Author Topic: Video Game Inflation - Prices then and now - Minor Rant  (Read 1651 times)

August 11, 2012, 03:15:54 AM
Read 1651 times

madrocsz

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Was checking out VGpricecharting for a few games I am still needing for random systems and did "high to low" on price. Saw Hagane average used price $460.00.... wtf

I paid a decent bit for this game sometime last year, think it was 60 or 65 and at the time I felt it was a deal. Now, I feel like I am sitting on oil lol. Even looked at previous auctions and tons over 300$

http://videogames.pricecharting.com/game/super-nintendo/hagane-the-final-conflict#completed-auctions

There are a lot more to list but honestly it blows my mind. To me, it seems like its the "cool thing to do" at the moment hence the inflation. I have been collecting for over a decade and to be honest it's quite aggrivating that games I passed on at 8$ are now 30$. Is it wrong for me to be angry when I see 81172 videos of kids that were born well after most of these "retro games" they are now collecting? I mean, by all means the games should be respected but its almost that I am annoyed that they are the reason prices are jacked up lol.

I suppose its me just getting older and a lot like saying "hey you shouldn't listen to that music it was before your time" To me, I take pride in the oldest stuff I collect is stuff I honestly owned systems for or friends did and grew up with, (except atari tho, I had one but NES + is what really got me hooked)

Ugh....

Thoughts?

August 11, 2012, 04:52:14 AM
Reply #1

games-go-round

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I don't think you're wrong to be upset about how much older games seem to cost these days.  I'm by no means a collector, but every now and then, I get the itch to buy and re-play a game from my childhood.  Some of them, like Super Metroid, get more expensive every year!  I've gotten to the point where I just keep my little collection as it is (about 40 games) and try not to let nostalgia bite me too hard.  Thankfully, I own pretty much every game I can ever think of wanting to play.

I don't mind the kids so much, but you bring up a good point - younger gamers have really opened up the market, and seem to be the ones buying most of the retro games out there.  I think it's all right if younger gamers want to see what all the 8 and 16-bit fuss was about, but they also tend to have more disposable income than adults, and therefore can spend more on games than the average bear.  I don't know any serious collectors, personally, but I've dealt with eBay buyers who buy my games, looking to add to their complete SNES collection, and the like.  One guy bought a copy of Mystical Ninja for the N64 that I had for sale, and claimed it was one of the only two games he needed for a full set.  He was also 19.  I'm not terribly old (26...) but the thought of someone that young having that much money to spend on games, well... I hope he takes his girlfriend out to dinner often, too!

I know what you mean about "sitting on oil," too.  I bought a copy of Phantasy Star Online: Episodes I & II Plus for the Gamecube when it was new, and paid $30 for it.  Nowadays, a complete-in-the-case copy like mine sells for around $100!  Granted, my copy of the game is not for sale, but the fact that a game that's not even a decade old sells for that much is beyond me.  And don't even get me started on the price of the Panzer Dragoon games, lately - let's just say that I'm glad I got mine when I did!

Good topic, good rant.  I hope this keeps going!

August 11, 2012, 07:24:36 AM
Reply #2

Mick Dundee

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Some games seem to fluctuate in price.  I remember seeing FFVII sell for $80+ (GH Version) My father in-law sold the Black label ones he got on ebay and didn't make half that.

 He sold 1 with FFVII, FFVIII & FFIX. All complete and black lebal....$40
 and the other he sold for $20 with the FFVII Hint book.


 Maybe games will be like wine prices or stocks....with highs and lows that could pay out well or just make you pissed off.

August 11, 2012, 07:47:16 AM
Reply #3

Beastman1975

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i bought all 3 Sega saturn panzer dragoon games for around $50 used when the saturn market died in the U.S.A. ,  all C.I.B.  except part 1 . now i see them goin for hundreds individiually  alot of the time

August 11, 2012, 07:57:40 AM
Reply #4

Forte

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http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=80830

NintendoAge is getting all the blame, but it's simple socioeconomics. Kids from the NES and SNES era (like me) are now adults with jobs and money and are buying all the games they wanted when they were kids that they couldn't afford. Simple as that. And since the supply is limited and the demand is high, prices go up. This will continue in time (already is with N64) with PS1, PS2, etc as their generations get older.  

As far as young kids playing our generation's games, blame the Virtual Console, PS Store, etc
« Last Edit: August 11, 2012, 08:00:11 AM by Forte »

August 11, 2012, 08:34:35 AM
Reply #5

Moviefan2k4

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I think a small amount of inflation is reasonable, but when 20-year-old games cost more than they did new, its gone too far. I think the most I've ever paid for a retro title is $20, and that was twice: "Ocarina of Time" and "Super Metroid".

August 11, 2012, 08:41:02 AM
Reply #6

wiggy

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I think Forte makes a good point. I mean, I'm 34 and I'm buying a lot of what I never had when I was younger or things that I DID have, but got rid of for one reason or another.

Also, I really don't like NintendoAge. That place irks me.


But, on the brighter side, the piqued interest in the retro market does mean that a lot of cool new ideas and products relating to all things 8 & 16-bit are popping up all over the place. I think it's a really exciting time to be a collector, even if it is a tad expensive.

August 11, 2012, 08:49:59 AM
Reply #7

Forte

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I think Forte makes a good point. I mean, I'm 34 and I'm buying a lot of what I never had when I was younger or things that I DID have, but got rid of for one reason or another.

Also, I really don't like NintendoAge. That place irks me.


But, on the brighter side, the piqued interest in the retro market does mean that a lot of cool new ideas and products relating to all things 8 & 16-bit are popping up all over the place. I think it's a really exciting time to be a collector, even if it is a tad expensive.

If it wasn't for NintendoAge I never would have completed my Mega Man and NGPC collections. There are a lot of awesome people on there, don't let a few rotten eggs spoil the bunch (just as this site has a few "rotten" members, I don't hold the community at fault).

I'm really excited about the future for retro gaming. At the time, when NES and SNES carts were 70 dollars a pop, and technology lagged, we simply couldn't do the things we're capable of now (rom hacks, entirely new games that run on old hardware, etc). Even if Nintendo and the like won't support us, the community can step in and bring these consoles back to life. I don't need to see NES games on a shelf in WalMart to know I can still get my fill, even 27 years after the fact.

August 11, 2012, 12:32:16 PM
Reply #8

Mick Dundee

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I think a small amount of inflation is reasonable, but when 20-year-old games cost more than they did new, its gone too far.


 I wonder if you complain about not being able to get a Coke for a nickle.

August 11, 2012, 12:37:04 PM
Reply #9

Forte

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I think a small amount of inflation is reasonable, but when 20-year-old games cost more than they did new, its gone too far.


 I wonder if you complain about not being able to get a Coke for a nickle.
We can't bust heads like we used to. But we have our ways. One trick is to tell stories that don't go anywhere. Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for m'shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt. Which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Gimme five bees for a quarter, you'd say. Now where was I... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time. You couldn't get white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...

August 11, 2012, 12:44:00 PM
Reply #10

Mick Dundee

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dude. that sucks. those tiny onions rule!

August 11, 2012, 02:23:56 PM
Reply #11

larryinc64

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As one of the "Kids" being talked about n this topic, as I am currently 17 I should through in how I got into retro gaming.
       My first game console was a Game Boy Color, I got from my cousin when she got a Game Boy advance SP. I mostly played licensed games, like Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs, I loved those shows, I saw them in syndication on Nicktoons Network. I did not know much about Nintendo or retro games, I had Pokemon Yellow because I watched the show, but sucked at it because I did not know I had to level up my Pokemon, and I stupidly gave it away a year or 2 later. I persuaded my mom to get me a PS2, I remember being existed by how much complex and better Spongebob games where compared to the point and click PC games. My friends had Gamecubes and I new somethings about Nintendo characters, but I though Samus, or as I pronounced it "Samerus" was a guy. I was into Sonic, because he was the only game character I reconciled on the PS2, I did not know much about Crash Bandicoot, Sly Cooper, Ect. But I dd have Racket and Clank and Jak and Dexter, which came with my system. I remember thinking "Shadow the Hedgehog " was so cool because he had guns. I had the Sonic Mega Collection Plus, so I played a lot of the retro games, but I did not take much interest in retro games yet.

     For Christmas I go a DS Mario Kart bundle, this was in elementary school, I think 4TH or 5TH grade, and that is what really sparked my interest in Nintendo. Through the Internet I found about the NES and the original SMB trilogy. I later got SMB Deluxe on the GBC at a tag sale and loved that game, I think I remember renting it from Blockbuster before that. I also got Super Mario 64 DS, I saw it in Gamestop and was confused by the title, but the clerk told me what it was. I think one website I went to was "The Mushroom Kingdom" for Info. I alos later found the AVGN. I also remember using emulates a lot, I had this program "Console Classix" that had almost every NES game and Atari 2600 game free, There was a paid subscription thing that let you play SNES, Genesis, Game Boy Ect. It was fun going through the list and playing random games, I found Kirby's Adventure and loved it. When I got a Wii a bought that and Super Mario Bros on VC.

       My first older system I got was a PS1 at a tag sale for $15 It came with a few things. I saw a N64 controller on the table and asked if they had the system and the lady came out with a PS1 she found, close enough. I got it it September 20, 2009, I know because by then I had Facebook and did a post, here is a pic.

I found some boxed NES and SNES games from a old video store, I got Pro Wrestling, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs and ether Gods or Lagoon for $5 each. I recently went back and cleaned them out of non sport titles, all where covered in dust. I found Tecmo Bowl at a dump on the ground, It was cracked on the front. I was happy but did not own the systems. I wanted to get a FC Twin, never did.
I later got a Orange N64 for free from a friend of my sister. It had no wires, 3 controllers and some wrestling games. 2 of the 3 controllers had broken analog sticks. I bought cables later off amazon. I made one of the broken controllers into a Flash Drive. I brought it to school sometimes.

      I later got a SNES with DKC 2 and Strike Gunner STG, It worked and then it did not.  I got a game bit and opened it, It was full of cockroaches.  :( I cleaned it and I worked. I almost got a Dreamcast but his dad through it out or something. I later got a NES (eBay), Genesis (Amazon), Atari 2600 (Crag's List), 3DO (Good Will)
« Last Edit: August 11, 2012, 02:45:24 PM by larryinc64 »

August 11, 2012, 02:49:37 PM
Reply #12

larryinc64

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. . . More on topic, It is annoying how overpriced some things are. I do not get why Super Mario World is $10, Didn't it come with the SNES? Pokemon games are going for $30, but seem like they should be common. Genesis games seem to be very cheep for the must have games.

August 11, 2012, 03:11:35 PM
Reply #13

Forte

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Genesis games seem to be very cheep for the must have games.
Blast processing SUCKS!

August 11, 2012, 03:25:00 PM
Reply #14

Mick Dundee

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Remember Larry, just because it was common then, doesn't mean its easy to come by now.