price check Activision HERO $24.95 at my local game store - Is it worth it?

[Andromeda Stardust]

What the title says. I found an Activision HERO for $24.95. Should I buy it? What is so special about this game to warrant the high price? Thanks...

 

MetalJesus review:

I think I'm gonna run back to the store to pick this up...

 

EDIT: Done!

Edited May 26, 2016 by Kosmic Stardust

[CPUWIZ]

No

[Supergun]

Well, HERO is hands down one of the best Atari 2600 games. But yes, $24.95 is a bit high for just the loose cart.

[AtariBrian]

It has went up in price in the last year on ebay . I tried to buy one at a gameshow last summer but he wanted 25 so I passed .

[+KaeruYojimbo]

It's one of the harder Activision games to find and it's a game a lot of people like, so prices can get up there. $25 for a loose cart is high, but it's probably about as good of a deal as you'll find from a dealer.

[+sramirez2008]

H.E.R.O. is one of my all time favs and go to games. Have always loved playing this cart. My copy came in a bundle with a 4 switch woody I picked up years ago from eBay. Kind of funny and sad to see it selling for so much these days.

[cybercylon]

Here is an online dealer selling it for $15. I don't remember paying even that much for it, but that was about 7-8 years ago.

 

http://www.collectorscardsandgames.com/new/Atari2600Page4.html

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

Is the ntsc version so rare ? Because I found a pal cib at 18 euros a couple years ago (and I thought a lot about before buying !). 25$ for a loose is very high imho. Ebay prices are not an argus ! Guys get crazy on ebay thinking they have treasures in their basement ! I've seen a Space invaders loose at 35 euros last week Buying that high is playing the game of the resellers who want to make you think this is the right price.

Edited May 26, 2016 by Cambouis de l'Atari

[DesertJets]

I think I paid around $20-22 a few years back on eBay for my copy. So to me $25 to have it locally doesn't seem too bad, but that is on the higher side of what I'd want to pay for a loose cart. I keep watching 2600 cart lots and every now and then I see one with a copy of HERO in it, so it isn't too rare and every now and then you may be able to snag it on the cheap.

[hizzy]

I don't think it's an outlandish price, considering what H.E.R.O sells for on ebay. I would buy it.

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

For sale does not mean it sells...

 

Anyway, in retro stuff, I'm convinced that the right price is the price you agree to spend for

So congrats Kosmic Stardust, have a nice time with that great cart

Edited May 26, 2016 by Cambouis de l'Atari

[78001987]

Bit high on the price, but it's easily one of the top 10 games ever on the system, and not exactly super common - so eventually that price was going to go up.

 

personally I wouldn't pay more than $15 loose.

[0078265317]

Even loose on ebay 33 is the cheapest I have seen. And only 2 for 5200 32.50 also.

[cybercylon]

I just gave a link where it is priced for $15 loose. That's fair to me. I have only made a few transactions with that site, and they were without issues or problems.

 

The only thing I can think of is cosmetic condition might influence the price one way or another, but $25 is too much IMHO.

[Hannacek]

$25 might be a little on the high side, but they have to pay rent, taxes, and other business expenses people on ebay don't pay.

 

I got a Harmony Cartridge for this reason. For less than $100 you can put every game on it including hundreds of homebrews and hacks. $100 is pretty cheap considering you can pay $25 for just one game.

 

For me it is not fun paying $25 or more for one game. So I buy the common games when I find them for a couple bucks, and I play the expensive games on my Harmony Encore.

[AtariLeaf]

Here is an online dealer selling it for $15. I don't remember paying even that much for it, but that was about 7-8 years ago.

 

http://www.collectorscardsandgames.com/new/Atari2600Page4.html

 

Are his prices even up to date anymore? I don't even know if he updates his site you basically just have to email and ask he has something.

[BassGuitari]

$25 might be a little on the high side, but they have to pay rent, taxes, and other business expenses people on ebay don't pay.

That's not the customer's problem.

[Flojomojo]

To me, it seems wackadoo to pay original 1983 prices for any original Atari cartridge in 2016, but I guess that's just me. I haven't exhumed my old games from the basement in over 10 years, so I'm not even sure if I have HERO in that format ...but I've gotten my fill from playing it in every Activision compilation for the past 20 years.

 

Is it worth $25? Sure, if the seller can find someone to pay that much. It won't be me!

[+davidcalgary29]

To me, it seems wackadoo to pay original 1983 prices for any original Atari cartridge in 2016, but I guess that's just me. I haven't exhumed my old games from the basement in over 10 years, so I'm not even sure if I have HERO in that format ...but I've gotten my fill from playing it in every Activision compilation for the past 20 years.

Is it worth $25? Sure, if the seller can find someone to pay that much. It won't be me!

I agree, but might not if I hadn't been buying Atari items for the past 36 years. Dealer prices have become almost extortionate these days, but game supplies of 2600 carts really have dried up. I suppose the bright side of buying from a local dealer is that you won't incur shipping fees and (in theory) have recourse if the game doesn't work.

 

I have no local dealers, so that $25 cart becomes $40 with shipping...equating to $60 CAD for an untested game. That gives me pause.

Edited May 30, 2016 by davidcalgary29

[Flojomojo]

It's a good game, which was the original question. I would think that between YouTube for watching, emulation for playing, and eBay for pricing it's easy enough to gather ones own opinion about whether it's worth it.

 

If after seeing it and playing it, you still have a hunger, $25 is okay, I guess. I would stop at the emulation stage and play it there, but I'm mostly immune to collectoritis.

[Buyatari]

One of the best 2600 titles that I've ever played

That shouldn't come as a shock as it is an Activision title.

 

Is the game "worth" $25? In terms of play value I would say yes.

Can you find one cheaper? If you are patient I would think so.

[ZippyRedPlumber]

It's kinda worth it since it's got a cheaper price. Granted it's still a ridiculous price, but it's better than the one I found loose at my local game shop this past weekend which was around $35.00...

 

As for why Hero got a high price, I guess it's because it was a late-release game since it came out in early 1984 when the crash was in full swing.

Edited June 7, 2016 by ZippyRedPlumber

[+GoldLeader]

I bought that game for my ColecoVision BITD and still have it...Great game!

 

I would say to many of you, at least you have a game store in your town that would have something like that! We've got a mall Gamestop (is it?) Classic games to them are PS3 games LOL...Haven't been there in forever!

 

Having a store locally, I'd support them sometimes if you like them. They could go out of business if you don't. I guess technically we do have a hole in the wall retro type store here, if they're still open...May have to check. Last time I was there years ago, it wasn't too special except for a few NES games i liked, but almost all were "ebay" Priced. Usually I'd like to see a store at least make a little effort to be a little better...

 

OK I can see you've picked it up if I read that correctly (But I'm posting this anyway:)

 

Enjoy the game Kosmic!

[MrBeefy]

I wish I had a store that sold it for 25. That is one of the few games I want but don't own. Cheapest I found on ebay right now is at 45...

[Jinks]

Common games where I am are 2.95-4.95 buy 2 get 1 free. Except they put stickers on the labels that ruins them all...