Opinion: Game prices

Tombo

Administrator
Staff member

Donor 2011
Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
10,995
Reaction score
1,940
Location
Northern, California
So like most of us, I too search CL daily for games. It seems the norm around here is $1500 for a game no matter what it is. Some nutter wants $1800 for a Rally-X cocktail. WTF is up with the crazy money? I understand supply and demand but who is paying these prices?
 
I agree...it's getting really bonkers out there.

Three examples in my area:

1. A guy wants $1350 for a 7/10 Pac-Man
2. Another guy wants $1200 for a 7/10 Donkey Kong
3. Same guy on #2 wants $2500 for a 6/10 Ms Pac

Needless to say, these games have been sitting for a while not selling. However, when everyone keeps seeing prices like these, day in and day out...I think it makes the reasonably priced games sell almost instantly.
 
It's kinda like rent in Denver, I remember a time a few years ago when I could actually afford it. All the new people coming that want to live here and don't know any different and will gladly pay the new $$$$$$....because that's the price of admission. Same thing happening with arcade games.

When it comes down to it, "it's just a wood box" but nostalgia determines value in people's minds. KLOV prices are going up too, not just CL.
 
Last edited:
I guess I don't mind people ASKING for these ridiculous prices (in case they find a sucker willing to pay it). But I struggle with people actually convincing themselves the game is somehow WORTH that...and act offended if you offer them a more reasonable offer. A polite "No thank you, I think I will wait and see if I get any takers closer to asking." works just fine. Snide comments about "low-ballers", or being "out of my mind", etc. instantly offend ME (and end any chance of me submitting another offer)
 
When it comes down to it, "it's just a wood box" but nostalgia determines value in people's minds. KLOV prices are going up too, not just CL.

Yeah, like my new signature line quotes, "nostalgia is an emotion for people with no future" - loving that.

----------------------------

This is why i feel that an official (or unofficial) price guide is needed.

Yes, it'll have tons of variables in it. Location, condition, dedicated vs kit.

Base it off of empirical data from sold items on eBay, CL, klov, kiijii, letgo, offerup, etc...

A price guide is always meant to be used as a GUIDELINE not a firm
"this is how much this game is", but it surely would be used by the general public
so they would know how to price their games better on CL.

In the end, there's no one solution. Even the price guide idea isn't the catch all. Humans
are and will always be stupid/emotional when it comes to pricing items they have up for sale.
Sometimes it's inexperience, other times it's letting go of a cherish item with memories. Who knows.

This very thread could get 50,000 views and 3,000 posts and we'd be nowhere more than where we originally started.
 
CL prices do tend to be off the wall/unrealistic. but i'd say KLOV prices aren't too far behind (in some cases)

now ... to be fair ... i think there are KLOVers that are paying these prices as well. so ... if people are gonna pay 'em, then people are gonna price 'em accordingly.

long-story-short:

CL prices are stupid
prices are up overall/everywhere, and some people are paying them
we better get used to it :(
 
Well, we really don't need a "Price Guide" per se, that would need continuous maintenance. The forum itself could act as one if people would simply post what their stuff sold for. A "crowd-sourced price guide" if you will. But that idea has ALSO been argued countless times here...

Yeah, like my new signature line quotes, "nostalgia is an emotion for people with no future" - loving that.

----------------------------

This is why i feel that an official (or unofficial) price guide is needed.

Yes, it'll have tons of variables in it. Location, condition, dedicated vs kit.

Base it off of empirical data from sold items on eBay, CL, klov, kiijii, letgo, offerup, etc...

A price guide is always meant to be used as a GUIDELINE not a firm
"this is how much this game is", but it surely would be used by the general public
so they would know how to price their games better on CL.

In the end, there's no one solution. Even the price guide idea isn't the catch all. Humans
are and will always be stupid/emotional when it comes to pricing items they have up for sale.
Sometimes it's inexperience, other times it's letting go of a cherish item with memories. Who knows.

This very thread could get 50,000 views and 3,000 posts and we'd be nowhere more than where we originally started.
 
Well, we really don't need a "Price Guide" per se, that would need continuous maintenance. The forum itself could act as one if people would simply post what their stuff sold for. A "crowd-sourced price guide" if you will. But that idea has ALSO been argued countless times here...

yes, but since one exists that we know of, the only one in the world, exidy's price guide.

tons of people use that as a reference point, sometimes ebay, sometimes klov history.

how else are we supposed to determine worth/value of an item?
 
It's kinda like rent in Denver, I remember a time a few years ago when I could actually afford it. All the new people coming that want to live here and don't know any different and will gladly pay the new $$$$$$....because that's the price of admission. Same thing happening with arcade games.

When it comes down to it, "it's just a wood box" but nostalgia determines value in people's minds. KLOV prices are going up too, not just CL.

The cheapest rent I ever had was Arlington, Texas. $395/month in 1994 for a 1bd room in a nice neighborhood. Texas didn't have state sales tax at the time (maybe still doesn't?). So question for our Texas folks, are arcade prices just as crazy there, or a little better?
 
There is a price guide people use...it's exidy. It's not a complete guide, I don't like using it because prices are unrealistically low on some rare titles, but it is something that many love to throw at people. I use craigslist to post games I really only will sell if the price is right and to reach those others who will pay whatever to have it. I then simultaneously post my games on my local arcade forums and such at the correct pricing for local collectors who I know will take care of it and enjoy it and not flip it, mame it, 60-1 it or otherwise destroy it. Lots of flippers out there.
 
I remember just 5 years ago thinking I overpaid at $500 for a big blue street fighter II CE. Now I'm glad I got that and most my 90's/JAMMA before the price spike...same for the 80's classics. I know it's good for the hobby in a lot of ways, but I won't shed any tears if/when the nostalgia bubble bursts for this hobby.
 
There is a price guide people use...it's exidy. It's not a complete guide, I don't like using it because prices are unrealistically low on some rare titles, but it is something that many love to throw at people.

Which rare titles specifically do you think is priced too low on his guide?

Exidy hasn't updated his online price guide since July of 2016. So yeah, it's going to be
off on some games. And it's not a perfect system. And it's pretty much catered to the
games Jon deals with in his area, Colorado.

But who else is stepping up to do the same? Nobody.

How would you make the price guide system a better one?
 
yes, but since one exists that we know of, the only one in the world, exidy's price guide.

tons of people use that as a reference point, sometimes ebay, sometimes klov history.

how else are we supposed to determine worth/value of an item?

Sure...but the problem with the Exidy price guide is that it too stagnates. Unless it's CONSTANTLY updated, the prices quickly get out of date. Don't get me wrong, I look to the Exidy price guide as a reference point...but it is what it is...the prices seen when the entry was last updated (date unknown).
 
I think the location is the most important piece of the price puzzle. I live in central Arkansas and struggle to get $500 for a fully working 6/10 ms PAC when people in Dallas can easily sale for $800. Rare title prices are not reliant on location as much since folks will pay for shipping.
 
How would you make the price guide system a better one?

I think I gave a suggestion...crowd-sourcing. I always leave my For Sale posts up, and change the price to reflect what it actually sold the for. Search for the item and you'll see the date, my location, and final price.
 
There's a spy hunter for sale in Delaware for $3k. Most stuff in this area is $850-$1200.
that's way too overpriced. a spy hunter sells for $500-1000 mark, all day everyday. no more.

I think the location is the most important piece of the price puzzle. I live in central Arkansas and struggle to get $500 for a fully working 6/10 ms PAC when people in Dallas can easily sale for $800. Rare title prices are not reliant on location as much since folks will pay for shipping.
kinda. location plays small part actually. a $1000 donkey kong in california is still a $1000 donkey kong in michigan.
 
I think I gave a suggestion...crowd-sourcing. I always leave my For Sale posts up, and change the price to reflect what it actually sold the for. Search for the item and you'll see the date, my location, and final price.

Yes, this thread is very active, so we have to play constant catch-up...

But even if the solution is crowd-sourcing into an online accessible application available
to the public, someone still has to run the show, someone has to be the admin, we need
to have a group of pricing moderators, and who watches the watchers?
 
that's way too overpriced. a spy hunter sells for $500-1000 mark, all day everyday. no more.


kinda. location plays small part actually. a $1000 donkey kong in california is still a $1000 donkey kong in michigan.


Not to a guy who isn't a collector and will pay whatever it takes to get a Spy Hunter. I know when I was new to this hobby I was notoriously over paying for games I had to have. 80% of people into the current nostalgia wave are not collectors....they are the same ones paying $3500 for a 60 n 1.

This is the problem...can't regulate "normal" prices to non collectors.
 
This is why i feel that an official (or unofficial) price guide is needed.

Yes, it'll have tons of variables in it. Location, condition, dedicated vs kit.

Base it off of empirical data from sold items on eBay, CL, klov, kiijii, letgo, offerup, etc...

A price guide is always meant to be used as a GUIDELINE not a firm
"this is how much this game is", but it surely would be used by the general public
so they would know how to price their games better on CL.

In the end, there's no one solution. Even the price guide idea isn't the catch all. Humans
are and will always be stupid/emotional when it comes to pricing items they have up for sale.
Sometimes it's inexperience, other times it's letting go of a cherish item with memories. Who knows.

This very thread could get 50,000 views and 3,000 posts and we'd be nowhere more than where we originally started.

so what you are saying is someone (not you) should do a ton of work to compile the data to do an official price guide.

You then go on to say that the guide would pretty much be useless.

You have a future in government work.
 
Back
Top Bottom