SNES Games - Keep or sell?

[wageslave]

I need some advice;

I went to a flea market and hit the SNES jackpot. I bought a bunch of rare SNES games for less than $7.00 each. I have Chrono Trigger, FFII, FFIII, Secret of Mana, Lufia, Super Mario RPG, and some other goodies all with their boxes and instructions. I also have an Earthbound that has a big box with a strategy guide, and the scratch and sniff stickers in the strategy book are even still there! It was a surreal experience - like finding the Holy Grail and the Arc of the Covenant at the same time. I bought them to play and enjoy and have tried them all out in turn, but so far I haven't really gotten "into" any of them. I've been especially meaning to play Chrono and Secret of Mana, but they are long games and it will take a while to get through them.

My question is, do you folks think that the value for games like this will go up, down, or stay the same? I don't mind holding on to them if they won't loose value, but they are collecting dust on my shelf right now and I'm afraid that by the time I actually finish some of these games that there will be less demand for them. If I flea-bayed them I could get a couple of hundred bucks, but I'd also miss having them in my "collection".

[PixyJunket]

If you're only going to sell them once you beat them, just sell them now.. you're mind is set only on $ so I'm not sure why you're worried about having them in your collection.

[Erillian]

I think what you are trying to say Pixy and what I believe the real question here is whether or not you are a collector or you are in it for the money.

As a collector these games have value to you because they are rare and having them in your collection is nice and makes you feel like you have a worthwhile collection not because they are worth a lot of money.

However like Pixy is saying if you really are concerned with the money then you should just sell them.

So the question is are you a collector or a money maker. Me I know I will never sell anything in my collection because it is my collection for good, bad, and duplicate. For other people though it is another story.

[MrSneis]

I am a collector, I would keep them if I were in your shoes, but im in MY shoes and I didn't get that sweet @$$ deal :)

[kvrdave]

I had all those, and I sold most of them. I would probably sell most of them again as well.

[RudeBoie]

I'd buy them from you, but your asking price would probably be too much. The value of them likely won't change much. They're in no danger of being redistrubited for the original console, and even if there's a reissue on a newer console, that's a totally different console, and probably won't affect the value of the SNES versions.

If you're just worried about money, just sell them. You'll get better prices by selling them seperately.

[Gideon68]

From the way you describe them, they seem to be in near mint to mint condition. As a collector, I'd keep them especially in the condition they're in, you'll have a hard time finding them in that condition again.

[lordzeppelin]

Sell, Sell, Sell. I'm a collector and I've sold off all of my absolutely mint (I was an EB asst. mgr for a while) copies because of one reason - I'll never play them again, I would rather have my house than video games, and the cash on ebay for those in superior condition is just simply outrageous.

Hell, I sold my mint Panzer Dragoon RPG for the Saturn on ebay for $178. That was half a fuckin' house payment for a game that I loved, but had beaten years ago, and would probably never have the time to go through completely again.

[Roto]

General rule is that video games don't gain value. Almost nothing electronic does because most of it is just considered obsolete. I'd be interested to hear examples of any electronics, video game related or otherwise that actually would've made a good investment compared to what they went for new. Is anybody selling old console games from more than $50 each? I would think it would have to be something that wasn't available in stores in the first place.

If you can get more than $10 each now then do it.
Edit: Looks like some games with the complete packaging can go for big bucks on Ebay. Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger are asking $133 and $99. (no bids yet) Definitely sell if you can get that much! Just wait til the other listings are gone for a while, unless those are yours :p

[g_i_john]

KEEP THEM, HAVE FUN PLAYING THEM, AND IF IN THE FUTURE YOU WANT TO SELL THEM YOU KNOW YOU ARE READY AND HAVE ALREADY USED THEM WITH JOY SO IT WILL BE LESS REGRETFUL WHEN YOU DO SELL THEM.

[HeadRusch1]

The thing with SNES games is that now is the worst time to buy them, and the best time to sell them. If you're paying $100+ bucks for a cartridge now, when the videogame collecting craze dips those will be $20.00 carts again.

Every "collectable" goes through its ups and downs. Talk to the guys who were sitting on $500 GI Joe figures that they now are lucky to get $100 for, because of all the new product on the market.

Not very many SNES or modern system games are truly rare in the way that some old Atari or obscure-system cartridges are "rare"...as in they only made a few thousand of them. Back in the 70's nobody "collected" videogames.

But by the time SNES and GENESIS were out, the collector mentality had already taken hold. The problem with using EBAY as a judge for collecting prices is that EBAY is such a small niche.

I went looking for Streets of Rage for my genesis, and saw people wanting like $30 bucks for it on EBAY. I laughed to myself because there are..what....a few gajillion Streets of Rage cartridges out there? And there are FAR more carts than collectors, especially where that game is concerned. But right now video games are hot.

In another 6 or 7 years I'll be able to get a genesis and SOR for $8 bucks, when everyone is busy "collecting" old PS2 games :)

[Fanboy]

Originally posted by TOPDAWG
I got Riz from CC for $5 dring that sale just to sell it on ebay. I sold it for $48 woohoo nice profit
Originally posted by TOPDAWG
I wanted to try Riz...
Bet you could have made even more money if you listed it under the correct title. It's Rez, btw.

At any rate, back on topic, I would (as a collector) certainly keep all of the games mentioned and thank the lucky stars that my ass fell into such a great deal.

Since you are wondering whether you should sell them, play them, keep them, I would venture that you would lose nothing in the long run by playing the games and then selling them (and would gain the great gaming experience). Perhaps move them closer to the top of your "to play" pile, so that you can sell the games during the winter -- I find ebay to be a little more active Nov.-Mar., probably because so many of us in northern climes have retreated indoors.

[superdeluxe]

Originally posted by lordzeppelin


Hell, I sold my mint Panzer Dragoon RPG for the Saturn on ebay for $178. That was half a fuckin' house payment for a game that

178$ was half of a house payment? man I am moving!

[RudeBoie]

Rare games don't lose value. Well, rare games that have heavy demand.

But I suppose this is the case with anything.

Supply/Demand, that whole deal.