What happened to some of the game prices?

[toktogul]

Hi,
after last year addiction to yahoo auctions, buying every SHMUP for my Pc engine collection, I have recently gone back to what I used to do and help fellow collectors to get some rare games from Japan. Since last year, some of the price have double, even quadriple. I bought 3 copies of rondo of blood last year for about 50$-80$ each, and now they are up to 230$ even in Japan. Deadmoon was a 10$ game, which now sells for 55$ here. Soldier blade was a 40-50$ game, now its about 100$. What the hell happened. those are the biggest example, but it seems that games that were reasonably cheap have gone up drastically this year. What happened to the market? Are japanese auctionners / amazoners finally caught up to the ebay price ? I am glad I bought all the games I wanted a year ago, the prices now are redicoulous. Did someone do any review/video about the pc engine that I am not aware. the market shifted soo fast

[lukester]

Buddy, I'm not gonna lie. You're part of the problem.

You bought 3 copies of Rondo. It's basic supply and demand. Obviously prices are going up because of demand.

And yes, video reviews too. AVGN has a darkwing duck video with over 2 million views. The turbografx is drumming up interest.

I'm very glad this system is starting to get the recognition it deserves, but more awareness means games are more expensive. It's just a fact of life.

[Dicer]

Buy one copy to play, that's it...

[MrBroadway]

Buddy, I'm not gonna lie. You're part of the problem.

You bought 3 copies of Rondo. It's basic supply and demand. Obviously prices are going up because of demand.

Sellers to Americans and Europeans are certainly part of the problem. In fact, I'd say they're the biggest part of the problem. However, I think it's more than the 16bitters are hungry for something they never had before. Someone who was five in 1990 turned/turns 30 in 2015, and many who were 5 in 1995, in the post-16 bit era, are just running into their disposable cash, getting those titles they either weren't even aware of or envied systems they didn't have. With the other systems exhausted, Turbo is now. I'd reckon that in the next five years, the already stupid high prices are going to get even worse, and then five years after that either the shit consoles like CD-i/3DO will get even worse, or the whole thing will blow up.

Sure Japan-based resellers are part of the problem, for they facilitate the trade, but they'r only reacting to the demand (as toktogul has made clear in the forums he signs up to).

[Arkhan]

The problem is mostly due to western people being sloppy with money. 

"I need these now."

*put on credit card*
*pay off slowly*

[toktogul]

Buddy, I'm not gonna lie. You're part of the problem.

You bought 3 copies of Rondo. It's basic supply and demand. Obviously prices are going up because of demand.

You got me wrong, I didnt buy to resell, I bought for people on this very forum, because the prices outside Japan was incredibly high. 3 copies out of the thousands wont make the game jump from 80$ to 250$.

As for AVG, that would explain it then. This is the kind of coverage that will blow the market for sure.

thank you for everyones answers. Its a shame that collection for this console is getting more and more out of reach if you dont have the money. its such an enjoyable console

[toktogul]

Buy one copy to play, that's it...

As I mentioned before, I bought them for you guys, collectors on this forum. I gave an import service a year ago for almost free to help people get ahold of some more expensive games. I have a copy for myself, and helped 2 fellow forum collectors get their games.

[seieienbu]

Dracula X is a game that I wanted for many years so I kept tabs on the price periodically.  At least on ebay I recall it staying at a reasonably consistent amount near $100 for over a decade and a half dipping slightly after the PSP port came out before returning to $100~$120.  In the last year the price has almost doubled.  It's really gotten to the point to where the games I did not own are becoming too expensive for me to want to buy. 

I should have finished buying all of the games that I wanted beforehand but with new exposure leading to more interested parties the prices have gone upupup with no signs of plummeting any time soon.

[lukester]

Toktogul, I still don't think you understand. I didn't even necessarily mean reselling, though that is still kind what you were doing.

As Arkhan already said, people need things now for some reason. You accelerated demand of the game, by buying it right away for those people instead of letting them just wait it out.

Regardless of whatever "good deed" you did, you have to realize something.

As an individual buyer, you have bought not one, not two, but three copies of one of the most popular games ever made for the PC Engine.

Every person, collectard or gamer, contributes to the overall problem. You can't blame other people if you do the same thing.

It is surprising how much the price has jumped for Rondo, it used to be in the $100 range. But things just happen.

[esteban]

Toktogul did nothing wrong.

I vaguely remember him, and I am pretty sure he did not flip anything.

If anything, all he got was stress and frustration.

Surely, he is not to blame for overall market trends.

[SignOfZeta]

Gaijin have stripped Japan of the majority of classic games. Stores that used to have hundreds of PCE games now have dozens. If the prices didn't go up there wouldn't be a single PCE game in Japan.

[xelement5x]

Toktogul did nothing wrong.

I vaguely remember him, and I am pretty sure he did not flip anything.

If anything, all he got was stress and frustration.

Surely, he is not to blame for overall market trends.

Seconded, he always seemed like a decent guy to me.  He was reselling to help gamers and collectors, many of the people reselling out of Japan are doing it purely for profit now.

PCE stuff has gotten pretty bad in the last couple years, even Burning Angels is pricey now.

[crazydean]

I'm surprised that the everdrive isn't lowering prices. A flash cart contains every game for the system, but it costs less than a lot of single games. Everyone likes to act like resellers are cornering the market and preventing them from having their favorite games. In reality, they're only preventing you from being able to hoard. Actually playing these games is easier than ever.

[BigusSchmuck]

I'm surprised that the everdrive isn't lowering prices. A flash cart contains every game for the system, but it costs less than a lot of single games. Everyone likes to act like resellers are cornering the market and preventing them from having their favorite games. In reality, they're only preventing you from being able to hoard. Actually playing these games is easier than ever.

The same can be said of emulation. Sadly it wouldn't surprise me to start seeing more overpriced repros just cause its cheaper than the real thing.

[Necromancer]

Too many collectors and not enough games, and they've wised up to eBay.  Why sell it on yahoo auctions when you can get way more from stupid round eyes?