Is there are standard NES Rarity Guide out there yet?

[StanJr]

Whose guide do you go by when you are seeking NES rarity? I know we go back and forth over and over about who has what guide and how we need a good NES site like AA, etc.

 

But what guide do YOU use when seeking rarity? Is there one guide that is standing above the rest as THE guide for NES rarity? I'm not sure I trust the DP guides, I've been looking at the gamerzuniverse guide, but some of those seem off, and I'm not sure how they tabulate their rarity, I still have that old list from WAY back with the ABC rarities, but which to use?

[MattG/Snyper2099]

Mike etler's list with the ABC rarities, suprisingly enough, holds up even today, in my opinion. I've been using it since 1996 and never put it down. DP is all over the place on NES rarity. I haven't checked out video game bible yet but someone told me they are more accurate on NES rarity than the DP guide is. The Etler list is free though.

[wrldstrman]

gamerz universe has a very good nes rarity guide...plus hes working hard to get scans of all the games and theres also a good controller rarity guide.

[wrldstrman]

actually some of us have been keeping track of nes games and there are quite a few that are mainly just into the nes so there is some good input.Like I said in the above post gamerz is working on the nes section and when finished it should be the best or close to the best for nes...I m sure he would appreciate any feedback on the nes to help build a better nes guide.

[StanJr]

how is his rarity determined? Because there are some wild fluctuations between him and DP and the Etler list.

[JerseyDevil]

I still use Mike Etlers list. It needs to updated for a few games, but all in all its still the most accurate one out there.

[Bruce Tomlin]

I merged together the ratings from Etler's and DP's for the list I use.

[wrldstrman]

how is his rarity determined?  Because there are some wild fluctuations between him and DP and the Etler list.

 

Im not sure how he made the intial list but gamerz has changed the rarity on some games from input.Im not saying its the one everyone should use but the guide is more open to change. if a game is rated a 8 on other sites and it comes up on ebay and other places 5 times more than a 5 rarity game he will make the adjustment.I just think its more active with the input from people. Color a dinosaur is a good example it was listed a nine but since there was a lot of input that it wasnt that hard to acquire it was lowered...I guess I just like the fact it changes and the rarity isnt set in stone.I always thought dusty diamonds all star softball was rare but since january its been one of the games that come up very often on ebay..where die hard and waynes world are harder to get.So I would say its a work in progress but there is a lot of time devoted to the nintendo nes section.

[figgler]

Rarity should not be at all gauged by eBay activity. I find that to be quite silly. People auction off games based on rarity because they are valuable. Just because you can grab an Action 52 on eBay any day of the week doesn't make it more common. And so it becomes circular logic - sell it because it's rare, but the more that are sold, the less rare it is...

 

Shame no one has access to proper production runs. To have cold hard figures on how many actual carts where physically produced would be damn sweet and almost inarguable in determining rarity, other than a few x-factors...

[JerseyDevil]

Rarity should not be at all gauged by eBay activity.  I find that to be quite silly.  People auction off games based on rarity because they are valuable.  Just because you can grab an Action 52 on eBay any day of the week doesn't make it more common.  And so it becomes circular logic - sell it because it's rare, but the more that are sold, the less rare it is...  

 

 

I definately agree here.

 

Some games that have the same rarity sell for different amounts. If you have 2 rarity 7 games and 1 sells for $25 on E-Bay and the other sells for $5 on E-Bay, you will see the $25 cart listed more because the owner of the $5 cart might not waste his time for only $5. Yet they are still both rarity 7 carts.

 

I can see using E-Bay for prices because games sell for what people will pay and that is the one true gauge of what something is worth.

[StanJr]

Yeah, using ebay is a tricky sitch. you can sell the same Mr. Do's Castle 10 times on ebay, but it has no impact on rarity, because its just the exact same cart changing hands 10 times.

 

production numbers are the best way to go, but beyond that rarity seems really tricky to calculate.

[wrldstrman]

I didnt say the rarity guide was based on ebay..But I myself have to disagree on using ebay as a tool to help determen how rare games are..Even if you had the the total of all the production runs that still doesnt tell you how many of that run were destroyed or are still packed away in a wharehouse..Like I said input of people who have and are collecting plays a big part in helping with rarity.A good example is flintstones susprise at dinosaur peak it does show up on ebay a good bit and brings a good price..moon ranger also brings a good price and it hardly ever shows up so if people had it and can sell it for good money more would show up for sale.actually there are quite a few nes games that bring a good price that hardly ever show up on ebay.I dont know where any of the sites got there rarity guides from..I know over the last five years I ve been to probally 400 to 600 yard sales every weekend and I can tell you the games Ive never seen add that together with others in other parts of the country that also hit hundreds of yards sales..and input from those that hit the thrift stores and flea markets and along with ebay it gives a good idea of how rare a game is

 

I m not trying to saying anyone should use a certian guide I m just saying rarity guides should be flexible and input from the collectors and hunters make a rarity guide more reliable.If you polled 500 collectors/flea market/yard sale hunters and none of them ever came across secret scout I would be lead to belive it was pretty rare and if only 5 or so showed up on ebay it would help to prove that fact.So I think the only way to have a good gauge of rarity is input from those out there getting the games.But this is my sole opinion.

[StanJr]

I ve been to probally   400 to 600 yard sales every weekend and I can tell you the games Ive never seen add that together with others in other parts of the country that also hit hundreds of yards sales..and input from those that hit the thrift stores and flea markets and along with ebay it gives a good idea of how rare a game is<br>

I m not trying to saying anyone should use a certian guide I m just saying rarity guides should be flexible and input from the collectors and hunters make a rarity guide more reliable.If you polled 500 collectors/flea market/yard sale hunters and none of them ever came across secret scout I would be lead to belive it was pretty rare and if only 5 or so showed up on ebay it would help to prove that fact.So I think the only way to have a good gauge of rarity is input from those out there getting the games.But this is my sole opinion.

 

I agree with a lot of this. I can make a list of games I never see in the "wild" and some of the games on that list are totally common, I just never see them. Or I can tell you about very common games that I never see, because they are popular, and if I DO see them they are HIGH priced (Mega Man 2, Contra). Its a VERY hard thing creating a rarity guide, there are a LOT of variables to consider and a lot of unreliable information to weed out. I envy no one the task. But I think ebay is of only minimal indication of rarity.

[JerseyDevil]

Is finding games in the wild a real gauge of a games rarity? I have never seen Flintstones 2 in the wild, but I have seen Secret Scout twice. So IMO, Flintstones 2 is rarer but out there is somebody who has seen Flinstones 2 but never Secret Scout and his opinion is totally different from mine. IMO, finding stuff in the wild is too much of a crap shoot to give it a lot of weight in rarity lists.

 

I agree with Stan, I don't envy the person who puts rarity lists together.

[wrldstrman]

I think its a numbers game with a lot of people helping..Just like here if you aked all the members who owns cakewalk compared to who all owns frogger you would get a pretty good idea cakewalk was rarer than frogger..So basically for nes you need a lot of input..and of course its harder because there isnt nearly as many rare nintendo games as atari so it would be hard to say where certian games ranked.I think another big difference is compared to atari at this time the majority of nes buyers want the games that are fun to play and usally pass on the rarer games and theres no where near the hardcore nes collectors compared to atari..at this point in time anyway.

[StanJr]

I think its a numbers game with a lot of people helping.  So basically for nes you need a lot of input...

 

I think this is the key.