Pricing on games in general

gutsman004

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I searched to see if there was a previous thread like this,but found none so here it goes....I know this is a very subjective and debatable thing,but in general...what would you pay on average for an average (working) game?

Or...if that question is too vague..how about this? Maybe like price one popular game,an average game,and a crappy game of your choice for a certain time frame....for example:

1982:
Popular game:pole Position
Average game:Bagman
Crappy game:Kangaroo

I know,still very subjective,not to mention a very small sample size...but that's part of the fun of it. It'll be interesting to see people's opinions and values on different games. =D
 
I think alot of guys here would like to base their buying prices on Exidy's price list, but realistically are far from. Just as he mentions on his webpage that he sees prices higher and lower, people will pay what they see as it valued at.

A person who really,really,really wants an I,Robot will pay over a $1000 for it. Where as alot of people couldn't give two shits about the game, and might offer $200, possibly just to get it for resale.

I cannot afford to buy expensive games (like many KLOVers).
To use this analogy: I cannot afford to buy a 3000 Sq.Ft. home, I have to shop in my price range which is usually >2000 sq. ft.
Same goes for games, I can't buy a Star Wars cockpit, I have to settle for an Afterburner.


All that said, here's my two cents....

Typical 2-player jamma cab: $100-$300 depending on condition and game
Typical 4-player jamma cab: $250-$500 depending on condition and game

Classic Nintendo ninty games: $300-$600 depending on c and g
Classic Williams stuff: $250-$750 depending on c and g
Classic Atari stuff pre-jamma crap: $300-$1000 depend alot on the cabinet and game

Single player upright driving game 1983-1990: $150-$350 depending on c and g
dual player driving game cockpit game 1990-2000: $500-$2000 depending on c and g

two player rail shooter 1995-2000: $300-$750 depending on c and g
two player fighting game 1990-1998: $300-$700 depending on c and g

Hopefully I've put myself in a great position to be sniped by other KLOVers who don't understand I'm trying to place some sort of "average" price to some genres. ;)
 
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Same goes for games, I can't buy a Star Wars cockpit, I have to settle for an Afterburner.
I would pick an Afterburner Deluxe over a Star Wars Cockpit any day of the week.

As far as pricing goes. I think that there's too many factors to consider to accurately determine or narrow down a price range for a specific game. Area, condition and availability being some of the biggest ones.
 
Here is a something I posted elsewhere here a while back the last time this got mentioned. I think most people buy or sell based upon these:

modessitt said:
Perhaps the "blue book" value of arcade games should list different prices for:

1) Bad-shape - doesn't work, has some cab damage, gutted/converted, etc. - $0-50
2) Good physical condition and complete but not working $25-100
3) Works, but not very pretty $100-200
4) Works and looks good, but nothing has been done to it in over 10 years. $200-400
5) Works, all internals have been rebuilt-as-new, but cab or artwork shows some wear. $300-600
6) Works, all internals have been rebuilt-as-new, all outside artwork and cab has been restored-as-new. $500-3000 (EDOT, SW cockpit, etc)
7) Still perfect as the day it came from the factory, home-use-only, and never played - just wiped with a diaper. $750-3000+

Obviously, conversions and titles would affect prices. And if you can get it for less, than good for you. But you shouldn't expect that to be the norm...
 
I would pick an Afterburner Deluxe over a Star Wars Cockpit any day of the week.

Yeah, I kinda meant the generic upright that I see everywhere for a fraction of the price.


Very good points you make, though. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to much 'fudge' space to narrow price ranges per genre. I mean, hell, even what I wrote for prices has some huge price variants.
 
Perhaps the "blue book" value of arcade games should list different prices for:

1) Bad-shape - doesn't work, has some cab damage, gutted/converted, etc. - $0-50
2) Good physical condition and complete but not working $25-100
3) Works, but not very pretty $100-200
4) Works and looks good, but nothing has been done to it in over 10 years. $200-400
5) Works, all internals have been rebuilt-as-new, but cab or artwork shows some wear. $300-600
6) Works, all internals have been rebuilt-as-new, all outside artwork and cab has been restored-as-new. $500-3000 (EDOT, SW cockpit, etc)
7) Still perfect as the day it came from the factory, home-use-only, and never played - just wiped with a diaper. $750-3000+

Obviously, conversions and titles would affect prices. And if you can get it for less, than good for you. But you shouldn't expect that to be the norm...:

/thread

123456
 
Very good points you make, though. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to much 'fudge' space to narrow price ranges per genre. I mean, hell, even what I wrote for prices has some huge price variants.
I try to get most of my stuff at auctions and even then it's ridiculous how much the prices can fluctuate on one day. Working game in pristine shape sells for $100, same type of game in dedicated cab but rough and not working though complete $300.
 
I try to get most of my stuff at auctions and even then it's ridiculous how much the prices can fluctuate on one day. Working game in pristine shape sells for $100, same type of game in dedicated cab but rough and not working though complete $300.

auctions are weird like that. Like one of the auctions I went to with oregonarcade, he lands a 9/10 Space Harrier upright for $170, but then a 5/10 working Dig Dug went for like $300. Say What?????
 
auctions are weird like that. Like one of the auctions I went to with oregonarcade, he lands a 9/10 Space Harrier upright for $170, but then a 5/10 working Dig Dug went for like $300. Say What?????

10,000,000 more people have heard of Dig Dug and like it.

Maybe 10,000 people have heard of Space Harrier.

Personally, if they were both free and I had to take one, it would be Dig Dug, and I'm not that big of a fan...
 
Thanks everyone for the helpful info! I knew it would be nigh impossible to accurately gage gaming prices,but I figured I'd at least pose the question.
I know game prices are very fickle,but I'd much rather get a game from someone off CL or possibly even here than buy one on ebay or a website that sells restored games as it is more likely that CLers and KLOVers aren't concerned so much with the money aspect of it as they are just wanting to get rid of it.
 
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