Value Increase of Games Lately

[oldgamerz]

I am not always correct about everything, I believe that only if factories produce more older video games, somehow like a ROM format on a modern console. only that probably will drive the prices back down, this also depends on how many people start selling retro games. at once Or if everyone values digital items more than physical items, than all physical items may not be much of value. let's not forget how old some the retro hard ware is now too.

I am just gonna hope that the gaming industry resizes how unfair. It would be for a person's only option would be  to buy a digital game for one of their family members or friends, and how empty the feeling it might be. for someone (especially a child), having a digital code for a gift instead of a physical game or gift.

I don't mind buying multi carts or compilations that have the same games on them, but I won't do digital download as long as I can get something physical

[Cartagia]

I am just gonna hope that the gaming industry resizes how unfair. It would be for a person's only option would be  to buy a digital game for one of their family members or friends, and how empty the feeling it might be. for someone (especially a child), having a digital code for a gift instead of a physical game or gift.

Modern children generally do not care about physical vs. digital games.  Most of their time is already spent on devices that don't have many physical options (phones, tablets, laptops).  It's the norm for them.  There's almost certainly no "empty feeling" when they get a digital title.

[sworddude]

This group has been so full of people saying the bubble is going to pop and everything will become worthless for years and years. The stimulus checks definitely have caused a massive spike.  Once economic reality hits for some people, we will see some plateauing of price for many commons that have shot up and many will drop back down to pre-pandemic levels. Some may even drop further below that. But rare low print games that have all the sudden doubled, tripled or even more, don't expect the same drops in price. This is the new reality.

I gave up on the bubble theory, but I am a firm believer in the decline theory. In fact, we were already seeing it happen before all the COVID shit started. I think that once stuff starts to reopen more and fewer and fewer people worry about getting sick we'll start seeing a pretty large purge which will bring prices down. I think some rare stuff will go up, but most will go down to some degree over time. I don't think Little Samson is ever going to be a sub-$100 game ever again, not even close, but maybe settle around $500 or $600 again. Some of the absolute rarest stuff like NWC or Stadium Events will never drop in price, and I can even see some of that stuff being like certain Gold and Silver Age comics that never depreciate.

The decline theory might happen but at that point most of us are probably at old age or dead.

People who buy now don't want to wait for 10 20+ years. you live only once after all. Still if people like you guys are still interested you have to imagine that there are people in your  generation that might collect this stuff aswell. So for your theory to happen your generation at least has to be at old age in wich case you'd probably also sell your stuff since you might not be interested in it anymore aswell.

if your planning to collect when prices drop to extreme amounts just emulate for gameplay and give up on collecting for it is not worth the wait. it's not going to happen in a reasonable amount of time.

It might but I highly doubt it from what I've seen.

as far as remakes go, secret of mana for example the price of the original dropped but only for a short while went up to normal after a few months. kinda hard to tell if a remake has an impact on the actual old stuff in the long term.

Modern children generally do not care about physical vs. digital games.  Most of their time is already spent on devices that don't have many physical options (phones, tablets, laptops).  It's the norm for them.  There's almost certainly no "empty feeling" when they get a digital title.

Your right but for drops to happen entire generations that do collect have to be at old age. so it's kinda pointless for the people who collect now, maybe the youngest generations that do collect profit from it when majority of the older generations sell their stuff. otherwise most people here are in the selling category when they are at old age.

[fazerco]

Recessions is gonna hit soon, so games wil decrease in value for a few years. A good time to start collection  .

[bikingjahuty]

Recessions is gonna hit soon, so games wil decrease in value for a few years. A good time to start collection  .

I'm hoping that I'm one of the lucky ones that is able to maintain gainful employment during this time. If I am there's a lot of stuff I plan on buying, assuming the prices actually come down enough.

[telekill]

I ended up with a bit of a shock today. One of my favorite games on the Genesis is Ninja Turtles Hyperstone Heist. I was on a site taking a look at some of the more costly games for the Genesis and my complete copy of it goes for $90 minimum. I paid $30 back in the day during the Dreamcast era. I've no intention of selling it as it's a favorite, but I couldn't believe the cost for some of these classic games.

Similarly, I was looking for a copy of Streets of Rage 3 on Genesis and couldn't believe the $150 price point for it. Impressive and depressing all at the same time as I will not be buying it for that kind of money. I'll simply wait for my Limited Run Games copy of the 4th and call it good. lol

[Warmsignal]

This group has been so full of people saying the bubble is going to pop and everything will become worthless for years and years. The stimulus checks definitely have caused a massive spike.  Once economic reality hits for some people, we will see some plateauing of price for many commons that have shot up and many will drop back down to pre-pandemic levels. Some may even drop further below that. But rare low print games that have all the sudden doubled, tripled or even more, don't expect the same drops in price. This is the new reality.

I gave up on the bubble theory, but I am a firm believer in the decline theory. In fact, we were already seeing it happen before all the COVID shit started. I think that once stuff starts to reopen more and fewer and fewer people worry about getting sick we'll start seeing a pretty large purge which will bring prices down. I think some rare stuff will go up, but most will go down to some degree over time. I don't think Little Samson is ever going to be a sub-$100 game ever again, not even close, but maybe settle around $500 or $600 again. Some of the absolute rarest stuff like NWC or Stadium Events will never drop in price, and I can even see some of that stuff being like certain Gold and Silver Age comics that never depreciate.

I'm convinced at this point, that this stuff will not be valuable forever. You've got to think about some of the facts - There's a certain age group of people who are super nostalgic about all this stuff, because we were young and we were kids when it was new. We're the reason that it's so valuable right now. We all want this stuff from our past including the things of that era that we couldn't afford or justify back then. But there's only so many of us in this retro collecting marketing, and there's only so many of us who are loaded with disposable income and willing to blow it, and there is a finite goal in mind for many us.

My parents don't care about video games, and my uncle doesn't even care about them. These younger kids today are not going to have any sentimentality about cartridges or CDs when they grow older. It's mainly those of us who were raised on these games in 80s and 90s. We're not going to keep paying one another more and more ridiculous amounts to own that one missing title from our libraries. There absolutely is a threshold, to what most people will pay for a single game. When it's free money, that's a bit of a different story. Everybody is talking about flash carts now, and are aware of how easy and convenient that is.

For a lot of us, we're probably the only person we even know of who's super obsessed with retro games, unless you went seeking out like-minded individuals. I feel that it just isn't as culturally significant as those of us in this bubble would like to believe it is. It's actually kind of niche. I firmly believe we will be looking back in the not so distant future and thinking "Wow, I can't believe what some of this was going for!".

When the question was posed several years ago, I didn't have a real sense of what was going to happen, but now I feel like the writing actually is on the wall. It's just gotten ultra-ridiculous, and when collecting started to become a more modernized / commercialized thing with companies like LRG and retro game trinkets turning up inside of every GameStop, I think that was the tell-tale sign that we were entering the final phase of this being a hot and trendy thing to do. It's mostly all targeted at that same demographics of people, and I'm really starting to see signs of fatigue in it.

There's a number of consoles I've thrown in the towel on almost completely, regardless of whatever else I've wanted. I've been shifting my focus towards other consoles which I've neglected, and I've notice that's also been a trend as of late if you look at recent sales trends. We're all basically a hive mind, and I can tell you from experience the collecting itself is getting kind of old and that's why I'm seeking out something different. So I figure most other's probably feel about the same way. I'm actually considering to get a TG-16 and then just use a flash cart, and never buy any games for it. I'd bet a lot of other collector's are probably thinking that too.

So I do think the crash is coming, but we'll see.

[sworddude]

Still speaking of digital vs physical

Collectors editions have only gotten worse over the years, most collectors editions are also above 100$ these days.

Even the last zelda 2d game, xenoblade etc even nintendo joining that trend

Like seriously the xenoblade one has a vinyl record like wtf it's definitely getting out of control with CE being super big and filled with trinkets.

Why make such huge collectors editions if physical is on the delcine, also seen quite some young ladds spending their money on those as in it being cool. and that's modern stuff. Collectors editions need to be dead before we can see full on digital because atm it's kinda insane with them big ass collectors editions and collector fests.

also if collectors editions and physical are the minority why does pretty much every game get one.

 I'm actually considering to get a TG-16 and then just use a flash cart, and never buy any games for it. I'd bet a lot of other collector's are probably thinking that too.

So I do think the crash is coming, but we'll see.

The TG 16  supply is so minimal that even if tons of people drop out or never start that doesnt really matter for that market, far to few things for it to be common that it overflows the current market and for those to have garbage bin prices to many people looking for those vs a trash tier supply line. even common non playable stuff for that system sells like hot cakes people literally buy the scraps that are left cib or lose carts. it's a battlefield.

It's way to rare to collect for. Most people just go the pc engine route if your interested in that kinda stuff way more doable since it actually sold pretty decent in japan.

[pzeke]

A case of people mishandling their money. What else is new?

[ignition365]

I will say though, since lockdowns and wfh orders began to now, my collection value has gone up by over $22,000.

[droaa]

I've looking up prices for some of my games and the spike in a few that I have since the pandemic has been insane in some aspects. Has made think about selling off a few especially with ones Im ok with letting go but this just all talk atm

[bikingjahuty]

I will say though, since lockdowns and wfh orders began to now, my collection value has gone up by over $22,000.

How are you evaluating the value of your collection? Just on Price Charting?

[pzeke]

I will say though, since lockdowns and wfh orders began to now, my collection value has gone up by over $22,000.

How are you evaluating the value of your collection? Just on Price Charting?

GameValueNow

[ignition365]

I will say though, since lockdowns and wfh orders began to now, my collection value has gone up by over $22,000.

How are you evaluating the value of your collection? Just on Price Charting?

yes.  Vgpc has a collection tracker.  I'm also a moderator on vgpc so i can add and edit items on there... though JJ has decided they dont track third party accessories anymore, so 

[hoshichiri]

Like seriously the xenoblade one has a vinyl record like wtf it's definitely getting out of control with CE being super big and filled with trinkets.

Why make such huge collectors editions if physical is on the delcine, also seen quite some young ladds spending their money on those as in it being cool. and that's modern stuff. Collectors editions need to be dead before we can see full on digital because atm it's kinda insane with them big ass collectors editions and collector fests.

It's two factors, really. One- there is a specific group of collectors who treat these oversized, overpriced CEs like trophies. They stick the latest & greatest somewhere prominent so visitors & people watching their Twitch stream can tell them how cool it is that they have it. It's the videogame equivalent of showing off some designer label accessory. Or putting a deer head on your wall. Two- tat is cheap. It's easy for a company to slap together an artbook, some postcards, and a big lump of plastic shaped like a game character and charge you a premium for it. It's almost certainly more profitable than just a game disc. The digital factor isn't a problem- just stick a paper with a code in the lootcrate you're calling a Collector's Edition and you're done! There's still a desire for stuff in people, even if that stuff isn't actual media.