Video game prisons, where rare games get a life sentence.

[inRainbows]

Yesterday on a flea market / comic con adventure, we actually stopped at 2 separate malls that had retro game stores, and a 3rd store in a strip mall area. This was my first adventure into such places ( vendors outside of flea markets i suppose ) and boy am i seriously unimpressed with the vibe i got from all 3. SKYROCKET prices. i mean, literally double ebay prices, no haggling. I couldn't buy 1 thing from any of the places, aside from 2 loose gen carts at 1 area. Perfect example of what i mean:  Castlevania bloodlines loose gen cart, missing HALF of its label.. 25$. I mean, I've seen high prices, but i was literally floored at all 3 of these places. Any of you all ever stumble into any of these atrocious game prisons ? Thats what these places are, game prisons. Amazing games are being held for insanely high ransoms, and they'll never leave the shelves because of it. they should be catering to the likes of us, collectors, who will occasionally pay retail for something we really want. No random yahoo is going to walk into a retro game store and pay 275$ for a loose earthbound like i also saw, nor will a collector. The yahoo wants his mario, The collectors want the goods, and its not working out for either of us...especially us collectors.

[Quackula]

Those things are the worst, for sure. We've got one kinda like that near me, though he's got a huge selection and is at least willing to haggle and occasionally has fair prices on things. Usually it's only a tad above ebay prices, though sometimes his stuff is absolutely insane. I mean like $50 for Final Fantasy IX insane.

[Duke.Togo]

I suppose I am pretty fortunate in that there are none of these around me. The local shops are all priced between insanely great and decent. Maybe it is due to not being in an upscale area or in a large town.

There is one store about an hour north of me that I stopped in once that was like this. The prices on marked items were all eBay prices, and most of the things were unmarked. Of course that means anything I wanted was "rare" and expensive. Yeah, I didn't buy a thing. My hopes are always that these places go out of business so someone can pick up the great stock that has been gathering cobwebs at a decent price.

[NES_Rules]

There aren't really any game stores around here except Gamestop, so I haven't been to an actual store that sells classic games except the likes of Goodwill and thrift stores. But, I have seen plenty of flea market vendors who charge like this. And the worst part of that, is that since they're mostly all outside, the games are just destroyed by the sun after a season of being out there every week for 6 months or so. And I know some have set there much longer than that. I don't get it at all, mark up a decent condition game to double its value, bake it in the sun for a couple years so the label is totally faded and the plastic gets brittle, but never lower the price? I don't get how they pack them up and put them back out every week without realizing how stupid that is. For the hundreds of trips those games have made to the flea market, the extra weight has had to of cost them more in gas than they'll ever get for the games.

[bombatomba]

There is a massive outdoor flea market around where I live that has a game prison.  The worst part about it is that I'm pretty sure that the guy goes around and cherry picks the best deals from other venders before it opens.  Then he stands behind his table and tells shoppers how great of a deal a loose NES is at $50 or a yellowed SNES is at $70.  Last time I was there he was talking about how rare a find his boxed Intellivision was.  $150.

Fortunately, the few local retro shops have excellent prices and there are enough thrift shops to choke either a small donkey or a large goat.  Someone with a pocket full of money and a full tank of gas can really clean up is they know where to go.  That is, if den68 or Razor Knuckles don't empty the places out first...

[Sirgin]

And the worst part of that, is that since they're mostly all outside, the games are just destroyed by the sun after a season of being out there every week for 6 months or so. And I know some have set there much longer than that. I don't get it at all, mark up a decent condition game to double its value, bake it in the sun for a couple years so the label is totally faded and the plastic gets brittle, but never lower the price?

Haha, wow, I knew a couple of guys like that at the flea market here. Overpriced cart-only NES/GB/GBC/GBA/N64 games that lie on their tables. All the labels fade after one summer, it's stupid. Usually I was able to tell which games they recently added to their stands just by looking for un-faded labels. I haven't seen any of those guys anymore in quite a while. Probably because they hardly sold any games. Idiots. The flea market where I go also charges a fee for sellers every time they go there. I believe it's like €20 or €25. I don't mind, atleast the people who overprice everything and thus sell nothing get discouraged and don't take up any place.

[blcklblskt]

And the worst part of that, is that since they're mostly all outside, the games are just destroyed by the sun after a season of being out there every week for 6 months or so. And I know some have set there much longer than that. I don't get it at all, mark up a decent condition game to double its value, bake it in the sun for a couple years so the label is totally faded and the plastic gets brittle, but never lower the price?

Haha, wow, I knew a couple of guys like that at the flea market here. Overpriced cart-only NES/GB/GBC/GBA/N64 games that lie on their tables. All the labels fade after one summer, it's stupid. Usually I was able to tell which games they recently added to their stands just by looking for un-faded labels. I haven't seen any of those guys anymore in quite a while. Probably because they hardly sold any games. Idiots. The flea market where I go also charges a fee for sellers every time they go there. I believe it's like €20 or €25. I don't mind, atleast the people who overprice everything and thus sell nothing get discouraged and don't take up any place.

This happens at my local flea market, and it is the reason why I've pretty much stopped going.  Vendors come around 6AM and snipe (nearly) all of the good deals, and then they mark up their prices astromically.  Then the games sit there, week in and week out, for all of eternity.  Poor games.

[inRainbows]

Its so saddening. Like i said, having your prices set to your average ebay price is one thing. you can call that retail, and thats fine. Setting them above and beyond ebay with no haggling room is just infuriatingly ridiculous. :/

[Razor Knuckles]

Fortunately, the few local retro shops have excellent prices and there are enough thrift shops to choke either a small donkey or a large goat.  Someone with a pocket full of money and a full tank of gas can really clean up is they know where to go.  That is, if den68 or Razor Knuckles don't empty the places out first...

Hey I don't empty them out. I leave all the lovely sport games just for you.  

Personally around the Metro Detroit area there are great deals everywhere. I always seem to stumble upon them and drool at the insanely cheap prices of our thrift shops My local game store is very fair with prices, so no complaints with them.

I have yet to see one of these places that sell things at insanely huge prices. I'd probably make fun of the owner if they sold stuff like that at those prices. I can be a real dick sometimes, but I would just be looking out for the seller at the same time.

[Crabmaster2000]

When I visit my in-laws in Edmonton I've been to half a dozen stores like that. I really dont understand how they stay in business, but some of them have been there for at least 10 years. I got lucky once and they didnt have any TG16 games priced, but were out. The clerk didnt know how to price them and called someone. I think he felt pressured to close the sale becuase he didnt screw me on the price and I ended up paying fairly for them.

PS - Nice Frankenfurter Knuckles!

[Razor Knuckles]

PS - Nice Frankenfurter Knuckles!

Lol I changed my picture  then came back here to see you post that. Thanks for noticing though.

[Crabmaster2000]

PS - Nice Frankenfurter Knuckles!

Lol I changed my picture  then came back here to see you post that. Thanks for noticing though.

I wasnt referring to THAT Frankenfurter anyway

[Tynstar]

There was a store called Games + here in Phoenix that was over priced but the owner would haggle. Then he sold it to two kids who looked everything up on ebay then marked it up for there. I asked him why I would bother coming to his store and never went back. The next time I drove by there (year or so later) they had closed down. No surprise there.

[SirPsycho]

This is why I like my local store, its a fun game digging through the prices because he doesn't use ebay for pricing, he uses Rarityguide. (I know lol).

The beauty of this though is that some games end up being priced like 25% cheaper than current ebay prices, and vice versa unfortunately, but couple finding a good deal with a 10% student/military discount and you end up with happy people like me and more oblivious people that don't know any better and don't care having a nice experience.

Also, most college kids are pretty stupid when it comes to re-buying old games and systems from their childhood.

[noiseredux]

There aren't really any game stores around here except Gamestop, so I haven't been to an actual store that sells classic games except the likes of Goodwill and thrift stores. But, I have seen plenty of flea market vendors who charge like this. And the worst part of that, is that since they're mostly all outside, the games are just destroyed by the sun after a season of being out there every week for 6 months or so. And I know some have set there much longer than that. I don't get it at all, mark up a decent condition game to double its value, bake it in the sun for a couple years so the label is totally faded and the plastic gets brittle, but never lower the price? I don't get how they pack them up and put them back out every week without realizing how stupid that is. For the hundreds of trips those games have made to the flea market, the extra weight has had to of cost them more in gas than they'll ever get for the games.

yeah I hate that shit. I remember going to a flea market this past year and seeing a copy of Sakura Wars So Long My Love in *pretty good* shape for $20. I asked if he'd take $15, and I mean -- haggling? Nope. He literally snatched it out of my hands as if I were a thief and basically told me he didn't even want to do business with me. Nice right?