Naked Warrior

Great start to the year! I have to admit I was a little surprised when the seller accepted my offer of $900 ($980 after taxes/shipping) for this sweet 50(GBC) + 1(GB) CIB lot. Pricecharting value is a little north of $2,000...There were about 35 games that I didn't have, including Spawn, Aliens: The Thanatos Encounter, the Godzilla games, and Yoda Stories - all of which I had been searching for a decent price for over a year now...And the doubles will look great in my trade thread (will be back up soon!) - Megaman Xtreme 2, Mario Golf, Pokemon, Blade, and a bunch more. Yeah, there are a few filler games in there (Looking at you All-Star Baseball 2001!), but TBH that is about as little filler as you are going to get when you're buying CIB Game Boy Color games 50 at a time!

MarioKart - 8 games and all of them within a stone's throw of perfection (for the time/system they were released).

I've had almost exclusively good interactions here. You may just have been unlucky and hit a few inactive members in a row...I have had 4 or 5 times where there was a for sale/trade posting and the person just didn't respond to me, but most of the time they at least get back and say, "It's already sold." or "Your offers are not competitive." or whatever. I do agree with @a3quit4s, people get way too stuck on pricecharting value sometimes (and completely disregard the value they're getting from not paying eBay fees/not having to deal with your "average" eBay buyer, etc.)...but as someone who is apathetic about selling games, I somewhat understand it - I hate selling my games, and my "For Offer" thread is really about trading, so maybe those people don't really want to sell their games, and they are just kind of testing the waters? I don't know...It is kind of tough with a relatively small community like this - there are lots of people looking for very specific ultra-rare and ultra high-quality (mint condition) items only...so that pretty much eliminates me as a trading partner with any of them since I don't really traffic in that kind of stuff. But my advice would be to keep trying, there are lots of good people/active game traders (and sellers) on here!

I decided to focus on collecting for Sega Systems in 2021, and I thought this would be a fun comparison. The only working hardware I had was a Dreamcast...but I had a broken Genesis and extra controllers for those systems. Here is a pic of all my CIB Sega games in December 2020 - I found them all at Goodwill/Thrift Stores: And, although I had to pretty much stop buying games after my gameroom flooded in September 2021, I made pretty good progress on my little CIB Sega collection during the year! Not pictured (CIB Saturn/CIB 32X/Sega CD 2 & Genesis combo, tons of accessories/controllers/VMUs/multitaps, etc.) I got most of these off eBay, but I did do some trading/buying on here, and @MiamiSlice, @RetroMichel, @CIB_Wholesale_no_split, and @dyer might recognize a few of these - Thx! I kept costs down by buying in multiple game lots, accepting a lot of messy manuals/water damaged cover art/broken Saturn & Sega CD cases/all around poor condition games (but all of them have been tested and run!), and being patient with offers and auctions on eBay. If I hadn't stopped buying games in September, I probably would have whittled down the 50 or so games that are left on my Want List for Sega systems...but hopefully they come my way in 2022!

Man, these are in great condition, but you must be able to generate tons of hype through Instagram or something, because the prices you are pulling are whackers bonkers! Congrats! I thought the NES stuff went in "high-but-reasonable" ranges, but your SNES stuff was insane. I hope you are willing to share if they guy who bid $7,000(!) for a CIB Super Mario World comes through (but completely understand if you don't want to share). Good luck on the Gameboy stuff! (About 10 minutes in, it was already out of my price range )

https://www.ebay.com/itm/192054686850?hash=item2cb759f482:g:u0wAAOSw44BYU0nY I've used these and they are not bad (but also not perfect). The really cheap (less than $5 ones) are terrible and are more like the type you find in 3rd party controllers. The "Gamecube" style ones are more expensive and just don't feel right to me... No soldering involved, just some tiny screw removal and plug and play...the one thing I have found with this particular version of replacement stick is that the plastic needs to be filed down a little bit in some areas or your controller won't fit back together perfectly...I usually just smash it back together, and the controller is a little "bulgy"...but I only use my replacement stick controllers if we're playing 4-player...nobody ever notices... Be careful to get the wiring out of the way when you are putting the screws back in! I accidently cut the wiring with a screw the first time I did a replacement .

I feel like there hasn't been enough Gamestop ranting (probably because nobody buys games from there anymore). But I actually had a great experience with them during Black Friday week - I ordered probably 15 "New" games from them, and all but one actually came sealed (as many people know, they do this thing where they tell you the game is "New" because they opened it in store and it only was on their shelf - "It's never been played!"). So anyway the one I got that wasn't new had the case, but it had been stepped on (like there was a sneaker print) and the cover art was torn and heavily worn on the bottom 1/2 inch, so I knew I was going to have to return it. But, before I did, they did the Buy 2, get 1 thing on used games...and even tho I knew it could be a disaster, I was optimistic after the pretty good hit rate during Black Friday. So I ordered Hyrule Warriors 2, New Pokemon Snap, and Mario Golf...Of course Pokemon Snap and Mario Golf come in generic cases, so I thought, "Well, I'm going to have to go to Gamestop to return stuff anyway, so I'll play the cover art lottery"...And I ordered 3 more Mario Golf's...hoping at least one of them would have the cover art...I didn't do the same for Pokemon Snap, because there were 3 Gamestops within 15 miles that had a used copy in stock, so I was hoping one of them would be willing to swap out their real case for my generic one...My Mario Golf's come, but in 2 separate packages, and one of the packages didn't have the packing slip in the envelope (but 1 did have the actual case/cover art)...So I go into Gamestop today...here is my interaction: Kid: Hi! Is there something I can help you with? Me: Yeah, I have a couple returns, and I was hoping to ask a favor...I ordered some games online and got generic cases, would you be willing to swap out this generic Pokemon Snap case for the one you have here? Kid: We can't guarantee that the case is included when you buy the game, so I won't be able to do that for you. We don't do that for any customers. Me: Ok, I'd like to buy your used copy of Pokemon Snap then. Kid: You want to buy a copy of a game you already have? Me: Yeah, I'm going to take the receipt you give me and I'm going to use it to return my copy with the generic case. Kid: Well, we might as well just trade cases then... Me: Sounds good. Here's my first return *hands him the game with the sneaker print and torn cover art*. I bought it "New" and it came like this. Kid: It is new! It was just put out as a display. It has never been played. Me: Look at it. It's a mess. I have the receipt and I'm going to return it. *Kid processes the return* Me: And here is my other return. *hands him the 3 Mario Golfs in generic cases and the packing slip*. Yeah, these came in 2 packages, and one didn't have a packing slip inside. Kid: Well I can only return the ones you have packing slips for. How do I know how much you paid for them? Me: Here, let me show you my receipt from the website...it's on my phone... Kid: No, that is not acceptable for a return, you need the packing slip. Me: Like I said, this one didn't have a packing slip... Kid: I don't know what to tell you, you need the printed receipt. Me: Ok, I guess I'll call customer service and we'll get it figured out. *Leaves store and drives home.* So I get home and I had saved all my padded envelopes, because I knew I was going to have to return some of the games...I start looking through them, and sure enough, on one of them, they had not detached the packing slip from the mailing slip (the Fedex slip with your address that shows on the front of the front of the package...in that little clear baggie). So anyway, now I've got to drive 20 minutes back to the Gamestop tomorrow to return these Mario Golfs...It is going to be another 3 years before I dick around with Gamestop again (if they aren't bankrupt by then). Feels good to rant.

It is the beautiful world of garbage condition CIB games...as soon as there is a crease or tear in a box bigger than a quarter inch, people can't get rid of their games fast enough. TBH, I'm surprised I had to pay at all

After primarily targeting Sega consoles and taking a 3 month break from collecting at the end of 2021, I've decided to focus on NES and SNES for 2022. Check out these beauties I got off the Bay for $30 and $65 respectively (after taxes and shipping). The back of the boxes are readable, and they'll look great on my shelf (2nd pic).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bomberman-Quest-Nintendo-Game-Boy-Color-GBC-Brand-New-Sealed-/165251135461?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l44720.c10&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=true I feel like someone is going to be upset when they get this "mint" copy back from WATA next year and it grades 8.5. I mean, it is a pretty tough game to find CIB (or NIB, of course), but I've never won an eBay auction (for a video game) where the 3rd bidder was $1,500 less than me and felt good about it...

I find that leaving the spaces for the games I "need" really steels my resolve for finishing the set...It feels amazing to put a game in its forever place and fill one of those holes...That is awesome! You are so far along! The only "full set" collecting I'm doing right now is for N64, and my dumb friends look at my N64 shelf (with ~275 out of 310 or whatever CIB games) and they say, "Man, you're still missing a lot of games..." And then I throw them out of my house

PM'd

I feel like I can't be the only person who does this...I don't really buy current gen games during the year (maybe 3 or 4 ex-Limited Run stuff), and then I go nuts when Black Friday week hits. The only games from this picture that were more than $30 were the Mario Karts ($60 from all the major retailers) and Shin Megami Tensei V Steelbook Edition ($40). The majority were only $20, and this little shopping spree should hold me over until next Black Friday (2022)...

I mean, it is definitely a fake sticker - look at the fonts - they are all wrong...especially the "O" on Sony...but that doesn't answer the real question that @TDIRunner brought up...

I haven't really noticed a dip in CIB...especially for clean/nice copies, and especially in the NES/GB/SNES/GBC/N64/GBA (Nintendo cardboard) areas where I play the most. Yeah, 30% pullback on Pokemon across the board was inevitable after that huge runup on what are some of the most heavily produced games of all time...there is so much supply out there, demand can never outstrip it...And the sealed market *sigh*...not to disparage sealed collectors, but there is just not enough "endgame" demand out there for the kind of prices that were/are being asked for. A vast majority of the people buying that stuff are either trying to flip it to another investor, or are protecting their investment hoping they don't get caught holding the bag. Yeah, there will always be demand for truly rare (1 of 10 in existence-type stuff) and impactful (Early SMB/Zelda) sealed games from ultra-high rollers/art collectors, but $50,000+ Pokemon games? There has to be thousands (tens of thousands?) of sealed Pokemon games in relatively good condition...I just don't see tens of thousands of people actually wanting to spend $50K on a piece of (pretty common) ornamental art...So yeah, I would guess that market is going to continue to decline as pop reports are released and the supply from all those people sending in their Mario 64s starts hitting the market. But I'm not clairvoyant, and my opinion is just that...

Every game (as long as it is original), regardless of condition has a price at which I would buy it. I personally would not put a replacement label on an original cart - but I would buy a cart with a replacement label for the same price that I would buy a cart that is missing the label. But you have to decide what kind of "collector" you are. I collect CIB games that I plan on playing (in most cases), so I've got tons of ug-mos that I bought for a fraction of the price of a "good" condition CIB game...For example my "CIB" Earthbound (SNES) I bought earlier this year for like $550 - It doesn't have the cardboard insert, the box is in 3/10 shape at best, and the manual/player's guide looks like it was dropped in a puddle (but the pages don't stick together!)...I think the cart has some minor label damage too... But I respect people who have higher standards because they are either looking to impress people with their high quality collection or they are trying to maximize profit - to each his own. Impressing people and maximizing profit don't matter to me that much (so sealed/graded collecting is a huge waste of time/money for me), but reading the manual (even if it is torn/has water damage) and looking at the box art before playing a game are important to me...I'm sure cart-only collectors think, "Why does this dude waste so much money on shitty looking boxes/manuals when he could just buy carts and read the manuals off the internet!"

Added a bunch of stuff (100+ items) today, but to be honest it is mostly junk...lots of disc-only and disc/case PS3/X360 stuff and some loose GB/GBA/DS/VITA/NES carts...not usually the stuff I traffic in, but I got most of it for less than $2-3, so feel free to make some low-ball offers! Basically, if you can beat the trade-in values from this site for non-CIB stuff (with some exceptions, of course), it is likely I will accept your offer. Thanks! https://www.estarland.com/trade-in

I feel like I've posted this before in another thread, but I got all of these for $1.99-$3.99 each from a Goodwill in Phoenix, AZ in 2017...Persona 2 would be by far the rarest/most expensive game I've ever found in the wild (I'm not counting game stores) - at the time it was like $85, but there are a few more bangers in this bunch...

The #1 Spot is a toss up between Action RPGs (Mass Effect Trilogy, "Tales of") and Turn-based Strategy (Advance Wars, XCOM). And a close 3rd is probably Adventure/Sandbox (Assassin's Creed/GTA V/Tomb Raider Reboots/LoR "Shadow of") although I would argue those are just a subset of Action RPGs. I do have to say I love it when there is a mishmash of genres in a game and it works too (Sigma Star Saga, Guardian Legend). I really like almost every genre...but if I had to pick 3 to never play again, it would be Puzzle (I'm not smart enough ), Racing (I can only stand arcade or kart racers anymore), and JRPG (too much of a time sink *sigh*).

@Matthewnimmo - Just a little joke my friend - Pointing out the absurdity of the high end of the market . Are you interested? You could probably talk me into six-figure range... Mostly looking to sell those sealed GBA games - I'm surprised nobody has jumped/inquired on the $120 Metroid...I have a dozen or so of them...I've put two or three in worse condition up on Mercari for $200 and they get 25-30 watchers within a few days, then sell from $160-$190.

Some SAT and GEN stuff added recently, as well as the Limited Run Shantae Switch Collector's Editions. I'm always adding stuff, check back in! P.S. Super Mario 64 still available - Invest in your future!

Easy $500 for you @BirdDogGaming Or take your pick of other rare GBA stuff I've got! Or whatever you are looking for...I have tons of stuff...

Yeah...Classic eBay...If it is a game I'm planning on playing/low dollar value, I usually just take it...figure it isn't worth the hassle to fight the seller. When I do fight, I would say about 60% of the time, sellers accept the return without much push back...but that other 40%...ugh - "Not my fault - your problem is with the Post Office." "That's not what it looked like when I packed it up - You're trying to scam me!" and "What is your problem? The game still plays, right?" are the top 3 responses...Ebay lets me win 100% of the time tho - there is a line in the seller's agreement (or whatever) that says it is the seller's responsibility to make sure the item arrives undamaged, so yeah - buyer always wins...For a fun show and tell: About 3 weeks ago I bought "Bouncers" for Sega CD off eBay and I also bought "Snatcher" (for the uninitiated, Bouncers is <$40, Snatcher is >$1,000) and a week later, I received two packages in the mail, one smashed completely flat, the other in good shape...I opened up the smashed one and... Seller fought me for a bit ("Your problem is with the Post Office"), but ended up refunding without much hassle.

Anyone notice that OG Gameboy has caught fire lately? $150+ for SML/SML2, $250+ for Metroid II and this for some of the rarer stuff (Full Disclosure: I was going to bid $350, and was expecting to at least be in the neighborhood): https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bonks-Revenge-Game-Boy-Super-Rare-Box-100-Authentic-in-Great-condition-/384293492191?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l44720.c10&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=true

Thanks for the question @a3quit4s! The label is heavily sun faded - If I remember correctly, it is just a hue of blue . I think the back label is torn as well. I can tell you that the price will be significantly lower than the current price charting value of $560. Also, I actually have another super secret copy that is in much better shape that hasn't made the list yet...but it is probably trade only at this point...Like I said - If you are looking for something specific, please ask!