What are some general rules to tell if a game is valuable or not?

ex_eBay_buyer

ex_eBay_buyer

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I tend to see a lot of games at yard sales that may or may not be RPGs, but anyway I don't know if they are rare/valuable, and then I end up getting games worth $1 that I paid $2 for. This has happened to me way too many times and I just want to have a better rule system. Anyone have some general rules to tell whether a game is rare/valuable or not? D:
 
There are anomilies, but generally RPGs and shooters (like, shmups) are the most common valuable games. When it comes to games that had low print runs, they are a case by case basis with no real consistancy. Mario games also hold a decent value.

Sometimes if I run across something interesting that I don't know about I quickly look it up on eBay on my phone.
 
Since you're on the east coast, you won't be competition... j/k.

I can't think of one first person shooter that has a high value. There's a thread about whether a game is rare or not that can also help get you started, as will the garage sale thread.

And not all Atlus/Aksys/etc games are valuable. In fact, most aren't. They don't lose value as much or as often as most others though, since there are some avid collectors (myself and darkslime...) and typically short print runs (30,000 copies of Etrian Odyssey).

Not all old games are valuable either, of course. I don't have a single Atari game worth more than a dollar, and I have 20. I also have 6-7 Turbografx games, and all but 2 are worth at least $5.
 
[quote name='BigPopov']There are anomilies, but generally RPGs and shooters (like, shmups) are the most common valuable games. When it comes to games that had low print runs, they are a case by case basis with no real consistancy. Mario games also hold a decent value.

Sometimes if I run across something interesting that I don't know about I quickly look it up on eBay on my phone.[/QUOTE]

I would add Fighters as genre to look out for, because you have Marvel versus Capcom 2, Darkstalkers 3, Ehrgeiz, King of Fighters Evolution for Dreamcast etc.

I'd say build up your knowledge around eras that you already own and are familiar with (for me that's SNES and Playstation, since I just so happened to buy many of the more valuable titles when they first came out). Supplement that knowledge with what other CAGs are finding in the yardsale thread and elsewhere.
 
[quote name='BigPopov']There are anomilies, but generally RPGs and shooters (like, shmups) are the most common valuable games. When it comes to games that had low print runs, they are a case by case basis with no real consistancy. Mario games also hold a decent value.

Sometimes if I run across something interesting that I don't know about I quickly look it up on eBay on my phone.[/QUOTE]

With today's technologies, chances are the seller already done the homework before you did :)

It's very rare now a day to discover gems in garage sales. Some people charge ridiculously high prices of "collectibles." It's trash!
 
[quote name='Serpentor']With today's technologies, chances are the seller already done the homework before you did :)

It's very rare now a day to discover gems in garage sales. Some people charge ridiculously high prices of "collectibles." It's trash![/QUOTE]


What you usually get nowadays is people who think their old videogame stuff is made of solid gold, and price it accordingly.

Oh only $20 for this PS2 copy of NCAA Football 2005? SOLD!
 
yeah it's either they think it's worth too much because it's old, or they don't know the value and are selling it for a dollar. I very rarely see things at actual market value at thrift/pawn/yard sales.
 
[quote name='ex_eBay_buyer']So pretty much, there's no easy way to tell whether a game is valuable or not other than buying a smartphone and paying like $30 a month[/QUOTE]

Well if you can get one or two find it pretty much pay for itself.
 
[quote name='ex_eBay_buyer']So pretty much, there's no easy way to tell whether a game is valuable or not other than buying a smartphone and paying like $30 a month[/QUOTE]

Yeah that's kinda how it is... sorry bud, but there's no easy button. I think people have given some good advice, but as they say as well there's always going to be an exception to the "JRPG rule", and you need to read up on game values. With more old-school games getting the downloadable treatment and more recent games getting reprints or having fly-by-night price surges you need to keep rather current. Personally I don't have an internet phone and I think I've made out fairly well the past two years(I still make the occasional bad purchase, but not so much).

I would suggest going to the "is this rare" thread and reading the last 30 or so pages, this will help you get an idea of the different types of games that tend to rise in value and all the various factors that can cause a game to increase/decrease in value
 
Another good rule is to always get games in bundles, combine something that you know is undervalued with something you're not sure about (but looks interesting). Mediate the risk and you don't have to know the price for every single game.

Also if somebody throws bunches of games at you and you think they're fairly common, don't offer more than a $1 apiece. And if they're games you really don't want, sometimes the best skill is walking away. You save yourself time and resources for the good deals when they do pop up, and the next one could be just around the corner.
 
Smartphone is not worth it, most cost $80 a month plus the cost of the phone. You would have to do an awful lot of yardsaling to cover that, at least in my area. If your employer provides you with a smartphone then you are golden though.

Prices are down during the summer too, so you can't really gauge true value if you are like me and hold stuff to sell during Xmas, a game that goes for $5 during the summer might be worth $30 during Xmas season especially for modern games. System bundles go for A LOT more during Xmas than they do over the summer, so do lots of games even if they are crappy games. You can still make decent money if you buy crappy games for cheap then list them in a lot (group) during Xmas just not usually for old sports games. Sure there are games that sell equally in the summer and during Xmas but I find that with most games they do sell for more during the Xmas season.

If you can get a bunch of common games for $1 each then it might be worth it, however if its something stupid then I usually pass it up because it will not be easy to sell unless it is something I want to play myself. For example N64 games might be worth it if you can get 10-12 of them for $1 each, because that would make a nice group to sell, but unless you can get a bunch going you will be stuck with sales of $2-3 per game.

Also don't underestimate games targeted towards children, you have to keep current with these but some games go for a lot because kids want them, even if a gamer would normally consider it a bad game.
 
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