Naked Warrior | 288 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 So, as someone who doesn't like to leave the house, as well as someone who didn't start collecting until late 2016, a majority of my game collection has come from eBay and Amazon...and as time has gone on, I find myself gambling on poor listings more and more often. I've been expanding my Gamecube collection over the past 4 months, and picked up these three games (from 3 different sellers - all with less than 10 feedback) in the last 2 weeks for $31 (Pikmin), $30 (Killer 7), & $19 (Sonic Gems) shipped/including tax respectively because they were listings with NO PICTURES and had descriptions that read something similar to: "Game in very good condition. Will ship USPS first class." I guess I figured, even if they were disc-only, at that price I would lose maybe $5 each if they weren't "good enough" for my collection and I had to re-sell them. I will say, I don't do this near as often with cartridge/box games because it is almost assumed if they don't specifically say "box" in the listing, it is going to be cart only (even if it says "New" or "Like New"), and I also probably wouldn't do this on a game like Pokemon Box where several hundred dollars would be at risk. I also feel like I may be more willing than most because I'm not very condition sensitive - If the game plays and everything is there, I could care less if there are light scratches on the disc/dog-eared pages in the manual/a tear in the cover art. What do you think? Am I dumb for taking the risk to save $60 total on these 3 games? Do you only buy from eBay sellers that have a long track record? Do you care about condition so much the thought of doing this makes you throw up a little? I'm interested to see if there is a split here between people who identify more as "gamers" and people who identify more as "collectors". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,570 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Some of the coolest stories are people who bought randomly listed old, rare games off Amazon. I don’t like dealing with returns at all and have enough issues buying something pictured that I want and getting shipped something else. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phart010 | 1,718 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 No risk no reward 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foochie776 | 1,066 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 I took a $148 gamble this morning. Time will tell I suppose. Either way eBay has my back 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulag Joe | 586 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 I avoid buying anything on ebay without a picture. It should be treated exactly like a dating site. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,570 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 12 minutes ago, Gulag Joe said: I avoid buying anything on ebay without a picture. It should be treated exactly like a dating site. I am desperate, cheap, and staring longingly at things out of my league. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drxandy | 3,258 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Once in a while depends on the game for me but I just took a couple risks in the last month, one being a japanese gamecube game (hoping it's gonna come with the slipcase) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularGuyGamer | 2,022 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Very willing. Unfortunately it's about a 50/50 split for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 4,808 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Yeah I gamble, but generally it's even without the safety blanket of eBay. I've traded and bought from folks all over the world, reputations unseen. If I am looking for some obscure fame, sometimes this is the only way. It's always worked out for me, but generally you can figure out how trustworthy someone is by talking to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naked Warrior | 288 Posted February 9, 2021 Author Share Posted February 9, 2021 1 hour ago, RegularGuyGamer said: Very willing. Unfortunately it's about a 50/50 split for me. Yeah, I didn't list my failures from the last two weeks...I bought a Sega Saturn Rayman CIB that was listed "AS-IS because I don't have a Saturn to test it" for like $45...Completely riddled with disc rot . I know I could probably abuse eBay's policy to return it (because they always side with the buyer, and because the disc rot was not mentioned), but it seems unfair...He put "AS-IS" and I gambled and lost that one... On a completely unrelated note, Anybody out there got a disc-only Rayman on Sega Saturn (that isn't riddled with disc rot) that they want to sell? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammerfestus | 3,976 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Audentes Fortuna iuvat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki | 4,974 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, Naked Warrior said: What do you think? Am I dumb for taking the risk to save $60 total on these 3 games? Do you only buy from eBay sellers that have a long track record? Do you care about condition so much the thought of doing this makes you throw up a little? I'm interested to see if there is a split here between people who identify more as "gamers" and people who identify more as "collectors". I can't speak for others, but no you're not stupid, a bit brave sure, but the system was on your side with ebay given how the listing was setup. And best of all, Killer 7 is a 70-80 dollar game, so it was BUY 1 GET 2 FREE deal and you can't hate on that. I learned long ago to never discount someone under 10 feedback on ebay, they're such a-holes to sellers you're pretty much on a safe bet you can nail someone to the wall on a listing so I'd say go for it. I do care about condition, doesn't matter what, but I am pickier when it comes to small card games(DS, 3DS, Switch) and optical (GC, PS whatever, Wii) type stuff because usually if they're loose they're not in good shape because the person was careless enough to trash the rest likely they're careless with that game too. But in the case of where you have stock/no image and it's the generic ebay text you're speaking of this right? GAME NAME (Hardware Maker/System Name, DATE). Condition is "Good". Shipped with USPS First Class. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I've never tried it but I suspect that's the default filler that ebay uses. If it is, it's the best thing to exploit a seller over for being lazy. Ebay will either way have to default to whatever they highlighted the game as (good, very good, like new, etc) so if they leave no visual record or description and what you receive doesn't fit their hard description of it, YOU WIN. Edited February 9, 2021 by Tanooki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naked Warrior | 288 Posted February 9, 2021 Author Share Posted February 9, 2021 8 minutes ago, Tanooki said: But in the case of where you have stock/no image and it's the generic ebay text you're speaking of this right? GAME NAME (Hardware Maker/System Name, DATE). Condition is "Good". Shipped with USPS First Class. If you have any questions feel free to ask Exactly that... I have sent questions to sellers on occasion like "Does it have the manual?" or whatever, but 100% of the time I get one of the following 2 reactions: 1) No Response 2) Buy it Now price raised triple the original value, with no response. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mideast | 144 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 4 hours ago, Gulag Joe said: I avoid buying anything on ebay without a picture. It should be treated exactly like a dating site. I actually found my fiancé on a dating site and she didn’t post a photo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Morbis | 2,105 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 1 hour ago, Hammerfestus said: Audentes Fortuna iuvat This. I gamble on eBay a lot, and it usually doesn't work out; but when it does.... oh boy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPX | 1,376 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 35 minutes ago, mideast said: I actually found my fiancé on a dating site and she didn’t post a photo I guess that would count as a gamble.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPX | 1,376 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 1 hour ago, Naked Warrior said: Exactly that... I have sent questions to sellers on occasion like "Does it have the manual?" or whatever, but 100% of the time I get one of the following 2 reactions: 1) No Response 2) Buy it Now price raised triple the original value, with no response. I think the biggest gamble is more the person you’re dealing with rather than the listing. If the listing is inadequate, you can always ask for more details. How the seller responds though, is literally a gamble. The good ones respond fairly, the bad ones give all sorts of snobby remarks or raising the prices after an enquiry. And this in a nutshell, has been one of the big turn-offs for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mideast | 144 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 As far as the question goes I think it often pays off to take a risk on eBay items others don’t feel comfortable bidding on. I just bagged Civilization for SNES for $10 plus shipping because the seller forgot to upload the front photo and just had a pic of the back of the cartridge. Bad photos and inadequate titles are one of the best ways to find deals on eBay. Only bad thing about getting deals is it slightly lowers the value of the item on price charting when it tracks it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splain | 2,629 Editorials Team · Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 2 hours ago, Hammerfestus said: Audentes Fortuna iuvat eBayum Mmm yes, "fortune favors those who take measured risks on ebay" I have a decent track record for ebay risks, maybe 70% or so. If it seems like some info is being left out on purpose, then I'm a little more averse. But I've gotten some nice stuff that was "untested" or "Japanese version" when it kind of seems through the blurry picture that it might be the CHN release I'm looking for. I've paid money for garbage, but I guess not enough to keep me from still taking risks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Morbis | 2,105 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 1 hour ago, mideast said: Only bad thing about getting deals is it slightly lowers the value of the item on price charting when it tracks it. That's a pro, not a con, ya dern prospector..... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkTone | 990 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Just make sure ebay has your back. Had a few shocking purchases from there, and its funny to think about now. I was careful dipping my toe into that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammerfestus | 3,976 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Like others have said eBay is so buyer friendly that there’s not even really that much risk. Not all low feedback sellers are necessarily scammers or whatever. Everyone has to start somewhere or not everyone uses ebay that often. From my experience they are usually just inexperienced in using the platform so you actually end up snagging some good deals. They are more likely to underprice their items or are more open to discounts through OBO. On a kind of related note, I’ve actually grabbed some pretty brilliant deals from bigger sellers whose main selling focus is items other than games. Guy has dozens of listings for old clothes and Hummel figurines but also happens to get in a boxed copy of Simons quest he’s selling for $20? Oh hell yeah. No pictures is a bit off putting for me especially if it involves old cardboard something or other because condition could vary so wildly and I require a certain condition quality that it’s hard to just roll the dice on that one. More Likely to lead to the hassle of a return. On the flip side I’ve had my fair share of instances where bad photos and a nice price have actually turned out to be far superior condition to what I thought I was getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintegageo | 582 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 My Cotton 2 ST-V cart had no picture and was using google translate essentially to purchase it thanks to a proxy site. Granted it was in Japan and I just trust them not to be as shady as Westerners. #notantiwest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8bitsupremacy | 208 Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) I gambled on a zero feedback listing of a flintstones dino peak and won it with a low-ball offer of $319...it turned out to be some kid who was using eBay for the first time and I had to walk him through the rest of the process. I had him send me another pic of the cart next to a spoon after I won, to which he did. It was legit and it still is the cart I have in my collection. He also sent it in an oversized bubble mailer and it was definitely flopping around in there loosely the whole way to Chicago. 2018 or 19 can't remember. Edited February 13, 2021 by 8bitsupremacy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naked Warrior | 288 Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 1 hour ago, 8bitsupremacy said: some kid who was using eBay for the first time and I had to walk him through the rest of the process. I get a message at least once every six weeks from a new seller saying, "Why aren't you paying for this???" and I have to show them how to set up their Paypal account to accept all types of payments...Usually I'm nice about it ("This happens to new sellers pretty often..."), but sometimes I just ain't got time for that ("GO TO PAYPAL AND USE THE HELP FUNCTION!!!...") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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