Are the indy stores putting premium prices on "Long Box" PS1 games

[Technosis]

I've noticed this trend for a while now. Has this been happening in your area? Do they anticipate that collectors will pay a premium for them?

[Pantechnicon]

The long box PS1 titles at my local stores are usually at fair-to-lower prices. I've always assumed this has to do with some belief on the store owners' parts that these early titles weren't so great or maybe just haven't aged well. I'm not saying this is the case. Just hazarding a guess, really, as I'm not too familiar with these games myself.

On the other hand, crazy markups are still the order of the day for pretty much any PS1 RPG they get their mitts upon.

[DigitalSpace]

The long box PS1 titles at my local stores are usually at fair-to-lower prices.

With the exception of a couple stores (that also put premium prices on just about everything else in their stock), it's pretty much the same case around here.

[dao2]

i have no stores around here

[adam_devry]

The long box PS1 titles at my local stores are usually at fair-to-lower prices. I've always assumed this has to do with some belief on the store owners' parts that these early titles weren't so great or maybe just haven't aged well. I'm not saying this is the case. Just hazarding a guess, really, as I'm not too familiar with these games myself.

I think doom and tekken where in long boxes so thats not the case

[A Black Falcon]

One place around here with PS1 games has three longbox games and does overcharge for them, yeah. That place is mostly a music store though and generally has no idea how to price games, some are high and others low... but the three longbox games they have are Battle Arena Toshinden, Air Combat, and Krazy Ivan, and all three cost between like $12 and $17... while the rest of their PSX games, in jewel cases, all cost between $6 and $9 (maybe some lower than $6, none higher than $9). Um, yeah, that makes sense.

Other places around here though, in the case they actually get a longbox game in (they're not that common, the PSX took a while to get really popular...), don't price them higher than regular jewelcase games I believe. Maybe a dollar or two more at most, nothing as absurd as that one place.

[chrisbid]

there is a slightly higher demand for them among playstation collectors

[cyberfluxor]

I'd say their reasoning is long box games stand out from jewel cases and therefore more likely to stick out from a stack of Playstation games. This also makes the average customer tempted to impulse buy on an earlier game under the impression it's less common and has some baseline significance to the system. For this I'd expect them to request a few extra bucks to be squeezed out of the merchandise.

As for locally here for me, the more knowledgeable gaming stores will price them along a more desirable level, around the same as everything else. But if they have a long boxed along side a jewel cased Street Fighter or Doom game I guarantee the long box one will be a few bucks more. There are a couple of game shops that charge freakish figures like the insane $100 price tag on Final Fantasy VII still. I can bet a long boxed game has their “RARE” sticker on it and priced at a standard eBay rate + $10.

[mobiusclimber]

To answer the question: not that I've noticed at the stores around me. But I can imagine if it was a really desirable title, they would. Doom or Resident Evil, for instance. But they ARE worth more anywhere you go.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Someone was asking for $10-$15 for first-gen sports games in longboxes down here. "They're in a different box! They're worth more!" I laughed and walked away. Sheesh.

[emceelokey]

Someone was asking for $10-$15 for first-gen sports games in longboxes down here. "They're in a different box! They're worth more!" I laughed and walked away. Sheesh.

In all fairness, they are worth more. Those long boxes were only used for like a year or two for a system that had a span of about 10 years. Those were in a limited production and people collect stuff like that. Chances are nobody would want to buy a NFL Gameday '97 in a regular jewel case, but in a long box there's a market for it and people aren't necessarily buying the game but the long box version of it.

[mobiusclimber]

Most of the places I see long box sports games at (like Half Price Books) sells them for a couple bucks.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I have noticed that they do run slightly higher at some places. Those tend to be specialty shops though. They seem to run about the same elsewhere. All I want is The Raiden Project, so I have to admit, I do not pay too much attention to long boxes if they're not that particular one. Never found Raiden cheap though...

[Poofta!]

most places have no idea how to price items so thats irrelevant. most collectors will pay MAYBE 5% more for the game if they are into collecting variants. however there are a few games that do in fact demand a longbox premium, its just because the games themselves are rare (in that packaging) and most importantly, GOOD. they are Doom and Resident Evil. thats it. everything else is pretty much the same. the games that are only available in longbox may cost more than the average game of the same rarity (but again, depends if it was good). i think SF Alpha or whichever SF game that was thats in longbox may be somewhat sought after, but again its a good game regardless and in demand.


there are no longbox grails.

as for personal preference? i like the longbox games, but tend to stay away. the cartboard and plastic long boxes are a pain to find in good condition (and generally irreparable) and the long jewel cases are a pain to find and replace. finding a new one to replace with will sometimes cost as much or more than the shitty longbox game to begin with. sports games on the ps1 are all worthless to begin with, aside from like hot shots golf lets say (or even maybe one of the coolboarders games that was fun... thats worth more than $0.50, i think 3 was the best heh) 2 xtreme was fun, i guess, back when it came out. sports games from the 32bit era really didnt age well. actually the 16bit "3d" sports games didnt either (i mean like nba live, not nba jam).

[mobiusclimber]

I think if you CAN find the cardboard long boxes in good shape, they are more than worth it to pick up. They have additional artwork and just plain look sweet. I love my RE, Kings Field and Darkstalkers long boxes.

[Aussie2B]

however there are a few games that do in fact demand a longbox premium, its just because the games themselves are rare (in that packaging) and most importantly, GOOD. they are Doom and Resident Evil.

Not quite. Resident Evil is actually much rarer in the jewel case (not the Director's Cut, but the original game). There's just more demand for the longbox version usually.

there are no longbox grails.

I don't know, what about The Raiden Project, Return Fire, Psychic Detective, Starblade Alpha, etc.? They may not be grails in the grand scheme of things, but some longbox titles are among the rarest commercially-released PlayStation games and can pull in a fair amount of cash.