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

[PukeSter]

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...

[o.pwuaioc]

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 Asylum]

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.

[PukeSter]

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.

[xcrement5x]

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.

[NecroPhile]

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?

[SamIAm]

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.

Boy is this ever true. I live in the 5th largest city in Japan (I think it was 5th), and there is only one really good game store within a several-mile radius of the city center. In 2008, they had everything for the PC Engine that anyone who actually plays the thing could ever want. However, it and every other section has been steadily dwindling down for the past few years. At this point, it's a small step away from "pathetic".

[o.pwuaioc]

Interesting Wired article, thought it appropriate.

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/akihabara-4/

[esteban]

Interesting Wired article, thought it appropriate.

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/akihabara-4/

I know the story relied on anecdotal evidence, but as this trend is corroborated (and I suspect it will be), I am getting the sinking feeling that only common Famicom games are in my future (the problem, of course, is that I spent the last 15 years buying cheap mediocre Famicom games...when I should have been picking up better stuff).

Well, at least I have a lot of Famicom baseball to enjoy.

[pulstar]

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.

In fact, I think both of these can actually increase prices of cheaper games. Some truly hidden gems get found, have a spotlight on some youtube channel (probably where somebody says its rare and it isn't) and then people go looking for it because they have to have it now. Almost instant double/triple price increase.

[bob]

One of the worst trends is the scum bags jacking up PCE prices on super common games just because the 'murica version is a R@R3.

Cotton, MC, terraforming, etc. have all jumped becuase of it. Im surprised super air zonk is still affordable for PCE.

[Opethian]

One of the worst trends is the scum bags jacking up PCE prices on super common games just because the 'murica version is a R@R3.

Cotton, MC, terraforming, etc. have all jumped becuase of it. Im surprised super air zonk is still affordable for PCE.

probably because people who don't do any research don't realize its called CD Denjin

[esteban]

One of the worst trends is the scum bags jacking up PCE prices on super common games just because the 'murica version is a R@R3.

Cotton, MC, terraforming, etc. have all jumped becuase of it. Im surprised super air zonk is still affordable for PCE.

probably because people who don't do any research don't realize its called CD Denjin

That is probably 99% of the reason!

[bob]

One of the worst trends is the scum bags jacking up PCE prices on super common games just because the 'murica version is a R@R3.

Cotton, MC, terraforming, etc. have all jumped becuase of it. Im surprised super air zonk is still affordable for PCE.

probably because people who don't do any research don't realize its called CD Denjin

ha true.  every time i have searched for denjin, i see it from 35-50 (which is why i said it was still affordable).  so you are prob right that people arent even seeing it.  i havent seen "pce super air zonk" in a while, so i wonder if it has spiked under that title.  hmmmm.

[VenomMacbeth]

This makes me incredibly sad.  My list of "must-own" games is growing ever smaller.  Now, if I got Hyper Duel & Dracula X, I'd probably be set as far as rare games go.

[Trenton_net]

Interesting Wired article, thought it appropriate.

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/akihabara-4/

I find it funny that a white guy going to Japan to strip it of games, is complaining about how too many white guys go to Japan to strip it of games. But that's just me.

[Otaking]

I agree it appears the price of PC Engine games has gone up in Japan itself, but the price in the west for Japanese PC Engine games for the most part has either stayed static or gone down over the last few years.
A very small percentage of games have had a price increase in the west, games such as Tatsujin, Magical Chase, Dracula X, Liquid Kids and Ninja Spirit. But these games are in the massive minority, the vast majority have not gone up.
The common cheap PC Engine games have gotten even cheaper with all those auctions for 100 game lots with free shipping that have been on eBay for the last few years. They have completely over saturated the availability of the cheap common games.

Regards in Japan itself, I think a few years a back a load of gaijin all had the bright business ideas to move to Japan to buy games from Yahoo.jp and Akiba and then resell them on a western eBay shop. I get the impression that most of these entrepreneurs were French. This does appear to have effected the PC Engine prices in Japan, but not the west.

[xcrement5x]

Interesting Wired article, thought it appropriate.

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/akihabara-4/

I find it funny that a white guy going to Japan to strip it of games, is complaining about how too many white guys go to Japan to strip it of games. But that's just me.

I had a lol over that too.  A single collector going abroad is not bad, it's the guys who are living over there full time and from what I can see, basically reselling older "cheap" goods full time on ebays. 

I think Google Chrome's autotranslate has made it much easier for people to identify games in YJA listings as well.  To get deals anymore I pretty much only bid on lots where nothing is listed out and you have to actually know Japanese to read the titles. 

[Psycho Punch]

The french and hardcore collectards have dominated retro stores in well known places unfortunately. lol
You need to go to less visited places nowadays, and not in the "mecca of retro gaming" as I heard some idiots say once.

This ain't no toymachine's signature!

[geise]

Japanese sellers I'm sure are a huge part of the problem.  They know what's going on and are buying games up to flip them on ebay, amazon and other places to international buyers.

[mackdanger]

I can add a little to this since I am seeing it happen in real time. Another factor, besides what has been mentioned, is that many players have dropped out. Around 2005, you could get the old console and cart based stuff at many places beyond the specialty stores. Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera, Sofmap, Book Off, the stuff was everywhere. Moving into the latter part of 2005, everyone seemed to liquidate at the same time. There was absolutely nothing gradual about it. I remember going into Book Off and getting Steam Hearts on the Saturn for 500 yen. A still sealed copy of Samurai Shodown 2 for the Neo fetched the same price from Sofmap. It was crazy. But like I said, they all seemed to do it suddenly, at the same time. Stuff from the PS1 era forward is still available at a lot of those places, but if you find some carts they are thrown together in a bin.

While I am sure the internet is one of the biggest factors, I would like to toss out another theory. I think Mandarake is trying to corner the market. I can't prove it, but I am sure that games in showcases at places like Trader are finding their way to ManD's. I keep seeing too many games with the same condition issues "moving around" to be a coincidence. Oh, and then there is this:

http://www.mandarake.co.jp/company/recruit/em_sahra.html

That was completed, if I remember correctly the end of last year or so. It doesn't specifically mention games, but it says toys, comics, anime, and other collector's items. It wouldn't surprise if they are moving games out of there as well.

[esteban]

I can add a little to this since I am seeing it happen in real time. Another factor, besides what has been mentioned, is that many players have dropped out. Around 2005, you could get the old console and cart based stuff at many places beyond the specialty stores. Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera, Sofmap, Book Off, the stuff was everywhere. Moving into the latter part of 2005, everyone seemed to liquidate at the same time. There was absolutely nothing gradual about it. I remember going into Book Off and getting Steam Hearts on the Saturn for 500 yen. A still sealed copy of Samurai Shodown 2 for the Neo fetched the same price from Sofmap. It was crazy. But like I said, they all seemed to do it suddenly, at the same time. Stuff from the PS1 era forward is still available at a lot of those places, but if you find some carts they are thrown together in a bin.

While I am sure the internet is one of the biggest factors, I would like to toss out another theory. I think Mandarake is trying to corner the market. I can't prove it, but I am sure that games in showcases at places like Trader are finding their way to ManD's. I keep seeing too many games with the same condition issues "moving around" to be a coincidence. Oh, and then there is this:

http://www.mandarake.co.jp/company/recruit/em_sahra.html

That was completed, if I remember correctly the end of last year or so. It doesn't specifically mention games, but it says toys, comics, anime, and other collector's items. It wouldn't surprise if they are moving games out of there as well.

There is a great video on that page. The narrator, at the very end, mentions "games" as an area of specialty (she lists all the usual stuff, and games are at the end).

I love the employee testimonials! "I work for lunch! The food in the employee cafe is excellent."

[mackdanger]

There is a great video on that page. The narrator, at the very end, mentions "games" as an area of specialty (she lists all the usual stuff, and games are at the end).

I love the employee testimonials! "I work for lunch! The food in the employee cafe is excellent."

I'll have to check out the video later. On the PCB front, BEEP is scheduled to open a physical shop in Akihabara next month. It will be interesting to see how that shakes things up.

***EDIT***

I made a mistake. The BEEP shop isn't just PCBs but everything.

http://www.akihabara-beep.com/

[geise]

By pcb's are you talking carts or arcade pcb's?  Or both?

[SignOfZeta]

Usually that means arcade.