It's been pretty wild coming back to the hobby after taking a 7 year break from being 'active' in restoring, getting pickups etc.
I can certainly say KLOV has been an indispensable resource in helping me gather information, guidance, games and parts, without which I certainly wouldn't have been able to achieve anywhere near as much as I have with the hobby. The thing that has stood out to me the most, returning here is a much more aggressive attitude toward pricing of games and especially parts.
No doubt COVID money printing added to ongoing abnormal inflation in this field the same way it did with so many others, and continues to effect it even years on. But also, perhaps driven by supply-demand factors resulting from more and more people showing interest, it seems that EVERYTHING has rocketed in price 200%,300%, 400% and more on certain items. Also it seems there is a lot more MMAO trending in the for sale section.
Personally I've chosen to no-longer engage in MMAO sales as I don't agree with the format, that's just my opinion and choice of course. But also, I've found myself checking other places FIRST before considering buying from sellers here as it seems that the KLOV premium is becoming a thing too, 'collectors price' for everything.
Example -
Tapper power suitcase working - KLOV $300+ - Found one on eBay for $60
NOS Ikari Warriors Side Art - KLOV good luck anything below $250 - found mine on Offerup for $50
Someone kindly reached out to me the other day when I mentioned I might be looking for a Crazy Taxi sit down. In 2018 you could get working sit down drivers all day long for $150. This seller mentioned they were looking for $2,000.
This isn't so much a dig or swipe at anyone, just an observation that sometimes it seems that communities that become too insular can self-inflate the very things that they need to pursue their hobby.
I imagine this happens in all kinds of communities that trade in any hyper-focused vertical category.