Are there any games you'd consider paying a retail price for?

fatherpain

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Are there any games you'd consider paying a retail price for?

Are there any games you would consider paying a retail price if the right machine was available that might warrant a premium?

I know the majority of you guys are smart shoppers but what if you'd been searching for a long time and came across a perfect condition machine, either from a private seller or an Arcade store? It could be either a common game or rare, but had special meaning to you for some reason?

By retail price, I mean like paying $2k for a donkey kong but it was HUO perfect or something like that. I'd consider going nuts and doing that for a game like Berzerk or Mad Planets. If so, what game (s) would you consider doing this and why?

Tom
 
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There are two that have real special childhood meaning to me. If I happened to have the cash available at the time, I would most likely pay a premium for either Domino Man or Quantum. I hardly ever see those cross my path. The few times they did, ofcourse it was right after i spent money on a major home repair. The timing is always off.
 
NO KLOV'r will EVER pay retail for anything game related!
 
I take your question to read something like this. A DK can be found on CL in the 200-500 range but normally sells for 2,500 retail. no matter weather private owner or actual retailer would you ever pay in that 2,500 for a DK?

same question more rare game.

star wars cockpits can be found on CL and forums like these in the 1500-2000 range but on ebay or retail the asking price is usually in the 4000-6000 range. would you ever pay anyone 4000-6000 for the game.

My answer is no. While I will shell out a reasonable amount for a title based on it's value, I won't pay retail or high end price for an item. Some people who know what I've paid for a few of my games may disagree but I guarantee if I had bought any of my high dollar games through a retailer the price would have been double what I paid.

for me the problem with paying retail is that there is nothing they have that can not be gotten else where for cheaper. I suppose if I had unlimited cash and a retailer got a hold of a one of a kind prototype I wanted then I would technically pay retail. Thing is there is no real price for a one of a kind except the price someone wants to offer it for and the price someone is willing to pay.
 
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Jeez. sorry.(lol)... didn't realize their was rules. i thought it was common for people to fork over a little more money on a certain things that have a special meaning/connection to them. Specially if they aren't a dime a dozen. I have a few guitars and my old 70' challenger that i probably paid too much for, but 1) had meaning to me & 2)the specific type/model was not an everyday occurrenc. Who knows. Maybe i'm wrong. And i'm not talking about a Pac Man or Donkey Knong for 2000 either. I once seen a Domino Man 5 miles from me for 1000 bucks. If i had the scratch at the time...i would have jumped on it. Same for that Quantum I seen for $2,200 an hour from my home. I'm just saying, those are the only games I would shell out some cash for. All the games in my collection I was either given, found in trash or paid less than 200 for.
 
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Jeez. sorry.(lol)... didn't realize their was rules. i thought it was common for people to fork over a little more money on a certain things that have a special meaning/connection to them. Specially if they aren't a dime a dozen. I have a few guitars and my old 70' challenger that i probably paid too much for, but 1) had meaning to me & 2)the specific type/model was not an everyday occurrence. Who knows. Maybe i'm wrong.

paying a little more money based on rarity or condition is not a big deal but if every domino man you have ever seen has sold for say 800 would you really be willing to pay 2500? To me 1000 wouldn't be unreasonable if I wanted it but I wouldn't pay double or more than double the value for a game, which is what retail seems to usually be.
 
paying a little more money based on rarity or condition is not a big deal but if every domino man you have ever seen has sold for say 800 would you really be willing to pay 2500? To me 1000 wouldn't be unreasonable if I wanted it but I wouldn't pay double or more than double the value for a game, which is what retail seems to usually be.

WOW! Never really bothered to pay attention to how much stores sell this stuff for, but... Nah. That is too much. There is a point when it gets to be stupid. This little hole-the-wall place had a Domino Man for 1000. I thought that was a premium, considering i never paid more than 200 for a game, but it was in great shape & i wouldn't have to perform my ground up resto on it. So I would have bought it, if i had the extra cash. Same for that Quantum I bumped into awhile back.
 
Yes that's the question. Most of my games from Craigslist, KLOV or ebay with mixed results...even when they're nice to start off with. Seems nearly all have something cosmetic or gameplay related that needs attention that cost's time and money that later inflates the deal or you end up with a bunch of games that don't work or look right. I'm close now to having games all working and looking good but its been a major chore and has really prevented my from just playing games.. The 5 or 6 mostly gameplay-less years have been offset abit by the weird satisfaction of fixing things myself and learning stuff, but I'm to the point of only wanting 100% ready to go games from now on, not to expand my already sizable todo list. For that, I'd pay a premium.

The most expensive games I've bought were a fully restored Dragon's Lair and Space Ace at $2k each (no longer have SA and DL is prob on the way out also)...but found its been easy to hit or surpass that mark restoring initially "cheap" games.

Tom
 
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I have a different interpretation of retail. I consider even $600 as retail. Using your example, a working DK in good condition for the Craigslist price of 600-800 bucks. NO ONE on KLOV would pay that price.

I don't even know what I'd call a $2500 DK. Boutique price? Silly price?

Now a $200 DK would invite 30 - 50 email replies in the first hour with many offering $100 and the promise of "I can pick up right now" or "I have cash" or "this would help the Cub Scouts" or my personal favorite "I'm buying this for the kids group at church."


I take your question to read something like this. A DK can be found on CL in the 200-500 range but normally sells for 2,500 retail. no matter weather private owner or actual retailer would you ever pay in that 2,500 for a DK?
 
I have a different interpretation of retail. I consider even $600 as retail. Using your example, a working DK in good condition for the Craigslist price of 600-800 bucks. NO ONE on KLOV would pay that price.

Here's where you're wrong. There are a LOT of people who can't fix even a non-working marquee light. They also have more money than they know what to do with because they have decent jobs. So they have the option of buying a DK with some issues (looks good but doesn't work, or works but looks bad) for $200-300, or spending $600+ and getting one that has been restored.

And I always love the people who say they won't pay $600 for a game. But think nothing of buying a $250 game and having it shipped for $350. Or buying a $300 game, then spending $300 in truck/trailer rental and gas to drive 5 hours each way to get it. Or buy it for $200, then spend $400 buying new art, paint, bondo, a working board, and pay someone else to fix the monitor. Either way, you spent $600. You might as well have just paid the $600 in the first place and been done...
 
I have a different interpretation of retail. I consider even $600 as retail. Using your example, a working DK in good condition for the Craigslist price of 600-800 bucks. NO ONE on KLOV would pay that price.

I don't even know what I'd call a $2500 DK. Boutique price? Silly price?

Now a $200 DK would invite 30 - 50 email replies in the first hour with many offering $100 and the promise of "I can pick up right now" or "I have cash" or "this would help the Cub Scouts" or my personal favorite "I'm buying this for the kids group at church."

I'm talking about prices like this one from vintage arcade
Donkey Kong With new side art $1,895

or
$1,495.00 for newly painted, new side art, capped monitor, new t molding from chatanooga pinball

yes my estimate was a little high (thinking a few years ago). Still I've seen enough restore DK's and even HUO DK's offered in the 800 range so my double the price for retail seems to be about right. Yes there are other retails who do sell for less currently. I think TNT is one of them but I'm guessing their current prices reflect the down economy. It seems many other retailers have not dropped their prices as much.

Where I'm at in CA I've been the only inquiry on a 150 working nice condition original DK many times. Even when the economy was better. Surely markets are different from area to area but retail is retail. They don't say this buyer is in CA drop the price 500.
 
It all depends on the person, their priorities, the game...and their wallet. Some people won't pay more than $300 for anything. I'm not afraid to spend for something I want. You tell me, was it crazy to pay $1000 for DOT, $1200 for my A- grade Star Wars with Amplifone, or $2k for Journey that I had to have shipped? Maybe...a lot of people would argue that is all way too much. However, they were all games I really wanted, and the prices seemed reasonable to me...given current prices and degree of "rarity". So...if you've got $2k laying around, really want the game, and you feel it's a good deal, I say go for it...who cares what people think around here? Just make sure you have enough money to pay for turtle food...I don't want to see another one of those stupid threads about having to sell games to pay your mortgage or whatever.

BTW- I whole heartedly agree with the paying for shipping comment. People think that by renting a truck and driving 12 hours round trip that they're saving money. Absolutely absurd what some people do to try to save $50.
 
I work for a retailer.

Remember that the people who buy retail aren't the type of people who are typical DIYers, or people who have a lot of time on their hands. Usually they are people who have quite a bit of disposable income. Do you really think someone like Michael Dell or Richard Garriott is going to take the trouble to hunt down a broken Pac-Man on CL, then take the time to restore it so it fits into his fancy mansion? And it doesn't take a millionaire to have the same attitude. Lots of our customers have 3000-sq-ft houses, probably make $150k+ each year, and have to have a game that looks VERY good, has been gone through professionally, have a warranty, have someone to call if they have problems, someone who will deliver and set it up, etc.

And I wouldn't pay those prices either - because I don't need to (plus I have no money).

Look at it this way: I wouldn't buy a new car that has a monthly payment of $300+. Mainly because I can't afford it. Yet a lot of people do. Some people have TWO cars that they pay that amount on EACH. And there are those who buy the luxury cars and pay $600+ per month. My car payment is about $150/month, and I have a nice reliable USED SUV that gets me where I need to be, and can fit a game in the back. I can't afford luxury, so I don't pay for it. I'll bet others do.

And another analogy: I can't fix my own car (beyond changing the oil). If my car breaks down, I have to pay someone a lot of money to fix it. So, when I buy a used car, I have to make sure it works perfectly, and I pay extra to get it. Of course, my friend the auto mechanic never pays a lot for his cars. He buys nice vehicles that are broken, and fixes them himself. Some he keeps, and some he resells for profit. Sound familiar?
 
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