Why do you think retro games are so expensive?

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Why do you think retro games are so expensive?
Tweet Topic Started: Apr 1 2013, 09:38 PM (1,390 Views)
louespo3	Apr 1 2013, 09:38 PM Post #1
New User Posts: 14 Group: Members Member #6,049 Joined: Apr 1, 2013	For most retro games (especially SNES), most of the time if you shop online you have to pay a large sum of money just to buy a game you are looking for. Why do you think so? Tips on where to buy games for cheap?



amb3Rly11	Apr 2 2013, 07:38 AM Post #2
Level 4 Posts: 284 Group: Members Member #5,848 Joined: Jan 26, 2013	Most of the time, retro games still go for much less than they originally retailed for. There are a few exceptions where games exceed their initial price tag (little Sampson and earthbound, for instance). Why aren't they cheapER, though? My theory is that people who were kids back in the 90s are now established adults with some sort of Job that allows them to afford the games they missed out on as kids. My tips on finding games for cheap: avoid eBay! eBay artificially inflates prices. Everyone sells the same game for the same price. Be patient and hunt for games locally. Go to garage sales and pawn shops. Not kidding, I paid $4 for earthbound this way. The seller literally said "Mario games are 15, everything else is 4" Best of luck! Edited by amb3Rly11, Apr 2 2013, 07:40 AM.
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Baconbits274	Apr 2 2013, 08:20 AM Post #3
Level 3 Posts: 241 Group: Members Member #2,280 Joined: Jun 30, 2010	That is true not only for video games but other things. I've been collecting an out of print manga lately. eBay is selling the manga for 15 dollars a piece, I've been getting them at a local store for under 5. One just needs to know there places. The shop I just mentioned is not a good place to buy retro games but great to buy older CDs and books. There's another store in my town which is great for retro games. Also, don't forget your thrift shops. They aren't the best place to get what you want, when you want it but check it out sometimes. I bought Sonic 3 for a dollar at a thrift shop.
	Check yeah later, Baconbits274!


ShadowBlaze	Apr 2 2013, 04:42 PM Post #4
Hail the Sun! Posts: 768 Group: Members Member #4,016 Joined: Jun 26, 2011 Currently Playing tLoZ: Wind Waker HD	Supply and demand. Economics, they teach it in school. When people want a game really badly, they are willing to pay more for it. Look at Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn And Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance on ebay. Ever since the release of Fire Emblem Awakening, everyone wants these older games so their prices have sky rocketed. Also look at Skies of Arcadia: Legends on ebay.
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zaven1718	Apr 2 2013, 04:43 PM Post #5
Level 7 Posts: 1,067 Group: Members Member #4,731 Joined: Feb 2, 2012	Like Amberly said, Garage Sales!



ShadowBlaze	Apr 3 2013, 12:11 AM Post #6
Hail the Sun! Posts: 768 Group: Members Member #4,016 Joined: Jun 26, 2011 Currently Playing tLoZ: Wind Waker HD	double post, whoops. Edited by ShadowBlaze, Apr 3 2013, 12:11 AM.
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Kharnivore2099	Apr 3 2013, 09:00 AM Post #7
Retroverdose Posts: 3,313 Group: Moderator Member #47 Joined: Jan 27, 2009 Currently Playing Dark Souls III Twitter Kharnivore2099	Greedy eBay sellers, Simple as that. Lot's of copies of common games can be ridiculous prices on there and a lot of 2nd hand stores compare thier prices to those. I barely have any NES games now because of how much they cost. Castlevania 1 or 3 arent rare but fetch stupid prices, really grinds my gears.
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Lavitz	Apr 4 2013, 12:26 AM Post #8
GUST OF WIND DANCE! Posts: 286 Group: Members Member #5,007 Joined: Apr 25, 2012	A lot of people think just because something's old, it's worth a lot of money. I laugh every time I see someone charge $20+ for Super Mario Bros. on NES



stratamaster78	Dec 17 2013, 04:57 AM Post #9
Level 6 Posts: 946 Group: Members Member #1,126 Joined: Aug 9, 2009	I blame most of it on the YouTube gaming community and us as a group. It's a viscous cycle. When Pete and many other original YT gaming channels came on the scene around 2007 showing off impressive retro collections and talking more and more about how great a lot of older games are it caused a collecting craze. So many people want to emulate others gigantic collections and track down all these hidden gems that have gained recent exposure that demand has gone through the roof along with prices. So there is good with bad. We enjoy the entertainment of YT videos and learn about old games we missed through them but in turn have to pay mucho $$$$ for older games now because of it. If the YT gaming 'community' had never come about all the older games would be dirt cheap. It's collectively our own faults.



bolton121	Dec 17 2013, 05:44 AM Post #10
Level 4 Posts: 393 Group: Members Member #3,084 Joined: Dec 2, 2010	I collect n64 boxed games and that is a nightmare! Looking through my ebay home page right now there are copies of Paper Mario, Super Smash Bros, Zelda OOT & MM among others (all CIB and in great nick mind you) going for £70+ EACH! Then right next to them there is an auction for a ps3 with ten games going for £60.



Jason Allen	Dec 17 2013, 06:08 AM Post #11
Level 2 Posts: 52 Group: Members Member #6,213 Joined: May 17, 2013	it seems to be trendy to collect games at the moment, so maybe the trend will fade.
	https://www.youtube.com/user/JasonAllen


Veirac	Dec 18 2013, 04:59 PM Post #12
Veirac Posts: 28 Group: Members Member #6,725 Joined: Dec 17, 2013	Ebay does seem bad for inflated prices, but really the prices just reflect what people are willing to pay... If someone charges £/$30 for a loose copy of Mario Allstars and someone pays it, it's worth it in a sense, yet the 'average' price it sells for is the price that it is worth in another... How much a game is 'worth' depends on your perception - I have rather limited interest in say, Atari Jaguar games, yet they are high priced due to a number of factors such as rarity and desirability. This works in most areas of life really which is why you end up with shops having sales - they stock stuff, people don't pay for it at the current price so they lower the cost and some more people buy them. Individuals are more in control of economics than some may say or think Of course it is much more complicated than the above, but it is interesting



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