16bit Prices on the upcoming 2018 holiday season

[shadowzero]

Greetings all.  I am probability going to be proven wrong on a thousand levels ( and I'm okay with that ) but my recent trips through the world of ebay have revealed something a bit surprising.  Prices appear to be going down a bit.  So I live in East Tennessee where if its not on craigslist or letgo, ebay is your last hope.  Those of you who don't live in major cities understand.   So every weekend I will scan the listed friends above for new additions to my collection.  Now I have been of the mindset that prices will be higher during this holiday and tax return seasons than normal.  However, I find that SNES games aren't fetching as high a price and even turbografix16 systems are less as well.  Now there are a few possibilities; market is more saturated as people sell off product to spend on xmas presents, those thirty-somethings got the retro itch out of their system, these new fangled "classic" systems have satisfied the masses, or I'm just bonkers and am reading to little to quickly.  What are your thoughts on the current situation and what have you seen in recent years?

[Cartagia]

I am actually in Middle Tennessee, and I have been noticing a downward trend in pricing as well.  Unfortunately I have also been noticing a downward trend in available supply as well.

[masamune]

I'm also starting to notice prices for SNES games on Ebay are going down on average. The bubble had to burst at some point right?

[bikingjahuty]

It has begun; the decline of retro game collecting.


As someone who got into retro game collecting a few years before it got white hot, it's something I've been following for a while now and retro game collecting is starting to follow the same price/demand trend that nearly every retro collecting fad has experienced over the last 30-years. What's funny is this topic seems to come up nearly every year and while I probably sound like a broken record each time it does, I'll say it again. Retro video game collecting is no different than vintage toy collecting, baseball card collecting, comic book collecting, and Gen 1 and 2 retro game collecting; all of these collecting crazes rose in popularity, prices got out of hand, people's priorities and income changed over time, and the collecting trend died off, typically within 10-years. I knew retro game collecting would be no different and the prices are starting to reflect that.


I once thought of the collecting market as a bubble, but bubbles pop and prices come tumbling down fast. This is more of a slow death as many collectors are starting to get board, take on financial responsibilities (kids, marriage, mortgages. new car, ect), or just get burnt out of the high prices that have lasted for a while now. The overall price trends on Price Charting reflect this happening, and you can see it on ebay as you pointed out. On a personal level, the independent game stores and second hand stores that sell retro games have been getting more of it in, have been holding onto it a lot longer, and in general fewer people seem to be interested in paying ebay prices for retro games. I've also know a lot of collectors and a few large resellers in my area that have liquidated their collections or inventory respectively, and I'm seeing this continue to happen. At least in my area, a lot of retro game stores have also gone out of business, which is partially due to the diminished demand for retro games that was their golden goose just a few years ago. You can almost feel the enthusiasm leaving the hobby as well, and I am completely okay with that.


I've never cared about the value of my games, and to be honest I want games to get as cheap as they can again so I can go out and find a ton that I'd love to own or own again. It should be interesting to see how low prices go when the hobby finally levels out which it is still dropping more and more, and probably will for the next 5 to 10-years before that bottom is reached.

[soera]

I also think the current trend of remaking/remastering a lot of older games and the ability to have options like Nintendo Wiishop and PSN and what not to get the games on your current console are a big part of it. A lot of interest in retro is nostalgia ... and whats easier than downloading a copy of the game you remember for $5-10 on your already installed console and playing it immediately vs paying more on Ebay/Amazon/Whatever, waiting for it to ship, hooking up your old NES/Genesis/etc and playing it a week later?

[oldgamerz]

glad to hear that 4th generation aka the 16bit generation is declining in price. Especially the SNES games. I remember buying Super Battleship for the Super Nintendo console this year for $4 to come to think of it

[NickAwesome]

I think prices are stabilizing. Demand for some games has dropped, and therefore the price has dropped, but that does not necessarily mean the whole market is trending downward.  Some systems are trending slightly downward like nes and snes, but Gen 5 and Gen 6 are going to continue to trend up the next few years.  In my city at least, retro collecting is still going stronger than ever.  We have over 20 local stores, with new stores continuing to open. and PRGE was the biggest convention we have had yet.  If you are active in the FB gaming community, you know there is much demand for collector-quality games there as well.   

In 5-10 years, I could see a number of systems trend downward in price, but there will always be rare games for each system that will just continue to rise and CIB stuff is going to be harder and harder to find.  As long as people are into videogames, the market is not going to crash. The only way I think the market truly bottoms out is if we start seeing wide-spread failure of these old games.  If disc rot is not preventable for sega cd/saturn or if cartridge games begin to fail in 20+ years from now.  As much as we wish for prices to drop so we can get all those way too expensive games we may have missed out on, I do not believe we will not see a crash for a long while.

[bikingjahuty]

I think prices are stabilizing. Demand for some games has dropped, and therefore the price has dropped, but that does not necessarily mean the whole market is trending downward.  Some systems are trending slightly downward like nes and snes, but Gen 5 and Gen 6 are going to continue to trend up the next few years.

https://www.pricecharting.com/


Check out the prices for Saturn, PS1, Dreamcast, and PS2, they are dropping pretty bad overall, as are many other systems. Retro Nintendo prices have been leveling out on average, however there has been a noticeable drop in price on the more common, yet sought after games. This matches up with ebay and what is happening in the community in general.

[kashell]

I am actually in Middle Tennessee, and I have been noticing a downward trend in pricing as well.  Unfortunately I have also been noticing a downward trend in available supply as well.

I'm also in Middle Tennessee! I was Christmas shopping over the weekend and noticed that one of my go-to stores had lower than usual prices. I was pleased.

[Cartagia]

I am actually in Middle Tennessee, and I have been noticing a downward trend in pricing as well.  Unfortunately I have also been noticing a downward trend in available supply as well.

I'm also in Middle Tennessee! I was Christmas shopping over the weekend and noticed that one of my go-to stores had lower than usual prices. I was pleased.

I actually hit up McKay's this afternoon, even though its just far enough away to be annoying, and even they are becoming reasonable on the 8bit stuff again.  I think the bubble may well truly be busted.

[NickAwesome]

I think prices are stabilizing. Demand for some games has dropped, and therefore the price has dropped, but that does not necessarily mean the whole market is trending downward.  Some systems are trending slightly downward like nes and snes, but Gen 5 and Gen 6 are going to continue to trend up the next few years.

https://www.pricecharting.com/


Check out the prices for Saturn, PS1, Dreamcast, and PS2, they are dropping pretty bad overall, as are many other systems. Retro Nintendo prices have been leveling out on average, however there has been a noticeable drop in price on the more common, yet sought after games. This matches up with ebay and what is happening in the community in general.

I've looked at a lot of the charts on pricecharting and gamevaluenow and I'm just not seeing the same doom and gloom yet. Top value games on the Saturn, PS1, PS2 are continuing to climb in price for the most part.  Some valuable games have become less valuable and are then replaced by other games.  I just think the retro market is too big and diverse to say that it's in an overall decline.  2017 may have very well been a peak for many systems but we are only one year removed, we won't know for at least a few years what is actually going on.  I would actually welcome a decline but it just feels like wishful thinking at this point. 

[sworddude]

I think prices are stabilizing. Demand for some games has dropped, and therefore the price has dropped, but that does not necessarily mean the whole market is trending downward.  Some systems are trending slightly downward like nes and snes, but Gen 5 and Gen 6 are going to continue to trend up the next few years.

https://www.pricecharting.com/


Check out the prices for Saturn, PS1, Dreamcast, and PS2, they are dropping pretty bad overall, as are many other systems. Retro Nintendo prices have been leveling out on average, however there has been a noticeable drop in price on the more common, yet sought after games. This matches up with ebay and what is happening in the community in general.

I've looked at a lot of the charts on pricecharting and gamevaluenow and I'm just not seeing the same doom and gloom yet. Top value games on the Saturn, PS1, PS2 are continuing to climb in price for the most part.  Some valuable games have become less valuable and are then replaced by other games.  I just think the retro market is too big and diverse to say that it's in an overall decline.  2017 may have very well been a peak for many systems but we are only one year removed, we won't know for at least a few years what is actually going on.  I would actually welcome a decline but it just feels like wishful thinking at this point.

Would love to add a cib sunset riders or ninja warriors for cheap though to name some examples let's see if the self fulfilling propecy might happen if people all get negative about it

Wishful thinking though I mean this sort of thread happens like every year by some of our regulars I swear to remember seeing such threads as this every month kinda crazy really. get an emulator and make something from plastic to fit in the shelves if one really needs to have the phsyical item withouth spending to much 

I will agree though some especially online retro game stores over the years have lowered their prices but that's pretty normal considering those prices where premium higher than ebay and even now it still is however there are stores with fair market value these days wich is a more common thing for stores over the years. i have seen some light price drops on the more common sought after stuff but also just some stuff same or higher value. Peaks and lows happen It's just how it goes but it's not as extreme as some might say not in europe at least.

as far as price charting goes It's exclusive to ebay sales, allot of ebay sellers have started to sell on facebook market place to avoid fees etc. Ebay might be doing allot less well thanks to that

[kashell]

I am actually in Middle Tennessee, and I have been noticing a downward trend in pricing as well.  Unfortunately I have also been noticing a downward trend in available supply as well.

I'm also in Middle Tennessee! I was Christmas shopping over the weekend and noticed that one of my go-to stores had lower than usual prices. I was pleased.

I actually hit up McKay's this afternoon, even though its just far enough away to be annoying, and even they are becoming reasonable on the 8bit stuff again.  I think the bubble may well truly be busted.

McKay's is prime; a good chunk of my stuff is from there.

I was actually referring to the Game Trader in Madison.

[Cartagia]

I am actually in Middle Tennessee, and I have been noticing a downward trend in pricing as well.  Unfortunately I have also been noticing a downward trend in available supply as well.

I'm also in Middle Tennessee! I was Christmas shopping over the weekend and noticed that one of my go-to stores had lower than usual prices. I was pleased.

I actually hit up McKay's this afternoon, even though its just far enough away to be annoying, and even they are becoming reasonable on the 8bit stuff again.  I think the bubble may well truly be busted.

McKay's is prime; a good chunk of my stuff is from there.

I was actually referring to the Game Trader in Madison.

Murfreesboro Game Trader for me.  They definitely have the best selection and prices out of the other local options.  The Score is too expensive (or it was, I haven't been in ages).  Play N' Trade is fine, but their selection is terrible.

I remember getting tons of NES stuff for under $5 when McKay's was at the old location.  They've just been slowly ballooning over the last 5 years or so, though.  I'm happy that they are leveling off again.

[kashell]

The Murfreesboro one is great because it's near the Play N' Trade. I haven't been to that one in ages because getting to the Boro is such a pain. @.@

The Score was crap. I'm surprised it's still running.

McKay's is still my go-to because it's the easiest to get to. It's really nice going there on a work-day when it first opens. It's nice and empty.