Opinion: Game prices

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.

Yeah...but that's only $58 per game! What a bargain!!!! ;)
 
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.

that's the other half of this entire argument! who's the seller and what type is the buyer?!

this very subject has been discussed on klov 100-1000x (approx) times and it's never ending.

let's make the game in question an $800 Elevator Action.

if the buyer is a hobbyist, of course the he'll want to pay $300-500 for the EA, working or not.

if the buyer is a flipper, naturally, he'd want to buy it for $200-400 and resale it for $1000+

if the buyer was a collector/historian or an op who runs and profits from games at locations, he'd pay up to $600-1000+ for an EA. working obviously.

now all this changes if the buyer doesnt even want or like an elevator action.

or if elevator action is a rare unseen unlisted uncommon game.

or if elevator action is super common and listed all the time.

there are 100s if not thousands of factors and variables to the equation.

but it all comes down to common sense.

a working elevator action in the original dedicated taito cab sells for around $750-1000. (btw, the current exidy price guide lists an EA for $500+).

done.
 
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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.

No, incorrect. I'm never said I would volunteer to do the work on a price guide.
Exidy has done this and so has other people like Mr. Pinball price guide. ITS A LOT OF WORK.

I did say a price guide is useless, but it has its usefulness. It's a tool.
 
that's the other half of this entire argument! who's the seller and what type is the buyer?!

this very subject has been discussed on klov 100-1000x (approx) times and it's never ending.

let's make the game in question an $800 Elevator Action.

if the buyer is a hobbyist, of course the he'll want to pay $300-500 for the EA, working or not.

if the buyer is a flipper, naturally, he'd want to buy it for $200-400 and resale it for $1000+

if the buyer was a collector/historian or an op who runs and profits from games at locations, he'd pay up to $600-1000+ for an EA. working obviously.

now all this changes if the buyer doesnt even want or like an elevator action.

or if elevator action is a rare unseen unlisted uncommon game.

or if elevator action is super common and listed all the time.

there are 100s if not thousands of factors and variables to the equation.

but it all comes down to common sense.

a working elevator action in the original dedicated taito cab sells for around $750-1000.

done.


Your entire post was accurate until you got to the LAST line. The reality is, a working elevator action in the original dedicated taito cab sells for around...whatever someone is WILLING to pay for it. You can't expect intrinsic value to drive the market on an item that is no longer produced. That defies the laws of economics.

The seller can ask whatever they want. If there is a buyer willing to pay that...it sells. If there is not, it doesn't.
 
that's the other half of this entire argument! who's the seller and what type is the buyer?!

this very subject has been discussed on klov 100-1000x (approx) times and it's never ending.

let's make the game in question an $800 Elevator Action.

if the buyer is a hobbyist, of course the he'll want to pay $300-500 for the EA, working or not.

if the buyer is a flipper, naturally, he'd want to buy it for $200-400 and resale it for $1000+

if the buyer was a collector/historian or an op who runs and profits from games at locations, he'd pay up to $600-1000+ for an EA. working obviously.

now all this changes if the buyer doesnt even want or like an elevator action.

or if elevator action is a rare unseen unlisted uncommon game.

or if elevator action is super common and listed all the time.

there are 100s if not thousands of factors and variables to the equation.

but it all comes down to common sense.

a working elevator action in the original dedicated taito cab sells for around $750-1000.

done.

Exactly. I agree. So at the end of the day, if you (a collector) want to pay the prices you want to pay that's "fair" ..you're gonna have to do the work.

The cheap (pre nostalgia wave) machines are out there....but you're gonna have to invest the time, money, and elbow grease to restore it and make it what you want. Ironically, which costs a lot of money....further driving up resale.

The turn key games are gonna be $$$, and those are most likely gonna sell to the people with no working or technical knowledge; deeper pockets than inclination.

But that is why we love this hobby right? The projects? :)
 
Your entire post was accurate until you got to the LAST line. The reality is, a working elevator action in the original dedicated taito cab sells for around...whatever someone is WILLING to pay for it. You can't expect intrinsic value to drive the market on an item that is no longer produced. That defies the laws of economics.

you are 100% correct and valid. but that doesn't work when you're in the market to
either sell one or buy one. So opinions are given, collected, assessed, and analyzed.
 
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.
I like that
 
it would be nice if people didn't remove their prices upon completion of a sale.

if you don't want your price to be public, don't post it in the first place.
 
No, incorrect. I'm never said I would volunteer to do the work on a price guide.
Exidy has done this and so has other people like Mr. Pinball price guide. ITS A LOT OF WORK.

I did say a price guide is useless, but it has its usefulness. It's a tool.

I know.. thats the point,

I think its funny when people suggest that someone else should devote a ton of time to doing something they cant be bothered to try to do themselves.

End of day it doesnt get done because no one (including yourself) cares enough to do it.

Exidy tries to do it and all he does is get shit for doing it.
 
it would be nice if people didn't remove their prices upon completion of a sale.

if you don't want your price to be public, don't post it in the first place.

Sure. And to me, it doesn't really matter what you think or do with my price. It's not expected to be the "market price". It's what I sold MY item for on THAT day. It's just a data point. Use it as you see fit. :)
 
Back in the stone age when I started collecting, I couldn't imagine paying more than $300 for a game and I wouldn't. I came close once or twice. In fact, I paid $250 for the HUO Food Fight that literally needed a fuse :D

I am at the stage in collecting where I will pay for a game that I want in my "perm" collection. I have long surpassed the acquire everything phase. I did this early on and built up a huge cache of parts...that I stored for over 12 years and barely used. BUT, I had that cogswell cog for that obscure Taito game ready to go at a moments notice! However, the storage fees finally caught up with me after several years without a huge basement. I ended up closing my storage unit and giving away a trailer full of parts to a KLOVer. What I am unloading now is what was in the garage already.

My forever (bought in March of 2015) home has a smaller garage than the house we were renting a few years ago in between long term homes, so space is a premium. We have both my sons and my hockey gear (son is a goalie with multiple sets of pads), my tools, dollies and general garage stuff. I have managed to tidy it all up and mostly organized squeezing 21 games - all playable. 90% of the games I have are games I loved as a kid and a couple that I have come to enjoy while collecting. My peak was 34 games in the basement and I have a ton of remorse selling the 12 I had to get rid of when we moved.

Not even sure how or why this rant came about but, dammit, I want a Spy Hunter and some lunatic wants $1500 for it on CL. :mad:
 
So... everyone's always complaining about the $1000-$3000+ common arcade game up for sale on CL or eBay. Where it sits for 2 months until the listing finally gets deleted.

What is the real reason behind that listing? To obtain best offers? Is it the sellers TRUE intent on wanting to sell their game? Or would they just part with it if some idiot does want to pay 2-3x the normal price?

By now, we've been in this hobby for what? 20-30 years? And how many pac-man's, ms. pac-man's, donkey kong's, missile command's, and 100+ other titles have been sold during those 2-3 decades? A lot.

So the best price guide (used by the world) is known as: https://www.pricecharting.com/

Sure it's all for consoles and game carts. But the same exact principle and basics can be applied towards the arcade game hobby. Someone just has to have some initiative to get it started. I think pricecharting is all based mostly on historical ebay and amazon sales.

But if this hobby had a historical database of all games sold publicly over the past 20-30 years with all vital data like; location, condition, restored, dedicated, conversion/kit, rarity, orig asking price, agreed on price, etc, etc... we'd have something valuable here.

Until that happens (wishful thinking, it probably will never happen), prices will always be based on human element, emotions, stupidity, and a little intelligence/research.

This is why we have KLOV. A place where we can express our opinions on prices on a global scale. It's always going to be volatile market, enjoy the adventure! :)
 
Not even sure how or why this rant came about but, dammit, I want a Spy Hunter and some lunatic wants $1500 for it on CL. :mad:

Exactly...this is where most of my frustrations in this hobby come from. Someone else is asking (or willing to pay) more than I am willing to pay for a game I want. :)
 
heh this is why i've written off certain games in my mind

e.g., Star Wars ... they'll never sell for what i'd be willing to pay. so i've moved on.

scary part is that more and more games are now entering that price-zone, so my list is shrinking :|

Exactly...this is where most of my frustrations in this hobby come from. Someone else is asking (or willing to pay) more than I am willing to pay for a game I want. :)
 
heh this is why i've written off certain games in my mind

e.g., Star Wars ... they'll never sell for what i'd be willing to pay. so i've moved on.

scary part is that more and more games are now entering that price-zone, so my list is shrinking :|

The SW I have looks like it fell off a truck. I bought it uber dead. One of these days, a minty empty cabinet will fall in my lap (yeah right) and I will make a SW Chair out of mine. :D
 
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