WTF happened to Little Samson?

[Dobie]

I haven't browsed ebay for NES games for a while, since I only need a select few games to complete my set, but I noticed (unsurprisingly) that prices for most NES games have softened over the last couple of years. However, I also noticed Little Samson bare carts selling easily above $100. Where did that come from? I know its generally regarded as a good and semi-rare game, but I don't remember it ever selling for anywhere NEAR that back when I was actively looking for a copy.

[Casati]

It's becoming more widely known, probably in part due to websites like nesguide.com, so the demand is driving up the price the past couple years.

[SparTonberry]

Hasn't it been that way for quite awhile?

[portnoyd]

It's becoming more widely known, probably in part due to websites like nintendoage.com, so the demand is driving up the price the past couple years.

Correction.

It's been on a steady rise for many years. The $100 barrier wasn't so much an if as a when.

[Dobie]

Hasn't it been that way for quite awhile?

You may be right, since I'm not following prices as much lately. But I've kept a log of price I paid and when for each game in a spreadsheet, and I picked up Little Samson for about $25 in June 2007. I don't recall it being a steal at the time. But my wife says I have a terrible memory... so perhaps this is a shining example of that trait. Lol.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I was browsing eBay's homepage and the site had that little "Recommended for you" sidebar at the bottom - and was pretty surprised to see the game there. I didn't think a cart-only copy would be so expensive nowadays.

[Ninjamohawk]

100 isn't so bad if it's one of the few left to complete your set. It's a damn fine game too.

[horseboy]

7 or 8 years ago there were less than 10 games that commanded $100. Now it is crazy.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

the digital press printed price guide that came with the Messiah Generation NEX NOAC Famiclone is a perfect timepiece to show how much some NES games have risen and how inaccurate it is now.

Then again, I'm not sure it was ever very accurate. It lists the Nintendo World Championships 1990 cart at a value of $1000.

...


lol.

[portnoyd]

When the actual values were set (late 2001), yes, they were. Keep in mind, it was printed in 2002 also. Pretty much a stone age's worth of time in the history of game collecting.

[stalepie]

It's too bad there's no way to search ebay history from years back.

[Nesmaster]

I bought a boxed copy for $54 back in 2004, and another $10 for the manual. :/

[InsaneDavid]

What a disappointment! By the thread title I thought I would come in here to read how the value had plummeted or something.

[Purkeynator]

Everyone's memory seems to be pretty accurate in this case. Take a look at this:
http://www.videogamepricecharts.com/.../little-samson
According to the bar chart, the value has risen steadily since records were first kept around 2007. Around that time, it looks like the game sold for $50-60. Good thing I picked up my copy at a local used media store last year for $2 plus tax

[Rev. Link]

I got mine a few years ago, I think I paid around $50-60 for it on eBay.

[tubeway]

I picked mine up for 5 bucks at a flea market about four years ago.

This is now the "brag about how cheaply you picked up Little Samson" thread.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

everyone in this thread now hates you!

[peeingas]

When funcoland stopped selling nes games, many went up in price on ebay. Interestingly, some (Super Dodgeball, River City Ransom), seem to have actually gone down in value.

[jonebone]

$100? Ha! Look in completed listings, a Minty cart sold for $200! Now that's something to talk about.

I sold a cart only last March (2010) for $95 shipped on NA and it sold within an hour or two. Meaning I probably priced a bit low.

I just sold an 8.5 / 10 CIB over there about 3 weeks ago for some pretty nice coin too. I was getting part out offers for the cart in the $130 range so the demand is definitely there. If I were in the market to buy one, I'd wait till summer and see if it cools off a bit.

And I won this auction last month, with a Minty CIB Samson, which is why I sold off my downgraded 8.5 / 10 duplicate.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Pays to hunt

[portnoyd]

Also, this 8.5/10 style bullshit is also a major contributor to NES prices in general.