ever seen them in my journeys for collecting. She is a nice person and i enjoy shooting the shit with her, but she wants something like $10 for the VCS pacman. she has shit loads of sega saturn games there too and she pretty much wants $20 more per game than what you can even get them on ebay for. Prices go something like $35 for saturn corpse killer, $35 for sonic 3d blast. I've made friends with her and I try to tell her that she'd sell her games all day long if she just lowered the prices on some of them, but she won't budge. I feel bad cuz she's nice, but she doesn't really know what everything goes for now a days so she has all the prices set for high so she won't screw herself. Its gotten to the point that when i do find something at her table that I want to buy, she gets nervous and asks me what the games all about because she knows that i know the value of these games. She is who I bought from when I first started collecting, and before she had some saturn rpgs for sale at under 20 a piece. then when i went back to get them, they were all marked up to $40. I'm hoping that once she realizes that she's had the same games collecting dust for over a year she'll go down on the prices.

[snes_collector]

It's the exact opposite for me. I rarely find anything at the fleas anymore, where are year or two ago I'd come home with stuff everytime I go. Not near as many people go the flea markets in my area anymore, and even less come with games.

[bangtango]

I see many of the folks posting here in this thread are newer users.

You fellows would want to check out this web site:

www.fleamarketguide.com

and punch in your state.

Have at it. I can't account for how current it is, though.

Make sure you post your finds in the monthly thread on here, though, and that you don't put them back in here :D

[chaoticjelly]

Not seen much of a change in prices.. cheaper if anything.. i live in England, one chain of game shops "gamestation" sells retro stuff - the rest dont, they have an offer, anything under £10 is buy one get one free, so games can work out at £1 each which is cheap as chips.

There is one Gamestation I go in, and they always go on about the "R@RE!!" games that are worth loads.. maybe I should point out that they are in fact NOT rare, simply very desirable, and fairly short supply.. e.g. Secret of Mana

For things in Gamestation that are truly rare e.g. a PAL Starwing Super Weekend Competition cart (which I got for free) or Excellent Dizzy Collection on the Game Gear, they do not have a clue, all they know is if it scans in on the barcode, and gives a high price, its R@RE!

I went to a flea market (quite a big one) for the first time in ages a couple of days ago. Well I never - more stuff than I could possibly carry having taken the train, I staggered home with a boxed Amiga 500 plus, a Spectrum 128K +2 with a box full of games, joysticks, a mint boxed gameboy mono (near perfect screen!), spectrum magazines, snes games, megadrive games, sms games, megadrive mouse and more!

Stuff I missed out on: NICE boxed VIC-20 starter pack, boxed Amiga 500, Boxed Commodore 64 bullose, loose Commodore 64 bullnose with datasette and lot of games and joysticks, loose Saturn (meant to get it but forgot about it!)

The flea is on twice a week, so im going again tomorrow (the other stuff may still be there)

Everything was VERY cheap and nice. The Spectrum even included a few "Ultimate Play The Game" titles, which, when sold, will make a decent profit, giving me the Spectrum games, and magazines, and accessories and computer, effectively for free!

I forgot to mention, all of the stuff I saw and bought, was at about 2:00pm which is half an hour off closing time for the flea, so it seemed any collectors/dealers out there weren't actively looking for this stuff!