The VGA is BS

[AppleQueso]

VGA is a niche of a niche of a niche.

Highly publicized auctions like the Stadium Events, renewed interested in these titles thanks to the prevelance of download services like Virtual Console, the increasingly widespread use of the internet thanks to the rise of social media, shows like Storage Wars and Pawn Stars, e-celebrities like AVGN, the way the internet as a whole seems to have elevated the SNES to the status of "greatest console of all time," and the simple fact that an entire generation of gamers who grew up on the console have now entered the workforce and find themselves with a lot of disposable income. These things all contribute to the rising prices of retro games.

VGA grading is a tiny, insignificant drop in the bucket, at best.

[winds]

While I completely agree with you that all those other sources you listed contributed to the rising market, I still disagree with you that VGA auctions and prices had little to no effect. First thing I and many other people do when looking to sell their stuff is look at ebay prices. If what they're seeing is VGA inflated prices, and they're not in the know (or are in the know but just want the highest dollar they can get), they're going to inflate their asking price as well.

[AppleQueso]

While I completely agree with you that all those other sources you listed contributed to the rising market, I still disagree with you that VGA auctions and prices had little to no effect. First thing I and many other people do when looking to sell their stuff is look at ebay prices. If what they're seeing is VGA inflated prices, and they're not in the know (or are in the know but just want the highest dollar they can get), they're going to inflate their asking price as well.

Until I'm seeing people suddenly trying to list loose carts for the tens of thousands of dollars VGA graded games tend to sit at, you're gonna have a hell of a time convincing me of that.

[winds]

I may have exaggerated the impact a little. I didn't mean people suddenly sell their game for exactly the same prices as the VGA auctions. I only meant that it absolutely influences the next sellers asking price, so he's going to compare it to that one. Seeing as how most of these auctions are resellers who've an ebay store, they can afford to let it sit there until some desperate buyer is willing to pay for it to complete or further their collection.

It is such an easy cycle that inflates $10 games to $40 or $50. Or even more extreme in some cases.

[o.pwuaioc]

Until I'm seeing people suddenly trying to list loose carts for the tens of thousands of dollars VGA graded games tend to sit at, you're gonna have a hell of a time convincing me of that.

If a sealed copy of SMB3 gets sold on ebay, wouldn't the VGPC price go up as a result?

[Ack]

Until I'm seeing people suddenly trying to list loose carts for the tens of thousands of dollars VGA graded games tend to sit at, you're gonna have a hell of a time convincing me of that.

If a sealed copy of SMB3 gets sold on ebay, wouldn't the VGPC price go up as a result?

Yes, though they try to keep track of differences in price between new and used copies of a game.

[o.pwuaioc]

Until I'm seeing people suddenly trying to list loose carts for the tens of thousands of dollars VGA graded games tend to sit at, you're gonna have a hell of a time convincing me of that.

If a sealed copy of SMB3 gets sold on ebay, wouldn't the VGPC price go up as a result?

Yes, though they try to keep track of differences in price between new and used copies of a game.

But then we're assuming that everyone is so diligent.

[AppleQueso]

I may have exaggerated the impact a little. I didn't mean people suddenly sell their game for exactly the same prices as the VGA auctions. I only meant that it absolutely influences the next sellers asking price, so he's going to compare it to that one. Seeing as how most of these auctions are resellers who've an ebay store, they can afford to let it sit there until some desperate buyer is willing to pay for it to complete or further their collection.

It is such an easy cycle that inflates $10 games to $40 or $50. Or even more extreme in some cases.

VGA graded stuff sits at prices so far above what anyone could imagine as being reasonable that I can't imagine anybody trying to use them as a metric for how they should price loose carts.

[Ack]

I may have exaggerated the impact a little. I didn't mean people suddenly sell their game for exactly the same prices as the VGA auctions. I only meant that it absolutely influences the next sellers asking price, so he's going to compare it to that one. Seeing as how most of these auctions are resellers who've an ebay store, they can afford to let it sit there until some desperate buyer is willing to pay for it to complete or further their collection.

It is such an easy cycle that inflates $10 games to $40 or $50. Or even more extreme in some cases.

VGA graded stuff sits at prices so far above what anyone could imagine as being reasonable that I can't imagine anybody trying to use them as a metric for how they should price loose carts.

Here's a complete copy of Aero Fighters that has at least been opened for testing going for about $2500.00. It is marked used:

http://item.ebay.com/330873021874

Here's another copy in "acceptable" condition, cart only, going for $547.97.

http://item.ebay.com/290833208904

It's possible that people saw the price on a VGA rated copy of Aero Fighters and set their like new copy at $2500, which caused the used game only copy to go for over $500.

[Ack]

If a sealed copy of SMB3 gets sold on ebay, wouldn't the VGPC price go up as a result?

Yes, though they try to keep track of differences in price between new and used copies of a game.

But then we're assuming that everyone is so diligent.

I believe they use an algorithm of some sort, though I can't say for sure exactly how precise it is, or how it might manage to track differences between versions, or parts of complete games, such as boxes or manuals.