Is it getting harder to be a retro gamer?

[WallCrusher]

There used to be a store a few miles away from where I lived called Rhino Games. They sold really games, and that's where I bought a copy of Dragon Warrior III for GBC and Mega Man Legends 2. Unfortunately, they ended up closing and now a GameStop is in it's place. :/

I was really sad when I found out they closed, because I have yet to find another place like them.

[harper]

Rhino was awesome, damn Gamestop to hell.

I wish there was a Play N Trade closer to where I live (the closest is...about 2 hours away) just because it'd be nice to have a dedicated game store with retro games that doesn't reference ebay for their pricing.

Oh well.

[DinnerX]

I really like disc replay. The prices are generally average or below average. Once and a while a game is overpriced, but not too often.

[Hobie-wan]

I wish there was a Play N Trade closer to where I live (the closest is...about 2 hours away) just because it'd be nice to have a dedicated game store with retro games that doesn't reference ebay for their pricing.

When I first went into PnT a few years ago, prices on the older stuff was ok but for quite some time the one near me has been no better than going on ebay for old stuff. They do have a bargain bin, but it is always full of filler crap.

[foxhound1022]

Yeah, PnT's have their own pricing system, but unfortunately, retro game pricing is at the discretion of the franchisee. So if they have any knowledge of prices, then most end up on the Ebay side, which sucks, because the one near me priced by their system until about 8 mo. ago.

This is how I got Power Stone 2 CIB for $10.00, X-Men vs. SF CIB for $15.00, and a few other gems.

[Nintendork666]

Cost-wise? For me, definitely.

My main focus right now are Gamecube games, and ever since GameStop stopped accepting titles and held that b2g1 sale, all the prices on everything I have left to collect seem to have already risen. Just look at Cubivore - my lord!

I remember back in '04 or '05, I was able to scoop up a Dreamcast w/ Shenmue, Power Stone, and Soul Reaver for next to nothing! Or how often I'd run across NES carts for 10 cents a pop at garage sales a few years prior to that. Sounds almost like fantasy these days.

But I guess that's just the way it goes. A firm reminder to never sell off anything unless I'm absolutely positive I'll never want to touch it again.

[Gunstar Green]

A lot of people have been jumping onto the bandwagon in recent years which has made the price of common but popular games skyrocket and uncommon good games that were already expensive shoot up even more.

The popularity of several retro-critics on the internet is partially to blame. When a game gets mentioned by one of them it's almost certain to rise in value.

It used to be that I could walk into any store or flea market that sells used games and find the top titles selling for an old console laying around for a few bucks. Now it's usually one or two good titles and a load of sports games.

Some of this comes from there being a lot more collectors these days who are buying and holding onto games. Some of it also comes from people raiding flea markets and selling the games online for a big profit. I have to admit I've been tempted to do it once in a while though I still only buy games I'm going to hold on to and leave any gems for the next intrepid collector to discover.

You just have to be smart and patient, things have actually become easier just more expensive. Deals can still be found you just have to be willing to wait it out and not jump at the first high-priced offer for the game you're looking for.

Though I admit there does seem to be less and less buried treasure out there these days. Hunting for these games in the real world is one of my favorite things about collecting and it's becoming less fruitful every year.

[retrosportsgamer]

I really wish they would franchise a few retro stores and sell everything from atari to last gen and thats it. That would be nice.

There is Play N Trade. They sell retro stuff, though they seem to focus on current stuff. I suppose it's pretty similar to what Babbages/EB Games/Gamestop were before they got rid of everything old.

Probably the best example there is Play N Trade but what most fail to grasp (not directed at AQ) is that these stores need to make money. They have to pay the rent of a brick and mortar location. So everyone complaining about them using market prices has a severe lack of understanding in economics.

[retrosportsgamer]

Cost-wise? For me, definitely.

My main focus right now are Gamecube games, and ever since GameStop stopped accepting titles and held that b2g1 sale, all the prices on everything I have left to collect seem to have already risen. Just look at Cubivore - my lord!

I remember back in '04 or '05, I was able to scoop up a Dreamcast w/ Shenmue, Power Stone, and Soul Reaver for next to nothing! Or how often I'd run across NES carts for 10 cents a pop at garage sales a few years prior to that. Sounds almost like fantasy these days.

But I guess that's just the way it goes. A firm reminder to never sell off anything unless I'm absolutely positive I'll never want to touch it again.

I think this also touches back to the "Storage Wars" philosophy...that everything old must have value. That thinking wasn't the same ten years ago but with all these shows (and a crappy economy with people hoping to strike it rich), people think anything with dust is gold.

[AppleQueso]

I really wish they would franchise a few retro stores and sell everything from atari to last gen and thats it. That would be nice.

There is Play N Trade. They sell retro stuff, though they seem to focus on current stuff. I suppose it's pretty similar to what Babbages/EB Games/Gamestop were before they got rid of everything old.

Probably the best example there is Play N Trade but what most fail to grasp (not directed at AQ) is that these stores need to make money. They have to pay the rent of a brick and mortar location. So everyone complaining about them using market prices has a severe lack of understanding in economics.

I don't think people complain if stores sell at fair, market prices. They complain when they quote highball BINs on ebay and try to sell it at that sort of cost. It's not actually market price at all, really.