Sickened by "collector's prices"!!

[YoshiM]

I think the stores don't understand what a "collector's item" really is. With many stores they base their prices on popularity and demand rather than actual collectability. If you look at some of the games you see at Funco and other such places, you'll notice many of the popular games like Zelda, Zelda II, Contra, and such are priced higher than say a Captain Comic or a Dragon Power. The demand for these games is higher so the companies try and price accordingly. While that doesn't explain some pricing on carts, that's pretty much the reason.

Now other stores who want to sell these games either follow the same rule or just go what they think will be hot sellers and will crank up the price. Sometimes this mentality backfires: see Electronics Boutique. They got NES games and were selling SMB/Duck hunt for $11.99. Sure it's popular, but the pricing brass doesn't do the research to remember that EVERYONE got this game originally.

[Captain Wrong]

I remember when Funco used to print their price lists. Every mom and pop store around here used to use that as their guide for pricing.

Those Funco prices have nothing to do with rarity, but everything to do with popularity. It doesn't matter that Contra sold a gagillion copies, they're gonna charge $15 or whatever because that's what the average punter wants to buy. Still, I did pay $30 (I think) for my Bubble Bobble 2 at Funco, but I still feel that was a fair price.

[Chunky]

Gamestop is got to be the worst place. Well i giess if you don't know the people there. I always bring a pile of games to the counter. and they weed through them if the price was what they thought was low.

But i have gone there for commons, many i don't have. I've seen them rifling through a box of NES games with some printed price guide next to them(2 guys). buying from the store what they though could fetch a nice price on ebay for themselves. eh whatever.

I went last week to a Gamestop i've never been to before. I asked wheres your SNES/NES games. she was like, are you kidding. we never sell those, they just lie here, so we don't take them or anything anymore, got rid of them all.

Then i asked does anyone ever try to come in with anything else out of the ordinary...say a Neo-GEO. "Like whats a Neo thing?" I said a semi expensive console from the 90's. "Like who the hell would want one of those?" ug, i left.

[RucasRiot]

Will someone please explain to me why the hell why we are complaining that games we all have are overpriced and games we need are underpriced???

[Nature Boy]

Every hobby goes through the same sorts of growing pains.

As long as the retailer is selling them for those prices (at a pace he/she deems adequate) then it would be ridiculous for them to lower anything.

If you're a true entrepreneur try getting todays games (used of course) for less than what they'll be 'worth' eventually. Assuming, of course, that today's massive pressings don't equate non-interest in the future that is.

[Ruudos]

Some prices I hear, I think are low. It's little bit amazing cheaper how cheaper older games are in the US/Canada than in Europe.

[Lady Jaye]

I noticed a few months ago that the price of SNES carts have gone up, probably because of the GBA (people play Super Mario World on the GBA, then they become nostalgic for the other SNES classics that they used to play 10 years ago). Heck, I even saw a loose Yoshi's Island being sold at a barely lower price than what the GBA port goes for brand new.

[batmanlivesatmyhouse]

I'm new to the "collecting" scene (which I just see as recapturing my youth by buying all the old games that I have lost over the years, to play, mind you), and would like to thank all of you on these message boards to make me more aware of the economics of the gaming hobby, what's a good price, what's too high, input that is negative and positive on every which side. Thank you for making me more informed, everyone!