I dont know how many of you search for games online ( outside of ebay, Amazon and other game stores with online outlets ) but lately dealing on Craigslist has been more of a hassle than a success. Hence the topic this evening.
Have the sellers lost their minds???
I would love to sit back right now and say yes and end this blog before it starts but sadly no I cant. First reason I would say no is the fact that look at the time of year we all are searching for games. November to about end of January is about the worst time we can be searching ads for games. Between the holidays are coming and Christmas inflation on items forsale leading into christmas, you really cant fault people for trying to get the most out of the buyers. Just as such right after christmas you need to think people want to get back what they spent ( finding out they didnt need it or (by change ) might have over paid for something to start with ). Either way buyers right now are at the mercy of the market for a few more weeks before things adjust and go back to normal.
My next area is a phase I hear all too often " im asking gamestop prices"
Why would I pay retail prices from a random person on CL that I have never met and has no warranty of any kind. Even with that said you want to ask 10.00 + more for a game just cause Gamestop is doing it fine. BUT you need to do the following : open a few 1000 stores, hire 10000 or so employees for it cover benefits, supplies, electric , water, heat power alarm systems, a HQ that does taxes billing advertising. This is the exact line i used tonight on a seller who was asking moon money for something and claimed its ok cause gamestop does it. This no doubt ended any talks of buying their $20 item for $45.
Another thing Ive noticed is the amount of competition there is for stuff. From the ads to garage sale ads to just the sheer number of wanted ads I can see how this site is being overpopulated with gamers and resellers. I really start to wonder is there more resellers than actual collectors on CL nowadays. Being a collector gamer it makes life very hard since I cant devote every moment i have towards game finding ( even though my girlfriend and friends would say if not im damn close lol ) .
Without giving out too much away what is your best way to combat these issues and what other ways do you find to get around the massive sharks just wanting to buy everything up good or bad in hopes to clean up and have an edge when they want to resell.
I hope this turns into a full blown convo that we all can take something away from. I know we all complain now and then about things in the game hunting but I would love to hear things in a conversational atmosphere where we can talk it out and get a better understanding of what we are are fighting as oppose to our rants at the moment things go to hell in a hand basket.
Maybe this is something not needed but I feel it would be good to voice our issues and learn more about the beast we love and hate called craigslist.
