The Price of Retro Games

Retr0gamer · 17-08-2021 12:12pm

True but if you are going down that road then the japanese copy is just an ornament and you might as well go full buccaneer.

Downlinz · 19-08-2021 4:55pm

I'm glad I finished off getting the remaining 3DS and DS games I wanted a year or two ago, was having a look through what I paid on my previous CeX orders and some of those prices have doubled or tripled or more in 12-18 months.

Ever Oasis €6 -> €22

Kid Icarus Uprising €15 -> €42

Ghost Trick €30 -> €70

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn €20 -> €45

Dragon Quest V €45 -> €145

Pokemon Platinum €65 -> €100

Devil Survivor Overclocked €50 -> €130

Dublinandy3 · 19-08-2021 9:20pm

For those that are selling stuff how do you find the people buying if you're using adverts?

Pre pandemic I was regularly selling with, at a guess, every 5/6 things out of 10 going to the same couple of dozen buyers (I assume collectors) and the rest going to guys around my age (35 to 45) or women buying as presents for their partners.

When the pandemic hit more items went to non regulars and the age got younger and younger, but also the headache.

I was selling to help fund my saving for a deposit. I gave up however simply because it was not worth the hassle.

I still have a fair few working, and non working, consoles and more games than I should, that I just intend to save until car boots are allowed again. I suspect I'll have no trouble shifting in person and will increase the standard prices to allow to be haggled down.

Possibly, if my experience is not unique maybe some people just decided to stop selling for a while, which would drive the price up too. Maybe be after the restrictions stop prices might drop slightly again. Then again, they probably won't.

DaveyDave · 19-08-2021 9:21pm

Will the Covid gamers be inclined to sell them when they start collecting dust next year or hold onto them due to the cost?

johnny_ultimate · 24-08-2021 12:01pm

Obviously about a very specific area of the market (sealed, graded games), but this is a fascinating video on those absurd record-breaking game sales from recent times. Some suspect happenings afoot to put it mildly!

https://youtu.be/rvLFEh7V18A

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 24-08-2021 10:07pm

I plan on watching all of this tonight, but I've gotten through the first 5 minutes and so far my thought process is "this is gonna be fúcking depressing".

Lemming · 25-08-2021 10:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117796753#Comment_117796753

That was an interesting watch. The bit where he connects the dots [convincingly] between the coin "market" bubble and those responsible in the USA in the 1980s with the video game market with the same names yet again involved was particularly noteworthy in how brazen those players have been.

Inviere · 25-08-2021 12:32pm

@johnny_ultimate thanks for posting that, it was a very interesting watch. Obviously I'm not going to fact check everything in an hour long video, but if true, it's its a pretty damning exposure of what can only be described as a rats nest of greed and market manipulation. Scumbags really (again, if true)

Dr Bob · 25-08-2021 1:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058203226/the-price-of-retro-games

Where the hell are people able to sell Meg games for an average of $21? looking at adverts, selling megadrive games at less than that gets the usual "anything from my ads/offer you 2 euro bag of tayto" lowballer Delboys dealers

I'm at the stage where I'm happy to sell about 4/5ths of what I have , I just cant get anything for it!

johnny_ultimate · 25-08-2021 2:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117801343#Comment_117801343

Yep obviously hard to fact-check without putting a serious amount of time in, but if even some of it is accurate - and it all seems convincingly researched and argued - then it's truly damning.

Here is Heritage Auctions' response, in the interests of balance. Unsurprisingly, they refute it. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/report-alleges-auction-and-grading-fraud-is-behind-recent-surge-in-retro-game-prices/

“Heritage Auctions wishes it had been given the opportunity to respond before the video’s publication, because there are numerous misstatements of fact and inaccurate conclusions contained within the piece.

“Heritage strongly refutes any allegation that it or its officers are involved in shill bidding, “market manipulation” or any similarly illegal or unethical practices. Heritage prides itself on our transparency and being a place built by and for collectors. With this in mind, we welcome the opportunity to discuss the video-game marketplace further, and would invite Mr. Jobst to our world headquarters in Dallas to tour our operations and speak further with leadership.”

Retr0gamer · 25-08-2021 3:02pm

Shill bidding and market manipulation is the only thing they deny. The shill bidding is a stretch but the video points this out but I think that the history of the companies employees with regards to shill bidding is very damning.

Market manipulation on the other hand is kind of a nebulous thing to prove but I think the video pretty much says all there is to say about that one.

o1s1n · 25-08-2021 3:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117801576#Comment_117801576

eBay is the only way to really get proper cash for anything you have. Adverts is still just a car boot sale in comparison really!

Lemming · 25-08-2021 9:13pm

@johnny_ultimate wrote:

"Here is Heritage Auctions' response, in the interests of balance. Unsurprisingly, they refute it. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/report-alleges-auction-and-grading-fraud-is-behind-recent-surge-in-retro-game-prices/"

From the above article, for all the claims that Jobst did not contact them prior to publishing his video/article, the following tweet would seem to disabuse those particular claims;

https://twitter.com/karljobstgaming/status/1430560971169275906

Retr0gamer · 25-08-2021 10:11pm

If I was him I wouldn't take up their offer for a tour of the business. With their shady past it would be the same as being a Saudi journalistic critic taking a trip to a Turkish embassy.

lmimmfn · 07-09-2021 10:54am

Enjoyable video interviewing Karl Jobst on his video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5kemY-Sjsk

Lemming · 08-09-2021 10:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117803946#Comment_117803946

Oh, it'd be spun mercilessly for PR. As transparent as it may be, why give them the opportunity to begin with.

Jack burton · 09-09-2021 9:56am

I've seen a whole heap of stuff recently tearing every almost ever aspect of the price increase apart.

Crazy times.

If you ask me I think a lot it's just newer people with too much money. Im in a few Facebook collecting groups, one UK based Sega one, so many middle aged people there who only started a couple of years ago dropping £1000 on the likes of Death and Return of Superman and Pirates of Dark water.

I really do wonder what's going to happen when the bubble bursts and there's another huge recession. Because I do think a big one is coming. Looking way beyond retro games, when the sh1t hits the fan are these people still going to hold onto their £1000 game investment or will they sell it for a loss?

Whatever the case I'm cracking I sold a large chunk of my rarer mega drive games now. Although the pinballs they have been replaced with are also going insane in prices. Ones that were usuall 1500-2000 are now being sold for around 3000 in some cases

The Price of Retro Games

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