Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Buy the cheaper stuff you think you're gonna like (in the best condition you can find) first than focus on the more expensive stuff, once you have most quite a few games to play, then focus on the more expensive stuff you think you are gonna like. If you try and get all the high value games first you will not have as big of a collection in the long run, time is limited, and you don't want to be stuck with an expensive game you don't like, if you collect to play like me. Don't buy just any game. Buy what you like or think you will enjoy, or else, you won't be happy unless you only put things on a shelf to look at.
If you buy games just to put them on a shelf, it's like buying a bunch of empty game cases with artwork printed on them in my opinion.
You're doing okay if you can find local sellers who actually base their price on value averaging websites like VGPC, or GVN. I've encountered a few sellers who distrust those sites as being somehow skewing prices too cheap. The other week I was picking a game from a local seller, VGPC said $13.50, Game Value said $16, but he insisted on just basing a price from sold eBay listings. The majority of sold ones were in the $9 - $14 range with a few odd ones around $20 to $27.... what did he charge me? $20. Sellers will charge what they want, doesn't matter what the average actually is. They see the higher price, they want the higher price.
My best advice is to just pursue aftermarket items which can facilitate the playing of any and all of the games, on your original console, for a fraction of the cost. These are after all, just shelf collectibles at this point. I paid $20 for a shelf item. Roughly 10 more of those and I could have myself an everdrive with all SNES games at my disposal.
You really have to ask yourself how important it is to have a shelf full of these items, versus just playing those games, because there is almost no winning these days with physical collecting. Everyone knows what they have now, and if they don't, they pull up eBay and you are screwed. You might as well surf eBay, because they're gonna stick that to you.
My only other tip would be focus on collecting current, or last gen stuff. It's always underappreciated and undervalued until it gets to be a few generations old. Right now, nobody cares about Nintendo Wii, but in a few years it's going to be all the rage and everything will be pricey. Look into Nintendo Switch games, they're fairly inexpensive to buy even brand new copies. There's so many interesting smaller print games you can pick up that nobody is currently paying any attention to. In a few years, many will become sought after. It's easy to find vendors selling overstock and closeout of many last gen titles on PS4 and Xbox in brand new condition. IMO that's always the best option, even if used would be a little cheaper. It's better to have something nice and mint by giving an extra $8 or $15 will the option still exists.
Start studying trends and buy certain games before they increase in price- Wii, PS3, 360 are key targets- now. Once they skyrocket- sell and trade them for equal market value of games you actually want. Rinse and repeat.
Network with other collectors- share finds, cut each other deals, I get so many under market deals from collector friends just from being friendly and also willing to cut a deal.
Expand your outreach to more than just eBay and Amazon. Search for retro game stores that operate online shops- sometimes they underprice and you can get a deal. Lukie Games and eStarland are usually way overpriced but if you dig, occasionally you catch them slipping.
Join Facebook local, regional and national collector groups- Great deals abound and can often tip you off to new trends or games that have recently launched in price that your local stores haven't discovered yet.
Shop smarter- trying to buy Nintendo in local shops is usually a waste of time and money- they overprice it because casuals will pay any price. If you shift your focus to less popular consoles- you'll often be able to get better deals/negotiate. For example I collect 3DO and Jaguar- this stuff will sit for years at most game shops.
Good luck! It's a jungle out there but by adjusting your strategies to the "new normal"- you'll likely be a lot more successful in your collecting.
