"Collectors Are Stripping Japan痴 Rare-Game Paradise Bare" - Wired

[Shuri]

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/akihabara-4/?

Visitors to Akihabara, Tokyo痴 famed home of nerd culture, looking to mine the district痴 renowned cache of mint-condition classic videogames might be disappointed. As game collecting continues its meteoric rise in popularity around the world, Akihabara is being scoured clean, and what痴 left commands astronomical prices.

A visit to the delightfully named Super Potato (mascot: a potato with a face), one of the district痴 most well-stocked and delightfully decorated classic game emporiums, turned up many empty shelves. In particular, the growing popularity of the TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the PC Engine, has virtually cleared out that section of the store.

More at the link, but I guess this was bound to happen one day..

 

[pulstar]

To be honest I'm surprised it took this long. It's disappointing for the collector side of me, but the gamer side says screw it, I've got Everdrives.

Looks like prices are going to get even higher before they fall.

The article should really be called, Re-sellers are stripping Japan bare...

 

[Dr Shroom]

I just read Akihabara and Super Potato and laughed it off. What the fuck are you going to buy there that isn't overpriced as fuck?

 

[donluca]

To be honest I'm surprised it took this long. It's disappointing for the collector side of me, but the gamer side says screw it, I've got Everdrives.

100% agreed.

 

[Bar81]

I just read Akihabara and Super Potato and laughed it off. What the fuck are you going to buy there that isn't overpriced as fuck?

That's besides the point. The problem is that there isn't anything to overprice. When I was there in May it was barren - just like the first pic.

 

[Kid Panda]

That's besides the point. The problem is that there isn't anything to overprice. When I was there in May it was barren - just like the first pic.

Don't blame Gaijins, blame people like Yamatoku and Hit Japan who rape these stores and then sell on eBay. Funny they don't mention that.

 

[Neorebel]

Hit Japan really got expensive over the last 2 years. I feel like a long time ago, they were a bit of a go-to of mine. Maybe the prices were just at market value or slightly more, but not as bad as today. Either that or I was just more ignorant to how much I was paying years ago

 

[JohnnyFever]

It's a shame this is happening. Re-sellers is right. Most of these games will never be played by people that appreciate them.

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

The resellers wouldn't have a market if collectards didn't outnumber them.

 

[PunkicCyborg]

Everybody wants a giant wall of games to show off these days.
Lately I've been seeing rare US games being imported by rich middle eastern countries. Not sure if this is a new thing or not but I see people on instagram and stuff with like boxed NES games and all rare stuff.

 

[WoodyXP]

This is great news. Keep driving up those prices.

 

[wyo]

You want to know who's really to blame for this?

Spoiler:

 

[Opethian]

You want to know who's really to blame for this?

Spoiler:

View attachment 28853

 

[DNSDies]

I'm certainly not to blame.
I rarely sell anything back unless I have more than 2 of them.

I don't know WHY, it's not like I fucking play them anymore.

 

[ebinsugewa]

That's besides the point. The problem is that there isn't anything to overprice. When I was there in May it was barren - just like the first pic.

I was just there three weeks ago. Fucking tumbleweeds. Not even a single Famicom no matter the price.

 

[wataru330]

Catch a train to Chiba, and stock up before its toooooo laaaaaaaate.

 

[lithy]

"Game nerds, who own hundreds of games themselves, complain about how many games others are buying."

 

[Viewpoint]

"Game nerds, who own hundreds of games themselves, complain about how many games others are buying."

That was my same thought. I'm glad the games I've wanted I picked up years ago before people got all fucking stupid.

 

[RAZO]

That was my same thought. I'm glad the games I've wanted I picked up years ago before people got all fucking stupid.

Same here. Most of the Stuff I wanted I purchased years ago before the boom. I'm still kicking myself for selling some CPS2, Saturn, Aes stuff. Trying to get a few things back now but it's much harder.

 

[Shakepants]

This has been a process going on for years. But there are other places to look than Superpotato.

 

[WoodyXP]

"Game nerds, who own hundreds of games themselves, complain about how many games others are buying."

LOL.

 

[Yamazaki]

I actually discussed this topic with Japanese retro gamers and collectors on Twitter and most of them told me that the Japanese hoarders themselves are also to blame.

 

[wyo]

"Game nerds, who own hundreds of games themselves, complain about how many games others are buying."

First world problems.

 

[itsofrustratin]

You want to know who's really to blame for this?

Spoiler:

View attachment 28853

Haha, i watched that movie last night. Gotta love Gary Oldman.


Definitely weak sauce, visiting a japanese gaming store with mountains of retro stuff was definitely on my bucket list. Fucking way she goes.

 

[Yagyu Jubei]

Our parents and grandparents raided stores of rare baseball cards for profit. When we were growing up, it was Star Wars and comics. Now it's video games.

It's economics. People are going to hunt and raid stuff for profit in any collectible market. It sucks ass for everyone else trying to find stuff they love and either pay collector prices or having to hunt months (or years) to find a bargain.