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Retro game prices are currently pretty insane.

L

LayLa

Member
RedSwirl said:
This however is also why people are pissed at VC's selection. At the same time, this is the best thing about PS1 and PS2 Classics. Final Fantasy VII has been one of the best-selling PSN games probably because a physical copy still costs $70 sometimes.
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Personally I find the selection of PS1 and PS2 games available through PSN to be just as woeful, can't tell you how many times I've looked for a game on PSN and it's not there. Not expecting this situation to improve when Now finally arrives either.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
s_mirage said:
I don't think it's the internet alone that's ruined collecting. It's newly affluent, idiot instacollectors with more money than sense that have enabled sellers to hike their prices to such an extent. That would have likely happened with an offline only market too. Why set reasonable prices or put things up for auction when there's always some fool who will pay whatever egregiously inflated price you set?

I don't believe this will last for the simple reasons that fad collectors will drop away over time and, unlike many items such as comics, a lot of games that are commanding overinflated prices are nowhere near what I'd call rare.
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I'm currently watching a few auctions of Hyperstone Heist on Genesis, and I cannot even begin to understand the prices it's commanding. There are dozens of copies up for sale, but the prices are higher than the superior Turtles in Time. I know a few people do like it better, but I don't think it is rare or worth that kind of premium. Very, very strange.

Hah, this just occurred to me... if prices were based solely on rarity, everyone should buy a few investment-grade Japanese Xbox Ones.
 
S

Seik

Banned
Funny thing linked to this thread I realized recently.

It's been almost two year since I paid my entry in the GAF Hyper Duel Elite Club.

Cost me 200$ and I thought that was a lot.

I just checked out the prices on Ebay...man I do feel sorry for those who want the game now. In ten years I'll probably able to clear my mortgage with this game alone. :lol
 
s_mirage

s_mirage

Member
Mercutio said:
I'm currently watching a few auctions of Hyperstone Heist on Genesis, and I cannot even begin to understand the prices it's commanding. There are dozens of copies up for sale, but the prices are higher than the superior Turtles in Time. I know a few people do like it better, but I don't think it is rare or worth that kind of premium. Very, very strange.
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Yeah, I've got no real explanation for that either. I think I'll stick to buying obscure Japanese PC games. They can be pretty cheap.
 
A

antibolo

Banned
I've been following eBay prices for Dracula X on the PC Engine for a while now. It's only getting stupider and stupider, it has now reached the >$200 range. And new listings pop up on an almost daily basis, so it's not like the game is rare or anything. It's complete bullshit.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
antibolo said:
I've been following eBay prices for Dracula X on the PC Engine for a while now. It's only getting stupider and stupider, it has now reached the >$200 range. And new listings pop up on an almost daily basis, so it's not like the game is rare or anything. It's complete bullshit.
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I'm actually beginning to wonder if it IS getting rare. When I bought my copy in early spring, there were tons to choose from, and the price for getting the original spinecards wasn't different than the regular copies. While there are still new ones each day, it's only like 1 or 2 at any given time. I almost never see the spine cards, and it's nearly doubled in value. After only 6 months!

Huh, just had a look on eBay. Looks like spine carded copies are available, but run at $200. Definitely more up than there usually are.
 
C

Cucurbitacée

Member
Prices goes back and forth. When I found my copy on Dracula X on flea market I checked the average price on eBay (early 2000's) and it was around 150€.

At some the prices for PC Engine went down, and you could it around 2008 for about 90€. It now getting close to the prices I once saw. Even if we should calculate the inflation to have exact values.

That's just to say that the prices are not always going up. Sometimes for whatever reason they go down too.
 
S

Small Mailman

Member
Nostalgia ain't cheap kids. eBay will always have those random low prices though. If you're patient enough they will come. This is coming from a guy who just bought a game for more than he'd like to admit recently.


CollectorGAF will know my pain
 
Bar81

Bar81

Member
Small Mailman said:
Nostalgia ain't cheap kids. eBay will always have those random low prices though. If you're patient enough they will come. This is coming from a guy who just bought a game for more than he'd like to admit recently.


CollectorGAF will know my pain
Click to expand...

If the game is good then that's understandable. It's the demand for generally mediocre titles that stumps me.
 
B

Buddha Beam

Banned
Kinda bums me out that I kept the box and manuals of every since SNES and N64 game I ever owned, but apparently every game I bought is either too popular to be worth anything or so obscure that no one in their right mind would buy it, haha.
 
S

Small Mailman

Member
Bar81 said:
If the game is good then that's understandable. It's the demand for generally mediocre titles that stumps me.
Click to expand...

I think we can thank the 'shitty game' reviewers for that one. AVGN, JonTron, etc. have made bad(or badly aged sometimes) video games kinda trendy.
 
graffix13

graffix13

Member
Small Mailman said:
I think we can thank the 'shitty game' reviewers for that one. AVGN, JonTron, etc. have made bad(or badly aged sometimes) video games kinda trendy.
Click to expand...

Ha, this is true with me in a way.

I want a copy of Superman 64, only because it's suppose to be one of the worst games of all time.

I have no interest it playing it. I just want it.
 
S

Small Mailman

Member
graffix13 said:
Ha, this is true with me in a way.

I want a copy of Superman 64, only because it's suppose to be one of the worst games of all time.

I have no interest it playing it. I just want it.
Click to expand...

Nah dude I get ya! I loves me some shitty games as much as the next guy. I play them the same reason I watch cheesy B movies, the humor.
 
DCharlie

DCharlie

And even i am moderately surprised
IrishNinja said:
yes, it is clearly scarcity + demand and not at all speculation & resellers price-fixing causing this bubble

also we should be happy because sure chrono trigger costs nearly $100 20 years later but hey it once cost $70-80 new back when a gallon of gas was like a buck because reasons



jesus shit, my man DCharlie wasn't kidding - japan clearly got the message
Click to expand...

you know what is really depressing?

Looking at that shot, i pretty muched owned every game in that cabinet - boxed :/
.
Whilst i made good cash when i got out in 2011, the cash i could have made now looks to be -significantly- more.

This week in Aki, a boxed b-grade Rendering Ranger is going for 198,000 yen... staggering stuff.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
Irish is right! CT costing $100 isn't too bad, considering it was $79 new. I think factoring inflation, it would have been something like $130 in today's money.

You don't get the box and manual, and you probably should replace the battery, but you save $30 in 2014 bucks! A BARGAIN
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
it's just like Mzo said: games like that, MM8 etc took a beating in the day (reviews/word of mouth as i recall), and weren't on anyone's top 5 lists for their respective series...now they're a mint. this is the world we live in, and these are the hands we're given.
 
A

antibolo

Banned
Holy shit I almost bid on a no disc auction of Dracula X by mistake.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/111482952284?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Yes, that's 69.99 only for the GODDAMN CASE AND MANUAL. I didn't notice it at first because of the price, thought it was a pretty good deal.

This is insane.

IrishNinja said:
it's just like Mzo said: games like that, MM8 etc took a beating in the day (reviews/word of mouth as i recall), and weren't on anyone's top 5 lists for their respective series...now they're a mint. this is the world we live in, and these are the hands we're given.
Click to expand...

MM8 on PS1, yes. MM8 on Saturn (ie. the superior version), though? Nope.

I think MM8 on PS1 is one of those PS1 games that got Greatest Hits reprints during the PS2 era, though, hence why it's so easy to find in new condition.
 
N

Nander

Member
I have two fairly valuable gaming items that I check the value of every now and then on Ebay. The prices for them seem to be on the same level as last I checked though; a Sega Multi-Mega (with manual but no box) goes for $300-$350 and Shining Force CD PAL goes for about $150.
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
antibolo said:
MM8 on PS1, yes. MM8 on Saturn (ie. the superior version), though? Nope.

I think MM8 on PS1 is one of those PS1 games that got Greatest Hits reprints during the PS2 era, though, hence why it's so easy to find in new condition.
Click to expand...

perfect example, though: no one gave any fucks about MM8, much less the saturn, in that era. yes it's the definitive version hands-down, but i still recall it not reviewing well, because 2D LOL at the time. now? i could practically pay my rent with that thing
 
S

SlipperyMoose

Member
That's why I'm picking up original Xbox games right now while they are in their prime of cheapness. As time goes on the prices will only go up. Much like the SNES and Genesis games.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
SlipperyMoose said:
That's why I'm picking up original Xbox games right now while they are in their prime of cheapness. As time goes on the prices will only go up. Much like the SNES and Genesis games.
Click to expand...

I'm not so sure about Xbox, or even PS2. The Gamecube has taken off in value, but the other systems from that generation aren't even close to keeping pace.
 
DCharlie

DCharlie

And even i am moderately surprised
xbox is going to be interesting in the future as it seems unlikely that it'll be emulated in any reasonable time frame.

Stuff like Metal Wolf Chaos keeps rising.
 
F

foobarry81

Member
Mercutio said:
I'm not so sure about Xbox, or even PS2. The Gamecube has taken off in value, but the other systems from that generation aren't even close to keeping pace.
Click to expand...

DCharlie said:
xbox is going to be interesting in the future as it seems unlikely that it'll be emulated in any reasonable time frame.

Stuff like Metal Wolf Chaos keeps rising.
Click to expand...

Seems kind of contradictory, doesn't it, as the GC has an excellent emulator. I don't think emulation plays a big part in retro prices going up.
 
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