Amermoe

9 hours ago, Beam said:

Hey guys I own a few VGA graded games that I've picked up over the years but I've never sent in my own submission until now. At the beginning of the submission they ask which case style I'd prefer, classic or clear view. I just want the same standard case style as 99.9% VGA graded games I see, which based on the description sounds like clear view? If someone could clarify that for me I'd appreciate it.

You want to be using the Clear View. It's the one most people use and has the large font on the front of the box;

Edit: Jim Jimmer beat me to it, sorry for the redundancy...

On 2/6/2021 at 3:03 PM, joshdose said:

I came across this Final Fantasy X on eBay. I am 90% certain that it is re-sealed, but wanted to see what other opinions are out there:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Final-Fantasy-X-Factory-Sealed-New-PS2-Playstation-2-SNES-NES-Y-FOLD-/274672662159?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
 

I have purchased and re-sold a LOT of these back in the day, and I don’t ever recall one not having the official Sony sticker on top. It looks like someone successfully resealed this using security sticker from another game.

It's a re-seal for sure but not what you think. I bought a lot of these PS2 re-seals years ago, on different titles. Basically what it is, some distributors intentionally opened the cases and inserted the security label, then resealed and sold them in bulk. There are whole-sale stock of these available on other titles. I still have a Contra - Shattered Soldier with the same re-seal and sticker.

Doesn't take away from the fact that it's an opened copy, or that it's extremely less desirable than the original. I had to buy a second copy of Contra, because the store I bought it from didn't disclose the actual condition.

And you are 100% correct about FFX. It never was printed without the official Sony security seal. FFX was before the cutoff date where Sony discontinued printing the security seal on their games.

Update: OMG I didn't notice that there were bids on this...  I can't believe people are paying $500+ for this nonsense. Good lord...game collecting is dead...

Honestly, it's always been this way with games (i.e. condition is paramount), just that it was a small set of collectors in the hobby at the time.

A bit of a throwback, sealed game collecting really took off around 2005, back then there were some major players in the market gobbling the absolute best condition copy of iconic games for every platform. The problem is, back then no one except those collectors cared, but the premium was always there and bidding wars were waged. At the time for record prices, though nowadays would be considered dirt cheap.

This was mainly for NES and Atari, but shifted to SNES and Sega. Then at around 2010 or so, VGA came onto the scene and solicited some of these old time collectors for advice. People were paying in the 4 figures for the high "Grade" items even at 2010-2013 levels. Raw copies of sealed games were abundant, and low condition copies would sell for 10x-20x less than high grade or mint sealed copies. 

This is the history most people miss, because the sealed game hobby was that small, and NO ONE cared. Everything then changed at ~ 2018 when Wata decided to partner with Heritage. Another piece of history everyone seemed to miss is that Wata was tanking when they started, all the old collectors preferred VGA, mainly citing the look of the new case. It wasn't until new money and exposure from Heritage that changed the game completely.

But I digress, back to your topic, it's no different than action figures, I would liken this to action figures and toys a lot more than to comics or cards. The grade on the action figure is not just for the toy inside, it's the box and the plastic casing, as is with games because it is a multi component product. The condition of the cart/CD is important, but only in CIB/Qualified grades. Everyone assumes the inside contents of a sealed game to be mint, if the outside of the box is mint - even if it isn't necessarily true.

8 minutes ago, Estil said:

The reason I ask is in regard to this whole "FF1 has no story"...for games in the 8/16-bit eras (or 3rd/4th gens if you prefer) they had no choice but to tell the game's story in the manual (and if well written/illustrated like Legend of Zelda it was really able to inspire you to imagine yourself in that world and as that character like how it looks in the manual).  The game itself in most cases only was able to fit a Cliff's Notes version (are those still used anymore?) at best.

I really understand this, and my comment is not a slight on the game itself. I love Final Fantasy (up until XIII), and I've played/completed pretty much every entry in the series (including the spinoffs like Tactics and Dirge of Cerberus) and when I have to compare the first game to later entries, I'm doing so in the context of the entirety of the series. The game itself (not including the manual), to me felt like it had a thin story, relative to say FF6 or 7 or 8. When I say "it had no story" it is an embellishment, I know the game is telling a story, it is where the story of the crystals originated - which ties all the other games in the series together, and I know the developers did a fantastic job for the medium at the time it was produced. 

At the same time, I can't pretend that it had a deep, rich, narrative that gripped me from beginning to end (like some games have), because it simply didn't and nor did it need to because other aspects of of the game were amazing, like gameplay, music, battle mechanics, originality, charm etc.  and in my opinion were done better than some later entries - certainly better than many other RPGs.

I weigh story very heavily (this includes writing, pacing, plot, characters, direction, believability etc.) when I rank RPG games, because it's one of the aspects I look forward to the most in games. Gameplay and strategy are right up there with story, but story is number 1. If I want gameplay, I play games like God or War or Castlevania, if I want just strategy, there are many platformers, or puzzle games I can chose from. I don't mind Visual Novel games, but they can get boring. RPGs are the perfect mix of story and strategy, where I don't have to rely on quick reflexes and I can take my time think and strategize, as well as unwind take a break and relax in between with a good story to keep me interested and engaged. 

3 hours ago, Estil said:

Have you heard of the instruction manual?

Yes? I was the kid who wouldn't touch the cart/disk until I familiarized myself with and read the entire manual...

On 12/18/2020 at 6:02 PM, ThePhleo said:

Also I need to add this. I also consider everything before the NES (2600, 5200, INTV, Coleco, etc.) to be something else. Maybe "archaic" or "antiquated"

These games for me are unplayable, and only appreciable as relics of their time to me.

They are also "retro" but they are "Antiquated Retro Games" ... NES will eventually be here, and it's getting close for me.

"Antiquated" is exactly the word I would have used and couldn't agree more. I really see the merit in both arguments and in practicality both are true, one is just a sub-form of the other. PS1 games are certainly 'retro', they are outdated by many generations past them. Atari/colleco/even nes are outdated by many more generations even before the former. So in reality, there needs to be a marker for the terminology being used to indicate the extent by which something is defined as 'retro'. So as you described, "antiquated retro" or as I would rather put it "Classical retro".

I'm still waiting for any release of Panzer Dragoon Saga...

16 hours ago, FireHazard51 said:

I've asked some of our bridge engineers about SE and they all thing it does nothing for their career so why bother.  They are right, they would only get a pay back when they go to the private sector after retiring.  And at that point with so much actual experience I'm not sure if the SE will mean anything.

The SE will allow you to work on hospitals and schools, basically anything that is considered 'Risk Category IV' under ASCE7. In some states, a PE isn't sufficient to be able to stamp structural dwgs. and you need to upgrade to SE.

It's weird because, for some reason, the government doesn't put the same restriction on bridges as they do on some other government buildings, and Bridge Design is no small task, particularly when you got to long-span or suspended bridges (not just overpass/underpass). Some states also require you to have a PE in order to even attempt the SE, and other states do not recognize the SE as equivalent to a PE, and force you to do a PE even if you have an SE. It's all a big mess and very weird.

Overall though in terms of advantage, it really depends what work you want to get into.

By the way congrats!

10 hours ago, arch_8ngel said:

Honestly didn't realize that "architectural engineering" was a separate degree title, though I never looked into what specific degree name architecture students were pursuing when I was in school. (though that was a fully separate program from the CE department which was under the college of engineering as opposed to the college of architecture)

Architectural Engineering is actually a new branch of Engineering (relatively). Architecture is a separate degree entirely. It's sort of a mix between architecture and Civil Engineering, and mostly deals with building science, and building envelope design.

The industry I currently work for actually employs a lot of Architectural Engineers. I think of it as sort of another niche specialized field because you can hire civil engineers or architects to do the same work, but they wouldn't be as efficient doing it.

I'm a P.Eng. (structural), and believe me I know the pain of the grueling 16 hr. FE and PE exams. I was supposed to take it after graduation, but at the time wasn't worth the effort. I'm thinking of taking the SE in the next year or 2, and from what I hear it makes the PE seem like a cakewalk. It's 2 sessions of 8hr exams, and passing rate I believe is 36%...fun!

By the way, what discipline?

51 minutes ago, arch_8ngel said:

The escapism of "being" the adventurer is most of the fun of RPGs, IMO.

If I want to see and hear the journey/story of other heroes, I'll watch a movie or read a book.

In the purest sense of the term 'role playing', I think I would agree with you. Most western RPGs or computer RPGs would fall under this category. I don't know, when I think of JRPGs, it often seems like a completely different genre to me. Think more anime mixed with philosophy and themes relating to life/death and/or existentialism. Throw in a strategic battle system to test your wits and intelligence and you have a winning formula. That's mostly what draws me into JRPGs. 

I love movies and books that tell a good story, but I also like gameplay. I can get more fun out of a 1 hr turn-based boss battle than I can playing several levels of super mario or Castlevania, knowing that every action I make after every turn has consequence on the outcome of the battle. This is why I love turn-based games, I have the time to think and plan, similar to a game of chess. Tactical-rpgs in general (FF Tactics, Fire Emblem, Vandal Hearts, Tactics Ogre, etc.) are also one my most favorite genre of games to play - those I love more so for the gameplay and not the story.

I've played Baldur's gate 1 and 2 and Neverwinter Nights as well as several other CRPGs in the 90s. Those were very enjoyable games and probably clocked hundreds of hours between them, but overall a very different experience than JRPGs. I would argue there is certainly more immersion in those games, and while you get to roll the dice on stats and which character to chose as your 'Hero', the world of Baldur's gate (and Dungeons & Dragons as a whole) is so fleshed out and detailed, that there is no question with regards to direction of story. You could write several books on the lore alone for those games. I still remember being blown away when I found out Baldur's gate was a 6-CD PC game, that's how deep that game was. You couldn't get anything like that on consoles at the time.

1 hour ago, FenrirZero said:

When I visited their 30th Anniversary art gallery in Roppongi they put more detail in every game after that. Which was fine since the last gallery offered a sneak preview to Final Fantasy VII Remake. And original artwork for the original game. Which resulted in me having a very nice solo V-Day in 2018. 

That's really neat Fenrir, I think I would have enjoyed an event like that.

9 hours ago, arch_8ngel said:

Not having a pre-named cast of player characters is NOT the same as lacking a story.

The vast majority of the best console and CRPGs do NOT have prenamed player-characters.

I really think many of you are missing the point. you can have a story centered around 'you' the player, and you can name your characters any name - if I'm not mistaken I believe every FF allows to you name your own characters. That in itself does not detract from a well written story. But if every character in your party is generic "X" class, with no background information, no distinction between other characters and in fact is a clone copy of every other member, no history or explanation other than "you have been chosen by the crystals" without answering the how, when, why then as a narrative it falls flat.

If I have to use my imagination to fill the gaps in the story, then there really isn't much there to begin with...

In my opinion, the game doesn't need a good story to be enjoyable. It is a good game, and has other redeeming qualities. I would play it over plenty of modern games. It is iconic, and the beginning to what I consider the greatest and my most favorite RPG franchise. Would I have enjoyed it more if it had some kind of proper narrative, yes, because that's what I look for most in RPGs. I want to be told a good story. Gameplay is a close second, and graphics last.

On another note, you brought up something interesting in your other post and I think it's the reason why there seems to be a disconnect. For me, I never wanted to 'be' the hero, I always rather see and hear the journeys and stories of heroes. Which I think is the reason why I hate playing first person games. But I know for some people it's the other way around. I had this discussion with my brother some years back, who is a big first-person buff, and he argues that in terms of immersion nothing is better than first person games. I always just laugh and say, the last thing I want is to actually be the character in the story, I just want to see the character live and watch how they react to the world around them.

2 minutes ago, FenrirZero said:

Warrior of Light. One of four heroes that was chosen by the crystals—be it by a prophecy, a will, or by fate—to embark on the dangerous journey to fight evil or restore balance to the world.

Mine was named Jimmy the white mage - he hailed from...I forget, but he was one of 4 heroes chosen by the crystals to fight evil and restore balance to the world. At least that part we have in common.

To be fair Dragon Quest also had a very weak story. but the second and later games had a silent protagonist, with the rest of the cast fleshed out. Character development in my opinion is central to any story driven narrative, you take that element out and the end product is broken.

Yes FF1 had 'A' story, albeit an incredibly weak one more akin to fetch quests than an actual plot - like a certain Nintendo game that comes to mind... I'm not knocking the game, I actually enjoyed it. But its value was more in its combat, exploration, and customization, or innovation for its time, not for its story. As were many NES and earlier games for that time. Back then games were more about gameplay and fun. Not sure how anyone can argue that.

21 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

FF1 had a story, FF2 had more of a story just a very wonky largely hated experience system. 

I have one simple question; tell me the name of ONE party member and give me a little on his/her background. 

Go on.

2 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Did this guy just say FF1 had no story!?!?

I stand by my statement. 

1 hour ago, arch_8ngel said:

I was barely able to finish FFX, for how much I disliked the underwater rugby minigame, and for how grating some of the characters were, so it was my last FF game.  (I skipped FF8 entirely, though -- owned it, but only ever played through the first disc -- completely dislikable cast, and a setting that the basically the opposite of anything I would want from a game called "Final Fantasy")

1 and 2 were very generic games, no plot whatsoever but enjoyable nonetheless for what they were. 3 was similar to 1 and 2, with some plot, albeit very thin and slightly better gameplay. IV to me is where Final Fantasy actually began, it told a good story with memorable characters, and had deep gameplay, with V continuing in the same tradition but not exactly innovating much. VI took it a step further in every aspect, gameplay, plot, characters, graphics, music, an overall great game.

VII was the crowning jewel of the series, in my opinion best plot of the series (feel free to disagree), most memorable and iconic characters and villains of the series, greatest soundtrack, awesome side quests and min games, and to this day I consider it to have one of the best battle systems in a JRPG, period, maybe behind only Xenogears.

VIII is my all time favorite FF - my personal opinion, one I recognize not many will share. The story resonated with me at the time, and I deeply related to the characters (mainly Squall, Rinoa, Seifer, Quistis and Laguna - even Edea), their struggles, emotions, and psychology - again it's a personal connection, and for that will always remain dear to me regardless of its shortcomings. The junction system wasn't as bad as people made it out to be, but certainly not the greatest battle system, I was very disappointed that gear was eliminated in favor of only weapons and stat augmentation through magic. Summons were beautiful and epic, and I really enjoyed the art direction and realistic character models. Oh and the Liebri Fatlai intro...absolutely epic - one of the best in video game history, certainly for the PS1.

I loved IX for its simplistic throwback world and light hearted story. Gameplay and music was also amazing. Many people consider this their favorite FF and I can see why. My biggest gripe with IX was the character models, and I couldn't relate at all to Zidane, which knocked it down a notch for me, but still a great game.

X is how should I say this....complicated. The battle system was very innovative, and they managed to do something that at the time felt impossible and that was to take turn-based battles and make it work for next-gen gaming. It was fast paced, cinematic, every character had their specialization so it didn't feel boring. The story was interesting, but dragged on near the end. The main villain was not very memorable. the introduction of voice acting was a plus, and I felt they did well on their first try. mini games were ok, blitzball was meh, it was an ok distraction. didn't like that gear was again eliminated in favor of accessories and weapons. Story was a little linear, but that didn't detract to much for me. It was a good game, but Tidus wasn't a great character, and I felt there were things that could've been improved in the battle system.

XII was ok, it wasn't bad, it felt like an MMO with very thin plot, and mainly just open ended exploration. was enjoyable for what it was, but forgettable. Not really what I'm looking for in a final fantasy game.

XIII was bad in every way imaginable, combat was completely ruined for me, characters were very poor. writing was cheesy, summons were mechanical, I mean it really sucked the fun out of it for me, too many changes, just gutted the series for me. Then they made 2 more sequels of the same, and an action RPG with XV. pretty much was it for me with Final Fantasy, which is a shame because it was my favorite RPG series.

Overall VIII>VII>VI>IX>IV>V>X>XII>III>I>II

On 12/14/2020 at 3:32 PM, peg said:

It was bad enough that I never touched a ff game since and never will again.

FFXIII did that for me. Only FF game I didn't finish, and was the last I ever played. I begrudgingly grinded through X-2, as much as I didn't want to, and did eventually finish it. I wanted to like XII and it had its moments but was a very forgettable experience. FFX was ok, it could've been much better.

Not sure what you're talking about when it comes to IX and VIII though, those games were some of the best in the series...

I'll take the NES over the N64 any day of the week, no question. But by the same token I'll take the SNES over NES any day of the year.

It goes a little something like this;

SNES > Gamecube >NES > Switch > Wii-u > N64 > wii

This one's a bit tough, but if I had to make one choice it would be my childhood played CIB copy of Final Fantasy VIII for PS1. I know it's not very valuable, but it is very significant to me for many personal reasons, which I can't really explain. If I had to pick another item not necessarily for value or rarity but just something I really like from my collection, probably would be my "sealed" earthbound for SNES.

57 minutes ago, MegaMan52 said:

I'm sure almost everyone would say PS2 (including myself), but GameCube has plenty of good RPGs as well and is a close second in terms of quality:

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean

Baten Kaitos: Origins

Evolution Worlds

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Gladius

Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life

Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful Life

Harvest Moon: Magical Melody

Lord of the Rings: The Third Age

Lost Kingdoms

Lost Kindoms II

Mega Man X: Command Mission (better than the PS2 version due its higher framerate, having more Figures to collect, and better field controls)

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (easily my favorite RPG from that generation)

Phantasy Star Online: Episodes 1 & 2

Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution

Pokémon Colosseum

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

Skies of Arcadia: Legends

Tales of Symphonia

X-Men Legends

X-Men Legends II

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Paper Mario 1000 YD are easily the best the gamecube had to offer and easily up there among the best of PS2 RPGs.

Now this is my kind of debate.

When it comes to RPGs 3 systems are heralded as the best for the genre, some argue PS1 had the greatest and most defining RPGs of any platform (i am of that camp), others argue SNES. However, many people, myself included believe that the PS2 is right up there with the previous 2 juggernauts.

By far, I have played, and completed, the most RPGs on the PS2. I made it a personal effort to hunt down and have a playable copy of every single one, to the point that I have complete lists of every RPG made for the system. I'm probably about 75% done with the Catalogue, with only about 20 or so RPGs I haven't played or completed.

In alphabetical order:

1. .Hack // G.U. Vol. 1 // Rebirth
2. .Hack // G.U. Vol. 2 // Reminisce
3. .Hack // G.U. Vol. 3 // Redemption
4. .Hack Infection: Part One
5. .Hack Mutation: Part Two
6. .Hack Outbreak: Part Three
7. .Hack Quarantine: Part Four
8. Ar Tonelico I: Melody of Elemia
9. Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica
10. Arc The Lad: End of Darkness
11. Arc The Lad: Twilight of the Spirits
12. Atelier Iris 1: Eternal Mana
13. Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny
14. Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm
15. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
16. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
17. Bard's Tale, The
18. Baroque
19. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
20. Champions of Norrath
21. Champions: Return to Arms
22. Chaos Wars
23. Dark Cloud 1
24. Dark Cloud 2
25. Dawn of Mana
26. Digimon World 4: Digital Monsters
27. Digimon World: Data Squad
28. Disgaea 1: Hour of Darkness
29. Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories
30. Dokapon Kingdom
31. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
32. Drakengard 1
33. Drakengard 2
34. Dual Hearts
35. Duel Masters
36. Ephemeral Fantasia
37. Eternal Poison
38. Eternal Ring
39. Evergrace
40. Everquest Online Adventures
41. Everquest Online Adventures: Frontiers
42. Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
43. Final Fantasy X
44. Final Fantasy X-2
45. Final Fantasy XI Online
46. Final Fantasy XI Online: Chains of Promathia
47. Final Fantasy XI Online: Treasures of Aht Urhgan
48. Final Fantasy XI Online: Vana'diel Collection
49. Final Fantasy XI Online: Wings of the Goddess
50. Final Fantasy XII
51. Forever Kingdom
52. Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
53. Front Mission 4
54. Fullmetal Alchemist 1: And The Broken Angel
55. Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir
56. Future Tactics
57. Gladius
58. Graffiti Kingdom
59. Grandia II
60. Grandia III
61. Grandia Xtreme
62. GrimGrimoire
63. Growlanser Generations
64. Growlanser Heritage of War
65. Harvest Moon: A wonderful Life
66. Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland
67. Heroes of Might and Magic: Quest for the Dragon Bone Staff
68. Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon
69. Inuyusha: The Secret Of The Cursed Mask
70. Jade Cocoon 2
71. Justice League Heroes
72. Kingdom Hearts
73. Kingdom Hearts II
74. Kingdom Hearts RE Chain of Memories
75. King's Field: The Ancient City
76. La Pucelle Tactics
77. Legaia 2: Duel Saga
78. Legend of Alon D'ar, The
79. Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
80. Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color
81. Magna Carta: Tears of Blood
82. Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome
83. Mana Khemia 1: Alchemists of Al-Revis
84. Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy
85. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1
86. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
87. Megaman X: Command Mission
88. Metal Saga
89. Monster Hunter
90. MS Saga: A New Dawn
91. Musashi: Samurai Legend
92. Nightmare of Druaga: Fushigino Dungeon
93. Odin Sphere
94. Okage: Shadow King
95. Orphen: Scion of Sorcery
96. Phantasy Star Universe
97. Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus
98. Phantom Brave
99. Puzzle Quest
100. Radiata Stories
101. River King: A Wonderful Journey
102. Rogue Galaxy
103. Romancing Saga
104. RPG Maker 2
105. RPG Maker 3
106. Sakura Wars: So Long My Love
107. Sega Genesis Collection
108. Shadow Hearts
109. Shadow Hearts: Covenant
110. Shadow Hearts: From the New World
111. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
112. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2
113. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
114. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2
115. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
116. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
117. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES
118. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
119. Shining Force EXA
120. Shining Force Neo
121. Shining Tears
122. Soul Nomad & The World Eaters
123. Star Ocean Till The End of Time
124. Steambot Chronicles
125. Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity
126. Suikoden III
127. Suikoden IV
128. Suikoden V
129. Suikoden Tactics
130. Summoner
131. Summoner 2
132. Tales of Legendia
133. Tales of the Abyss
134. Tsugunai: Atonement
135. Unlimited Saga
136. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
137. Virtua Quest
138. Wild Arms 3
139. Wild Arms 4
140. Wild Arms 5
141. Wild Arms Alter Code F
142. Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land
143. Xenosaga
144. Xenosaga II
145. Xenosaga III
146. X-Men Legends
147. X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
148. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

2 hours ago, Gulag Joe said:

I disagree with almost all of that, considering I've been watching my collection closely for nearly 2 decades and see maybe one or two games a year surface. Sure, there are a lot of Left Bros out there, but how many are sealed and in 9.2 or better condition?

Perhaps then you need to be more specific with your question. If you're asking how many "Key" titles among the NES library exist in sealed mint condition, compared to say the number of CIB copies, then the answer is not a whole lot but it's much more than what people are seeing. It obviously depends on which title and the print, whether it was a first, second, or third printing. And by "Key" I assume you mean popular titles. Are there cases available of popular titles? The answer is yes. Is there photo evidence available? Yes. Were there cases available 10 years ago, that were opened and graded by VGA? Yes. Are there collectors that keep their hobby private, don't offer their games for sale, and don't show off their collections to the world? YES.

If you're asking the same question for SNES/Genesis/PS1, then the answer is similar. PS1 specifically, I am very familiar with, and sealed product for most tiles, popular or unpopular exists in the thousands (with few exceptions).

The bigger question is what is the demand vs. the current supply, and how long will that demand extend into the future. Collectibles as a whole are experiencing an unprecedented level of boom. It's not just video games, everything is inflated, sports cards, MTG, Pokémon, even comics and coins. I'd be careful about drawing conclusions from current market trends and applying it as an indicator of future direction. Volatility is extremely high due to the pandemic and current world economy. At some point the market is bound to correct. The only problem is nobody knows when.

26 minutes ago, Gulag Joe said:

But I do think quite a few people have the inside scoop on an idea of what the populations are for some of these games, and thats why we are seeing some of these prices.

Like the "Left Bros" Super Mario 3 that just sold for $156k or the 2nd print PS2 God of War that sold for $3k, or yet the Atari 2600 Spiderman that sold for a record $9k? I think your above statement couldn't be further from the truth.

Long-time collectors do have an idea of what's out there, what's common, what's not and what's desirable. New collectors entering the hobby have no clue what they're doing and are propping up the market to unprecedented highs. Of all the records broken since the last 2 years, only a handful of games are truly rare, and merit their record prices. The sticker sealed Super Mario that went for $100k, and the Dr. Wright Mega Man that went for ~$84k, come to mind. 

Like someone else said, the true grail pieces are locked up, mostly in VGA cases, and long-time collectors are not selling. Mostly because they're collectors first, and not investors or speculators. 

If you're looking to sell, you should do it sooner than later, before prices start to correct after speculators start to realize how much of this stuff is out there. I do think prices will continue to rise in the short term, but the long term future isn't up.