The judgment about "Selling Secondhand Videogame" finished and the secondhand shops won the right of selling secondhand videogames.
After the judgment, one of the most largest shop in Akihabara and Nipponbashi,
Softmap started selling Secondhand Videogames. The price is lower than
other shops in Nihonbashi,especially for Playstations.
However, some items about PCengine are too high priced because of less knowledge
about old videogames, I think.
[Trader2], [Friends] and some new shops opened in Akihabara.
Also, [+Plus] opened new shop in south side of Nipponbashi. However,
the price is not low as the other gameshops.
These shop mainly sells Videogames in 1980s and 1990s , including PCengine.
Also , most videogame shops re-start selling Famicom' items and some old videogames.
The trend is not only in Akihabara but also whole of Japan. Now Famicom marcket
is far larger than in 1995 :).
After withdrawal of e-Bay Japan, Yahoo Auction Japan changed the system.
The largest changes are intoroducing its "trading charge per its price:
3%" and "Yahoo wallet system".
When I'd like to sell items like this,
http://page2.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b24584379
(The auction had finished, highest bid is 20000yen.)
I, the seller, have to cost
"Yahoo Auction account fee(350yen / month)"
"Auction exhibittion fee (at least 10 yen / 1 item)" and
"Trading fee(3% of the bidding:For example, on the Auction, it costs 600yen.)"
Finally, I have to cost 960yen for the Auction in total.
Also, if I mightbe to decolate the Auction, it costs many option fee ... the
system is very troublesome and costful for sellers.
The critical point is that most seller who NOT being interested in Videogames
stopped selling their videogame items on Auction
because of the 10yen charge system and troublesome exhibiting system.
The atmosphere like frea marcket or "Garage sells" is now lost from
Yahoo Auction Japan, I miss the atmosphere
In addition, The seller on Auction have to accept "Yahoo wallet system"
It is not easy to take the account from outside Japan.
In short words, the serious (and less unique) sellers and serious items are
on Auction
but you can't find unique gajets (as good OLD VIDEOGAMEs) easily as before.
You can find "Sapphire" with ease on Yahoo Japan Auction as before,
I think .
Although it's not easy to find cheap games, under 500yen on Yahoo Japan Auction.
(However, most buyer is still watching the Auction. Only watching auctions is
free.)
BTW, the "10yen fee system" killed most online seller who exhibit
large number of spam-like lists .
That's one good point of NEW charge system.
First, I prefer or LOVE real consoles. PCengine Duo-R and GenesisCDX are really
my favorite hardwares.
I often set my Duo-R just for playing a game only for minutes.
For playing Videogame , I have to open boxes(I keep all consoles in stock-box
stored in shelf).
In other hand, needless to say, emulator is easy to store ; I only have to
open about 0.1G byte for its directory.
With emulator , I wouldn't have to make my closet fulled with over 100 software's'
boxes.
For normal gamemania, using emulators is really good choice for "checking"
Videogames .
Some emulators are now doing not only "Emulate".
Most emulators of Nintendo has so many additional option, save, load, and online
VS play and so on .
Especially "online VS system" is one of the best additional option.
But I 'm still keeping my old consoles in stock-boxes.
Nintendo, MegaDrive2, SG-1000 (classic console before SMS) and Atari 2800 are
waiting in my shelf.
This month I bought "PC engine DuoRX" , although I have 4 PCengines...
I like "to buy and collect" real console maybe, I take old and NEO
classics not just for "playing" Videogame .
I might buy old videogames as if checking old Videogame "history".
It maybe nostalgia of youth days....yes, at that time, Videogame was the latest
joy for kids.
When I was at elemental school age, I used to go friends' houses only for playing
Videogame.
The Videogame was in its 2nd movement. First one was "SPACE INVADER and
zevious", the 2nd was "Nintendo shock".
At that time , I didn't have Nintendo so I went to friends' houses and played
"Mario brothers" with them.
The first Videogame console which I and my brother get( or presented from my
parents ) was "Nintendo Family computer".
But the soft coming with our first console was not so interesting as which our
friends having and playing...
We lent and borrow many softswares with friends and the circle of friends was
rapidly exploding at that time.
I met so many gamekids at that time only for borrowing Videogame cartridges,
now I can't remember almost any of their faces...
Now "emulator kids" are searching ROM sites and check so many BBS
for collecting ROMs.
When viewing such BBS, It remind me my old days, as I was doing in elemental
school kids.
To hear one hint for to beat some bosses, I and my friends used all connections
of ourselves,.
Sometimes such connections are crossover schools and generations.
"Famicom shockwave" was really great one , so many kids and boys
and few adults are in this storm.
Some of them still keep staying this storm as I am typing this text.
The first console I and my brother bought was "PC engine".
It was the time to rent so many softs and console to many friends.
Please check this following site (Written in Japanese).
http://www.fielding.co.jp/per/gyoumu/pcengin.htm
This company announces that it takes over PC engines' supportemt ( repairment
) from the "late" NEC-HE .
All PC engine users can order to repair their priceless consoles ...That's good
: ) .
First, check these following funny photos.
|
|
The special console has so funny a control device. Over 90cm joystick (loose
feeling) and 4 foot buttons .
But it's made not only for a special game as Outrun arcade consoles .
Almost all (side-monitor) videogames are playable with this unit.
Even [DOA] or [Virtua Fighter] can unit to this console .
For example , this console shows the most well known Arcade TETRIS .
And the pic is shoot neither on convention nor latest E3 : ) .
Its location is just a Arcade in a large mall .
We can play it everytime we want if inserting 100 yen .
written by Matthew ( a videogameshop seller in Toronto, Canada )
I received a good reply for my pervious column.
Mattew, thanks a lot for your good reporting.
Our video game market is a little like that, but not a lot.
Most old video games are worth almost nothing, except for a few of them.
The market is somewhat split between the "Classic" (before 1984) and "Neo-Classic"
(NES and afterwards) systems.
Classic games are usually very, very cheap (1-3 dollars, usually), but some
are very rare and collectible, so they're very expensive.
Usually these games are really bad - they're all "kuso-ge", and that's why they're
rare. However, collectors simply want to have every game, so they don't care
if the game is any good.
Neo-Classic games are different; they're a bit more expensive, and some games are worth more, but almost none of them are worth hundreds of dollars like some Atari games. It's mostly the RPGs that command high prices; action games, even the rare ones, aren't worth a lot. Musha for the Genesis is one of the only exceptions I know of.
There are a lot of NES collectors out there - lots of people remember the NES from their childhood, so they are looking to get their NES games again. I think NES games will become more collectible in the future, especially popular games like Contra, Zelda, and Mega Man.
There aren't really any stores that are made for collectors. Most stores (including mine) sell mostly newer (PSX/N64/DC) games, and 16bit games on the side. Most of our 16bit and 8bit games are very cheap. Sometimes we have a fairly high price for some older games, but so few old games are valuable that this doesn't happen a lot.
Most collectors go to the Internet for their rare games.
It's very easy to make money by buying games cheap at flea markets and yard
sales and selling them online.
In fact, I was doing this myself for a while last year, after I had to quit
my old job.
But nowadays, I keep most of my stuff for trading, or leave it for other collectors.
Now that I have a regular paycheck, trading is much better!
I don't think Emulators will hurt the collector market. People want to have the real cartridge or CD in their collection, so even if there is a perfect emulator for a system, they'll still want to buy the original one.
End of report.
Today's oldgames market is too heating up from my viewpoint .
First, I have to say that I can't tell you "clear answer" because I'm not so
serious dealer.
But I agree this following view;
Most good and major softs should rise up its prices...but the change would be
not so fast as before.
In 1995-1998, the classic game market had developed its mainframes ,and the frame had been made ...it won't change.
Some rare softs,for example "Magical chase" "Twinkle star sprites for NeoGeoROM"
and "Comix zone", will be keep rising their prices.
They are really "rare" and "good" softs, the number is very limited, and many
game manias still want to get them ; if the price was fair...
I think such softs' rate and some good softs' rate ,especially PC engines' rate,
will become much higher than today's.
But Megadrives had risen up enough, most softs had locked their
"market priority and rate"
...only very few softs will rise up their rate only for some "complete mania".
Because of complete manias' passionate , some especially rare softs (Circus
ride and so on) keep rising up its rate...
Their rates are not clear...
If you fortunately found such rare one on shops or auctions, that might be the
rate of "today's".
Sega mark3 and its items are also locked its prices.
...The main problem is console's surpryment,very few.
Even If people want to play such SEGA 8bit...they couldn't step into the first
room.
Only manias who have console(s) buy SEGA 8bit items.
People who doesn't have SEGA 8bit consoles should play such games with emulation
systems.
Now emulation level of SEGA 8bit console is almost perfect.
Even "the special collector DaiRGV(I respect and thank him ,as a friend
of mine)" who has almost all consoles, prefer to play Mk3 softs on Meka.
He says
"Master(real)system console is now out of date . Emulation systems is
better for playing oldgames.
So many additional options make diet my frustrations with oldgames. Replay system,
quick save and load, cheat codes are grate!"
Some hardwares , PC engine CDRomRom and MEGA(SEGA)CD, haven't got perfect
emulation system.
Now such consoles, especially PC engine Duo,Duo-R and DuoRX is rising up its
own prices.
"PC-FX market" is NOT in the world, except for "Yahho auction Japan".
I think that's natural.
Most shops keeps their PC-FX items' price high but only few mania want to get
PC-FX .
Now PC-FX is treated as 3DO, it only exist for "NEC-HE cultist" or
complete mania.
"NEOGEO" is as same as PC-FX, very old and small market is still kept.
But some (not few) Manias love the system. The market kept small but good condition.
In the Otherhand, "Famicom; the most well known 8bit" market is
now heating up .
Nintendo still sells "AV Famicom"...That's really good ! I respect Nintendo
for its customer service.
Now most of all the softs price is slightly and slowly uping. I hope Nintendo
make new system to re-birth this cute but great 8bit.
Now I'm still feeling that I am 8bit and generation Nintendo .
If you were to want to "deal or make money"
...I would offer you that "Super Famicom" would be good market.
Most softs are very low priced .But some are now ready to rising up.
"Classic Game Mania market";
Most people don't know about such market and they sometimes sell classic consoles
and softs with very low price
on "flea market" or "moving sell".
(now I'm targeting such markets for collecting oldgames.
I got "keiou yuugekitai for MegaCD PROMO",
"over 60 NEW FC Diskcard (totally priced only under 5000yen)",
"Family school (a special rare softs for FC) " and many rare items. But I cost
not so much as before.)
In Japan, many gamemanias are living and they want to get classics.
Addition, in Akihabara so many gameshops are selling special rare items , and
gamemanias BUY classics.
So they ; sellers and classic lovers made "market".
That was natural "only" in Akihabara and Nihonbashi .
3 years ago...we can buy oldgames veryvery low prices...If I were to bought
much items at that time...
Now many shops know "Mania market prices".
In Europe, the older a game is, the harder it is to find it, but it (the classics)
generally cost very few,
because it is considered as an OLD game, that nobody wants to play with...so
it is very very hard to find
( because there is no SPECIAL shops like that in Japan for these classicgames)
.
But if you have the luck to find them, it is very cheap. It's also natural...in
Europe.
That's a very lucky chance for you.
Please check many "large" flea market and old "game and toy shops".
In holiday, you might have enough spare time to go large cities.
You would find so many treasures than you thought...
If special shops aren't , treasures are still in someone's toybox.
I hope you may get many good items on flea market or garage sell.
And you luckily find "BubbleBobble for Gamegear" , please take it
for me. I'm very looking for this softs..
This time,I wrote so many stuffs I very recommend .
Videogames
Hardware
Impression
It was 1998 Jan that I found a strange unofficial game title--"Space Fantasy
Zone".
I hit the name by chance which was listed on a common magazine
"Bessatu Takarajima(underground copy goods world)" and on this special
list,
Space Fantasy Zone was priced 18000yen.
On this mag,one article "Underground game worlds are here!" was.
;A special issue about collectors who had Asian hacked Roms, copied hardwares
as
"Genesys-shaped NES?" and leaked unreleased softs.
According to that article,some of them were also known in underground game
market;
Hacked,Unreleased and rare Game "Traders".
They sold their very very very high priced "underground softs" ,or traded some
of them
for very very very rare stuffs. Addition,some members of this bad company have
almost"all videogame softs and hardwares".
They had got many amount of money even they could had bought all softs in gamestore.
This yellow journal tasteless magazine was published on Jan 1998 and I don't
have this book now.
So I can't remind details.
What I wanted to appear is that "Space Fantasy Zone is!" and
that "it should be not alpha version,it was playable one but it was not released
officially by NEC-HE".
It was leaked for very few limited underground-conection people.
About PC engine(Softs ,Bards and accessories),they
are "very^3" hard to find in Fukuoka.
I always searching around Fukuoka city again and again,but only few softs are
now in store
and they are not so good softs.
So I started trading on Internet.
About MegaDrive, it is much fewer softs as the
PC engine's.
Most MegaDrivers who are in Fukuoka buy softs in
Akihabara,Nihonbashi(Osaka) or on Internet.
(Their e-connections are still active and they trade in their connections.)
About Famicom and
Super Famicom,they
keeps less space in store.
(PC engine and MegaDrive
keep no space....).
But nowadays Famicom market become much larger
than it of "few years ago".
Some adult but "Still boys-mind"(They used to play Famicom
in their young age.) People want to buy them.
Most softs are only Cardridge. Without Manuals and Boxes.
If"Mint condition",they should be very high prices.
*
Nintendo Gameboy won the Mobile Game console war
and now keep winning.
It had almost dropped into hell few years ago,but Pokemon saved it.
So many dramatic story ware about Pokemon. But I don't write down on this article.
(I love "Gamefreak" and Satoshi Tajiri---his team made Pokemon and many other "good Action games".)
But Now Wonderswan glow their marcket so rapidly.
It was made by (the late) Gunpei Yokoi and his team(He is well known as Godfather
of Gameboy).
It has still monochrome LED but its low price,low battery run,and good softs
are so well as kid's toy.
(It would be a new type Mobile Internet hardware.
Now Bandai is making mobile telephone units and Internet&mail soft for Wonderswan.
Maybe in store coming spring 2000.)
*
Now most Videogameshops are called as "Playstation-only shop".
(Sometime we use this word as "Not Familiar shop for OLD-Videogames")
In Japan,Playstation won the ?nd(<=I don't know) Hardware Battle.
And SEGA's hards are not winner,even Nintendo's aren't
.....Nothing to say NEC-HE's. They are out of people's mind,except mine and yours.
These text may have some grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.
If you find some,please tell me which words are mistaken and how I should correct
them.
I hope you point them out.
Takumi Suidu