Want to ask everyone's thoughts on something

[mas]

I Need to ask everyone their thoughts on a question. I came from my retro game store in Worcester called That's Entertainment which is a great place. And I always look at the inventory just to see what they have and they are running out of cartridge games. So after talking to the employees they all are saying the same thing They don't see anything anymore. No big collections, Last two years and further they were telling me they had games like 30-40 copies of Mario 3 or snes and genesis games in the dozens and now nothing.

So I wanted to ask everyone what's going on the videogame marketplace? Is it because people get better deals thru ebay selling games and buying them? Or can it be people aren't selling them anymore and that's why games are going up in price? In my area I talk to a few people who collect and or buy and they never see anything at thrift stores anymore and I thought is was just me.
I just wanted anyone's opinion on what they think is going on with retro gaming in general. I feel it's two things. You can sell something on ebay like a Zelda and get 15.00 or it or stop at a game store and get 7.00 in cash. And people are holding on to their stuff now. They spend the money on a retro system and they are going to keep the thing till they die. That's what Im thinking.

[dsheinem]

the answer is: "Descriptive thread titles."

[Fragems]

People are just holding onto games like crazy any more . The only places I see with fresh inventory around here are Pawnshops and game stop. The only reason that the pawnshops have fresh inventory is because of people defaulting on loans or selling stolen goods.

Everyone else seems to be demanding insane prices or holding onto their collections.

To tell the truth I think that we are near the point where just about everyone who has games know they have some value and has possibly heard of crazy cases like Air Raid and Stadium events. So they are holding onto their collections instead of trading/selling it off at prices they might consider "cheap".

At least in say 15-20 years we will start having some interesting estate sales lol.

[Forlorn Drifter]

A lot of it has to do with increased popularity and the larger world realizing that value can be found. Now every asshat who finds a NES game thinks he landed a $1000 dollar game or some such.

[mas]

True but I think since 2005 or 2007 people seen the retroduo's and fc mobile and the thought of playing the games they grew up with and realized that those games are great and easy and fun and now the adults are showing their kids on how good games were back then or how hard they were. Sure my son can beat cod ghost in a day with no problem but let him try to beat ninja gaiden nes or master blaster or some snes or genesis games. I'm sure he's going to want to throw the controller at the wall. Remember m.bison on street fighter 2 turbo for the snes on level 6? Took me forever to beat him and a broken snes controller

[Nemoide]

I think a big portion of it is that people are no longer "outgrowing" their games like they used to.

Let's assume that most game old collections were originally owned by kids. Let's assume that 1996 is about the last time you could reasonably expect kids to have 16-bit or older systems on a wide-scale. If there was a six year old with an SNES/Genesis and some games then, they'd be 24 now.
If they've held on to their games this long, the odds are they're not planning on getting rid of them, at least they're not looking to unload them for a few dollars.

[mjmjr25]

It's mostly tied to the strong peso.

[SamuraiMegas]

It's mostly tied to the strong peso.

Really? I thought it was the Zimbabwean dollar. Just imagine how many games you can get with that 100 trillion dollar bill!

[GirlGamer55]

My thoughts are kinda the same. People are holding onto games not just because they like them but because they know there worth something to us collectors.

Around here in Seattle I have the same problem, I don't find much in thrift stores and yard sales. And when I do find something, it's a shitty sports game that no one wants or a ton of xbox games that I have 0 interest in. The retro stuff is being kept by people to sell on Ebay for way to much, or other collectors in the Seattle area beat me to them.

And I have some big time collectors to deal with. Some of which have huge collections but rather then let US OTHER COLLECTORS STARTING OUT have some games, they snatch them up. I just love these people...

So the same could be said for anyone, your going up against other collectors with more time/money to spend on getting games, or resellers (aka the scum of the earth). Resellers can be spotted checking prices on their smart phone, they are always there in the sales, snatching up the good stuff and leaving you the sports games.

But going to the root of the issue, it's because retro game prices have spiked in the past few years. People want the things from their childhoods, or the things they could never have. Because of this prices spike up, the demand for games goes out, people start hording their games to sell on Ebay, resellers hunt around and snatch the good games up to turn around and sell for ten times more then what they paid for it. Supply and demand. Once we stop demanding games, prices will drop again, people will learn their games arn't worth shit because there GAMES.

I mean a game is something meant to be played right? And an old, used NES cart is not worth 20-30+ bucks. New games are worth that because they are in the store. A game is only worth something to the buyer, otherwise it's worthless, yes? Collectors need to wake up and smell the plastic. Stop bidding on games that are being sold at ten times there real worth, stop going to pawn shops and shelling out Ebay prices on games (because that's what you end up paying, even if you haggle...they expect you to haggle so they jack the price up a little bit and end up getting the original Ebay price in the end). If we collectors and gamers just stop paying these stupid prices for games, the price will drop ffs, and then maybe we can all afford our god damn childhoods for once.

[mas]

Wow girl gamer you read my mind. But the thing is if everyone stops buying games to drop the prices down some buthead will pay for that price and keep it or flip it and it starts over again.