Are the Rising Prices of N64 Games Sustainable?

[vexcollects]

I've been watching these prices rise for a while and as I've mentioned in an earlier post, it seems as if every collector I know is really looking for N64 games.

The thing is, most of them don't seem interested in the games, just flipping them.

So, is this sustainable? If I had to guess I would say no. I think eventually interest will wane and the realization of how common these games are will send prices back down.

Complete in box games might be a different story, since the boxes are so flimsy. However, the millions of Zelda Majora's Mask carts that pull in $40 a piece seems like a momentary thing.

What do you think?

[vexcollects]

I encourage all resellers to cash out their IRAs and invest it all in N64 carts.

Seems like sound business advice. Investors everywhere bragging, "My portfolio includes Banjo, Glover, and Conker".

[Desh]

I know resellers as a whole are frowned upon around these parts but N64 stuff is a great way for a collector to beast up on stuff they a really want.  Basically, N64 stuff is new enough that you can still buy up truckloads of it for cheap at garage sales or flea markets.  I already own the maybe 20 games I actually want for the N64.  Since I frequent garage sales and flea markets, I find quite a few N64 items.  I buy those items and then resell or trade.  The profits/ trades made from reselling this stuff, I then re-invest in stuff I actually want.  The stuff I actually want is any NES game I don't own, TG16/PCE stuff I want or CIB Genesis stuff I want. 

So there you have it, you caught me, I'm an evil reseller.

[johnnymad]

I've been thinking about selling off most of my N64 collection to free up space and to have extra cash to spend on TG and NES stuff. I've wondered if I'll be kicking myself in five years when it's discovered that some random sports game was produced in limited quantities and is now worth $50+.

Probably still going to dump it all as I think I liked the idea of having the games more than actually playing them. Picked up a huge lot of N64 from a guy who owned a rental store. 95% of those games are still in the box I used to carry them out of his store and remain unplayed. So I guess I'm not in the N64 speculating market.

[vexcollects]

I know resellers as a whole are frowned upon around these parts but N64 stuff is a great way for a collector to beast up on stuff they a really want.  Basically, N64 stuff is new enough that you can still buy up truckloads of it for cheap at garage sales or flea markets.  I already own the maybe 20 games I actually want for the N64.  Since I frequent garage sales and flea markets, I find quite a few N64 items.  I buy those items and then resell or trade.  The profits/ trades made from reselling this stuff, I then re-invest in stuff I actually want.  The stuff I actually want is any NES game I don't own, TG16/PCE stuff I want or CIB Genesis stuff I want. 

So there you have it, you caught me, I'm an evil reseller.

But, from what I gather you are not doing it primarily to make money. You are only fueling the fire of your gaming rage.

Let the masses spend/trade $50 for Smash Bros.

I'll buy a copy of Lords of Thunder that I will keep and thank the guy for the trade or the cash for a copy of Conkers. I'm not planning to retire on game gauging and I try to be reasonable.

I don't see the harm in fuelling your collection and I'm definitely not arguing it in this thread. Just asking the question, can/will these N64 carts retain their current value.

[Necromancer]

So there you have it, you caught me, I'm an evil reseller.

Not all reselling is horrible.  Are you the kind that buys a game for $5 and sells it on ebay for the going price (in regular auctions), or are you the guy that lists it for a $50 BIN that never sells, misrepresents the rarity/condition/etc., and shill bids auctions up to "prove" their value?

[xelement5x]

I think gaming as a collectible market has become so hyped right now that even relatively newer stuff is inflating faster than normal. 

With Nintendo stuff specifically, I think people have seen how the the NES/SNES stuff has been going up and want to get in the N64 now before prices are in the nutso range for just loose carts.  GameCube games seem like they never really hit a low point either, and even the Wii has games that have gone up in value to stupid point. 

I'm thinking that price burnout will set in for most folks and they will keep what they have and get a flash cart or maybe occasionally pick up stuff.  I used to buy bundles of games on the cheap regularly, but now prices are so nuts its barely worth it.  I don't really want to spend my time reselling either, so I just opt not to buy much stuff domestically or just use a flashcart.

[Desh]

So there you have it, you caught me, I'm an evil reseller.

Not all reselling is horrible.  Are you the kind that buys a game for $5 and sells it on ebay for the going price (in regular auctions), or are you the guy that lists it for a $50 BIN that never sells, misrepresents the rarity/condition/etc., and shill bids auctions up to "prove" their value?

I sell some stuff on eBay but, I sell a lot on craigslist and to other local collectors and through instagram, etc.  When I sell on eBay I have auctions with a starting bid of $1.00 - $5.00 depending on the item.  I then let whoever wants it the most get it.  When I sell locally or through other social media groups, I look the item up on price charting and divide it in half for my asking price.  I literally have a PayPal account that is strictly for videogame buying and selling to keep track of it all.  I buy most of my stuff with profit I've made from that unless, I really want to splurge on something.  With a wife and 3 kids there's no way I would be able to afford the collection I do have if I didn't resell crap I didn't care about. 

[vestcoat]

Desh - you're a parasite.

But, from what I gather you are not doing it primarily to make money. You are only fueling the fire of your gaming rage.

Same f*cking thing. What do you think 99% of the gougers ruining our hobby spend their money on?

[BigusSchmuck]

Knowing my luck if I sold my N64 I would get it back from some schmuck and tell me its cursed.

[SuperDeadite]

ROLF64

[Desh]

Desh - you're a parasite.

But, from what I gather you are not doing it primarily to make money. You are only fueling the fire of your gaming rage.

Same f*cking thing. What do you think 99% of the gougers ruining our hobby spend their money on?

So when I see stuff at a garage sale my options are:
1.) Buy it, resell it at an extremely fair price (if you do this you are a parasite)
2.) Buy it and keep it (eventually you will be considered a hoarder)
3.) Don't buy it and let another person resell it at a high price

vestcoat, I would venture to guess you've never ever sold any video game item you've ever bought and decided you didn't like?  Or you just take the high road and let scumbag resellers keep driving prices higher and higher.  When I sell something I sell at half the norm to try and bring prices back to reality.  Parasite indeed.  I would also venture to guess you've never purchased an item from anyone on eBay, or a game forum or a convention.  If you were then you would just be fueling us parasites.

[vestcoat]

So you fuel your entire hobby by flipping games while believing you're a champion of the people in the war on gougers? Wow.

I'm not going to attempt to refute all of your leaps of logic, but, believe it or not, not everyone else in the world is a gouger from which you need to save games. Allow me to present a couple more options you forgot about:
4) buy it, play it
5) leave games you don't want on the shelf, inviting the possibly of a non-reseller finding a game they want in the wild and going home happy.

Bottom line, you actively swipe games you don't need or want through standard consumer channels and resell them for profit. You don't specialize in bulk lots or imports and you don't have any special distribution, so your only contribution to the market is being less greedy than some of the other gougers. Pat yourself on the back, Ace: you're a parasite!

[Desh]

So you fuel your entire hobby by flipping games while believing you're a champion of the people in the war on gougers? Wow.

I'm not going to attempt to refute all of your leaps of logic, but, believe it or not, not everyone else in the world is a gouger from which you need to save games. Allow me to present a couple more options you forgot about:
4) buy it, play it
5) leave games you don't want on the shelf, inviting the possibly of a non-reseller finding a game they want in the wild and going home happy.

Bottom line, you actively swipe games you don't need or want through standard consumer channels and resell them for profit. You don't specialize in bulk lots or imports and you don't have any special distribution, so your only contribution to the market is being less greedy than some of the other gougers. Pat yourself on the back, Ace: you're a parasite!

I never claimed to be a champion of the people nor did I suggest it, I only stated how I resell when I feel like doing it.

I agree with your points on #4 and #5. 
"4) buy it, play it" of course, when this happens I don't resell something, I keep it, so how does that enter this debate?
 "5) leave games you don't want on the shelf, inviting the possibly of a non-reseller finding a game they want in the wild and going home happy."  I do agree that this can happen but, in my local area there are about 6 people I am friends with that are collectors and there are a lot more people that are known gouging resellers.  We have "bike guy" who sells everything on craigslist, reseller Joe who who sells at a local flea market, old lady who sells at the same flea market and "screamin' deals" guy who sells at another flea market.  There are also quite a few others we see actively buying game stuff at local thrift joints etc.

You did also forget about:
6.) Nobody ends up buying it and owner, not realizing the value, throws everything away and nobody gets to enjoy it.

I do apologize, as it does sound like I infer to spending all of my time at garage sales/ flea markets and buying every single item I see.  This is not the case.  I have a full time job and a family so I'm lucky if I get to go out "hunting" once a month.  If you think I sell a shit ton I invite you to look at my selling history on ebay.  My seller name is sedanman14.

By standard consumer channels I assume you mean brick and mortar stores and online stores that sell/resell games.  These are all perfectly fine in your book?  They themselves go to garage sales and flea markets for inventory and also rely on trade ins.  When someone trades something in they are offered 1/4 of it's value and then resold for average to above average market value.  How is this not the same thing or worse?

Also, if it weren't for reselling or trading items I would not have funds to buy games that I want.  If it weren't for this fact I literally would not be in this hobby.  I tell my wife it is a self funding hobby every time she bitches about me bringing more crap home.  I lie to her because she would shit if she knew what I spent on some of the items I own.

I wonder if you feel all people in life that resell items are parasites?  Car dealers?  Grocery Stores?  Gas stations?  Best Buy?  Pharmacy?  They all work on this same principle they call capitalism. 

Why were you unable to answer any of the questions I asked you?  Is it because you have and feel us parasites are a necessary evil?  You just want to piss and moan and complain?  You feel I am the world's biggest douche and don't deserve a response?

[HailingTheThings]

Mister Deshu, while I don't believe you are one of the evil resellers, I can't help but notice the starting bid on this piece of plastic.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TMNT-Channel-6-News-Van-COMPLETE-Playmates-1992-/301202109817?pt=US_Action_Figures&hash=item46210b7579&nma=true&si=jsTEbCnzSPjqdBPoUATgIHdBpuw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557