How much are you willing to pay for a game?

[JustinMSalvato]

I am willing to spend 60 bucks for a new game, but for a collectible... 90, but that would be rare.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd8B5iMfhZY

 

[CatPix]

Depends of the platform, really.

Paying more than 10$ for a VCS game? Insane!

More than 20 for a 8 bits/16 bits computer game? no way!

More than 30 for a Nintendo/Sega cart game? You can always hope.

In general, paying more than the price for a new game is something I consider a waste, as for all our systems, 60 to 90$ (including collectible editions) is the price for an Everdrive/SIO2SD/flashcart/Lotharek floppy emulator/etc.

[AtariLeaf]

The answer depends on the game and your desire for it. I have a simple price/desire venn diagram in my head for various games I'm looking for and if they don't fit within that overlap I don't buy it. It should also be stated for the sake of being obvious that since this is a hobby, only buy what you can afford and don't go into debt for a video game. If you don't have the cash to make the purchase or if buying with a credit card, being able to put the money back when the bill arrives, don't buy it.

[JustinMSalvato]

So thousands like in the video is... a bad investment?

 

I am close to completing my Intellivision collection but there are a couple games that would cost a few hundred each. The lotto pool is coming through!

[Rhomaios]

I've only spent this much once, but I spent nearly $200 on PC Engine Castlevania Rondo of Blood. I've nearly run out of all the cheap games I want to own, so most are now in the $30-60 range. I've definitely written off games I would want as too rich for my blood, but I don't care about "complete sets" or any of that nonsense.

Edited July 2, 2017 by Rhomaios

[AtariBrian]

I just threw down 117.00 for a Super Nintendo game . That is the most I have ever spent on one game I think .

[HoshiChiri]

For me personally, the mark is currently around $250. Here's the thing about collecting any videogames: At some point, one of two things is going to happen:

 

1- The systems will start breaking down until there's more games than working units to play them on.

2- The games themselves will break down until interest wanes due to difficulty acquiring working software.

 

Eventually all games & consoles hit the Erratic Pricing Point, where value is determined solely by the seller's greed, and if they're lucky enough to find a buyer at all. For example: try keeping tabs on Video Whizball for the Channel F. It's rare enough that carts only turn up every couple of months- you'd think that would garner crazy prices. But the Channel F is old & obscure & hard to find working- so people don't usually collect for it. Meaning buyers for the carts can be as rare as the games themselves. I am aware of Video Whizball selling for 50 cents, $5, $30, and $200 within the last year. There's no consensus.

 

In short- a game is worth what you'll pay to own it right now. With enough patience, you can wait out any price spikes. Except maybe on Nintendo games... between modern clone systems keeping hardware going & Nintendo's Disney-like grip on childhood gaming, all bets are off for Nintendo games.

[dj_convoy]

I just threw down 117.00 for a Super Nintendo game . That is the most I have ever spent on one game I think .

yeah, I've spent around this much a couple of times. That's just about my limit.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I think the most I've ever spent on a game was around $60 for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on the Xbox 360 back when it was current. These days I almost never buy new games, though if I did I think $60 would still be my limit for any game period. At this point I think the most valuable game I own is a loose cartridge copy of Resident Evil: Gaiden for the Game Boy Color that is worth about $45, which is exactly what I paid for it. While that is a lot more than I'd normally spend on a video game (the vast majority of the games I own are in the $5 to $15 area) I do feel like it was money well spent since it's a game I really love and play through at least once a year every year.

[CatPix]

So thousands like in the video is... a bad investment?

It's hard to predict how the market will go.

2 years back here, seeing a Super Nintendo loose for 150€ was kind of normal. Since then, for 150€ you'll want some games with it, and a loose model dropped to 80/100€.

It's still expensive, but the bubble definitively burst.

As of now in France, the Intellivision is worth nothing, with systems going for 30€ and games for 4/5€ each, and less if you buy them in lots. Maybe in 4/5 years the market will take off and those will be worth more. Maybe it will never catch on. Maybe, as only a few mere made in SCART models, because of the total lack of solution to tune to SECAM L, all pre-NES consoles will be worth nothing, except for the Vectrex.

Plus, I collect for the sake of playing. So you might say that my collection is worth thousands, for me it's worth NOTHING, as I don't plan to make a profit out of it.

From a financial point of view, every coin I used on video games are going down the toilet because as far as I can see, I don't plan to sell anything, and I only buy what I want to own (with few exceptions).

Investing in video games doesn't sounds like a good idea to me, because it was already done. Sure, if you started hoarding 15 years ago then it was worth it, because everything was dirt cheap.

Starting today? I wouldn't count on it. I can already see that the bubble is starting to deflate. Price drops or stay the same, ratsellers on garage sales are almost all gone (well, they aren't. They just reverted to comics and records and stopped selling mass of video games, save from PS2/PS3 games).

Unless you managed to find valuable rare pieces, then IMO it's not a really good investment. Because prices are high. I mean maybe you'll make a 10, 20, or maybe 30% profit on your video games, but unless you have a huge lot of money to start with, what are you gonna get from that? Going from 1000 to 1300$? If you count the time spent on it (unless it's your main job) that sounds like a lot of effort put into a little reward.

Edited July 2, 2017 by CatPix

[BassGuitari]

For example: try keeping tabs on Video Whizball for the Channel F. It's rare enough that carts only turn up every couple of months- you'd think that would garner crazy prices. But the Channel F is old & obscure & hard to find working- so people don't usually collect for it. Meaning buyers for the carts can be as rare as the games themselves. I am aware of Video Whizball selling for 50 cents, $5, $30, and $200 within the last year. There's no consensus.

Incidentally, Video Whizball is a cart I've been hunting for for some time. It rarely turns up, but when it does, it's when I can least afford it. Go figure!

 

Generally, my high water mark has been $60-70. Any higher than that, I can't really see the value anymore (it's a rare cart which I'll basically never play and which no one cares that I own. Except Whizball, I'd play that shit!)--I'll just go repro at that point. Even at $60-70, I have to talk myself into plunking down for the real thing rather than spending a third of that (or less) on a repro. But genuine '86 Atari Corp. Hangman and "Black Jack" carts were worth it to me, apparently.

 

(Before Keatah chimes in with "Emulation is free," I prefer carts. )

[Eltigro]

A while back, I came into a little bit of money and was seriously considering paying up for a complete copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga, but didn't. I think the most I've paid for a game has to be just the $60 or so that new games go for. Most I've paid for an older game is probably the $30 I paid for my copy of Contra for the NES. Still probably too much, but it was when I had that money and it is in super clean shape, great label.

[Tanooki]

Kind of lots of ways to answer this. Are we taking about stuff that's new at the stores now? I wouldn't pay more than the MSRP and that's the high end, usually if I just know I"ll get a lot of use out of it, and if they're someone who is generally unwilling to run a sale (like Nintendo) so it's pointless to wait. Usually I look for deals of 20% or more off on a new one that's very current, but if I haven't the time I'll just wait for clearance or the inevitable 33-50% off in price drops.

 

But, when it comes to old stuff, I've had a hard rule that is getting harder to fall into annoyingly anymore but I do stick to it. Do NOT pay more than the original MSRP for an old cartridge game, or for disc, complete as I don't buy loose discs (same with tiny card stuff like DS/3DS sized easily lost media.)

 

If I end up going higher it's NEVER out of my limited budget, so it will come from my paypal where I decide to sell something of mine off as a trade off to get the funds that way and that's usually few and far between anymore. I'd rather use it on a new neo geo mvs cartridge or something I can get extreme use out of like a new computer, tablet, something expensive I wouldn't have the dough for.

[JustinMSalvato]

So thousands like in the video is... a bad investment?

I want to apologize; I was being rhetorical, but as always, nice to see everyone's thoughts on these subjects.

[enoofu]

Track and field isn't 14,000 dollar fun, kinda feels like stamp collecting when silly dudes pay that much for a re branded or alt label of a common game

[fiddlepaddle]

It's definitely NOT a financial investment. Is xx$ worth it? the answer is different, depending on when I'm asking...

 

I've noticed that how much I am comfortable spending is more related to how much money I'm EARNING, rather that how much fun I'll have, or how much time I'll spend with the game. When I have extra money, I'm OK spending more, but when money is tight and I'm feeding off the dollar menu, I'll pass on the pricier opportunities.

 

In any case, I don't buy unless I plan on enjoying it, and rarely buy just because "it's a really good deal" anymore. My time keeps getting more valuable as I age, and I have less and less reason to waste it on things I just don't really enjoy, like getting rid of stuff I don't want.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I have a general rule (that I've only violated on rare occasion) I'll never pay more than $100 for any game. Flash carts and consoles excluded. And if a game hits over $200 in value, time to sell it. I don't hold onto big ticket gaming items.

 

That said, I did pay $200+ for a Cat Mario Statue last summer...

[Rhomaios]

I can't see myself paying more than $5-10 for some toy, and it'd have to be an exceptional plushy for the wife. Me? I'd pay the $400 for a Panzer Dragoon Saga game before I'd shell out even $50 for that Mario abomination.

[accousticguitar]

$30 is about right. Maybe a bit higher if I really want it.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I can't see myself paying more than $5-10 for some toy, and it'd have to be an exceptional plushy for the wife. Me? I'd pay the $400 for a Panzer Dragoon Saga game before I'd shell out even $50 for that Mario abomination.

But Mario + Kitty. I always wanted one of those porcelain fortune cats with the wavy arm thing, and not the cheap dollar store type with gold plated plastic flaking off everywhere. Then when I heard about the Cat Mario coin statue, I jumped on it!

 

Sometimes you just gotta splurge on something!

 

 

[icemanxp300]

Just to annoy people. I will pay $10,000 + if I can resell it for more.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Just to annoy people. I will pay $10,000 + if I can resell it for more.

You are not allowed to sell for more than twice what you paid. Or if you sell for more than twice the amount you paid, you split the profit with the person you bought it from. Scout's Honor.

 

Imagine you find an Air Raid for 50 cents. You can sell it to me for a dollar, then I sell it to someone else for $2, then they are free to sell it for $4. Then it gets traded ten more times until it hits $4096 before it goes in someone's private vault. And the last person to handle it made a cool $2048.

 

Or you could sell the Air Raid directly to the collector for $4096 then the person you originally bought it from for 50 cents gets $2047.50 as a cut. That way nobody gets ripped off. Spread the wealth, just sayin...

[icemanxp300]

Imagine you find an Air Raid for 50 cents.

 

If I found an Air Raid for $.50 I would buy it from the person and then after it was mine, I would tell the person they just sold me a multi thousand dollar game and if they want some extra money give me their number and after I sold it I would hook them up. If however they try to take it back, they would then get nothing.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

If I found an Air Raid for $.50 I would buy it from the person and then after it was mine, I would tell the person they just sold me a multi thousand dollar game and if they want some extra money give me their number and after I sold it I would hook them up. If however they try to take it back, they would then get nothing.

Would you really do this, or just say nothing and walk away with dollar signs in your eyes?

[icemanxp300]

Would you really do this, or just say nothing and walk away with dollar signs in your eyes?

 

I would tell the person and walk away with $$ in my eyes. People think because I resell I screw people over. People fail to acknowledge most of what I resell is sold to me by people calling me knowing I resell. I have been collecting/reselling for a very long time. I have a contact base and people do not call you if you make a habit of screwing people over. I tell people what stuff is worth before they take my money. That is their choice and nobody is going to be posting about how I ripped them off. I make sure people are well aware of value before I buy unless it is a garage sale then usually I just take and go, but for something like Air Raid I would give them more.

 

I had a lady call me 6 years ago or so and she had a banana tip dk64 controller. At that time it was selling for $120. I told her it was worth $120 but I was only going to pay $60. She took the $60. Everyone has the option to sell online as I do, but when people do not want to deal with that and are happy making less for hassle free cash that is their choice.

 

Just a few months back a guy who buys lockers called me up about a locker he got in NC I believe. It had a few gems and all in all it was worth about $1100. He knew the value as did I. I told him I was only paying $500 and that was because a few games I opened were badly water damaged. I made sure the gems like bubble bobble 2 and a few others were mint before I made that offer so I couldn't lose on the deal.

 

He agreed to it, and that was his choice. I came home to find out every save game had severe damage to the pcb's and chips. I'm glad I did not pay more, I still banked $$ but I have over $100 worth of games that still sit on my floor as I can't sell them like that even if they work and I don't trust selling them cheap because some other asshat will just toss them on for more and not let people know about the damage inside. So unless I feel like investing time fixing $5-$20 games which means swapping resistors, cic chips, and cleaning badly water damaged pins on the mask roms they will likely get tossed and I will sell the shells.