The State of Retro Game Collecting - #CUPodcast

What is the state of retro video game collecting today?
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[@PatTheNESpunk]

You're so right. That Commodore 64 in my garage is TOTALLY tanking the market. There's a difference between owning one copy of a game versus owning 20 copies of a rare game, son.

[@PatTheNESpunk]

The "illegal" term refers to the price manipulation, attempted cornering of markets, hoarding of goods, etc... practices that are illegal in most commodities markets.

[@wifidude98]

I'm a collector, but i only buy games i want to play at some point.

[@kaneda4102]

This is my point- there are collectors and there are investors, then you have casual gamers. It's not true to say collectors are not gamers.

[@TrackerRoo]

I'm the same way, what's the point of buying a sealed box? It sits on my shelf and I look at it. So much enjoyment, just staring at my box. No, I'm playing it if I'm buying it. I don't mind loose games. I can go out and buy cases on Amazon to stick them in, print out box cover, slip it in and I'm golden. Case keeps the dust out, the art is there and I can pop it open and play it any time I want.

[@judd0453]

​@@TrackerRoo the only reason i can see people buying retro games new is because they either plan on selling them in the future for profit or for preserving game history

[@ClosedEyeVisualisations]

@@judd0453 Thats silly, i buy retro games new to collect games i played for yyyyyeeeaeaaars, now i wish to get certain titles i loved in all versions. I love crash bandicoot, so my main collection is every variant of the games. Sometimes i come across a sealed game, and if the game means something to me i will try to add it to my collection. Ive only ever sold one thing i bought, a dvd boxset of dragonball z, ive never sold a single game. I guess you are right because the last thing you said was preservation, but i dont care too much for that either. Im not against it, but ill be dead soon, i collect to enjoy these things while i live, and what makes me pay more for certain things is knowing ill be dead soon, i want to enjoy them now before its too late. After im dead, whatever, hopefully the shit ends up back online for someone else, since i know nobody in person who is interested in this stuff like i am.

[@Breakbeats92.5]

Luna games got snubbed that year, total snow job. I bought a Dreamcast off you guys a few years back down by the beach. The dude sold me the unit, two controllers AND two VMU's all for 50 bones! Total steal. For that I will always give Luna my business.

[@blacdout96]

+Corey Cavalier Nice deal! I waited 15 years before finally jumping into buying my favorite system I never owned ( Borrowed from my grandmother, who still plays games to this day, and from friends.) Sans VMU's I picked up mine for about $55.00, and I love the hell out of it. One of the greatest systems of all time IMHO

[@dezarae1984]

I wish I could have conversations like this every day.

[@ClosedEyeVisualisations]

I know how you feel, my friends all just drink heavily, go to the pub and talk solely about politics on the news or mundane shit like that. If i even bring up gaming or anything interesting like this they just go quiet and wait for a time to go back to shit talk.

[@d-complexakasnypermclivedr9549]

Man this was in 2013 and the prices have gone up so much more since then for us Retro Gamers.

[@MoejiiOsmanTV]

OG Video Games I just payed 30 bucks for mega man x on snes which is gross

[@d-complexakasnypermclivedr9549]

Moejii I am so sorry to hear that. What a travesty.

[@wallstaple9125]

2021, if you thought 2016 was bad then ohhh my . Sad state of affairs today

[@RetroGUY77]

I started retro gaming by default. It just happened that in 2003, when I was 2 my mum would let me play on a Genesis. Ever since then I loved retro gaming!

[@ClosedEyeVisualisations]

Woah, i finished high school when you were 4! Crazy how many age groups are into this. Nothing ever used to be that way but its pretty cool.

[@praisedsquishy]

Thanks for making this playlist, Pat. Always appreciate your podcast making a night at work better than it would be without it.

[@PatTheNESpunk]

We are awaiting approval from Apple for the podcast. Hopefully within the week!

[@240Sil]

Been going back watching all of these that I missed. Thanks for doing the Podcast Pat and Ian, helps me chill :)

[@PatTheNESpunk]

Ian actually did not speak out much about reselling games, more about those that get into it with zero knowledge/solely into it for profiteering, price manipulation, etc.

[@donaldaparis]

You guys are spot on about this. I try to play every game I get, but I get so dang busy. You guys are right on about the resellers. I resell my duplicates I pick up in lots so I can go out and get my more games. I hook up my friends who collect, and when I sell games, my stuff is always below the lowest price. I've ran into resellers who brag about ripping off old ladies. Makes me sick.

[@PatTheNESpunk]

Just because I participated in a roast for my friend doesn't mean I have any idea what sort of games the convention sells or how they do business.

[@PatTheNESpunk]

Cartridge-based games are just about impossible to "wear out." NES games will outlive most of us. CD-based media on the other hand is a different story. That will all fail at some point due to age so speculators won't affect that either.

[@LeftoverCultureReview]

Can you just imagine all those resellers that stopped watching at 21:00 because Pat swore at them? Good, passionate topic.

[@Jp-gc6bh]

I remember watching this video back In highschool... how collectings changed

[@spiderjerusalem100]

I don't see the point in buying sealed versions of games, i buy games to play them not to put them on a shelf and stare at them. Also, how do you know if the seller didn't just seal the game in plastic themselves?

[@PatTheNESpunk]

Ian is the manager, not the owner.

[@ronisize15]

I don't play games anymore, but for some reason I am in a KZbin and podcast hole listening to them. I enjoy their perspectives I guess. does bring back memories of when I was a kid in the NES and SNES era.

[@Xodyak]

I remember when I was down in San Antonio and saw a Master System. It was in good shape and came with a game. They wanted 100 for it. Offered 50 and got laughed at. 3 months later got a SMS deluxe set (3D+Phaser) for about 70 after shipping and 8 games. I play it all the time, and it makes me sad when I see prices jacked up like they are. I see tons of game from my childhood out of reach due to gouging, and even though I have some rare pieces, wish the price would plummet so I can have my hobby.

[@asv5029]

I just recently found this podcast not sure how long its been going on. But I really enjoy it. Keep up the great work!

[@marcushedstrom8124]

Don't forget the aspect of people who buy stuff for collecting purposes, not to play or resell, but just hold on to them. As said in this vid, these games are a finite resource and this practice makes it more dificullt for others the get a hold of these games and enjoy them.

[@PatTheNESpunk]

Atlantic Oskar shelves.

[@brpadington]

The local retro store that I go to is selling Moonwalker for 85 bucks. I asked why and they said it was because it was really rare. They had 15 copies of it on the shelf.

[@MetalliDeth1223]

These podcasts are really great, keep doing this

[@vashuturbo]

I love this pat! thank you!

[@BKDDY]

LOL Prices went way up since this video.

[@MoejiiOsmanTV]

Medaka350 ahha u have no clue

[@Billychaser]

This sums up everything in a nutshell. Well done

[@harrisonwhaley7872]

Just found this ancient gem in my recommendations. You both have aged like fine wine

[@raypeterson3719]

Really glad you covered this topic. Around here its all anyone talks about anymore is how prices are getting out of control. Its pretty frustrating to have a 60 year old dude buy up the good stuff right in front of you and then have no idea what the games about, but he knows its going for $30-$40 on Ebay. I really hate the scanner feature on smart phones.

[@biglittlecolt]

Been a casual collector of game cartridges forever (80's kid, been buying, selling, and trading all my life), and I love this video. Great insight from people who are deep into it. You say in here that they don't reprint these things, and that unlike records there won't be reprints to ease pricing, but nowadays, there actually have been! I have seen reproductions popping up lately of some of the more expensive games, and it is interesting to me that the reproductions are actually harped on by collectors. The price of authentic games may have actually gone up because of this. Little Samson at over $1k, Earthbound costs hundreds, with guides online on how to tell if your copy is "real" or "fake" - the childish state of the hobby is quite irritating to me! I am perfectly happy with a reproduction, so it's whatever to me. Just... interesting that an increase in supply didn't affect the dirty reseller market, and they may have worked to undermine the repro market as well as add false value to the authentics.

[@SeeJayAre]

Wow, great conversation...some fascinating points.

[@frankgonzales115]

When I used to collect comics back in the 90s it was the same thing. I bought comics because I loved them: the art, the story, everything. But there was also the type of collector that bought something cause it was going to be worth something and which in turn jacked up the price. I as a teenager in the 90s then couldn't afford that comic for my collection due to the inflation of the interest-only buyer. Love vs. money.

[@acetessilver8142]

Listening to you mention that you picked up Duck Tales 2 CIB for $40 and that was a good deal...that aged perfectly, lol. I normally am not a fan of commentary videos on other videos, but I truly think it would be fun for you two to revisit this one!

[@matrix12264]

like how two retro gamers got together and really made something for you're selves it's a great story two nice guys I'm a Sega mega drive kid.

[@justingoode3281]

Love you guys, great commentary on the hobby.

[@Mattbroad1994]

I love your podcast so much! I've been a collector for the last 5 years or so now and you guys really speak to me :) I'm from the UK btw, where games are RIDICULOUSLY overpriced and it's good to hear your guys' insight. Thanks for making the effort to create your podcast. I love you Pat and Ian!

[@bradcorbet798]

love you guys! new listener, hope Ian gets better!

[@bobby69420]

This sealed game talk aged like fine wine....

[@gk0232307]

Very informative. Great video!

[@michaelasimpson3925]

I work in a private owned retro store and prices are the biggest pain in the arse. I am with them on hating the way people control the market on ebay. You'll see games that are listed as rare and at ridiculous prices just because that seller couldn't find another current listing; then another seller comes along and just sees that price and immediately thinks they are sitting on a gold mine and approx price match and it goes and goes. I'd love to be able to go from auction prices too, but now people are asking for more and more money when selling because they could just go sit on it on ebay, and I have to take it otherwise we'd struggle to get in stock. Its very frustrating. It's only getting worse.

[@momshotdad]

Another comment about Demon's Crest: when I bought it, it was going for around $50 on eBay. Less than a year later, it's going for $80 and I've NEVER seen so many Buy-it-Nows for the game before $80+ of course. It's unreal. At least 5-10 times as many listings.

[@iplayedataritoday]

Very interesting hearing your views on this, guys. I'd like to see more podcasts filmed and uploaded to youtube.

[@gahlblah5649]

Damn straight pat. I remember maybe 5-6 years ago. Getting TG consoles for like 10-20 range now they're crazy.

[@PatTheNESpunk]

Are you being honest with people? Are you not trying to control supply and demand? Do you know about the games you sell and help people with their decision? Do you not pretend to know more than others just to appear as a "selling authority"? Are you fair in your pricing and do not try and gouge? Do you have integrity in how you conduct your business? If you answered "yes" to those questions, then you're OK in my book. :)

[@PatTheNESpunk]

I actually have no idea who that is.

[@RetroSunday]

Great topics, this is what I've been wanting someone to make (including myself) for too long.

[@Carn55]

Great video guys, keep it up.

[@creekandseminole]

I gotta say just one more thing. I just randomly started retro collecting back at the end of high school in 2002-2003. My best find was mega man X3 for 15 bucks at an Oklahoma city flea market. I stopped, came back this past year for some unknown reason and BAM!!! Prices are crazy. It's just in inspiration all these people my age who talk about games and make vids. Good luck to you all out there...

[@DanniDolphin]

Love you guys!

[@capcomkilla2012]

Pat Ian great podcast, love the trading places reference, ha

[@Brentarific]

A Trading Places reference. Love it!

[@SpookierCelluloid]

I got a turbo grafx 16 4 years ago. It was so cheap but now... It makes me wanna cry.

[@MrTeamFoolish]

I'm new to this channel, but this is cool throw back

[@Echobase71]

I'm a collector and a player, sure it would be easier to buy and play on the wii u but I like the pure experience of a cartridge.

[@Zachybearchrissy]

Exactly

[@TheShadow9380]

Exactly

[@TheSleathable]

Exactly

[@jamesbryan7501]

I understand the appeal of having the physical cartridge but for me it's the GAME itself which is why I use the old console emulators.

[@casinoroyalewcheese]

It's like owning a piece of history, bro.

[@pxlsicle]

Audio only is linked in the description, both the first and second episodes should be on iTunes in the coming days!

[@Dragondude2525]

Definitely ridiculous prices now. I remember years ago seeing SNES and NES games in cardboard boxes in the corners of used game stores for 1.99$ each, now I'd be lucky to find any of those games for even 4.99, that aren't sports games.

[@prixelderp5231]

Really well put.

[@EwanGleadow]

Collecting is almost impossible in the area of the UK where I am. The best game I found in the wild is a Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle for Gameboy. Had to order Banjo Kazooie off of eBay. Then the Retro Game Store closed down so it's pretty much eBay only from now on.

[@TheNintendoDoctor]

I can't wait to see this on Itunes! Gonna take the podcast with me on my runs.

[@AaronHendu]

What's the difference in some random collector selling a game they bought for $60, for $80, and a game store buying a game from a customer for < $40 and selling for $80? In my experience, game stores offer very little value when you bring them games, but don't mind charging 2-4 times what they paid you for it...hell, lots of places will offer you < $1 for PS2 games, and shove them directly on the shelf for $5-10...

[@D10078]

Sold all my old stuff. Working SEGA CD, GENESIS, Power base converter, 8 bit NES, Super Nes, N64, Gamecube, 20 games Atari 2600 30 games 8 bit NES had 40+games, SEGA CD with 10, Genesis with 20 games. And systems did have the original boxes if they did have them when I got them. I sold them because of storage space and needed money at the time. Now, I miss them all.

[@miguelborvice1217]

Hey Pat and Ian. Is it possible to make a best of CU Podcast available for download just like you did on youtube? I would love to have this as a download.

[@JasonGravesPoser]

lol we had no idea how much worse it was going to get!

[@Poweronretrogaming]

Best episode I have heard! Spot on

[@brewt1mer]

im both a collector and a gamer..i play all the retro stuff that I collect..even the expensive stuff

[@CashGunsChaos]

Just to be clear, the dude who is a general manager of a retro game store call out "people who specifically buy with the intent to monetize"? Isn't that like... EXACTLY what he does at his store? lol...

[@CashGunsChaos]

makes sense.

[@TaskMaster5]

I don't think you actually were hearing his words. He doesn't LIKE having to sell games for the prices that they are. He and Pat agree that there are games that aren't WORTH the price they are valued at because they're shit games but because they're 'rare' the prices go up. Ian even stated he tries to find middle grounds to ensure their prices at the store are competitive to make it easier on their customers. You also need to realize there's a bit of a difference between an actual store where people live and breath the hobby and the jackasses on ebay or swap meets who have no love/knowledge of the hobby and are purely out there for profit at the expense of the people who ARE members of the hobby. I've no doubt Ian would work with a customer who wants a pricey game/system because they actually want to PLAY it. The other guys wouldn't lower the price even if it meant saving their mothers because they only see/care about $ signs and have no concern that they are truly damaging the hobby.

[@Captain_Neckbeard]

I wish it NEVER got popular. I've been collecting for years. Now thats its popular the prices have tripled now.

[@gameshowfreak2007]

okay, silly question: where does one get a huge display shelf like the one you guys have in this vid?

[@Aahz321]

The fun one was when I talked to a seller at my local fleamarket. He has several. . .quite a few, copies of various Final Fantasy PS1 titles. Now I've been looking for 9 and Origins and Chronicles for a bit, he's got them. Decent condition, some with no artwork, some with no manual. most Greatest hits (which I have no problem with) but all for between 35 and 90 bucks (Crono Trigger is apparently the second rarest game EVAHRS!! /sarcasm) so I broke down and headed for amazon. Most of the games I want less then 20, fuck Chronicles was going for 15 bucks, NEW! SEEEEEELED! I asked him, his response "Head online, enjoy" I don't get that. Kind of want to get him at his own game, he offers trade in for 1/2 what he sells the game for. I could buy a bunch of FF games and even at half trade credit I would still walk away with more cash then I put in. . . .but I'm not that much of an asshat.

[@jwt4810]

Speaking of Kid Klown, its one of the last 9 games I need. It's spiked from $200 to over $300 now in the last three or four months. Frigging game is now the bane of my existence!

[@Lklee08]

Pat I bought flintstones 2, 3-4 years ago for $75, it came from Santiago. And the seller had a couple copies back then

[@KarasuTheClumsy]

"there's no way kid klown is a $40 game" I mean, technically you're still right

[@darrentg6]

There is 1 factor I think really deserves mentioning: a lot of gamers grew bored with the current generation of gaming over the past 2 years, the same timeframe when a lot of retro has spiked. This passing generation has gone on a lot longer than past generations, and I think once all 3 new consoles get going full steam that a fair amount of gamer dollars going into retro might be funneled back into modern gaming, which will lead to something of a crash for retro prices, SNES & NES too.

[@walterwilliams2222]

Christ the CUpodcast has come along way.

[@TheRepoMan360]

You both have great points. While I'd love to find games in the wild it's not likely because of where I live. Being on an island 150 miles away from decent hunting grounds forces you online. What keeps me from going to the dark side is an unwillingness to overpay. In the next few years some of "those people" will loss interest and have collection sales to fund their foray into the next big market. Keep up the great content guys!

[@AirZonkWorldChamp]

I love seeing the increased interest in the TG-16 and yeah, I wish more people would play them and challenge my world records.

[@AlienGenotype]

What really puts me off collecting newer games is that they are not finished on disk, some of the newer games get 5+gb of patches which completely destroys collecting them for me. What is the point in "owning" a game on disk when it's only 90% finished. You "own" 90% of the game, the rest is digital, and at this point they might as well make all new games digital only.

[@BenderBurgers]

im buying all the games I wanted as a kid so I can play them and I enjoy hunting them down and collecting them.

[@milkmanleeroy]

What really grinds my piss to a fine powder is dealing with "collectors" that inflate the market. Retro store businesses, at least the ones I've seen here actually lowball the online resellers to at least 30% (including saving on shipping) and hey, they need to make a living too and that living just makes ends meet. Resellers sell their items with shipping and high end costs in mind for their final price. I deal with them and those who have very limited knowledge of the product they're selling.

[@MegatronsFury]

A complicated debate for sure, I enjoyed the video however if you think you have it bad live in EUROPE guys! Nintendo stuff from the NES and SNES era makes American prices look like pocket money because during that period Nintendo were a nothing company in this region and print runs were tiny, PAL collecting is really hard for anything Nintendo with the exception of DS onwards. I'm finding it makes sense to prepare for the next wave by picking up PSP DS GBA etc because the 8-bit and 16-bit era stuff is out of control, re-sellers in this region are killing this hobby with their car-boot weekend finds turning into huge profits on Ebay. Some of these people who are for some strange reason paraded as heroes of the scene have ebay feedback ratings in the thousands, with a collection as large as mine I have NEVER sold on ebay any spares etc so i absolutely refute the claim of selling spares to continue a personal collection, swapping and trading with friends gets the job done just as well without adding the artificial raising of prices, hipster brigades who rock up for the attention are also not helping but over time they will pass on I hope. Speaking to people like the NES club in America/Canada I realise it's a different scene entirely and honestly North America rocks regarding people actually giving back to the scene and creating a community, hands down Americans and Canadians can teach the world a thing or two about how to act responsibly regarding collecting. A website that i co-run about the playing and history of games and consoles has had nothing but fantastic experiences with people from the land of the free, only the indie game making scene in Europe keeps my faith in people who call themselves retro gamers anymore. Sorry this was so long but a debate so in depth both intrigues me and forces me to say my piece in full, hope it didn't offend anyone apart from those who know who they are and can suck it!

[@MrSlashStudios]

It's not THAT bad here in the Netherlands but Kirby games are so god damn rare I don't even understand it...

[@christopherharper5495]

16:40 10 years later and the last star fighter on eBay auction sold for $47

[@TheMichelob]

and 2 years later the prices have only got worse.. when will it end!!

[@RelaxingGhost]

its sucks that when u sell to a pawn shop or something like that they wanna give you lower prices and sell higher. they are making 3 to 4 times on everything they buy

[@gutterguy720]

This is an interesting topic. I am a game collector and I may only buy 1-3 new games a year. If I perceive a used game to be too expensive, I will talk myself out of getting it until I find it for much cheaper. Like Pat, I also sell duplicate games to further my own collection. Prices are getting out of control.

[@doctorfienstone2978]

Another reason people use amazon is because the payment method is just so much easier. Type in your address and debit card number, and you're all done. Ebay requires PayPal with almost everything and it just makes one extra thing you have to do to buy off eBay. It makes it more complicated than it really needs to be. That's why I always go with amazon myself. it's just more hassle-free and doesn't require me to set up other accounts that I don't need anywhere else.

[@MrNaTs24]

The retro game player and retro game collector thing was true but its also backwards from what they said as well. I have gamer friends who are not afraid of spending $80 on a game because they dont do it often. Where as, collectors have a budget to stick to since they buy so many games, so they have to be more conscious of how much they spend on each game.

[@adamparker1504]

I love in the video at 4:12 mentions how a collector will spend $250 on earthbound ... this was 2 years ago .... now it's $1000

[@Tochir0]

"Fuck sealed game collectors!" Amen brothers!!

[@nerobinson2806]

As I look back at how many video games I wasted. I had an Atari 2600 with, are you ready, with 107 games. Maybe 5 games had like 3 copies, Combat, Asteroids, Centipede, ect. But the gems I had would make you weep... Pitfall 2, Miner 2049, Gopher, Fathom, One of the Starwars games.... And it was just nuts. Then of course my NES had in possession,Trolls on treasure Island, that game Snow Brothers and Fire and Ice... Crazy memories... But you guys are right.... Imagine what I'd get for them?

[@goodwilltapes]

Awesome video!

[@momshotdad]

My view of Buy-it-Nows are that if anyone had thought it was a good deal, it would have already been sold.

[@nickolasecker9596]

I only buy games that are good or games that I want to play, obscurity or rarity doesn't have much to do with why I collect. I hate how the Japanese Saturn import market is going right now, every shoot em up has become ridiculously expensive, fighting games are also climbing up there, i am snatching up every Capcom fighter that I can at the moment because I've seen them increase even over the last year.

[@Flared]

I have to admit as a collector I have caved in to the buy-it-now sellers if I want the game badly enough, but I will stand my ground when I believe the prices are too much. I recently lost 3 auctions on Mega Man X for SNES because I refused to pay the £80 ($125) BIN listings. I eventually won a copy at auction for under £40 ($60) and the satisfaction was half about beating the BIN guys.

[@johns5974]

In my area it's become too expensive to buy retro games for playing or collecting. For example there is a store that carries retro games and as of yesterday they want $7 for the mario brothers/duck hunt cart, $9 for the mario/duck hunt/track meet cart. They consider the cart that only has super mario bros to be extremely rare and price it at $21. This same store used to sell consoles the same way as when they came out. It came exactly as it did originally minus the original box, but it came in a nice box regardless. They don't even do that anymore. Ever since retro gaming became popular here stores caught on and think that retro always means valuable and price it as such. On the bright side if you want that mario/duck hunt cart they have you covered, bc they have probably 200 of them

[@chrisr.2410]

Isn't Kid Klown selling for over $200 now? Funny watching these old videos of them complaining about prices..didn't know how good they had it back then!

[@Dongled]

Pat, totally agree with you about the retro collecting scene being akin to the comic book collecting world. What I ultimately think is that we're going to see modern "collector's editions" and "limited editions" be worth nothing very similar to how 90s comics are worth absolutely nothing nowadays. The retro stuff from our "golden age" if you will is going to be more comparable to the original comics such as the first appearance of Batman, Superman, etc.

[@GoldGloves210]

Great discussion guys, one thing we could discuss next is the issue that there is a shelf life for theses games components, oxidizing, etc. I don't even like. To think about it but eventually it will be an issue ;( will hate to see that day come

[@keithkluber1195]

15 YEARS CRAZY GUYS🎮👾💪

[@thesixthvi]

Really interesting discussions. Seems pretty stressful. Glad I can resist the urge to collect everything... I just pick up all the games I played as a kid or I'm really interested in.