CEX Retro Games should be avoided! Here's why! Conker's Bad Fur day is SO expensive

It's no secret that CEX Retro Games are insanely priced! I recently noticed an even bigger price hike on cartridge based retro games. In this episode I show you how I believe CEX are using eBay 'Sold' listings and using them as a benchmark for their prices. Let's not forget that a lot of eBay sellers are local businesses so that makes CEX shady for doing this. We focus on prices of several retro games but in particular, Conker's Bad Fur Day. To further illustrate how expensive CEX is, I reached out to some of my friends who own retro game stores to see how much they would sell a standard condition copy of Conker's Bad Fur day
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[@TheGebs24]

I went to CEX after 8 months. Here’s what Retro I found in March 2023: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIKad2qsbbJqqNU

[@gazhvys9543]

I get stores like CEX have to make money to pay there expenses but at the same time people are to blame for paying crazy Ebay prices! I sold my copy of Conkers about 2 years ago for about £260! Until Ebay prices get more realistic then CEX will keep being expensive!

[@SylvainThuret]

Apart from a couple like Conkers, Dororo or Metroid on GBA... I see many solid games, seemingly in good shape with reasonable prices here.

[@TheGebs24]

Yep! Like I said, you CAN find bargains.

[@TheGebs24]

@@ryuken9409 watch the video!! I explicitly said in it that you CAN find bargains! There are certain retro games that are OVERPIRCED! Dude please listen to what I say in the video! Xbox, PS2 and DS games are on a level where they’re reasonably priced! The likes of CBFD is not!

[@binbootsalepickin]

Take advantage of the trade in.A 250 quid game i could get for less than 50 , where else can you take old dvds and get the credit they are giving. Mad if you are using cash.

[@angelshide]

@@binbootsalepickin Lol what DVDs are you taking? Most DVDs now they give you a penny for.

[@binbootsalepickin]

@@angelshide dvd box sets , they give amazing prices on loads.

[@jaredbowhay-pringle1460]

I certainly don't think there's anything "shady" about CeX selling retro for eBay prices and there are still a lot of titles they do sell for under the going rate if you're willing to trawl the website a bit. They're also often (as in my case) the only local brick and mortar option for retro. I get the consoles and the loose popular titles are priced a little higher, because you're always going to have casual gamers (not meant in a derogatory way!) who are going to walk by a shop and impulse buy an N64 and copy of Goldeneye/Mario Kart 64/Smash Bros because they used to play it back in the day.

[@martinrbookermb]

If people don't like it get an emulator? It's like a granny complaining about the price of a loaf. Everything has gone up in price? Games are a luxury itam, ask the people in the Ukraine.

[@geekbox1099]

I recently saw a PS5 for €80 in the window of a Cex, I had a WTF! Moment when I saw it

[@freddiejohnson6137]

Are you sure that wasn't just the controller? As the disc based consoles tend to be selling for 50% more than the retail price still in any one of their stores I have seen even used digital versions are pretty much retail price.

[@davidsawyer1526]

I really dont understand the beef with a shop selling a commercial product but having to pay rates and electric and wages. Of course they should charge more than someone selling from their front room. If CEX close down more likely EBay prices will rise to fill the space. My CEX is in a shopping center with massive business rates.

[@TheGebs24]

Did you watch the entire video? Rates, wages, tax is ALWAYS factored in to the cost of doing business. I reached out to local retro game stores in this episode who have all of those expenses to pay to. As far as rent goes for CEX; they choose where to put their stores. If the rent and rates are high then tough. They chose to open a store there. Just my two cents

[@davidsawyer1526]

@@TheGebs24 Agreed. They choose to pay more expenses so charge more for their goods. Thats the market. But if I want to sell my copy of Conker, I also go through EBay prices to get as much as I can for it and I have no expenses at all. I just dont see why its wrong for, say, an antique shop to charge more for an old chair than a flea market or car boot sale. It seems you want CEX to run their business and sell you stuff as cheap as you want. Your message is correct, support your local independent retro shop but I dont understand the complaints about CEX per se.

[@theoldpcgamer77]

@@TheGebs24 A large chain like CEX will always be in city centres or high streets in local towns and with that comes higher business rates and paying the going rates for shop workers within said town or city centres. Local one off shops can be on any low business rate roads because they will rely on word of mouth and family or friends running the shop or sell on Ebay. It's like saying Amazon is cheaper than a city centre John Lewis.

[@davidsawyer1526]

@@theoldpcgamer77 Correct, but that isnt my point. Amqzon is cheaper than John Lewis but you cant then complain that John Lewis prices are too high. Notice they no longer price match. CEX is stupid expensive but dont ask them to lower their prices, just dont shop there.

[@theoldpcgamer77]

@@davidsawyer1526 Thing is CEX has no mainstream competition and give large p/x prices so they will charge what they do. People buy the PS5 off them at inflated prices because they have credit with them. Regarding JL i'm not surprised they don't price match now. I used to work for a business rates surveyor and know all too well how much one road to the next plus sq footage and everything inbetween affects how much you will pay. The high street is losing business every day but you still have those city centre rates and large sq footage and everything that accounts towards those rates. A warehouse in the middle of nowhere with cheaply paid workers will always win but at least for now the high street shops are surviving just about. Even the companies that own the shopping centres/malls are going bankrupt. Business practices dictate that CEX will do what it takes to make money even if some customers don't like certain prices. If it sells they will continue and the good p/x prices certainly play a role in the continued customer base. Not everyone keeps their games and if they give you a good p/x price you will then buy something else from there even if the price is slighty more.

[@freddiejohnson6137]

It's sadly the whole retro gaming market as a whole. Even some games that sold millions of copies back when they were first out can go for just as much now as they did back then. It has become more about collecting them than ever just buying them to play them any more. I stopped collecting a while ago when it became increasingly hard to find a bargain on boxed copies of games because people wanted to just get rid of them now most people match each others prices because they don't want to miss out on somethings apparent value.

[@jimijames6449]

What games were you collecting?

[@cawfeedawg]

I used to have an amiga 1200 back in the day but ive never been much of a gamer.. But I have to say I love your enthusiasm for the subject and your voice is very relaxing. Thank you for the content.

[@dazdaz105]

I’m a small time retro collector compared to Gemma. I don’t aim to collect everything I see (not saying Gemma does) My advice is if you don’t like the price then don’t buy it. I have never seen the point in paying crazy money for something that will ultimately be worth nothing once the market dries up through over pricing.

[@finnisnotafish]

yes im literally waiting for that day!! then theyll be so dirt cheap

[@Gameboy-Unboxings]

@@finnisnotafish I unfortunately just do not see that happening.. for the sole reason that there's too many idiots willing to pay ridiculous prices.. I see it every single day..

[@finnisnotafish]

@@Gameboy-Unboxings i mean eventually the prices will have to drop maybe even 10 years. Theres always that awkwatd period where new things like switches turn into old trash i just gotta catch it then. Soon enough gameboy games will be less popular even by a little. The key is to get it before it turns retro

[@superluigi8539]

Once they are considered antique and rare, who knows what they will be valued at. If a game is worth it to you then buy it, but at least know what a reasonable price would be. Also you have to take into account that if it's shipped to your door at no cost, shipping fees are figured into the pricing. Which brings me to my final point, that it's not just that "idiots" will pay 3 times msrp to add a favorite to their collection, it's that these used gaming sites have done everything they can to get every last copy of a games they can, and then store them in a warehouse somewhere so local bargain hunters and game stores cant find them on their own anymore.

[@AgentSmith2K]

Another great and informative video as usual. I’ve also notice that CEX list games at the same price with or without the manual. I always check now.

[@DutchGameHunter]

That's right, they don't care if it's missing the manual and they sell it for the same price. If someone trades in a game without the manual CEX should give the person a lower price in my opinion.

[@ergheiz83]

Price gouging aside, it´s definitely cool to see a store with a nice selection of retro stuff. The most ¨retro¨ games CEX stores in Mexico have are run of the mill PS2, Gamecube and OG Xbox games :/

[@ToejamandEarl1983]

You are right that some games are over priced in CEX but there are also plenty of bargains to be had too

[@dang9059]

Very interesting video, and thank you for putting this info out there

[@MoviesNGames007uk]

18 quid for loose cart of Goldeneye!? Wow!

[@gaminglife2017]

Nice video, Gemma. I'll make sure to drop by to one of these shops 🙌🏽

[@Polycomical]

"Really reacting with that bromine" Someone should do a remix of that

[@Pacmanfan-po9rn]

This game needs a rerelease on more than just Xbox

[@TheGebs24]

AGREED PAC!

[@matthewbown1072]

Rare Replay should be on the Switch as well

[@westlancsflips3126]

Another great video here Gemma. Quite relevant actually. Yesterday The Retro Ghetto posted a video on how he uses CEX to his advantage. Scoring games in charity shops to get trade in credit. I suppose they can charge a little extra for consoles as they offer 24 Month Warranty, I'm not too sure if other retro game stores would offer this when they sell consoles. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to use them to try and build up my new GameCube collection. Started today.

[@TheGebs24]

You can get great games there don’t get me wrong. Cart based stuff is getting a little out of control

[@westlancsflips3126]

@@TheGebs24 agreed. I'm also concerned about how they check the quality of a cartridge as well. Do they check the pins, board etc.

[@hickaz81]

💯 we need to make a stand! But the problem is people on eBay buying their own listing back at silly prices and spiking the market!

[@Mark-nh2hs]

However, there was a video I watched showing collectors were just as much to blame for stupid prices esp for games they perceived as "rare". It's not just the non collectors who are causing the wider problem lol

[@stealthninja4299]

Insane prices for CBFD. Agreed about basing prices on eBay listings as well. Not the best idea really. Great video as always Gemma😎

[@PS3GamingScotland]

I think CEX has some good deals for games that are a few years old and they do have DVD's for 50p or £1. However, for retro games they can be expensive and I was looking for a camera, they were charging over £250 for a twelve year old camera. I haven't bought any second hand tech from them so would be curious at the quality and price of such items compared with their counterparts. I also wouldn't recommend buying from their online store as games came without cases and in random dvd or game cases rather than their actually case. I always try and pop in to Cex, Game etc but shopping around is probably your best bet. Great video Gemma! :)

[@RickofEarthTV]

These are the kinds of videos I wish could be discussed over a podcast or something because they leave so much room for debate. - Ever since Covid, the rise In popularity of retro videos game skyrocketed. Everyone can speculate as to why, but the reality is, they have. With increased popularity, you’re going to see a major fluctuation in prices. You keep looking at everything from a buyers perspective instead of a sellers perspective. I found a sealed copy of CBF last summer at a yard sale for $5 and ended up getting it graded at Wata. The uphike in prices has made the value of CBF even greater for someone like me who got it at a great deal. I don’t ever plan to sell it, but it’s nice to know that if i ever did, I’m going to get a killer price for it. Conkers bad furday is and always was a rare game. How many parents were willing to purchase that game for their kids? Not many! You are so infatuated with collecting everything and anything that has to do with retro video games that these new prices have forced you and everyone else to have to stop and think about what they do and don’t want to collect because we will never be able to collect or afford it all. I want my retro games to have value, both sentimental and monetary and if the prices go up, GOOD! I had to spend $400 on a CIB ice blue gameboy pocket because that’s just the going price for them now. I wanted it, and I didn’t need much more convincing than that. This hobby has changed, more people are involved now and just because prices have increased doesn’t mean we need to sound the alarms and complain about it or make entire KZbin videos on it. Your channel and all the other Retro gaming tubers have boosted in popularity BECAUSE of how popular this scene/market has become. Instead of being grateful for it, and instead of being happy the value of your collection has increased, you’re upset that it’s now harder to ADD to your collection. This makes the hunt that much more worth it. And no offense but most peoples game collection is absolutely cluttered and instead of looking like game rooms they look like hoarder homes. It will be nice to see people be more selective of the games they choose and the things they save up for for their collections. This is just my opinion, and I’m enjoying the hobby the same way I always have. Watching it change has been fun because I do this to reconnect with my childhood. Prices rise. Prices fall, some will pay it, some won’t, some will quit collecting, others will just wait it out. Just the way it is, and always will be.

[@martinrbookermb]

I couldn't agree with you more! Well said. You Tubers promote a topic show off gaming rooms and vast collections ect. When people go out to the shops and buy these games (draining the suply of already hard to find games) cry about how they can't get every game what they want because the price is too high? They have already got 100s if not 1,000s of games? They're realizing that all that attention they have been attracting is starting to work against them? I for one am pleased that they can't go into a shop and empty the shelves like they used too.It gives everyone a chance to own a few games they like,if they are willing to pay. As for ebay, what other point of reference is there for retro games? price charting can be way off, People say eBay is way high but is it? How else are you going to find a nice copy of whatever game your after in its box? (I'm talking Gameboy) in a crappy garage sale? I think not. Maybe in a shop? Possibly? But there's only 1 in a 100 chance they will even have it and guess what? They get their prices from Ebay!

[@RickofEarthTV]

@@martinrbookermb I didn’t want my original message to come off as being rude to Gemma, because I know she is passionate about this stuff. It’s why I subscribed in the first place. But I’m starting to see a pattern from just all of the retro gaming tubers and you explained it in perfect detail. I know that it can be frustrating to see high pricing considering we could all get this stuff for Pennie’s to the dollar before Covid…but the word is out, and this stuff is in right now and it’s commanding a higher price tag. That’s just the way it is, and complaining about it isn’t going to lower the prices, because people are paying it.

[@TheAlphaWolf2013]

@@RickofEarthTV I'm not subbed to Gemma's channel but saw the vid in my recommended. I completely agree with you on some retro youtubers having gigantic collections. Maybe somehow they have time to play all those game but I doubt it. It's up to them how they spend their money. I only really collect handheld Nintendo stuff but just buy the games I will play, I don't see the point of buying for the sake of it. It's not only money just sitting on a shelf if your not going to play it but it also keeps a copy out of the hands of someone who may want to play that game. I've found good deals over the years as most of us gamers probably have, I found a copy of Metroid Fusion GBA in a charity shop for £1 a couple of months back. I won't be selling it and may play it at some point but wouldn't have bought it if not for finding it cheap.

[@woozlewuzzle23]

They're a business. They're selling it at the prices that reflect the market because time, nostalgia, and certain KZbinrs have artificially increased the value of these old games. What can you do? That's why I use emulators.

[@TheGebs24]

Would you pay £755 for a PS5? At one time they were selling them at this price! Scalpers

[@harbros1]

You can’t go with the prices you see on sold listings, that was my copy of Conker’s for £235 complete @4:06 and I took an offer for a quite a bit less, which actually makes your point about CEX even worse

[@yadawanksonallfours]

I mean, quite literally how supply and demand works… People seem to forget that CeX is a company that needs to make profit, pay staff, pay electric bills and rent etc. If there’s an average price range of something online, then they’re gonna be around that ball park.

[@richardcastro-parker3704]

The thinng with eBay is people get into to the bidding mentality and tend to overpay to win the auction. Bidding frenzy takes over. So eBay prices can be higher than people are actually willing to pay on store without the bidding frenzy.

[@retro_rummage_]

I think what we need to consider with CEX is a lot of people trade in games for vouchers and buy games with their vouchers which inflates the prices a bit. For me CEX is perfect as I can buy cheap games trade them in for voucher and get more expensive games for free. But You’re absolutely right if you had the cash eBay is the best place to buy retro games. Great video 👍🏻🕹

[@ChildishCalvino420]

I like that she doesn’t mention CEX gives a 2 year warranty with everything (disc doesn’t read, you can go back and get it cleaned or replaced, my controller has battery issues or stick drift, I can go back and get it replaced, console stops working, oh look I can go back and get it replaced) I would like to see the other retro stores that you mentioned or any for that matter do that for everything they sold

[@wolverinescratch]

Some of the games are incomplete with printed covers and no manuals but charging high prices need to be careful

[@Duncan1974]

In my experience CEX are the most expensive game retailers on the high street...im shocked at their prices

[@stuCameraman1]

Wow.... I noticed those cases and sleeves are in very good condition compared to the London cex shops..... They look almost spotless in condition.... The cases could be replaced.... But the sleeves can't. Cex used to offer a CD cleaning service.... Do they still do that. Great video😍

[@TheOnlyCreatch]

Mine put a price sticker on the back paper of my Mario 64, which tore it once trying to remove the sticker.

[@josephtorres5486]

I’m so happy I bought my copy of conker at the time, not when it first came out.

[@Hottoyscollectoruk]

Great video and loads diffrent points of view .only diffrence is phyisal shop verse on line .working in retail i see why diffrence in price

[@patrickfurlong4276]

Reasons like this I'm finding it had to get retro. In my local CEX, they were selling a boked Pokemon Crystal for £215!

[@dannyhtheretrogamingmaster9548]

A lot of shops - especially cex - use price charting as a guide for reference but the condition is so variable. I've bought really good and not so good quality items at cex so it really is swings and roundabouts.

[@TimelessGamingUK]

I don’t see the problem with them using eBay prices tbh? There’re are thousands of retro games and how else would they be able to come up with individual prices for them all? Specialist stores are usually run by enthusiasts who will have their finger on the pulse but you can’t expect a chain like CeX to have the same knowledge, especially when they also sell all kinds of tech and media. Sometimes it means their stuff is overpriced, if a game has had a recent peak but then dropped. But if a game is rising in value then it can often stay underpriced in CeX, so it goes both ways.Common titles are normally very fair. I saw quite a few things as you were panning through the Leeds display that I would have happily picked up. Also, if there was a big disparity between them and eBay then you’d just have loads of scalper types buying all their stock and reselling.

[@markrichardson8440]

I must say I agree - if they price it too high, people will not buy it. I would rather buy my stuff from a local CEX shop than online, even if it is the same price or a little higher - I know it is a chain but there are no independent stores near me. The downside is that this pricing will continue to push the market prices up generally I suppose.

[@EstaviusMarx]

Brick and mortar stores should be cheaper, while noting that for local shops which aren’t chains can struggle to do that. The reason is because they are reliant on the local markets (a couple of suburbs of customers) rather than the entire world (available through eBay).

[@daddydeadly3428]

@@EstaviusMarx do you seriously believe that real stores with rent, staff wages and overheads should be cheaper than online? It’s a bit more than a struggle to do that.

[@JB.zero.zero.1]

@@daddydeadly3428 If the company had actual ethics and cared about their customers, then yes, they could lower their prices. They also won't be sourcing these old games at a premium. They could afford to lower the prices and still turn a decent profit. The market is driven by greed. We only used to trade with CEX when we had software we wanted to off-load, to take advantage of their in-store credit system. I worked for a major games publisher and it was a perk of the job. We also had two ex-CEX staff members working for us, which was enlightening, in terms of understanding the working of the company. I see these kinds of businesses as predatory - they exist to take advantage of others. The real money sits at the top end, the staff aren't exactly known to pocket a decent wage.

[@NuRetroReactions]

CEX is my closest game store. 9 miles away but the issue is that my local store (Retford , Nottinghamshire) has an extremely low choice the last time I went there (about a month ago). It sucks.

[@TheGebs24]

Crazy right?!

[@richardmacaulay783]

Just looking at the CEX app and the main issue is the competition on independent stores - the price to sell Conker to CEX is 162 pounds for cash and over 180 pounds for trade credit... If retro stores are selling between 180-220 pounds there is little room to make a reasonable profit when purchasing stock. Also noticed that CEX normally price as cartridge only, boxed or mint- so it is just luck if the boxed games are complete or with manuals.

[@jonas7417]

well prices match what people will pay... i personally would never pay over 50 euro for a used game, if some1 wants Conkers for a fortune, well then thats that i guess

[@seacrezt]

£250 boxed. I saw it at my local cex today. I couldn't believe it. The box was also really damaged

[@MoviesNGames007uk]

CEX price it all the same regardless of the condition. it could also be missing the manual

[@freddiejohnson6137]

@@MoviesNGames007uk actually they do have a few pricing tiers for retro games mint, boxed and unboxed and some of them are really stingy about giving you the money for something in mint condition but will gladly sell it at the higher price.

[@Fizggig]

Goodwill over here is doing stuff like that. This place is a thrift store meaning they are getting it for free and pricing extremely high. The thing with people pricing anything of ebay is that no one factors shipping and ebay fees they just go with what ebay price is.

[@TheGebs24]

I’ve seen the Goodwill pricing on others’ YT videos. Madness eh

[@Wil_Dsense]

Thing that pisses me of about CEX online store is that for every item bought, they add a 2.95 delivery charge. So If you add 10 items that’s basically (10x3) almost 30 quid extra for delivery. Now if it’s console then sure the delivery can be a bit more but adding that on for each game or accesory is a pisstake.

[@TheHeman3]

Basically the Cex business model : Nostalgia = a complete lack of financial sense.

[@martinrbookermb]

Hey another great video! I have to say if I was selling any of my collection I would check out the sold listings on Ebay and list it accordingly considering the condition ect (wouldn't anyone?) I guess stores pay overheads rent and staff that kind of thing? I don't have any stores around me so buy on ebay. I don't understand that people think they can walk into a games shop and buy exactly what they want at the cheap price they want it for? Like they are the only person who wants it! If you walk into a store you can look at whatever it is your after and get it on the spot if you want to pay for it? Some people will pay more for that I suppose? They aren't making anymore of alot these games and the stores know it. Like most things in life if you want it your going to have to pay for it. It's supply and demand. You Tubers are one of the resons for the price hike and then complain about the price going up? Sorry but that's just my opinion.

[@Southwickspur]

If CEX didn’t exists the retro game market wouldn’t be as expensive as it is. They have set the market price point and now every seller tries to follow it.

[@SausageWardog]

I brought a dreamcast game from cex, it didn't work, so I took it back, and 2 days later it was back up for sale 😅

[@gashmcnash3537]

Don’t get me started on their photocopied boxed games.

[@user-xl2bo8rh7j]

Prices of DS and GBA Games nowadays is insane 😳

[@paulspopculture5592]

Given up on my local cex for retro games over priced and no instruction books so happy I've still got a lot of my original collection from when I was a kid so don't have to buy over priced games my closest game shop is nicks retro shop in colly gate

[@durrclips746]

I've been avoiding CeX my entire life.

[@iconoclasttastic9258]

Fair play Gemma - reckon you're spot on with that observation. Although to be fair to CEX charging a bit more: they very often rent space in prime city/town centre locations which isn't cheap - most retro shops look for premises a bit off the beaten track it seems and that's how they stay competitive against e-bay prices is my guess. BTW: As a SNES collector, you should check out Entertainment Station in Rotherham. I think you'll like that place.

[@TheGebs24]

First off, thanks for watching. Secondly, here is the ES retro game hunt: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaXCh4pvqaahrbs 😝😝

[@iconoclasttastic9258]

@@TheGebs24 I shoulda searched!

[@RutherfordMRV]

That copy of Conker has been there for weeks as Leeds is where I live as the other one is dodgy as hell. With the re-release via rare replay its a cheaper alternative with 29 other games.

[@emac8381]

In CEX slight defense you can trade some crap in or something your not bothered about to get the price down which you cant do elsewhere unless you have the time to list and post per game. If CEX is your only option you can work around with trade ins otherwise use the market guys and local game shops first.

[@daveweeks4748]

Agreed CEX retro games are generally on the up but there's still fair prices still to be found there, e.g. I recently bought 'Kid Icarus Uprising' big box version, very nice condition complete with the 3DS stand, 6 AR cards, unscratched pin code (and a bag of screen protectors) for just £40. Now I've just got to find the time to play it:) Cheers & all the best.

[@pigs18]

Damn! I sold my CIB Conker two years ago for about $130 (£100). On the bright side I was able to turn that (and the matching $100 ebay promo) into a modded PC Engine Duo R and a copy of Rare Collection (which includes Conker) from Gamestop but part of me still cringes at the current prices.

[@martinrbookermb]

I can't see how you regret selling it? It was a good price at the time and you wouldn't have got what you have now.

[@BENVAFabri]

Got Conker on the Rare Replay for cheap so it´s not the original n64 cartridge but it´s also a legit copy of the game in the end imo. It´s my personal opinion my 1st priority with games is that I can play them. If possible on the OG system but if that proves to be to expensive I´m happy with alternatives like the many compilations that exist on Playstation, Switch or Xbox as long as it´s a physical version.

[@foreverseethe]

It was already a coveted rarity in 2003. I paid $65 for it. Now, lost to time, along with my original SF3 Original Xbox, and Music library from Sonic Foundry.

[@Sasahara-Lafiel]

In defence of CEX most stores are franchises, and they are paying for CEX to do market research on prices, which means ebay. Also they almost certainly pay more for the games than most other retro sellers, but dedicated retro sellers are able to make a more judged price based on condition than the average CEX. Conker's Bad Fur Day, standard box, is £162 cash, £187 voucher, priced £250 in CEX currently. Obviously retro game stores pay less, but I would expect they actively go out to get stock cheaper.

[@PrinceOvPersia1]

I recently sold Bloodrayne 2 for Xbox for £20 (exchange voucher), and they are now selling it for £30!!! Fancy that!!! But you are right, I have noticed some games have gone sky high in terms of price (Enslaved limited Edition, that I got for £4 a few years ago is now wayyyyyyy too high!), I am a regular ate Cex Leeds, but I dont buy something if it is way too high, despite the urge inside. A few years ago, I went to Trade Me In, and I got a PS3, as I sold Drakengard 2 and all my Silent Hill games, and the total came to about £60-£70! No doubt they would have been very expensive for buyers later on!

[@Suicideram69]

I’m from Texas and I have a pretty cool tiny collection of rare games

[@TheGebs24]

That’s cool.

[@Sigmamale1289]

In Ireland Conker has been out of stock for about 2 years

[@CouncilEstatePopMusic]

I use the CEX shop in Ipswich occasionally. For DS/3DS games. Usually though it’s Amazon and eBay. CEX have a great range of other console games. But I’m not paying their prices. £0.01 for games on Amazon as opposed to £1.99 CEX for the same game!!! CEX. A bricks and mortar store still. If they’d change it up to a buy on line shop surely the prices would drop to a point that we’d all love to buy at.

[@WaynesWorldUnlimited]

My friend had a PlayStation five from launch having some financial problems so he took it to CEX to sell. They offered him £200 for a mint condition PlayStation five. He felt really gutted I was telling me about it. He went back the following day to see if it was still there and they had it on sale for £800. He was really gutted

[@yourefinallyhome]

A major double edged sword with CEX is what they consider boxed or unboxed. I just bought Diddy Kong Racing that was 'unboxed' however it came with everything (box, manual, even a 32 page guide from a Nintendo magazine) other than the cardboard that holds the actual cartridge which I can easily replace. However on the other hand it makes it a pain to sell things to them as the littlest thing can make you receive far less money. I have a copy of Super Castlevania IV that has everything, however just because one of the folds on the box is ripped it apparently counted as unboxed. They've now started doing thing I've noticed where most master system/mega drive games listed as boxed don't come with the manual, apparently ones that do need to be listed as 'mint.' This to me seems like a new excuse to up the prices even more and make it more of a risk buying from them online, which I've now totally avoided doing.

[@ChildishCalvino420]

If you bought a boxed snes game as unboxed then they clearly had a newbie start there as that’s the number one rookie mistake, definitely got lucky lol, and they definitely should’ve called the “mint” category as complete, so it be unboxed/boxed/complete that way being can understand better

[@SavManDan]

The one and only thing I really dislike at cex is the repro gameboy boxes 😢

[@bozzy7946]

Is price charting accurate for games in England? Our Goodwill's here have become like CEX unless you find one in a rural area.

[@TheGebs24]

I believe it’s pretty accurate

[@VALUEMYGAMING]

Hi Gem, As im sure most of us would, I'd really love a copy of CBFD for my collection 🐿!!! When it comes to finally making the decision to buy a copy, how would you reccomend going about it? Would you just stay patient and travel in the hope to find one for the right price or can you think of other, more positive ways, of going about it so we can avoid funding the CEX cash grab! My worry is that it's (realistically) possible that its only going to continue to climb in price 😭

[@michaelcole8196]

I know i'm late to the party, but it was the same over here at the Southeast Game Exchange in South Carolina. If I want to pay eBay prices, I'll go to eBay. Granted, I do understand the status of the gaming market, but to charge these prices is ridiculous. I can save the hotel, gas, food, and entrance fee by just shopping on eBay.

[@jamesjagger1216]

Completely fair play that Cex sell for these prices.

[@sergeleon1163]

I have never seen any retro cartridge based games at CEX here in the Netherlands, though when looking at certain Disc based games I've noticed also a price hikes at more uncommon titles where I also suspect prices basing on eBay, where I've seen games had an outlier price on eBay and going down on price after, but CEX had based their price on the high value and haven't adjusted it back down.

[@TheGebs24]

Sarah and I are in Amsterdam next month. There’s a few retro game shops like Game Over we’ll be visiting. Can you recommended anymore?

[@sergeleon1163]

There where some that I knew that sadly closed, Besides Game over and CEX, there is also a Chain called Game Mania (similar to gamestop) that has deals frequently. currently they have 5 for €20 on used PSP,PS2,PS3,Xbox 360, Wii and DS. Besides video games I can recommend to pay a visit to the store: A Space Oddity, that sells Tv, Movie, Video game toys from the 70s till current.

[@ajdpadbury]

Remember their bills are skyrocketing and that has to be factored in too.

[@atomiswave1971]

Prices for essentials I agree. For games I don't care what people charge. Its free to walk past it.

[@thehootsforce4201]

One of the people who made Harry Potter ATPS for PS2 said on Twitter that he was suprised that CEX are selling it for £55 when they sold 300'000 copies (not exactly are rare game).

[@steamdeckguy]

IMO CEX use ebay sold prices to set their prices and add around 5/10%. The problem is that ebay sellers, fb marketplace and even most retro shops base their prices off CEX! So its a vicious cycle of ever increasing prices!

[@Blaizeria]

I bought conkers bad fur day boxed in 2008 on eBay for just over £31.

[@thefifthdoctor6780]

Already got on release 😎

[@mattsmedley.onehandedgamin9029]

Cex has changed. In the past I've purchased a PS2 slim from them (reasonably priced) a lovely un-yellowed SNES (reasonably priced) form their Retford branch along with games, dvds ect. A branch opened up in my home town of Newark recently, omg the prices are ridiculous... My daughter's PS4 controller had developed problems and I glanced at the prices in the window & they were selling second hand PS4 controllers for over £50 . (A brand new one in "Game" us £49.99). Makes no sense

[@jamesthenakedsnake7480]

I do tend to like CEX just because it's a firm baseline for me, if I can get it cheaper great, but I've seen some times things are cheaper at CEX, plus you do get the 2 year warrenty. Plus I also don't know what retro gaming stores are about in the Manchester area

[@greenkitty82]

My snes broke that I already got for £45 but looking at CEX for a replacement the price shot up to £125.00 in all branches and online - there is no way I'm paying that amount of money for a second hand snes when they are going on ebay half that price.

[@zisssou]

What’s with CEX and the lack of instructions? Every GameCube in my local has a missing instruction manual. It’s frustrating as hell. I’m almost certain the staff are selling them separately or someone is stealing them to sell…

[@sirtonymayo1468]

In my past experience cex has been very competitive that said when ordering online the quality of what you get and how it arrives is very hit and miss depending on what store is sending it out . Saturn games always seem to be higher on ebay I'm gonna look now I've not bought any physical media since I got my 500 mini been playing my way through 4k+ games I've developed a nice tan my skin is the same colour as a amiga 500 I really should open the curtains 🤣 love your content but last time I asked if they had anything behind the counter the guy pulled out a baseball bat but to be fair I hadn't removed my motorbike helmet.

[@TheQuietmanUK]

i travel around to alot of cex stores like alot of collectors do and the and the amount of faulty items is getting worse and and condition versus price is way off like asking same price for A grade and a C grade also ebay has its own inflated economy because everyone looks for highest price and thinks there item is worth exactly the same .thats why its always best to support your local retro gaming stores because there priced accordingly they know there product and are passionate about it too

[@bendybenbenderson]

There's always just been something 'off with CEX for me. Can't quite put my finger on it but can't distinguish between new & second hand copies of the games, so I can never be confident in what I'm buying. But the whole PS5 console price issue just shows you what type of company they are. But I do always check online for prices and won't say I'll never buy from them again as you can get some good bargains. People just need to remember they are an open market place store and are pretty much just a physical ebay store you can walk into.

[@medievilassassin]

The thing i hate most with CEX is there version or mint and boxed. For instance a boxed game or console without the card insert is classed as unboxed and Mint to them is deffinatley not mint. I only buy from them with trades in tat and I refuse to spend actual cash in there

[@noelwallace5029]

Just seen conker in Belfast CeX £120 cart only. I pick it up cib for £10 two year ago

[@kcrazy3311]

What is the store in Pontefract called and do they have website

[@TheGebs24]

It’s called Console Yourself

[@Kidgoku6969]

I'm not surprised people still ask 50 plus for Zelda OOT when the cart isn't mint

[@megamob5834]

I’m pretty sure every game store, pawn shop and even flea market vendors in my area use eBay sold listings to gage their prices. Many are even slightly above eBay prices 🤷🏻‍♂️ The ability to use trade ins at many of these places (the ones that offer fair trade value anyway) helps a bit tho when it comes to shopping locally

[@stopthrm]

if you're in a larger metro area looking to buy, sell or swap retro games I'd say the writing is on the wall. Used games and media stores in my area had drastically different prices depending on what side of town you lived on so I guess it doesn't surprise me too much. Only advice I can give about brick and mortar sales is to be willing to look outside of the larger metro areas where some people are willing to just throw their money around.

[@WTBMrGrey]

Did these shops actually have the game in stock?

[@corty1980]

The prices for Retro Consoles/Computers are just crazy. For example here in Australia a Amiga CD32 can be as much or more than a Playstation 5. For anyone wanting to get into the Amiga, the cheapest solution is the new A500 Mini.

[@pauld1927]

Wil u game to in my local cex project zero 105.00 and quest cool stuff 130.00 . Great video 👍

[@TheGebs24]

Thanks for watching Paul mate

[@xboxnangable]

CEX have always been one of the more expensive places to shop. They even sell modern new releases 2nd hand for the same price as new. Hoping to find a bargain in their stores for retro has always been a no-no. The simple answer is to just shop elsewhere. You also have to remember that CEX is a chain and have overheads a lot bigger than any of the retro shops you spoke to so have to up prices accordingly. Basing prices on eBay has become the standard now even for some smaller stores. Having said that I've been picking up really cheap PS3 games from CEX.

[@Crutey]

The benefit of CEX though is a 2 year guarantee. If it’s a similar price to Ebay (on a higher price game) I’m tempted by CEX for the guarantee whereas buying off eBay etc gives no such protection

[@madas0454]

I never go into cex, found them over priced where I am

[@fredamslives1993]

CEX are one thing but my local Charity Shops seem to be using Ebay to set prices

[@TheGebs24]

It happens a lot

[@aquaglow1]

Great video

[@Denjasaurus]

Was in CEX last week, they tried buying a Dreamcast off a lady for £25 - saying it was poor condition!!! I stepped in and offered her £60 cash - guess what, it’s in great condition, rip off merchants!

[@Denjasaurus]

They got mad with me 😩

[@reeseizm]

a real conversation here with this topic, i thought this was a issue only in the USA, collecting in the last 3 years has been insanely priced and before someone says “ u complaining cause you don’t have money” they totally miss the point. these reseller and retro stores are marking games up way over profit margins and try to justify it with buzzwords like “rare”, “mint”, “popular” and my favorite “limited”. yes i believe in making profit but this has become a elitist hobby 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@RC-pj1pr]

You have to factor in the trade opportunity in cex though. You can literally take any old crap in (that they stock) and you can come out, on the same day, with the goods you want (no faffing around with selling on eBay etc). Most people wouldn’t be paying cash at these prices, they will be taking in stock to trade, either in full or to offset a portion. Take the PS5 for example, cex price £615, which they buy in for £435 cash. Very few will pay 615 in cash. But some people may have a load of junk at home that will cover most or all of the cost so they will bring it all in to trade, at a competitive trade-in rate. Cex will then price said junk modestly, but at a high enough mark up, and people will most likely pay cash for all those items, making them significantly more than the £180 profit the ps5 would’ve generated. It’s a clever business model, I understand why they price desirable items so high, it’s a great way to accumulate a lot of saleable stock cheaply. The company thrived though the last recession and I’ve no doubt they’ll do the same through the next impending one too.