Watching what I have the last couple years in particular in disgust because I gave up trying, but not to a point of being uninformed I've noticed a few things. I think a bubble on the stuff has finally hit that jiggly bit where you wonder if it will break, at least with Nintendo pre-21st century console stuff. Those high points hit a few years back really haven't cracked any higher, it appears people are just wising up to it, or just hit the screw it point. But there has been an annoying buck shot effect I've seen just this year that wasn't there a year ago (lets be fair 2014.) When Nintendo got bad people started to spread out to look for the next un-molested grounds. The first notable to take it in the butt was the TG16/PCE stuff, being realistic not high demand or a favorite of most people of the era, but the prices, even on the most deplorable garbage isn't as cheap as even the fugly NES stuff out there now. From there it went wider to more considered niche stuff from known makers. Look at the SegaCD, 32X, and the Saturn (the good to best stuff) as it's ugly. Lately in the most recent of times, take a peek at the Master System. Back when I had that thing a little over a year and a half ago outside of a few select notables most of it wasn't worth more than your average Gameboy game...now it just sucks it's like back to original retail and rising at a clip.

That's why I think we're at a wobble point. As one thing gets too nauseating for enough someone's out there that care, they either A) give up, B) live in denial and grab for scraps, or C) find another system. But if it's C, how many other systems are there left if now the more uninteresting stuff to most like the SMS of all things is getting expensive? Eventually the price trolls will run out of stuff to screw with first by driving it up, and then by hitting a high that runs people off. We're already at both those points on the NES and SNES as they're not jumping anymore, yet they're barely if anything contracting. The secondary stuff and tertiary is going south (err north?) too. So what's left? Easy. Buying up the new stuff to screw people as hard as possible. NES Classic Edition, amiibo, collector's edition game or console box sets, and so called other (by manufacturer spin) limited edition fluff. Once they run out of crap to screw people on because they get more wise and more patient it will crack.

A nice side effect, the chinese are getting damn smart with their aftermarket cartridges on many levels. Ever notice the quality of GBA games that are bootlegs in the last 2 years? Plastic is correct (or like 1mm off on the mold), stickers down to the ink spray pattern are correct (or a pixel off on some piece of art if that), no more holes in the pins and they etch the right (C)Nintendo under there too. Internally high quaity chips, including save chips that need no battery to work. On the NES side, a brand new label called 'THE BEST 100 VIDEO GAMES' (even though it's a 143 in 1, all legit) is out there that replaces that 150in1 Super Games and it adds more of the high dolllar stuff, including JP only stuff with english translations, many battery save games on the board too. And that NES stuff is selling for like $30-40 a pop easy. Why? Scalpers...same experience, none of the feeling ripped off and poor effect.