Facts my friend I still own all my games and all my systems since nes to my Ps5 and computer my Bf always tells me to get rid of it but I still play them I have gotten rid of some games that where more me collecting than loving so that's as far as I will go.
I think people who buy retro are almost always looking for a deal, therefore they're going to look online for cheaper options or go to yard sale/flea markets
I live in Florida and I stopped buying games a few years back. It's no longer about collecting because of resellers in my area. prices at our video game stores are at Ebay or above. thanks to grading video games, has made it even worse. With big companies faking auctions of games, the company graded themselves, and then buying their own games for around a million has messed up the value of games.
Been this way in St. Augustine, Florida for a long time. Before it closed the flea market here had one of the most offensively over priced resellers I've ever seen, and one of the pawn shops here wouldn't even put prices on his retro games and when you tried to buy he would pull up eBay and say "the highest priced listing for this game is hundreds of dollars, so that's what I have to charge" and this was 10 years ago
Once at a flea market, a worker told mom that her high price was compared to ebay also. ebay is bad to compare prices in ways, because the same item is going to have very high and very low prices and in the middle. one thrift store priced a Laser disc player for almost a hundred because of ebay. @@jimstone8842
I always try to sell cheaper when I’m at my booth. To over inflate for the sake of profit isn’t the way anymore, it’s about building a reputation through trust and respect for the consumer. All the while not losing out on making something for yourself. I love working deals with people, especially if it’s one on their wants list.
I wish all resellers had your mentality. For a lot of people its about money and not spreading the love. Have a rule for sniffing out scalpers so that we can get physical media into the hands of the fans and not the scalpers.
This is because resellers have become excessively greedy and prices are incredibly unreasonable, us buyers would rather deal/trade with friends and other collector's at this point.. also the occasional decent deals we find online.
@@LumbyMcGumby Ya. I recently just got back into pokemon collecting last week after like 20 years. I've probably dropped $1500 ripping packs trying to complete the 151, obsidian flame, paradox shift, Scarlet & violet, paldea evolved, crown zenith, lost origins, & silver tempest. I had to give up on ripping packs for bought singles of the cards I was missing for 151, flame, paradox, & scarlet & violet, but even then I still don't have master set with all the secret rares in any of these sets even after buying the singles to complete just the base set. Once my singles arrived I'll have 4/5 scarlet & violet base set completed. I still need buy more for the rest I listed. + They're releasing Paldean fates this month and then temporal forces in march. I've learned my lesson the hard way now, but going forward I'm buying maybe 1-2 etbs & a couple booster bundles after that buying singles once I hit about 75-80% of the set completed.
When these retro game store owners start, realizing that it’s collectors out after this shit not millionaires maybe they’ll get more customers. The prices have done nothing but go up year after year after year and all we wanted to is put it on our game shelf. Most of us are just trying to replace our video game shelves from our childhood that way we can whenever we feel the itch to play a certain game we can just grab it off the shelf like we used to as a kid throw it in the system, hit the power button and play, what I have realized in my aging adulthood is that it’s a bunch of younger kids. Who’ve acquired this stuff for very little and are now trying to get a fortune for it profiting off nostalgia I mean I’m not against anyone getting their dollar but to mark up your inventory so much from what you originally got it for is criminal and you deserve no customers.
If they charge too much, they won’t make sales. I make tons of $ at conventions so I must price things correctly-but still way, way higher than you’d like to see. I bought an snes Aero Fighters CIB for $150 12 years ago. If 20 people are willing to pay me $2500 for it, that makes me a criminal?
It’s not sustainable. I agree if someone offers you that, take it. But this hobby is not an investment. And if you base a business off of the ridiculously inflated prices, you will be out of it in a few short years.
@@mkendall8393 I don’t know how you define “a few short years,” but a friend of mine opened a retro store some 10 years ago. It was fabulous for him for I’m guessing 5 years, had a lull where it was just ok, and then came the retrogaming madness associated with the pandemic. In short, he’s done spectacularly. Saying that the retrogaming hobby isn’t “sustainable” from a financial standpoint is like saying baseball cards and comic books aren’t sustainable. That said, I wouldn’t bet my family’s financial future on videogames; I think you really have to know what you are doing.
It's so sad to see physical media dying. There will always be a niche market for collectors, but these kind of stores are becoming few and far between, sadly.
I still don't buy digital unless i have too i like owning something where digital easy but not like you can trade in or sell it. Feels like burning your money in my opinion.
@@shadowdouglas450But your don't OWN anything. You are buying the RIGHT to play and that can be taken away from you even from a hard copy - it's just not as easy BUT legal. And the time will come, when they take all from us.
Not being rude, but honest question: Do you find that same perspective on collectibles, comics, antiques as well? It seems people have no problem justifying other collectibles and hobbies, but video games aren’t initially afforded that same perspective.
I had a massive collection. I lost interest in collecting about 10 years ago & sold it all. I mean, I had near full libraries of NES, N64, SNES, Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Atari, many other consoles and computers. I am still a PC gamer and have a custom built home made arcade with 100,000 + games on it.
I just bought a 2tb emulation hard drive off Amazon. Came with 4400 games from a dozen consoles. I got a Legends Ultimate Arcade which is hooked to a Retro Shooter Pandoras box. These have combined 6000 games.
Stopped buying physical retrogames in the past couple of years. I had so many. The prices just got too much for me. And I sold everything I had older than PS1. Even then I only kept sentimental favorites. I now emulate anything I cannot buy easily on a modern storefront, preferably PC. I think the market will return, but not until prices come back down to Earth
Og hardware can be fun but yes the prices have went up but emulation is more the way to go for me especially on a android phone just more convenient overall
Retro games are making the turn from pump to dump. Just like with record shows and card shows it's more and more just sellers selling to each other. Secondary market prices have hit a point where a a lot of people are just settling for their own must haves. Not to mention most casual collectors don't care about all the fluff.
I'm one of those guys who goes to events like this and buys a single five or ten dollar game. I just never get tired of how satisfying it feels to add another game to my collection that would have cost me over a month's worth of allowance as a kid for less than a pack of smokes.
It’s so burnt out, went to a local gaming convention and the sellers were using eBay sold listings to price their items. A CIB GB Light for $500USD. A CIB Pokemon Ruby for $450. Disc-only GCN RE4 for $100. Animal Crossing GCN for $80 with no memory card. A box + dual TN Pkmn Red/Blue n3DS console for $600. A Japanese Pikachu N64 for $600. Was it any wonder why 98% of the stock the sellers brought didn’t move? When I swung back Day 2, the same items were still there - the only things selling were the sub-$40 items. Thank god for flashcarts & modding, I’m not about to pay $400 for Pokemon Ruby or $100 to play RE4 on the GameCube lol.
I believe there are several reasons for that. 1. they fear the money most people sell them so they don't even look for them anymore (check some prices in ebay, a game of ps2 around 20-30 euro they sell it 80-100 euro, huge difference) 2. there are people who actively not only shaming people who buy games like that and call them pirates but also they actively try to cause them legal issues, I speak from experience. Which is funny enough cause so far those same people slipped up and are the one who actually pirate stuff.
Shoutouts from Texas! I have been to several events like this in the video. There is always people willing to buy if they can find deals. The problem I run into it seems time after time is people are not willing to deal on games and expect full prices for their stuff. I don't mind paying for something that is rare but I not willing to pay for something I can find online or in some other random place for a lot less. Of course there is no way I could sale at these events because I would also fall in the trap of buying from other vendors and go home either at break even or like most people in the red.
I don’t see how some game stores even function with the high prices mixed with inflation and rent. It seems like such a loss and hassle as everybody wants a deal
The great thing about these events is that haggling and bargaining is expected. I usually end up doing really well while giving deals. They're a great way to get specific items you're looking for, typically cheaper than ebay but you're right - nothing beats finding it in the wild. Now, the patience to wait and hunt is another story.
@urbanknish I hope you're right but the problem with real estate is a catastrophic lack of supply, legal red tape like zoning laws and high interest rate for builders keeping them from building enough and greed, when they do build they only want to build luxury homes and not stuff first time home buyers earning the median income can actually afford.
Depends on where you go as far as foot traffic. Portland is very busy when I went a few years ago. Recently was in New York and that was busy as well. Everyone is always out for a good deal, however the convince of the internet breaks those rules sometimes. Its kind of a shame. Excellent pickups by the way.
The problem that I have seen, not only North America but in Europe as well, is prices at the eBay or above level. That’s a no go for me. I buy stuff for my curated collection not for reselling purposes so I would wait a year or more for a good deal before caving to a high price. My other issue is that I don’t enjoy playing on emulators, it does not have the same feel for me. I know it is all mental and I should be able to enjoy games any way, but I guess we like what we like.
@@MortsGarage your welcome my friend, I appreciate your kind words and support as well. Your comments on my stuff are always a confidence booster and mean a ton.
Hey Mort! Greetings from rainy Vermont. I'm looking forward to watching this video. Not feeling holly or jolly but thankful for you,pixel dan,gabbo and the entire pixel game squad FAMILY. May you and your family have a blessed day. 👍🙏🕹🎮🌲🤓
Hey Mort! I deeply appreciate your kind words. Still not well with a week until Christmas. Feeling unwanted and uncomfortable where I work. Broken trust,betrayed. Sorry not in a cheerful mood. 😢
Note on the SNUS Controller…I was recently in Nintendo NYC, was very pleased to see they had all the NSO controllers in stock at MSRP including the N64.
I can't believe that the price of mike Tyson's punch out has doubled in 3 years. Thats probably why you see less and less people at game booth's, its just getting too expensive.
@@MortsGarage I mean I get it, it's "market value" and all that, however unregulated markets are easily manipulated and it's not just the old video game market that's been manipulated, the same people have done it to comics, cards, etc. Prices will eventually come down a bit but never to pre WATA levels sadly. However I am glad to see your enthusiasm and positivity in the hobby, it's nice because it's filled with grumps like me 😀
Just did some fact checking and If you buy a physical copy you own that game it's yours for life. If you buy a digital copy the game isn't yours. You just have a license to play it. If you got banned from your PSN account you would lose every digital game you have not your discs though. So im gonna keep buying physical not liking the idea of burning money :) everyone have a great day.
I have the feeling that most retro dealers and "investors" have more games than collectors are interested. I hope all of them get out of the market, alongside most brick n mortar stores. It sickens me when I walk into a stand or store, find a couple of games with reasonable prices on game tags only to have the seller googling it at the check out, I always drop the stuff right away and call them on their BS. Older collectors already have most of the games that they are truly interested in and newer collectors get priced out of the market buying literal trash for insanely expensive prices while you can just go out in the wild and find really good deals. I have quite a collection, never paid these absurd prices and never will. I still get pretty good deals every once in a while, one just needs to know where to look for it.
I went to a video game convention a few months back and there were seller booths and I wanted a fairly rare game that this business was selling for $150 (which is pretty over priced) and wouldn’t come down at all. Absolutely refused to work/compromise with me so I walked away. Pretty shitty to be overselling and refuse to come down in price. These businesses, and even people on eBay want to scam people for nostalgia and it’s infuriating.
Retro games were never a good investment. They went through a bubble during the pandemic, and I'm convinced that companies like WATA and Heritage Auctions acted in concert to artifically drive up prices, and purchasers got let holding the bag. Further, as a vendor/seller, sourcing retro games is expensive, and gamers are a notoriously frugal community. Buyers essentially want the stuff at the same price the vendor got it for, or they want to sell it for what it will likely be resold for at max. I don't think most sellers or buyers have any ill intent, it's just that prices don't make sense for anyone right now. I spent something like $250 for a certain NES cart that I had been seeking for a long time during the pandemic. I played it once and then it sat there. I learned the lesson quickly, thank god.
Really good points made here - thank you for your thoughtful comment. At the core, the issue has been that games went from "games" to "collectibles". That's tough when a lot of people just want to play a particular game. I've observed that people are still doing fine sourcing games and selling online, but one of the things I love about in person events is the chance to connect with other like minded collectors, and there's lots of deals and trades to be had as well. Plus, theres some surprises: In this series I have twice now given away $1000 in cash and products, plus other free games and fun collectibles. It's just a good time :) Take care!
How to be successful as a reseller? Simple...don't worry how much a game is "worth", but rather how much you paid for it. Example: Game X is valued at $100. Reseller obtained it for $40. Reseller sells it for $60, makes a $20 profit, and gains a nice reputation.
This will change I’m guessing within the next year or so when retail doesn’t sell physical games anymore…or maybe I’m wrong but I have a feeling we are about to hit the physical boom here in terms of prices
I still don't buy digital unless I have too I like owning something where digital easy but not like you can trade in or sell it. Feels like burning your money in my opinion. haggling works at Flea markets an yard sales where there actually trying to get rid of it.
It's a fun part of the community - when done right :) I just used my reseller booth to give away cash and free games and I've picked up great deal from friends at events like this. But I wouldn't completely disagree - some people make this space less fun.
Nice to see physical collectors still out there. I sold ALL my physical games and consoles except for switch. It's STEAM Deck and gaming laptop for me these days.
You will regret for sure just give it some time and guilt will kick in.Just pick 3-4 favourite systems and collect for it and don’t go overboard with purchasing anything else.
the greed really killed it, I remember going to thrift stores in 2010, and getting massive amounts of PS2 games for like 3 bucks each, no one had interest in them then really , I even got Silent Hill 2 for 3 bucks ,also Ebay is awash in mints games in plastic cases, I don't know what kind of plastic they are using for those cases, but it must be really expensive lol , someone wanna help me crowd source, and raise 10K for a copy of Intellivision's Donkey Kong in one of them lol ( when realistically the game is worth, even mint in box, no more than 20 bucks lol
Mort great video can’t wait to see the next one, also I can tell a good reseller from a scalper. I hate those people that try and rob us with over inflated prices. You give deals I wish you had an online shop I could buy from.
Classic games for me are all about playing the games, not making $$ off of them. This why I prefer emulation. The Steam Deck and a large micro SD card is all you need.
I've found some great deals at gaming conventions in the past, but there's always some booths that try to sell overpriced games, even like €40+ too high. But there's great deals at regular markets as well. Found an almost brand new gamecube compatible wii last year, in the box with some games.
Yup - conventions and events always have both - those who are over pricing, and those who are making deals. It’s up to the buyer to be informed about what their options are. Cheers 😊
That's true! My best ever find was pokémon Soulsilver in the big box with the pokéwalker for €100 when it was already going for around €150 (seeing it for €200+ now). The box is in great shape too, apart from a little tear in the back, but I don't mind. Still can't believe I found that, haha. I remember that I got it at the very first booth at my very first convention too. Great memories. Cheers :).
I’ve been in the primordial days of retro gaming and buying and selling them. Let me make one thing clear. It’s a numbers game not just what you can make the most off of. I’m wondering if people make more money talking about it on RU-vid than actually putting the work in. Before the masses got into resell and make it a fad it was genuine. Mort keep rocking in the free world. I remember some of your whatnot streams and had a blast.
Hey dude. Great video. And fair play, definitely spent way more than you made lol. Not a great business plan, however can't fault those pick ups 🙌 also, super excited to get my hat 😁 looking forward to the next vid.
@@MortsGarage i had a scuff for the ps4 before I thought this was almost the same but its way better has more features, and the button mapping is way easier to use the trigger adjustments are the crazy part. Now that I got it I really recommend it. 👍
I agree with this events being super expensive. At the point that is not worth it. It’s better to buy online from people who wants to make a few bucks from their old consoles than specialists who thinks you’re a millionaire.
Why are video games at events so expensive more than eBay this is something I don't understand. Because when I go to comic book show, a stamp collection show or coin shows these other hobbies events are cheap. Cheaper than eBay prices. So why are they not like that with video games?
Depends on the event and condition tbh. Most of the time at these events I am priced below eBay, but sometimes I have stuff that I priced one way but it has since dropped in price and I didn’t catch it.
I’ve always bought my games online since 2007 and will ever do so. I just don’t need a store to walk in and maybe don’t find what I’m looking for. I go to eBay and be searching for the exact game with the exact price tag I want. I don’t need physical stores at all.
I'm on the East Coast, a shame I wasn't there. I usually walk into hobby shops with $200 in my pocket. I've been trying to fill out my PS1, GameCube and NES collection with the solid B-grade titles (you know, like Mortal Kombat, Ape Escape, Croc, Starfox Adventures, Lolo and Lala, Jaws, Battletoads, etc etc.) I'd have shown up with a cardboard box to fill lol
That’s awesome! I do whatnot streams once in a while to. Would love to see you on there. If you’re not on whatnot, use my code and you’ll get free cash.
Wow. Didn’t realize Pokemon Shield with the Steel book went up that much. Glad I got that one at retail. I saw those Pokemon Scarlet and Violet with with Area Zero but thought $95 was a little rich.
I made $2K over a weekend this past Fall during a convention. Price your stuff fairly, always be open to making deals, and you'll sell retro games just fine 🤷
for video game dealers need to know that most will look around if that's online and that, and in Scotland there's a lack of video game resellers at markers and conventions that I go to I'm lucky to find one or 2 that actually is a video game reseller not just have a wee bit with like 10 games
Hey Mort. Just want to send you some love from AUS. Enjoyed your vids all year dude!. I hope you and the Mort clan have a lovely Christmas and look forward to more garage madness in '24!
If these booths sell bootleg flashcards I will buy. I can no longer afford the prices for the original games. Before the pandemic, the bootleg prices were the same as the original cartridges.
To be honest i have basically given up on buying vintage games on markets and online. Because everyone is scalping the living hell out of it and what they all demand is absolutely INSANE and NOT what i'm willing to pay, even if i COULD afford it. Sorry, you cannot demand the Original retail price for a worn out copy with basically completely broken case. I also find it funny when people demand insane prices for games that are not even rare but were sold by the millions. I hope the Vintage Game market freaking CRASHES HARD as soon as possible. So that all these hoarded games are finally going into the hands of actual GAMERS and not Millionaires.
It is indeed frustrating for those of us that just want to enjoy the games. The challenge is that games went from being “games” to “collectibles” thus making everything pretty nuts. Thanks for your comment!
Good, we held innocent men at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib without due process and we allow resellers, who are guilty as charged, to walk free? This won't stand.
I saw someone selling a brave fencer musashi with the gamestop price tag still on it. Was $9.99 used, they were asking $80. Unless i find a good deal, ive stopped collecting because of the price gouging.
Maybe - but isn’t it fair that the prices from 25 years ago might change? That’s a bit like being upset that an antique piece of furniture is more expensive now than it was when it released. I hear your frustration but I think you touch on the shift that we’ve all experienced over the past few years - video games have shifted from being “games” to “collectibles”. Thanks for your comment!
@@MortsGarage there are a finite number of people who are collecting retro games. The younger generation doesn't have any interest in NES/PS1 games, just like my generation doesn't have the interest in Atari games. Even if I pass my collection down to my kids, they will just sell it off cause they won't care about it. It's really just a situation of making as much money as possible while the consumers are still around. Retro game stores won't last much longer due to digital and emulation. Is it worth it to limit an already small customer base by pricing games as high as possible? I don't know, I don't sell them.
Every single person who collects this stuff is going to wake up one day and be upset about having wasted so much time and money on it. They’re going to buy way too much, spend way too much money, then sell it all for a huge loss when they realize what they’ve done. It happens to all of us. Nostalgia is a dangerous drug.
Thank you for commenting. I agree with some aspects of your comment, but think it’s missing some nuance. Many people who collect do indeed take it too far. They spend more than they have, and end up wondering about their habits. I’ve felt that way before, which has led to downsizing some of my collection. And just when I thought it peaked, the value went up. With physical media being universally phased out, it will be interesting to see what the future holds. But what I think is missed in your comment is the joy of having a hobby. If it were purely transactional, then yes your point really stands out. But I get joy from selling games, buying them, finding them, having a shared community that gets meaning out of discussing them (past and present) and I have developed many friendships that go beyond any financial exchanges. This doesn’t include that this community has been a personal catalyst for facilitating a creative outlet in RU-vid, which has also brought unanticipated bright spots. I’d rather go game hunting than watch a game at the bar and spend money on I repriced food and drinks. It can absolutely get out of control. But when it’s done right, this hobby has brought a lot of joy to many, including me. Take care!
The problems with retro store is that they like to overpriced the stuff they are selling. For example an n64 for $150? Like man the n64 is sn old console is not worth more than $100
Everyone has different pricing rationale. What I like about events is that sellers can haggle more. I generally comp against sold eBay listings, minus 10% from fees plus the savings of not having to pay for shipping and taxes. Everyone does it different though. Hopefully if our paths ever cross you’d have a positive experience :)
When buying retro the hunt was all about finding deals and hidden things in all the junk. Today everything has been found and marked up. It takes the fun out of collecting. Even five years ago I was finding this to be true, it's one of the reasons why I stopped collecting.
That makes sense, but there’s still lots of stuff out there. Check out one of my hunting videos. We keep finding stuff pretty regularly. I hope you find something great this week!
@@MortsGarage not by me. I used to come home with garbage bags full of stuff. Not anymore. Every garage sale I'd go to would be picked clean by resellers and scalpers.
I thought this was going to be a video on why video game reseller booths are dying. Like the title. But its just a video of him at the reseller fair and showing what He spent money on.
Thanks for giving it a shot regardless :) In contrast to my other videos where the sales are much higher, this one was quite the contrast. I hope you have a great week!
I buy cars and parts. The market is the same. As time goes on there are less parts that fit that car. Simple supply and demand. The bubble has popped though. These guys have shop rents/mortgages to pay for. One day you’ll bitch that there are no real people selling out of stores. Support your local shop even if you pay a few bucks more and I know they are flexible in pricing sometimes.
