Why are people not trading and just buying.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

So I have seen this time and time again. 

Someone is looking for a game xxx, and you just happen to have a spare your willing to part with. 

Stating you have one, they ask how much for the item, you respond with "what do you have to trade?" person just walk away or said no thanks and walks away.

Is the art of trading dead or do people just want to spend, spend, and spend?

are people afraid to talk to someone that has a large collection? or even a small collection.

 

[phart010 | 1,708]

I think the advances in technology that have become available over the years have created classes of individuals. If a new technology was available when you were born then you probably are less willing to tolerate something less modern than that baseline.

A lot of older people like to barter and do deals in person. Some younger generations are not willing to do trades but may be willing to do Craigslist. For some even younger people, they may only be willing to use selling apps or Facebook marketplace, but Craigslist might seem too antiquated. 
 

If you’ve never actually bargained and done trades before, it might seem like more effort than your willing to invest. And in reality it may actually be more effort. But if you have already done that a bunch and it’s nothing new to you, then you may have a greater tolerance for the extra effort involved.

People like to stick with what they know because things that they know seem easier

Edited May 22, 2021 by phart010

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

Basically what @phart010said but also, to someone, especially younger, that has never done a trade before it screams scam. 

“You want me to send my thing and trust you to send your thing?!!! are you nuts!?”

Is what I imagine is going through their head

[a3quit4s | 4,127]

I don't have doubles of anything and sort of have this feeling if I traded something I would regret it 

[JVOSS | 1,762]

@a3quit4show to you upgrade?

[phart010 | 1,708]

37 minutes ago, a3quit4s said:

I don't have doubles of anything and sort of have this feeling if I traded something I would regret it 

[a3quit4s | 4,127]

16 minutes ago, JVOSS said:

@a3quit4show to you upgrade?

Did you mean how do I upgrade? And if so upgrade what? I only collect loose and I dont mind a little damage so I've never bought a game I already own just to get one in better condition if that's what you mean. 

When times were still good and I got games in lots I already had, selling them off was just easier than trying to trade but looking back maybe I should have saved them lol

[Hammerfestus | 3,891]

I tried to trade a guy once.  He didn’t want what I had for what I had even though it was on his want list.  Too much of a hassle.

[drxandy | 3,236]

Since I restarted my collection couple years back I stopped going for lots and bought only what I wanted, so I didn't have much of anything I'd want trade. Recently I started on the lots, and the stuff I have left over just seems like it's not high enough quality to trade.

I did however do one on here a year ago which I thought was pretty neat.

[Kguillemette | 1,547]

Maintaining an updated haves/wants list is very time consuming. That's the main reason I don't do that. I occasionally will browse someone's trades list if they have extras of systems I collect, but it's generally much easier and quicker to just buy games I want and sell games I'm finished with for the moment.

[alexkidd401 | 20]

I've noticed this a lot as well of late. With games just going up in price significantly, you would think people would be more inclined to trade but it's the exact opposite.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

11 minutes ago, alexkidd401 said:

I've noticed this a lot as well of late. With games just going up in price significantly, you would think people would be more inclined to trade but it's the exact opposite.

Well, as I always say to my in laws toward the holidays (as they're always trying to give me and mine gift cards instead of straight up cash if they can't think up a gift), cash spends anywhere.  It might be great having a couple of extra Little Samson carts sitting around, but that'll do f-all for you if you have a sudden, unexpected bill come up.  Neither the grocery store of the gas station take video games in trade, but they will accept cash.

By the same token, while you can sometimes trade games with folks, everybody is far more accepting of a cash offer for whatever they're looking to get rid of.  With everybody's tastes and requirements constantly changing, it's far easier to throw your dupes out onto the open market and get currency for them versus trying (and in this day and age, hoping, really) to meet up with the couple of people who have exactly what you want and need exactly what you have.  The days of everybody meeting on the playground or after school to swap doubles of whatever they're collecting are pretty close to being completely in the rear view mirror at this point.

[captmorgandrinker | 1,650]

3 hours ago, phart010 said:

I think the advances in technology that have become available over the years have created classes of individuals. If a new technology was available when you were born then you probably are less willing to tolerate something less modern than that baseline.

A lot of older people like to barter and do deals in person. Some younger generations are not willing to do trades but may be willing to do Craigslist. For some even younger people, they may only be willing to use selling apps or Facebook marketplace, but Craigslist might seem too antiquated. 
 

If you’ve never actually bargained and done trades before, it might seem like more effort than your willing to invest. And in reality it may actually be more effort. But if you have already done that a bunch and it’s nothing new to you, then you may have a greater tolerance for the extra effort involved.

People like to stick with what they know because things that they know seem easier

 

3 hours ago, LeatherRebel5150 said:

Basically what @phart010said but also, to someone, especially younger, that has never done a trade before it screams scam. 

“You want me to send my thing and trust you to send your thing?!!! are you nuts!?”

Is what I imagine is going through their head

 

^^^What they said, and also convenience factor thrown in.  If somebody doesn't already ship things on a regular basis, it can be a giant pain in the ass.

[ThePhleo | 2,186]

Lack of “community” feeling.

When even the most expensive elite tier of games were barely five figures it didn’t feel risky to ship out some collectibles to fellow nerds.

Now we have Wolf of Wall Street wannabes putting up mid to high five figures and low to mid six figures for some collectibles.

Theres “real” money so to speak, and no one wants to risk losing out on anything since all they have to do is send it to wata and become rich.

[scaryice | 597]

It does seem like there's a lot less trading happening on GameTZ these days. I'd love to trade more, but outside of doing 1 for 1 recent game trades, it's hard to find someone who has the retro stuff you're looking for and who wants what you have. For example, I would love to trade my complete copy of Koudelka for some rare Famicom carts, but very few people even have those to begin with. The odds of something like that working out is so slim.

[Brickman | 4,019]

I think for me it is hard to find someone who has what I want available to trade.

I’ve done a trade with Gloves and was happy with that, so I would definitely do it again if people had something I’m interested in.

I do often browse the sale thread and don’t see anything I’m interested in.

Part of it is probably also because a lot of stuff is becoming expensive, so unless you really know them it can be pretty scary to rely on them not scamming you.

[Tanooki | 4,953]

I think trading, and on the whole bartering/haggling over prices is rapidly becoming in this current period an endangered species.

I've done a couple trades recently, preferred them, quite pleased with it too.  There's not a whole lot I am after, but if someone had that thing, I'm good.

 

I think the prices are so volatile and awful now, people are just going to throw whatever sticks to the wall on value (high) not haggle, not trade either... cash is everything, and trades to those shitty types is just another barrier to getting the cash anyway as it's more work.

 

Today I went to the flea market, prices sucked, availability sucked, but what one thing hit me the most as the prices hadn't caught up with online at least, is the ability to haggle -- it was dead.  On some old toys, I tried to bundle a couple things, was told no bundle.  Asked to get like 20% off, then less...no and NO.  Another old redneck had this dslite with 3 dollar dumper titles, no charger, and a case... $50.  Tried to point out a charger costs X, was asking if I could make an offer, they were firm under the delusion it was worth $100.   When I went into the indoor vendors, where this warped reality continued, THEY were cheaper.  One who a year to two earlier I'd never buy off of because he was high, even with negotiation, was low (Wario Ware for $25, sells 40 on ebay up to 50) and when I tried to buy a few games, he said they were as low as he could go, woudn't even take a single dollar off.

I don't intend to go back there anymore post virus stupid stuff weekly, if the outside is morons and scarce supply of anything interesting (old toys were mostly gone, old gaming was basically gone, rusty gold and antiques thin... it's not worth the 30min drive and gas except maybe 1 or 2x a month not 4.

[phart010 | 1,708]

What we need is an app that has the clean interface and pricing database of Mercari, combined with the functionality of GameTZ

[Dr. Morbis | 2,092]

The barter system doesn't really work in most instances, that's why we moved away from it thousands of years ago.  And as far as collecting goes it's even worse because you have two people both trying to trade out their "lesser" condition items and upgrade to pristine stuff... do you see the problem here???

[JVOSS | 1,762]

54 minutes ago, Dr. Morbis said:

The barter system doesn't really work in most instances, that's why we moved away from it thousands of years ago.  And as far as collecting goes it's even worse because you have two people both trying to trade out their "lesser" condition items and upgrade to pristine stuff... do you see the problem here???

@Dr. Morbis your a banker?

[JVOSS | 1,762]

1 hour ago, phart010 said:

What we need is an app that has the clean interface and pricing database of Mercari, combined with the functionality of GameTZ

@phart010looked at GameTZ for the first time not really getting the understanding of that site.  the use of stock photo is the way the show what the really have?

[JVOSS | 1,762]

3 hours ago, ThePhleo said:

Lack of “community” feeling.

When even the most expensive elite tier of games were barely five figures it didn’t feel risky to ship out some collectibles to fellow nerds.

Now we have Wolf of Wall Street wannabes putting up mid to high five figures and low to mid six figures for some collectibles.

Theres “real” money so to speak, and no one wants to risk losing out on anything since all they have to do is send it to wata and become rich.

@ThePhleonicely put but who is the real wannabes the seller or buyer?

[Bonanza125 | 55]

For me personally I already have everything I want in my collection so I really believe a lot of other people are in the same situation. Also if the trade requires shipping the item it now costs a lot to ship and in some cases not even worth doing the trade compared to just outright buying it. Locally I hear stories about people wanting to trade low value stuff in exchange for quality video games. So making an even trade is also kind of difficult in some cases. With values going up on sites like Ebay people are paying premium prices for items and I believe it worth more to people just to get the money than to wait around for a trade that would really be for something they would actually want. That also doesn't include the people who just want to get rid of items and don't want to accumulate a bunch of other stuff. 

[ThePhleo | 2,186]

5 hours ago, JVOSS said:

@ThePhleonicely put but who is the real wannabes the seller or buyer?

Maybe a little of both really.

Ill admit that I probably fall in the category myself, though I’m not a seller... in the past few years in only sold one item and I still miss it,

[GPX | 1,374]

I have a mathematical theory..

Sometime in the past, it was a more simpler equation: CIB(x) traded for CIB(y). 

Now in present day, and more so with the rise of WATA/HA, we are now factoring in the condition to the microscopic level, production print-run, seal types, any hint of fingerprints etc...

So the equation now becomes:

CIB(x) +/- seal x (condition rating) x (print run) x (probability of it making a killing on HA if WATA graded)

to trade for

CIB (y) +/- seal x (condition rating) x (print run) x (probability of it making a killing on HA if WATA graded)

Both parties are like “fuck Maths! I think I just want cash for my game, thanks!”