Games that you just refuse to pay "market value" for

[+Psionic]

Castlevania Chronicles. I got my tax return recently and was perusing ebay for anything that interested me. I searched for CC and (not) to my surprise, it's a $100+ game CIB. II could not justify it, no matter how much I want it so I bought a PSone LCD monitor for $40 instead.

$100+? Maybe for a sealed copy.

 

Complete copies of CC routinely sell for $40-$50, with mint examples pushing $60-$70. If you're patient, you should be able to snag a copy at a decent price.

[Tempest]

$100+? Maybe for a sealed copy.

 

Complete copies of CC routinely sell for $40-$50, with mint examples pushing $60-$70. If you're patient, you should be able to snag a copy at a decent price.

Yeah that sounds more correct. It was uncommon and it's in demand, but there's no way it should be a $100+ game.

[Torr]

Castlevania Chronicles is actually a GOOD game that you'll have fun with, so maybe $100+... even $200... ain't bad.

 

 

Here we have:

 

DK Jr. Math (NES) that sold for $1,305

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Donkey-Kong-Jr-Math-NES-CIB-/281615940966?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41919e3d66

 

Baseball (NES) that sold for $1,914

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/BASEBALL-Nintendo-NES-1985-NIB-Factory-Sealed-NEW-Sports-Series-RARE-/381178807308?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58c007040c

 

and Little Samson (NES), which I don't care HOW fun someone says it is, it is not $3,151 worth of fun!!!

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/LITTLE-SAMSON-Nintendo-NES-Game-Still-Sealed-NEW-GRADED-75-VERY-RARE-/311320621716?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item487c27b294

 

$100 is starting to sound kinda cheap...

Edited April 6, 2015 by Torr

[schuwalker]

Castlevania Chronicles is actually a GOOD game that you'll have fun with, so maybe $100+... even $200... ain't bad.

 

 

Here we have:

 

DK Jr. Math (NES) that sold for $1,305

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Donkey-Kong-Jr-Math-NES-CIB-/281615940966?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41919e3d66

 

 

 

$100 is starting to sound kinda cheap...

 

 

Well.... I guess that throws out that CIB NES *black box* collection idea.

[fiddlepaddle]

The frothy peak is not the market price.

[Torr]

Well, no, I don't expect them to go for this everyday, but the point I was getting at is; how many people "love" NES Baseball or Donkey Kong Jr Math? I'm guessing not many, IF any. Yet the going price is definitely in the high 3 figure range, peaking at 4 figures.
Whereas a fun/generally enjoyed/whatever game will fetch a mere fraction of that. And what are these people paying that much for? Like said, no one truly "loves" these games, and are actually going to play them. They'll sit on a shelf and somebody can say they have every Black Box game or every NES game, or whatever... and to answer the topic asked, I would refuse to pay even roughly $20, probably less for ANY game that has NO playablity/fun factor/whatever just to round out a collection! But some people do obviously, and I guess it's their money, whatever floats their boat.

 

A new game on Steam with all DLC, Season Pass, whatever, will run you ~$100 if you don't get it on sale, and I could see myself (and I'm sure many others) enjoying Castlevania Chronicles more than a lot of what Steam has to offer at that price. Plus you'll have a tangible game for your collection.

 

So really, while I will admit that $100 seems pricey, as long as the game is actually something you will play and enjoy and you're not just "filling out" your collection so you can say you have EVERY Castlevania game or some other collector's OCD and it really just ends up gathering dust, it's a worthy investment.

 

I've seen people blow twice that at the bar for a few hours of "fun" they don't even remember the next day! Heck I remember some games, tax and all, running close to $100 back in the late 80's early 90's and a buck was worth a lot more back then!

Edited April 7, 2015 by Torr

[+KeeperofLindblum]

I''ve got a small grouping of the rarer SNES games I want, but then I decided I'd rather invest in a flash cart than pay a horrific amount per game.
(I realize the flash carts don't work with all the special titles, but I'll get over those.)

These are "eBay" prices, but those are about as inflated as possible.
Demon's Crest - $150+

Metal Warriors - $200+

Wild Guns - $200+

Sunset Riders - $70+ (Genesis version is weirdly like $50 range)

Super Terranigma - $70

 

Wild Guns is starting to piss me off. It's a great game and all, but it's not worth $200+. For that price, I can buy a flash cart or like 10-20 other games.
One listing is being one of those "I'm a dick" sellers. -> Link

I also love all these "OH LOOK I HAVE IT CIB AND THAT MAKES IT TOTALLY WORTH $500! 8u"

Edited April 7, 2015 by KeeperofLindblum

[cimerians]

Luckily I finished up most of my collection in the 90's and early 2000's when things were a lot cheaper......and ebay wasn't filled with scammers.

[jhd]

Well, no, I don't expect them to go for this everyday, but the point I was getting at is; how many people "love" NES Baseball or Donkey Kong Jr Math? I'm guessing not many, IF any. Yet the going price is definitely in the high 3 figure range, peaking at 4 figures. [...] And what are these people paying that much for? Like said, no one truly "loves" these games, and are actually going to play them. They'll sit on a shelf and somebody can say they have every Black Box game or every NES game, or whatever... and to answer the topic asked, I would refuse to pay even roughly $20, probably less for ANY game that has NO playablity/fun factor/whatever just to round out a collection!

 

I agree. I simply do not understand the "completist" collector mindset. I have no desire to spend money on games that I do not enjoy playing/will never play. I have even donated games to Goodwill simply because they did not justify the storage space that they occupy in my closet.

[Rhomaios]

I agree. I simply do not understand the "completist" collector mindset. I have no desire to spend money on games that I do not enjoy playing/will never play. I have even donated games to Goodwill simply because they did not justify the storage space that they occupy in my closet.

 

I wish Goodwill wasn't the destination, but otherwise I agree with this sentiment completely. I wouldn't pay a penny for a game I didn't actually want to play. Just pointless junk.

[jhd]

The Goodwill donation depot has the distinct advantage of being walking-distance from my apartment -- and they will also accept clothing, books, DVDs, etc. that I am weeding.

[Rhomaios]

The Goodwill donation depot has the distinct advantage of being walking-distance from my apartment -- and they will also accept clothing, books, DVDs, etc. that I am weeding.

 

They're just such a shifty company. The business model of taking people's stuff for free and then selling always boggled my mind, especially when the CEO makes millions off it. And then they try to underpay workers under the guise of "charity" is a bit sickening.

 

It's something that I avoid now that I learned the company isn't really about good-will at all. I'd rather give to Salvation Army, who does, in fact, donate a good amount of their stuff to charity.

[fiddlepaddle]

I agree, Salvation Army much, much better place to donate.

 

We had a group of GWs in my area a few years ago where local managers were siphoning off the really good stuff and selling it through (their own) privately-owned second-hand stores down the street. Local crooks, but several stores involved. Took several years to catch them and stop them; nobody went to jail, even after (at least) hundreds of thousands of $ were stolen that way. Upper mgmt weren't even affected, but I'm sure proper financial controls would have either prevented it or at least identified it earlier.

[Video]

Wouldn't that be pretty much any game not in your collection? I mean, with ebay and other options "can't find it" really isn't an excuse anymore. Yeah, may be few and far between, but unavailable is someones way of saying "I'm to lazy to look"

 

Then again, there are games I'm just not interested in, and won't get unless someone just gave it to me in a box of other games (sports games, for instance)

[schuwalker]

 

I agree. I simply do not understand the "completist" collector mindset. I have no desire to spend money on games that I do not enjoy playing/will never play. I have even donated games to Goodwill simply because they did not justify the storage space that they occupy in my closet.

I guess my situation stems from nostalgia.

 

My Atari 2600 Sears' collection is from vivid memories of my folks shopping at Sears in the '70s.

 

The NES (black box) is based on a father and son experience gaming session.

 

I do have majority of these already and I know a lot of the titles still devoid in my collection are terrible. Case in point Sears' Math Gran Prix.

[Rhomaios]

Here's another montrosity: R2 Rendering Ranger. Yuck.

[SIO2]

I am sure many will disagree but price doesn't matter. What matters is if you want it and if you could get your money back if you sold it.

 

If you can sell it and recover your investment then it is money in the bank.

 

I never buy games expecting to make money. I buy them because I want them and I want to play them. It is nice though if they go up in value because then I can use them to get more games. The vast majority of my games have not increased in value but I think most are still worth what I paid.

 

If they all lost value I wouldn't enjoy the hobby much.

[homerhomer]

I can't pay what ebay prices for games like MUSHA, Castlevania or Contra. I can't help but feel there's 100 resellers that have cornered the market and I'm inflating the price. The thing that sucks is everybody is using ebay as a price check. Goodwill use to be "Okay", but anymore they filter all there games and sell them on ebay or on there own auction site.

 

I much rather pay for a new game like Pier Solar or maybe buy a repro of something like Mega Man Wiley Wars.

[SIO2]

The world is what it is. The thrift stores used to get stuff for free and sell it for near nothing because they had a charitable mentality. Then some accountants and maybe a few bill collectors convinced Goodwill and others that they are businesses and as such need to maximize their revenues.

 

Ebay being the ultimate market for one man's trash helps all those places maximize their revenue.

 

I hate all the fees, the price inflation and EBay's customer service is terrible. Everyone seems to hate those things about Ebay. Yet Ebay keeps on going.

 

I happen to live in a very sparsely populated area. I don't often find Atari stuff in shops or yard sales. So even though I have literally been hopping mad at EBay several times, I do understand that they provide some valuable services.

[Atari_Bill]

I can't pay what ebay prices for games like MUSHA, Castlevania or Contra. I can't help but feel there's 100 resellers that have cornered the market and I'm inflating the price. The thing that sucks is everybody is using ebay as a price check. Goodwill use to be "Okay", but anymore they filter all there games and sell them on ebay or on there own auction site.

 

I much rather pay for a new game like Pier Solar or maybe buy a repro of something like Mega Man Wiley Wars.

 

That's my thinking as well. There are at least several major resellers that have done much to inflate the overall market and destroy any chances for the small collector. It comes down the the fact that unless your income is well into the triple figures, you're likely not going to be able to "complete" a system collection. If you just want to collect what you like and are happy with a small collection, you're probably going to be fine. If you want to try to acquire many of the rarities by system, it's probably not going to happen as the resellers have already homed in on what is rare long ago, bought up the market and are now more than willing to sell it to you at 7-15x what they paid for it.

[homerhomer]

 

That's my thinking as well. There are at least several major resellers that have done much to inflate the overall market and destroy any chances for the small collector. It comes down the the fact that unless your income is well into the triple figures, you're likely not going to be able to "complete" a system collection. If you just want to collect what you like and are happy with a small collection, you're probably going to be fine. If you want to try to acquire many of the rarities by system, it's probably not going to happen as the resellers have already homed in on what is rare long ago, bought up the market and are now more than willing to sell it to you at 7-15x what they paid for it.

 

 

The funny thing is I still collect and enjoy it, it's the thrill of the hunt. I still find good deals and enjoy the hobby. I just avoid the high priced peddlers.

[+jeremiahjt]

I refuse to pay more than $5 for Mega Man X2. I found X and X3 for $5 each at a flea market, different times but might have been the same seller. So I am banking on being lucky three times.

[Atari the Jedi]

Like most people on this thread I don't think I would buy anything that's 10 years or older. I just recently picked up at Fairchild of which I traded for an Atari 2600. It was a good trade because the seller just wanted something to look good on his shelf. Things like my contra I will probably never give up yet they cost a fortune

[cybercylon]

 

That's my thinking as well. There are at least several major resellers that have done much to inflate the overall market and destroy any chances for the small collector. It comes down the the fact that unless your income is well into the triple figures, you're likely not going to be able to "complete" a system collection. If you just want to collect what you like and are happy with a small collection, you're probably going to be fine. If you want to try to acquire many of the rarities by system, it's probably not going to happen as the resellers have already homed in on what is rare long ago, bought up the market and are now more than willing to sell it to you at 7-15x what they paid for it.

This is exactly why I understand that people go to the dark side and emulate instead, even if it has it's flaws. $30-$40 for a bare NES Contra cart... and exactly how many of these were made? Seemed like a dime a dozen 10 years ago....

 

I generally don't get much that is 10-15 years older anymore either. There are plenty of good deals to be found say for the PS2 that could keep one very busy for a long time....