Hey, guys. So I've recently gotten back into the classic game collecting, and I've been scouring my local shops for some finds. Still plenty of great stuff out there, but I came across some of the most ridiculous prices at a store called "Buybacks."
It started off with a copy of Apocalypse Now for $119.99. Then, digging around, we found more stupid high prices. Today, the cake has finally been taken.
Golf for $169.99:
And, the coup de grāce, Super Mario Bros. for... $438.99.
I asked the employees if this was a joke, and they assured me it was not... they also said they hear it several times a day. I did some digging and figured it out.
Buybacks is heavily connected to Amazon.com for selling things. At their retail store, they sell things for a higher price. But online, they're cheaper.
But, where do they get $169.99 from?
http://tinyurl.com/33bprrp
As you can see, there are two under the "new" listing. One for $199.99 and one for $249.99. For some reason, they're using these outrageous collector prices (which are brand new, sealed items) to set the price at their store.
Now, check this out.
http://tinyurl.com/3agw22o
See, Super Mario Bros. for $515.00 and $549.95. This is where they got that stupid $438.99 pricetag. Here's the secret. They've taken the lower "new" prices, and come down exactly 15%. Golf is $199.99 - 15% = roughly $169.99. Super Mario Bros. is $515 - 15% = roughly $438.99.
So, it seems that this magic 15% discount is what the geniuses have come up with, over at Buybacks. But, the plot thickens. I said they sell everything cheaper online, right? The question is, what do they sell Golf and Super Mario Bros. for online? Well, here's your answer.
Golf is $0.50. - http://tinyurl.com/39y57bl
I looked up Super Mario Bros. earlier today, and it was around $4-something. They have since removed it (wonder why?)
So why the heck would they price Golf at $170 in the retail store, but only $0.50 online? The logic just isn't there, yet... there it is.