Inflation In The Retro Video Game Market | In Defense Of Video Game Resellers

[@ravenstarretro4445]

I think prices started skyrocketing when everyone had access to the internet on smartphones. Then they could start looking up what something is worth instantly.

[@robertdutcher8081]

I agree 100%. Before the internet I never knew certain games existed.

[@OregonChronic]

So basically retro collecting coincides with the downfall of our political society. We always say that the internet does more good than harm. I’m starting to think we’re wrong in long run.

[@omgitsmario7]

I agree... i remember around 2007-2008 you would have to do your research on what games are worth and go hunt. Then slowly all mario games were expensive. And the what we are dealing now

[@Jp-gc6bh]

@@omgitsmario7 would’ve never learned about games though without the internet, games wouldn’t be popular. I was born in 96 you think I know wtf Shinobi 3 was? No. I saw it on KZbin one day then I bought it

[@chickenwings6172]

Something a zoomer would say

[@timparrish9629]

eBay gives me the ability to buy games I can’t get anywhere locally. It’s over 100+ miles to the closest game store that carries retro games. I am very grateful for people digging retro out of the dark corners and making it available for me to buy from home.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Awesome take. We buy a lot off of eBay and are well aware we are paying more in most cases than the seller paid for the item. But to your point we are happy they have the item for sale. It's just part of it. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@Wes36Man]

I'll make more money working and paying ebay prices than hunting for games I want on the cheap.

[@bryannewlin2808]

And they both have full time jobs as well, and flip on the side. Who's money ahead now?

[@ahsdjsdgfhjgdhhhhhhh]

It's actually completely unreasonable to think that buying games from someone for the amount that they want to sell it for, and then selling it on ebay for MARKET value, to be unethical or whatever negative adjective you want to describe it as. What everyone should hate on however are SCALPERS who intentionally dry up the market in order to sell it ABOVE market value.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

There's a special place for scalpers for sure :). Cheers!

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

You mean like the asswipe who charged my (impatient/foolish) son $900 for a Series X (as well as all the other scalpers doing the same and driving the price so high)? I tried to discourage him from supporting scalpers, but it's his money. 🤷

[@EDFCentral]

@@scramblesthedeathdealer No hate towards your son, but it's that got to have it now mentality the scalpers depend on. My brother is the exact same way and you cant talk any sense to him.

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

@@EDFCentral No offense taken. I can be the same way as well, to an extent, but that's a good chunk of cash. He was bummed that they had six PS5s at GameStop, but no Series X. He brought his money. I told him he should have just gotten a PS5 and flipped it online to make a quick buck (before someone else does).

[@BreakingJP83]

@@scramblesthedeathdealer for sure. Id have grabbed two PS5 that way I had profit plus my Xbox X Series.

[@DoYouNerd]

This is a fun topic that has legs for weeks on end for sure. Generally I have less issue with flippers who are using the profit to add to their own collections; but I won't lie and say the ones doing it solely for profit, that does irk me a bit. It gets that sleazy feel like when there's not a connection aside from money. Naturally, anything is only worth what somebody is willing to pay for it, and there are certainly people willing to pay that premium for the convenience. The biggest issue I have is how Goodwill, Thrift shops, garage sales, and flea markets now charge online prices for what they've been donated and/or what can't be tested/returned in many instances because the attention has been brought to light that "everything" is "worth something" and they roll with that. In light of KZbin and the community, I think that the excuse of the work put in (and I DO believe it's WORK being put in) to find the good stuff to sell for a premium is still shallow. I mean, nobody asked someone TO put that work in, so why are they paying for it? But that can go back and forth as is anyway. By that logic, despite the quality, simply because one person puts extra effort or time into a KZbin video, shouldn't they immediately deserve more views? Again--nobody told them to do that extra work, so not necessarily. But...apples and oranges... It really is a chicken vs egg setup though. The correlation of saying one doesn't want to pay premium prices for a game so they defend their flipping to have the funds for said high priced game, well, that's an argument of budgeting. It's no different than comparing not wanting to budget for a concert ticket and only relying on the side-profit you've made to make such a purchase. It could be argued infinitely the context of budgeting versus supplemental income with both outcomes being purchasing something outside of comfortable means. Regardless--it's a topic with a lot of colors to the spectrum and it's NOT a black or white issue. There are far too many factors on far too many personal levels on all sides. All this being said, if you ever showcase something you got cheap and should've sold to ME for just as cheap, I will be here so fast to bust balls. Bwa ha ha!!!

[@Azurantine81]

Like it or not, KZbinrs do raise prices online, on almost anything, just a fact. The philosophy if you can't beat them, join them comes to mind but also just continues to exacerbate the problem. All I know is my copy of Blood will tell is staying right here in my collection, despite me being able to make serious buck off it now.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Modern tech has heightened awareness across the board for sure. You Tube is in that equation. Even American Pickers and Pawn Stars have people wondering what the rug on grandma's living room floor is worth. Consumers are more informed now. That's not going to regress. I know for us video game collecting lost its fun but flipping has reignited the passion. VHS on the other hand, we collect in more the organic fashion. It's kind of an underground market at this point. That will change eventually too. Crazy times :). Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@warehousedave7937]

Earnst..?

[@gp63]

The problem is no-one wants to get ripped off. I got Saturn games worth $500 each and I'd love to sell them for $50 and reinvest that money into other games or just save it in general, but whose to say the person I sell it to dirt cheap doesn't turn and flip it for major $$$. Its a perpetual issue. Everyone invested in the market is looking to exploit whatever they can to maximize their dollar and/or or their collection.

[@bryanscarboddi1210]

Antique roadshow started it all🤘🏽🤑🤘🏽🤑🤘🏽🤑

[@KamakazeEkun]

TBH most times collecting is about patience and not limiting where youre looking for games. I live in a small remote town and have found people selling off personal collections for under $50. Sure it's a time consuming process but those days where you're standing before stacks of Dreamcast games for a dollar make it all worth it.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Very true. Gotta play the long game these days. It takes time. Thanks a ton for watching and cheers to keeping it retro!

[@Jp-gc6bh]

Yup. Just got back to collecting and had a good find at thrift, have gone 5 times so far and haven’t found shit again since my first day back. I stopped hunting around 2017, back when I last hunted Craigslist was still being used lol. An offerup wasn’t full of these ridiculous prices

[@shanez1215]

It also varies with gas prices too. When gas prices are really high and you live in a small town, it becomes a lot more of a buyers market compared to eBay. Because on average people from further away will see the game is a deal, but then when you factor in driving 30 miles each way being 10 dollars plus time they don't jump on it. So your market as a seller on FB Marketplace is just the locals instead of the locals plus those further away.

[@retrorick]

Not cool, you didn’t get my permission to talk good about me. Enjoyed hearing yalls take!

[@richardfosterII7575]

Lol retro rick 🤣

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

LOL! Whoops :). We knew we were in the same boat on this one my dude. Cheers!

[@manuelrojas3804]

No body caré about you princesa.

[@svenstylesz]

I’m done with collecting Videogames since years. The prices are insane! But my love for Retrogames bring me to Chanels like GotG. You guys hold my nostalgia alive. Big thx.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Awesome man! Stuff like this is always uplifting. Countless hours go into this small channel of ours and when we hear folks are getting some enjoyment out of it, it makes it all worth it. Cheers!

[@svenstylesz]

@@GamingOffTheGrid Keep up the good work and stay as you are. Then you will also be rewarded for your efforts.

[@panchon20]

As a person who collects and doesn’t have time to hunt, I agree with y’all. I pay 3-5 bucks more for the convenience of not being able to hit the thrift shops.

[@killaken2000]

that would be nice but the example they give is a $15 markup so 3x more than you convenience fee and the other example is buying something for $1 and selling it for $22

[@WavesNGames]

Nostalgia tax is real. People will pay what they think something is worth. If you want it for $1 go to a place where that is a feasible price. Don't look on ebay for a deal.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

For sure. The time it takes to hunt, package, ship etc has to be worth something. And with that being said we always list under price charting prices. If you want Mario Galaxy for $2 go to Goodwill and cross your fingers lol. Cheers!

[@mediaguy4037]

You can take this same concept and apply it to vintage nike clothing, back in the 2000's you could walk in to thrift stores and find that stuff for a buck or two. Now it sells for hundreds.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

So true. It's bound to happen once the nostalgia bug bites in any market. Those who wish to still collect when prices go up just need to find a way that keeps it fun for them and not go broke in the process lol. Cheers!

[@Eloharigaming8514]

I agree i dont mind resellers doing it to get games they really do want. My gripe is just how expensive a ton of games are now.

[@shanez1215]

I get the hustle, but scarcity/FOMO markets always feel somewhat scummy to me. Maybe it's because I have ADHD so I'm more susceptable to it. So I'm not so much against resellers as I am against companies who won't reprint. I think the other thing you guys touched on is that sheer amount of time it takes to resell games. For most people given that time they're probably better off doing Uber or something and then just buying for market value that hunting. Personally I wish companies had a policy where they would reprint their games when the 2nd hand price crosses a certain threshold. Another frustration is that since most games are not reprinted or released it skews the market into fomo. If every game had the potential to be reprinted prices would drastically shift. However, I am thankful for stuff like virtual console, piracy and emulation as a way to eliminate FOMO for digital products. All that being said, as someone with middle class means and not a lot of time, it is nice when a store bases their prices on charting. Since you don't have to whip out your phone all the time and look stuff up.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

its always good theres a way for people to play if they dont want to pay high prices for physical. thats our prefered way to play but we do play some emulation also.

[@shanez1215]

@@GamingOffTheGrid For sure, a lot of people are into piracy but I've noticed with myself that when I have like 3000 roms I "window shop" through the games at a surface level rather than legitimately experience and enjoy them. And when I settle on a game it's something I've played a million times. Having to actually buy the game individually physically or digitally sort of channels my interest so I can actually get immersed into it. And of course piracy isn't worth it for Xbox/360/One/PS4 games because their installs are freaking enormous and also dirt cheap to get physically.

[@dragonroot2616]

Gonna be honest, it didn't even occur to me to start flipping video games as a way to make this hobby more affordable until I started watching your channel. I started selling on eBay just a month or two ago because of this channel.

[@christopherlemp]

I understand where both sides of the fence lay and I usually try to stay in the middle. If I find a $100 game for $1 and I don’t want it I’ll either trade it for something I really want or I’ll cut a deal to someone looking for it and maybe sell it to them for $70, that way they save money and I make money towards something I want. Also I feel the same way about scalpers, they are different than retro resellers.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Totally get it. We hook up other collectors all the time. Our friends that collect we try trading or selling at cost etc. We make way more $$$ on non-video game related things. Man it never gets old to me buying a minty VCR at Goodwill for 4.99 and selling it for $80 and then order a few CIB Genesis games with the money :). Maybe I should feel bad but I don't lol. Cheers!

[@mediaguy4037]

You gotta admit it's getting harder to just roll up to a yard sale and pay a couple bucks for games. People realize what they have and it's all over.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

It is damn tough. It still happens but rarely and we hit thousands of sales a year. But DVD's, Cards, Toys and VCR's are hot right now. So we look mostly for that type of stuff and just occasionally get lucky and find games. Thanks for watching. Cheers!

[@JaminWarrenPMS]

I personally don't have a problem with resellers. If someone's wants to put in the time to find good deals more power to them! However I have a problem when they get all high and mighty condemning scalpers. If resellers are as altruistic as they claim why not resell games lower than the inflated prices of games to deflate the prices of games?

[@jam86]

I used to collect by going to stores and buying games when no one knew their value, now it's impossible to find a decently priced game no matter what it is. I had to start reselling to be able to keep up with my habits. Videogame stores buy off their customers at obscenely low prices and sell at overpriced margins, their excuse is "there's a lot of overhead" ... wheres the outrage??

[@Armrules]

I literally said congrats on 7k about a week ago and you guys are almost at 8k already! You love to see it :)

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

This last week has been insane man. We can't even keep up with the comments lol. Not sure what is going on but good problem to have I guess. Cheers!

[@Armrules]

@@GamingOffTheGrid You'll have 1,000,000 before the end of 2021!!

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Man that would be nuts. We'd be shocked if the channel grew that fast. We're just along for the ride at this point :)

[@antusFireNova]

Well now you have 10k. You really deserve them man!

[@frolickers9699]

The problem is there are a lot of people that are becoming aware of reselling video games and how lucrative it can be. So it is becoming harder and harder to make those flips. I go to auctions all the time, even those people that had zero interest in gaming and were unaware of who Nintendo is have now become educated and are now driving the prices up. I went to a Goodwill the other day and met a guy that goes to the same Goodwill 4 TIMES a day for the sole purpose of looking for video games to flip. Hard to compete with that.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Very true and that is the exact reason we have been selling DVD's and VCR's. We haven't flipped video games for our collection. That's only part of the equation :). We had to widen our scope due to the reasons you bring up here. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@anactualmotherbear]

it's easy to defend these prices when you've already got these games. I know I'd be happy about it if I still had mine. A fire took everything I owned on November 30th 2018. The losses were in the thousands of dollars, stuff I carefully collected for nearly two decades. I can never get that stuff back again, and what I lost was basically losing my life's savings. Somehow in the two years since then all the things I had in my collection have ALL shot up in price by SO MUCH. I wish I died in the fire instead.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Dang. So sorry to hear about your misfortunes in 2018. Totally sucks. Hopefully everyone is safe. Material things come and go. Life is precious. Thanks a ton for watching and telling your story. Cheers!

[@daver7178]

This can be boiled down to supply and demand. Supply has been drying up for decades coupled with steadily increasing demand and boom, prices go up.

[@RetroWolf_YT]

Completely agree with everything you guys just said! People have bought and resold things found in the wild for DECADES not just video games. But for some reason when it comes to video games people think it is scummy...makes no sense

[@tomrwills]

You are spot on, it's about time and convenience. It's just like staining a deck. I can pay a contractor to do this for me which includes cleaning/sanding/staining/sealing/repairing boards/etc... it takes days and a ton of times and tons of meticulous work. Or I could do it myself for like 1/4 of the cost or even less depending on how detailed the labor needs to be. You hire them or do the work yourself. It's the same as the game, they pay you for your time and effort finding the game. You have to get paid for it. Nothing wrong with flipping the game for something you want. A ton of people just want to play a game or two they had as kids and play with their kids - so they pay $80 for the game. Yes, it's crazy if you are building a giant collection, you can't pay that, but if you want a few games (like most of the general public), then it's fine.

[@crazygeorge6993]

Great topic guys, I personally resell if I see a game or film for cheap if I'm out and about but some games I keep if I know I'm gona play it or films I'm gona rewatch, it's just a way on saving money to improve your own collection

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Thanks man! We keep what we want as well. Plus hunting is a fun hobby. Nothing better than finding something on the cheap in the wild :). Cheers!

[@crazygeorge6993]

@@GamingOffTheGrid I cant wait when we are out of lockdown in the UK so I can get back to the hunt as it's just not the same buying stuff online

[@pixelfix5401]

Thank you for this video, I am a 15 year-old flipper and game console repairer who really just wants a small retro handheld collection, but there is a great barrier to entry... MONEY. i don't have a job and the only sources of money are birthdays and working at the grandparents house. So one of the easiest ways for me to even come close to having a small budget for buying handhelds is to flip stuff form a goodwill, thrift store, or repairing something. this video makes me feel better about this . Thank you!

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Awesome to hear you found value in this vid. Also awesome to hear of a young gamer getting into retro stuff and hustling out there to make some cash. Glad to help. Best of luck to you. Thanks a ton for watching.

[@NSG_UK]

Games where artistic or ip licence has expired, data has been lost or game ip bought by a new developer and won't ever be released again. Then you got yourself a diamond. Everyone has now become an 'expert' and eBay isn't the same anymore as most are scalpers or people who sell damaged games or not as per description. Sometimes I will do a Skype call with a seller before purchase or agree to a legal contract where games will not be resold at massive uplift or cost.

[@NiGHTS1980]

Sadly it is a necessity in todays age if you're trying to build a collection and you dont have the money. Some systems are still impossible to collect for now and Nintendo in general is becoming extremely difficult.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

It is for sure. And I'll tell you what, nothing gets me more fired up than finding a VCR for 3.99 and selling it for $80 :). Every time I go straight to the game store or eBay and buy a dinger. VCR to retro games. Yep. If folks hate us for it we're ok with it. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@NiGHTS1980]

@@GamingOffTheGrid Yeah its just how the landscape is now. Because its getting harder to even find games in thrift stores, garage sales etc, collectors now have to get creative with what they can flip to get more money into the game fund. Back in the day you could find heaps of games and flip what you dont need. Now its starting to really dry up. At least for the 80s and 90s stuff.

[@SeldomreaperDale]

Think you guys may have forgot about the target buyers age.. When I was young my parents bought me and my brother a PS2 with 1 game for christmas, 2 years after release and that meant we didn't get birthday present that year, but it was amazing! Fast forward 15 years and I'm somehow earning over 40k at age 26 (work in IT Support) and if I want something retro gaming related, I can buy it pretty quickly..! I'm fairly sure there's lots of people in a similar situation to me too, meaning there are people willing to pay a little bit more than what something is worth to get it quickly, which ramps up prices long term :) just my opinion though!

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

That is a great point for sure. Definitely more disposable income now :). Man, my brother and I would sell, trade anything we could find to get a new game back in the day lol. Cheers!

[@RetroSho]

As a person who flips and resells, do whatever it takes to get your games (or get paid), and ignore the haters. They won't help you get the games you want at all. I've personally amassed a ton of games that I love and appreciate purely from flipping. And made a profit along the way for savings. The game has changed completely and people must change with it. Or get left behind.

[@mtshark7]

Very nice thoughts guys! Me personally I use my 2nd job delivering Pizza on Sundays as my game allowance.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Kinda the same idea to be honest. Hunting and flipping is like a second job for us. Multiple hours per week go into it. It is a hobby but takes work. Cheers!

[@mtshark7]

@@GamingOffTheGrid now that you mentioned it, it actually is lol. Wow I never thought of it like that...plus I get free food 😁

[@skybluerob8850]

Retro game collecting is far too expensive for me to do without flipping. I’ve built up my collection over the past 10 years for free by doing that but, if I didn’t flip games to pay for it, I wouldn’t have managed to save enough for the deposit on the house I’ve just bought. Everything I make by flipping games goes back into my collection and is part of the hobby for me.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

We are in the same exact boat man. Speaking the same language for sure. It's not that we can't afford the games. It's that we need to grow up and pay for a house, invest, put money in our 401k. So to keep the hobby alive, make hunting a hobby. Have fun with it and use 1 hobby to fund another. It makes so much sense to us. Cheers!

[@skitswithextramayo6371]

Not to get too sappy, but you guys have helped me, a new father and lower-class breadwinner (kind of cool band name now that I think of it), to start to flip my way to a great Wii-U collection, which was also a great recommendation; thanks, boys! Money is very tight right now and, honestly, I'm lucky to even be working with COVID-19. Most of the funds came from selling my copies of Chrono Trigger and Earthbound that I bought each for around 85 dollars back in the early 2000's before the whole Retro game craze. People would probably even look down on that, as though I'm pimping out my childhood memories. I guess call me Pimp Daddy Mayo 'cause I don't care! Nothing can take away the memories I had playing those games. Selling them only means other people can have great memories playing them now. Cheers, guys!

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

LOL! Love this comment. We got a good band name out of it and your official new nickname "Pimp Daddy Mayo!" Love it! Cheers!

[@chunksgames]

Completely agree with your take. I don’t resell much, but when I’m out at garage sales or thrift stores, I keep an eye on things that I know has value. Just today, found some quick GameStop flips and now have enough in trade credit to pickup a switch. I might have spent $50 in everything I’ve traded in to GameStop. I wouldn’t have spent 300+ on a switch cause like everyone else, got bills to pay. I’d rather take the games that have value and either sell the on Ebay or trade in and get games for the collection that I want.

[@wojtczak1984]

Bottom line is, things are worth what people are willing to pay. If you want prices to go down, everyone needs to refuse to pay the higher price. And I agree. If you find a game that you don't really want in your collection. Sell it for what someone else decides it is worth and get what you want for what you decide it is worth.

[@brandothebecvar]

"In this day of age, its a necessity". Fantastic way to put retro video game collecting in 2021. Video I can relate too. Resell to feed the collection, most of us do, and thats the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so. Love the video guys.

[@Schmeck626]

I was buying NES games from FuncoLand back in the mid and late 90's. I think it's important to remember that most of those games were never in stock. You would have to check back constantly to find some of those games. Also, all of this was before eBay. We had no way to know which games were rare so pricing was difficult to determine. I don't know how FuncoLand decided on any of these prices. As far as resellers, I used to get kind of mad about it. A few years back I had more time and I would go game hunting all the time, but you could sense a change around 2014/2015 when the competition became fierce. Most of those people seemed to be hunting for value rather than nostalgia. Today, I kind of agree with you. I don't have the time to chase this stuff down and I am happy to pay the premium to get exactly what I am looking for delivered to my house rather than go to thrift stores and garage sales for months only to be disappointed.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Ya availability was an issue for sure. It's just insane the swing in the market. Even if you loaded up on Mario and Duck Hunt you would be doing well lol. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@TheOnewingnut]

It's the fun of the hunt. It used to be the same way back in the day with comic books or baseball cards. I had some of my fondest memories as a pre-teen bartering with the guy at Pete's Comics, the card shop down the street or the flea markets at the fairgrounds. Haters gonna hate! Keep up the good work guys!

[@RetroGhetto]

Preach ! Well executed video as always guys. Thank you

[@Rain-hn2yf]

Enjoying the videos, favorite channel fellas.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Awesome man! Glad you enjoy the vids. Always good to hear. Thanks a ton for your support and kind words. Cheers!

[@oOignignoktOo1]

I used to be an avid game collector as a teenager / young adult but as I've gotten older. I'm in my 30's now I"ve re-assessed how I feel about the hobby. I still love retro video games but I feel like the collection isn't doing much just sitting on a wall collecting dust. I find it more convenient now to just play games with flash carts and optical consoles with ODE's. To me the fun is in playing the games and not collecting them so now I'm cashing out while the market is ripe and use the money to fund other aspects of my game collection or buying books. I find even with ODE's and flash carts you still need the peripherals to enjoy the experience so I"ve been changing up my game collection to buy peripherals instead.

[@leeartlee915]

You have arrived at the exact same conclusion as I have. The only thing left for me is whether to sell my original collection (from my childhood) or not. ODE’s, hacked systems, Rom players, etc are just too convenient. Plus, you don’t have to deal with legacy inputs for our 4k tv.

[@tybread2997]

The reason for prices increasing is people buying it at those high prices. I'll admit i have, but i dont turn around and sell anything. The price increases will eventually decrease all interest in collecting.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Very true. Vintage cars are only worth what people will pay for them. The part that we get hung up on is I don't remember a major backlash when muscle car restorations shows became a thing. Or when Pawn Stars came out. But for some reason there's a small collection of folks that want to blame MJR and other You Tubers for the prices of retro games lol. It's all very curious to us :). Thanks a ton for watching! Cheers!

[@moandaindesigns]

I think it is more of an overgeneralization. Lets break it down into 4 groups. 1) you have the collector flippers that use game sales to fund their collection (ok with me, but charging above average eBay price is scummy IMHO) 2) you have the straight resellers that only buy things to sell it and don't even play games (again ok with me if you are not trying to push the eBay price up) 3) Store sellers are people who go out for the sole purpose of selling the games to a local shop. (they tend to be overly aggressive in my area and only offer to buy all or nothing an hour before the garage sale starts... sorry personal gripe) 4) Scalpers, These low life scumbags are the worst and give resellers a really bad reputation. They try to control the market and inflate the prices at all times. Long ago (early 2000's) when I worked at a used game store some guy tried to make a standing order for a list of rare games. He literally wanted to buy every copy of Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 3, Lufia, and other snes Rpg games so he could "have them all and control the price in our town". I didn't sell him a single damn game after that.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Awesome breakdown. And just to be clear we are always a few bucks if not more depending on the deal under price charting or recent eBay sales. It all goes back into the collection, gear for the channel or channel giveaways. The GOTG boys aren't getting rich I can promise you that :). Cheers!

[@NYCJoeBlack]

I am soooooooo glad I got the games I wanted for systems like the Nintendo 64 and up to current generation. Unfortunately, I am still missing a good amount of games for the Sega Genesis, NES, and Super Nintendo.

[@chickenwings6172]

The first workable prototype of the Internet came in the late 1960s with the creation of ARPANET, or the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. Originally funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, ARPANET used packet switching to allow multiple computers to communicate on a single network.

[@ScottReviews]

The market is crazy. I totally get it. I don’t look down on resellers. My frustration with the market is with letting prices go up $500, to over $1,000 for a single game. And that’s out of really anyone’s control. It’s just how the market is with video games right now. Especially limited or lower selling games and systems at that time and the demand today for them. I’d love more Saturn games, but demand is way too high. I’ve resorted to using Everdrives and ODEs for higher priced games that I’d like to play. It’s unrealistic to drop high dollar just to try something out you’ve never played. flipping is a good way to get the games you want. I just hope things will start changing and it simmers down a bit. Thanks for the fun discussion as always.

[@leviwarren6222]

I think there's a difference in understanding between myself (the average video game reseller), and the video game collector filming a KZbin video from a beach...we don't all have the money to selectively buy. I have given away and loaned more consoles than I can count though, a reseller doesn't necessarily have to be greedy and selfish.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Oh man we could have so much more in the collection than we do due to hooking up friends and all the stuff we give away. But we enjoy that part of it too. Cheers!

[@mittinedkitten]

I actually started collecting games...its cheaper than collecting comicbooks

[@lonewanderer82]

Well I’ll just relate my own story and where I’m at. I’ve been out of work for a while, depression, anxiety but this isn’t meant to be a sob story. The point is it’s been very difficult getting back into the workplace, to the point where I feel like I have to create my own job. That could possibly be buying and reselling. I haven’t started yet but it’s a route I’ve considered for a while. I’d rather that than the hoops I have to jump through now and it’s something I love. There’s been some great points made which I won’t get into and spoil it for others but you guys have a great take on things and was a good video to see at this stage for me personally. Take care guys

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Man hope everything clears up on your end. Thinks will shape up. Reselling is a lot of fun for sure. The thrill of the hunt :). Best of luck if you start doing it yourself. Cheers!

[@zagrebzebra]

How I do it: 1) Import large international lots of videogame accessory items, and resell it in chunks on my local market (my prices undercuts all established competitors, i.e. I am the cheapest alternative for buyers) 2) Profit goes into purchasing NES games, my true passion, and/or ps3/wii/wiiU for long term keeping. I have come to accept the inflated market prices, why I will never sell any games in my collection except for duplicates or upgrades. 3) Valuable games that I do not plan on playing for the next 4 months goes to the pawn shop, which means I can utilize the value of my games for actual use. 4) The cash from the pawn shop I put on my second hobby - the stock market, beating any fees and loan interest from the pawn shop. I could take it back from #1, but I really need a secondary income source as I am already sort of flooding the market on the items that I am reselling. Of course, I could diversify by finding some lots with different products. 5) On select occasions, make a cash withdrawal from the stock trading account, repeat from #1 or #2, as needed. I put in tons of time and effort to be able to enjoy not only one, but two, of my biggest hobbies. I do undercut prices of my competitors which in theory should bring the average market prices down. It never will happen of course, and I am equally upset about prices getting pushed up to the sky as anyone else. At the same time it makes it possible for me to take advantage of the situation. My pricing model generates a ton of sales, good online reviews of me as a seller - which is something that I also value and include in my overall calculations. At current rate, my collection across all platforms increases by 20-40 games a month. That is a success in my book.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Very cool process. Thanks for sharing. Everyone has a little bit different way that works for them. But being able to fund you hobby is awesome. We have a bunch of stuff that needs to go to the pawn shop at some point. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@jmdilley02]

Another thing I would say in defense of resellers is some resellers will buy games that are scratched up and possibly in not working condition and put it in a resurfacing machine and restore it to working condition! So basically you paid them for restoring the game or taking the time to make sure that it plays like it should because not everyone is willing to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars on a resurfacing machine or knows how to fix a cartridge based game!

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Great point! I'd say half of the disc based stuff we buy needs to be resurfaced. That could be part of the reason it was thrown out by the original owner. Turning trash into treasure and reintroducing the game into circulation. And countless hours have been spent repairing controller and cleaning up old cartridge based stuff. It's part of the passion of the hobby. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@gojordon1]

Something most people dont want to admit about modern collecting, that now a lot more none gamers understand old games are worth something. I've been to too many pawn shops or garage sale asking for ebay prices, including shipping cost, or more for any games. Even places like value village price out games based on value at some locations.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Very true. We hit many sales this summer with games priced retail. That's fine. Sellers can do what they wish with their stuff. But you are spot on. Awareness of the hobby is the highest it's ever been. Gotta adapt :)

[@turbo8890]

If it wasn’t for flipping games, I could not afford to rebuild my game library on so many consoles. I’m with you guys on this one. Sick part is I actually love the hunt so it hardly feels like work. If anything it’s posting the items for sale, now that's a pain in the ass. Cheers to the hunt, flip and sweet reward!

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

In the current market it is the way to go. We truly feel that way. Some don't agree of course but as long as you stand behind what you sell and aren't selling dodgy products it's fair game in our mind.

[@rbatesmotel]

I have no problem in general with resellers or reselling games to build up a collection. However a pet peeve I have is being in a group, FB or other, and having someone post there recent score, sometimes flaunting what they paid for said score(not typical of most), and then proceed to make a sales post at market rates.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Totally get that. We were on the fence about hunting videos at first because we were worried about that. But we had a lot of folks asking about the process. How it works. How we do it. So we figured ok, this isn't about bragging this is about helping show people some tips so they can do the same thing. It may not land that way for some but that's the intent. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@michaelgloria8655]

Hello I bought a N64 with a power plug no controller no AV Cord no game. Then I brought a AV cord for 5 dollars and it works. My friend who grow up with N64 wanted to buy it. After he saw it works. I sold it to him for 15.00. I bought the system for 5 dollars made my cash back and a extra 5. He was so happy now when he finds games he give me a good deal.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Awesome find man. We do that type of stuff with friends all the time. We are all looking out for each other which is nice. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@DriveupLife22]

I agree with much of the logic in the video. I recently wanted a very specific model of vintage typewriter. I could have browsed thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets for 2 years to find one for 25 bucks, but I didn't want to wait. Went on ebay, bought the exact model I wanted for a big markup, but still felt like it was a good price. You'll always have to spend money or time, just choose which currency works for you.

[@royhill4167]

Ok, here's my two cents. One person's trash, is another person's treasure. A collectable is only as valuable as someone's willingness to pay for it. This goes for all things collectable. There are people out there looking to take advantage of others, this has never changed and never will. Never feel bad for buying something low and selling high. A transaction has been made. A value was set, and another met that value. I for one have had my passion for gaming re invigorated through re selling. But at the same time helping out any collector in need whenever I can. I great gaming community leads to furthering the passion for everyone.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Awesome input! Couldn't agree more. We do the same thing with our friends. We love hooking folks up with things they need for their collections. It's just odd how things get viewed different in the realm of video games. Was there a backlash in the comic book scene when Pawn Stars came out? If so I sure as hell don't remember. Yet in the video game realm a lot of folks are looking to place blame. It's just interesting. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@sjsuismylife]

But I have no choice but to buy your exorbitantly priced game!!! WAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

[@mateo_mojica_hernandez]

Wow guys you have come a long way, a year ago you were less than 3k subs and now almost 8k, keep up the good content

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Ya it's been nuts lately man. Like literally something happened like 2 weeks ago. We can't even keep up with comments. Not complaining at all but it has been a wild ride :). Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@bocanegrageorge]

I use to only buy stuff for my collection and i didn't have much cash to spend. As collecting got more popular prices soared and finds became almost nothing. That's when I started to sell off doubles and looking for stuff to resell. Exactly as you guys said I needed to do that because no way I'm I spending that kind of cash on a game. Reselling helped make collecting fun again for me. It became a treasure hunt for what can I find so I can go buy a game i want off ebay or I if I run into a game that's a deal but still expensive. My collection grow faster reselling than it did just hunting.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

We are speaking the same language my friend. I went from contemplating selling my collection to waking up every day with hype to go hunting. And if I'm a bad guy because I buy a couple VCR's for 4.99 and sell them for $50 plus to then buy a CIB copy of Contra Hard Corps......welp so be it. To me that is the fun of it. It's a rush. Cheers!

[@josephrizzo46]

New to the channel. Love what you guys are doing. Been watching retro rick for about a year and very cool for you guys to shout out and support each other in the youtube gaming community. Keep up the good work.

[@thevideogamebrothers3006]

Great topic. I have no problem with re-selling. My neighbor just bought 35 boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch so he could re-sell the Pokemon cards inside the boxes. He has a family to feed so more power to him. At the end of the day, nobody is forced to buy any of these products from the re-sellers. Re-selling takes work and diligence. If I want to go online and pay $900 for a PS5 (which I did not do), that's my decision, and I am paying a premium for the work that somebody else did so that I don't have to spend the night in the parking lot at BestBuy.

[@retrorick]

I see it as when someone buys something...its literally theirs..what do i care what they do with their belongings. Strange thought to me tbh

[@thevideogamebrothers3006]

@@retrorick Exactly. I think it comes down to 3 words that have plagued our society: "It's not fair."

[@retrorick]

@@thevideogamebrothers3006 dang you are so right. Its also not fair that those people got to sleep in on saturday morning when i got up at 4:30 to get ready to go hunt in the freezing cold and then had to work 12 hours that day....ZING

[@undamned]

I'm with you 100%. There are a few missing games from my collection and I can't stomach dropping $500 on a game, but I'll sure sell some random valuable game that I'm not attached to in order to pay for it.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

We really find it to be the only way to get ourselves to be able to justify spending the high prices. We also love hunting. So using one hobby to fund another. Cheers!

[@excadrillo99]

Finding games for cheap and reselling them to just make money is absolutely 100% scummy, because you're taking money out of the hobby and adding to inflation. Even if the money you make by reselling is put back into collecting, it's definitely a non-sustainable practice. Eventually no more games will be found in the wild and if you want certain games, i.e. the good ones, they're only gonna be accessible for high prices on ebay. It's not like there's anything stopping this, but maybe at a certain point you could at least trade games or give them to newer collectors you know in order to diversify. Usually when I get doubles they go directly to friends who want them and I either trade or give them a hell of a deal on it, the way it should be.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

We definitely have different view points on this but that's cool. We do plenty of trades with friends as well but if we find something no one needs we'll clean it up, resurface it if needs and sell it. We buy plenty off of eBay as well and typically it's games we can't find anywhere else. We also sell far less games than we do DVD's, VCR's and old toys. We enjoy both hobbies, hunting and collecting. And in our case one hand washes the other so to speak. Thanks a ton for your input and watching. Cheers!

[@lazy_gamer_dad]

It can be difficult for people. Especially those who want to play those long lost games. My only gripe is bumping into an owner of a “Retro Game Store” at a garage sale and realising that later that day they will list games they find there at the same or higher than eBay prices for games and calling them “recent trade-ins.”

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Ya that sucks. We have a Goodwill right by our best retro store in town. That store is always picked clean. Literally in a year haven't bought one thing in there. I know damn well it's next door at the store. Smart on the stores part though. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@Its_dr.proctor]

Yeah trying to find retro games since the start of the pandemic has been really hard for reasonable prices. Even people that know nothing about games are selling them for crazy prices because they just do a search on eBay, look at the prices, and price them the same. Honestly I do think KZbinrs do influence the price a little as well as a new release in a game series i.e. when FE three houses came out, it made Path of Radiance jump in price

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

I think it's bigger than just You Tubers. Do they influence things? Some for sure. But there's just more consumer awareness in 2021 than there was in 1998. It's been building to the point that we find ourselves now. Pawn Stars, American Pickers etc. Smart phones in the palms of our hands allow us access to eBay pricing, Price Charting sites and the like on the fly. People flip shoes, purses, lamps, DVD's, VCR's, Toys, vinyl etc. You Tubers have a very small piece of the pie but it's way more than that. That's just my 2 cents on it. Ok, maybe longer than 2 cents worth :). Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@TheGamernostalgia]

I totally agree the prices are outrageous, and you have to find someway to pay for the games

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

That's how we look at it. It's either find a way to fund the hobby or find a different hobby. Cheers!

[@EDFCentral]

MJR is not responsible for price increases. The sellers (myself included) choose what we want to list a game for. We choose whether to be fair or to gouge. MJR should not be blamed for scalpers and gougers.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Totally agree. It's all heightened consumer awareness. MJR maybe has added to that a little but so has the internet as a whole, Pawn Stars, American Pickers etc. Everyone is just more informed than they were in 1998. It's a different time. Thanks a ton for watching man and hope all is well. Cheers!

[@EDFCentral]

@@GamingOffTheGrid Exactly, he and others have shown us games we may have missed and made us aware, but for others to hold him responsible for the price increases is ridiculous. We the sellers are solely responsible for what we list a game at. I sell to make a profit, while others sell to make a killing. The PS5 comes to mind lol.

[@adamyoung6068]

This video really needed to be made. Great job!

[@visionop8]

This is why I'm glad I got everything way before the collector craze due to just really liking the games. For the most part I don't have to deal with this madness. I would hate to have to buy Neo Geo AES games today. I feel for those who have to. I payed $99 dollars for Pulstar back in 2002 from some place that looked like it was formerly a sandwich shop where they did sketchy console repairs in the back and I thought that was insane for what I then called an outdated game lol. Cool how you guys adjusted for inflation, most don't consider that. Great video!

[@PixelGameSquad]

Id flip you to get a Ricky Rookie Card

[@AJ72281]

Ricky Martin?

[@lonewanderer82]

RRRRRRRIIIIIICCCCKKKKYYYYYYY!

[@joseph.jannette5029]

I totally understand what you guys are saying but sometimes there’s kids out there that can’t afford to buy for reseller prices, love the show

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Totally. But what we try showing collectors young and old is that....yes you might not be able to afford Contra 3 The Alien Wars for $40. But if you head to you local Goodwill 3-5 days in a row, you can probably spend $10 on DVD's that you could sell for $$60. Get your $10 bucks back, pay eBay fees and you're damn close to the game you couldn't afford. And you may get lucky over those 5 days and find a dinger which is even better. We don't make our pick up video to brag or show how much money we are making. We do it to help other collectors and enlighten them to weird stuff that's worth money like VCR's lol. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@luckyrockmore2796]

"Nostalgia is a helluva drug" Rick James....I think?

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

LOL! Sounds about right :). Cheers!

[@timothyberry2709]

In my opinion..buying and reselling is keeping retro gaming alive..if u own something u should be able to sell it for whatever..thats how the world works

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

For us that's how it's working for sure. I wouldn't be doing it still if I didn't figure out I can sell frickin VCR's for $50-$80 a pop. Made buying overpriced games easier to swallow. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@zclary923]

People have been buying, selling, and flipping so to speak for forever whether we're talking used video games, cars, or houses. It's nothing new, and lets be honest here. These games and consoles are becoming rarer as time passes. Consoles break, they get tossed, same with some games, and some games were rarer to begin with with limited runs or there simply weren't as many copies made. Add to that a pandemic going on and we've seen prices going through the roof. I guess I don't blame people who buy and sell and flip. I don't like scalpers, I can't stand that practice but getting something cheap from a thrift store and reselling it to me is fair game. I've ended up re-selling some games I've gotten in lots and what not, I'm not ashamed of that, nobody should be. The market going up sucks but look at classic cars. Muscle cars from the late 60's and early 70's are worth ridiculous amounts of money nowadays. I look at things like this as an investment. You buy now, and as time passes they're only going to go up. I mean a place like Jays takes these games on trade then puts them on their shelf for market value. How's that any different than individuals buying something cheap, and reselling it for the market value? Not a scummy practice at all. I think you guys are very good with your money. As for youtubers driving up the market... shit happens. Not something done intentionally, and of course when people see their favorite youtuber talk about a particular game more people will want to try it. I don't see the big deal, nor do I see it as a problem. I love retro gaming channels, sharing in that nostalgia with others is important for me. So I'm more than willing to deal with a bit of inflation in that regard.

[@jeremythelakerfan629]

Even ps3 and 360 prices are going up now

[@Snivy102]

People nonchalantly paying market price for video games are at fault for the rising prices of video games. If everyone actually had common sense and didn't buy Pokemon HeartGold for $120 on eBay, then the market price of Pokemon HeartGold will go down. That's how these things work.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

It's a double edged sword. We buy off eBay quite a bit. The convenience is worth a little extra for us. Between the band, eBay store and the channel we don't have time to wait for the best deal. So from a selling standpoint and buying standpoint we really appreciate the platform. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@Snivy102]

@@GamingOffTheGrid ya, i'm probably the only one that would wait to get a deal on anything. There's never been a game i badly needed to have right now

[@richardfosterII7575]

I agree with you on this 100 percent. I love retro Rick's channel too. I got into reselling my doubles in November and have so many more games bc of it. You are so right. Like I got nfl street 2 for 2.99 and is worth 20 bucks. I agree with the work it takes too. Love your channel. Facebook marketplace works for me the best bc I love getting deals and getting it shipped. I have two little boys and is hard to go to thrift stores. But I like going there too. Keep up the amazing content. Seeing the prices of 98 makes me want to go in a time machine. Could you imagine what you could get for 50 bucks back then. I would get some of hard to get rpgs.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Rick does kickass work for sure. I feel like I learn something from every video he does and I've been doing this a while. Awesome stuff. Thanks for watching man and keep hunting! Cheers!

[@NivexGameplays]

That opening was Powerfull! :D

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

LOL! My childhood dream of being a movie trailer voice over guy is paying off.....FINALLY!

[@NivexGameplays]

@@GamingOffTheGrid Heck yeah!!

[@robmason5799]

Use to go out all the time for retro games and only found something once every few weeks. Between time and spending gas getting fast food because I’m out wasting my day wasn’t worth finding Zelda for 3.00. Now I’m just only spending 25.00 once a month to buy a couple or one game I had once as a kid. Then once I make my purchase I play the game or games to beat them then go again next month.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Ya if you are just game hunting it's brutal. We used to do that too but have widened our scope. Not sure if you've ever seen one of our hunting videos but we do really well with DVD's, VCR's, Toys and then occasionally video games. To your point, year by year it get more difficult to find games in the wild. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@RetroRivals]

Scott and I are super busy all the time! You know how it is. So a very common saying around our house when we are trying make a decision between spending money or putting in time is, “What’s worth more to you, your time or your money?” It’ll be different for every scenario but as far as game selling, we’ve talked about it before. I have no problem with people selling for profit, we don’t have the time. Congrats to you both for building your collection on sweat equity! There’s no shame in that! Just my opinion. Agree on the scalpers. Human garbage

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

It takes work for sure. I'm blessed that my route to work goes by a post office drop 5 thrift stores and 2 pawn shops. Now I don't them all every day but I try hitting at least 1 over lunch and 1 on my way home. If it wasn't for my route I wouldn't be able to get as lucky as we do. This is a fun debate because everyone involved is passionate about the topic. It's a different time for collectors. Folks need to do what works for them if they wish to keep collecting. Thanks a ton for watching guys. Cheers!

[@coopleofnerds]

Marty! We are going back to 1998 i found a funcoland ad.

[@retrorick]

bahahaha, can i come with yall?!

[@frolickers9699]

I am a reseller for vintage collectables. I have two booths in a antique mall. One of the lady's that worked in the store said that I lost a sale on a vintage lamp that I paid $5 for and was selling for $25. The customer that almost purchased it noticed a goodwill sticker on it that was mistakenly left on and they were put off by it. How dare I ask 5x the value I originally purchased for. But to your point that person does not realize how many hours upon hours I looked for nice merchandise like that. I may go to 10 goodwill's and 9 of them are a bust.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Well said man. There are a lot of strike outs. You gotta love the hunt for sure. I know if we didn't we couldn't do it. But we have a great time with the process. Cheers!

[@elevation40-]

Great video guys! I agree, I think this is a great way to still be able to be in the retro game without breaking the bank! Plus, I've always thought it's just like those who flip furniture, power tools, sports memorabilia, etc.... Just a part of being in the free market. Everyone has the freedom to partake or not. Companies drive up prices too, look at Apple, an iPhone max is like $500 in parts then they sell it for $1400.

[@wesleywyndam-pryce4081]

The defence of the video game resellar THE MOVIE 🎥 There just 2 guys Trying to survive in Today's Retro gaming Society 😎

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

LOL! I always wanted to be a movie trailer voice over guy when I was growing up. I don't have the voice for it at all but as a kid I really thought I had a chance lol. Fast forward to my 30's and I'm doing voice over work for a small ass You Tube channel :). Keepin the dream alive baby! Cheers!

[@retro_lover9769]

Some people don't understand what goes into hard-core retro hunting. It takes so much time to hit thrift stores and garage sales as much as you possibly can just for the chance of finding retro games. There are plenty of retro games that I want ,but don't have the money for. Guess what I do have though.... time to hunt. I love retro hunting and every time I find something to resell, I sell it under ebay and price charting if I can get a good enough deal on it. If I get a good deal, can still give someone else a good deal, and still make enough profit to make it worth my time, that is what I always try to do. All the profit I makes goes into my collection. I wouldn't have a retro collection without flipping for game hunting money. I found a sega saturn for $2, got conkers bad fur day on N64 for $10, etc. If I find something hunting that I want even if I get if for $1 and it's worth $200 I'm keeping it. I don't hunt just to resell, I also hunt to build my collection. I would rather find my collection in the wild rather than resell alot of stuff and buy it off of ebay. Unfortunately some games and consoles are almost impossible to find in the wild, that is where my profit money comes into helping me build my collection. I do think there is a reselling line that if you cross it you are wrong. Scalpers with PS5s are a perfect example and if you are familiar with limited run, people will buy a game that is only getting 1,500 copies made just to resell it for triple the original price and that is wrong. There are a handful of limited run games I would absolutely love to own, but will never be able to ,because the resell market is just to high on them.

[@kushcookie17]

This sounds similar to how a drug user would sell drugs in order to support their habit. For example, you could buy a 1/2 ounce of weed for $100 and sell 10 grams for $10 each, leaving you with 4 grams for yourself.

[@benevans7564]

I actually use the same analogy as the biggest advantage of the thrift store grind is you earn a little income and occassionally get something for your own stash at bargain prices ;)

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

LOL! We don't know much about that practice but it sounds smart from an economic standpoint. Cheers!

[@BigFamilyGaming]

So I have to say I absolutely agree with you guys, you have to take opportunity cost into the equation. My only issue here and Someone correct me if I'm wrong - it is my understanding that the FUNCO Land flyer is what they are paying for those games not what they are selling them for. So we would need to do a little more math to figure out their markup and then make the pricing/inflation adjustments. Love the economics aspect of this hobby! Keep up the excellent work

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Idk man. I think it's the prices but I could be wrong. The top of the page we found says "All Games listed are based on used Prices" "All Games come w/ a 90 day Warranty" at the top. I think it was their in-store flyer. That being said I'm not 100% sure but I'm pretty sure lol. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@McJuar]

Ok, to unpack that last statement in this video, you agree with flipping to achieve a most impressive video collection, whereas someone like me who was able to get everything he wanted in the early 2010's before retro gaming truly became its own scene and you can buy a copy of Truxton for $3 and can look down on a flipper buying everything up and leaving the scraps to everyone else. It's pretty easy to get what you want by reselling valuable items bought cheap, the issue now is deciding what stays and what gets sold away at this point. I only want to keep the stuff I have affinity for, whether its something I had as a kid like Solomon's Key for the NES, or an awesome co-op game I can play with a friend or my kid.

[@Jp-gc6bh]

I just wanna point out that reselling some games off a lot to fund other ones is different than making sure you get all deals so you can sell them for profit for you car note. Big difference, at 1 point every collector is a reseller. Idk how many times I’ve sold stuff for a lot more than I payed simple cause of a crazy crazy deal on a lot from someone’s 54 year old mom

[@SharonisCarin321]

Castlevania Chronicles used to go for 20 bucks. Then it went to 80 now it's 150 CIB. Xenosaga episode III also went from 90 to 180. Not even including Hololens cover at 400 new. I hate these outrageous prices

[@jimmymac2292]

Video games are a commodity. If people are willing to pay a premium. That’s unfortunately how the market works. As a single father in my early 30’s. I’ve grown to go without and find joy in cheap games. This is why I think digital will become the future for retro as well as modern titles.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

For sure. We were about to be done collecting then we found the passion for hunting and flipping DVD's, Games, VCR's and Toys. And it's allowed us to keep the hobby alive. Thanks a ton for watching. Cheers!

[@mathewlang9851]

What it do! Would love to see your guys TurboGrafx and Sega CD collection , cheers Fella's

[@MagicJumpingBean]

Here’s my two cents the fact that people are getting upset over this is ridiculous literally everything you buy is bought at a cheaper price then sold at a higher price Walmart target Kroger Amazon plant stores corner stores everything they bye at a discount and sell it for more this is literally just what everyone does. why you would get upset at just video games I have no idea

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

Great take. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but we don't understand the rub. Doesn't seem like folks get revved up when they see someone flipping houses. But if you buy a console on the cheap and fix it up you're not supposed to make any money on that? I don't get it lol. Thanks for watching man. Cheers!

[@Draftcard]

When we were moving our parents we found some nes and genesis games. While moving we brought a bunch of old furniture to a junk store to sell. He would only give me store credit or a trade, so I ended up with most of my black box games. After that weekend I was back into retro after a long emulation hiatus. Since then I grabbed whatever around the house I could trade for nes games and my collection grew very cheap After getting all the commons in the wild it became apparent that It would take a long time to find everything on my list. But one day I found a copy of chubby cherub for 3 bucks. I didn't want it but knew it was worth bucks. When I sold the game for 80 and bought something of my list that cost 80 bucks on ebay I felt great about it. Might have been chrono trigger. So that was my dealio until I got them all, search for good deals and trade it put for the games I wanted. If no trading option, sell it and use the money to get the game you want. PayPal credit is the same as junk store credit. Dont feel bad, and do what you love

[@Draftcard]

Also when gamestop has the buy 2 get one I remember selling the 2 for the same price and keeping the free one. That worked great for 80 dollar games I didn't want the spend the money

[@BSNintendo]

day 2 of telling GOTG they absolutely rock! Resellers are providing a service by finding and reselling old games. Without resellers it would be a huge chore to try to locate these old games, so I'm thankful. even if the prices go up a little (or a lot) its worth it!

[@adam_loooong]

This is a super interesting video to watch in 2022 considering Riff and some of the guys from PGS (who I sub and love) are now - on the regular - out there "buying stuff for 'the fans' to sell on What Not auctions." Seems like all they buy now is stuff for whatnot... I don't have an opinion either way. I will say though, I do hate scummy resellers but you know if I find a $3 copy of Mario Kart Wii it is getting flipped for $25 easy haha.

[@TucBroder]

Conventions, thrift stores and yard sales are not that common here in Denmark, so I usually buy online. The thrift stores that do exist, offer very little in terms of video games. Even though I'm missing quite a few games in my collection, I refuse to pay over a certain amount, and I have come to terms with the fact that I may never own them. Also, I have never sold games in order to fund new ones. I could, but I really want to keep the games I have. They all have a story. I dunno... Maybe it's just me being weird :p

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

That stinks man! I imagine all countries are different! Hey everyone has to collect there own way! We fully understand you not selling to build up your collection! Everyone has to do it there way! Cheers!

[@riggel8804]

It sounds like the stock market the way you guys describe it. It didn't use to be like that. I used to go to the swap-meet with $20 bucks back in 2001. I would buy a couple games and a churo. It was a chill way to spend a Sunday afternoon--definitely not a "dog fight". Those days are gone and resellers are, in part, responsible. They have taken over the scene and I don't like what they have done with it. It's not evil, or unethical it's just grose.

[@SuperNicktendo]

If I do find a gem that I don't want and it's cheap, I'll pick it up and sell it on ebay myself. Here in Chicago the pool of games is so slim that I can't build the collection buy flipping. Luckily I have the means to pay fair market value for the stuff I want. I can't buy as fast as I could and need to consider what I put in my collection but I understand that the availability of these old games will continue to become less so. Good discussion

[@retrorick]

cant imagine how hard it is to game hunt in Chicago!

[@eatportchops]

Just because it was on their listing doesn't mean you could walk in and buy it. Speaking from my experience in 1998 at Funcoland if a game is rare it was almost impossible to find it in the stores unless you were really lucky. That said I wish I would have bought 50 copies of Super Mario Duck Hunt back then.

[@GamingOffTheGrid]

That's a great point. But the prices are nuts to say the least. And yes, you could have made a killing just on SMB/ Duckhunt :). Cheers!