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[Rich!]

Any ideas where I could find boxed SNES games (except for eBay)?

I mainly collect US games which is no easy task seeing as how I live in Europe, and boxed games rarely pop up for sale. I made a post in Buy/Sell/Trade here once but didn't get any replies, and I did check out NintendoAge, but they have a strange "for offer" attitude that makes me not want to contact some sellers in the first place. Heh, some even write "don't wanna really sell // these games are very valuable so expect your offer to be shot down quickly" and things like that....not every inviting.

Craigslist is not an option since I'm not in the US, and flea markets/ garage sales over here have pretty much dried up in terms of 16-bit games. Would be PAL anyways.

So, yeah....any other places to look for SNES games I should know about?

Sadly, ebay may be your only option. I live in the UK and if it wasn't for a local retro store nearby, I wouldn't have anywhere else to go. Apart from GAF.

 

[-KRS-]

Any ideas where I could find boxed SNES games (except for eBay)?

I mainly collect US games which is no easy task seeing as how I live in Europe, and boxed games rarely pop up for sale. I made a post in Buy/Sell/Trade here once but didn't get any replies, and I did check out NintendoAge, but they have a strange "for offer" attitude that makes me not want to contact some sellers in the first place. Heh, some even write "don't wanna really sell // these games are very valuable so expect your offer to be shot down quickly" and things like that....not every inviting.

Craigslist is not an option since I'm not in the US, and flea markets/ garage sales over here have pretty much dried up in terms of 16-bit games. Would be PAL anyways.

So, yeah....any other places to look for SNES games I should know about?

See if you have any stores selling retro games around you. Sometimes they get US copies of SNES games in stock. They will usually be cheaper than PAL copies as well, although they will rarely have boxes and it's usually not the good games. And if you have any local auction websites in your country you can check there as well.

Honestly, ebay wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the ridiculously high shipping cost from most US sellers. $25+ to ship a $5 SNES cart to Sweden? You crazy?

 

[Rich!]

Personally if you are in Europe and wanting to collect PAL SNES games, I would recommend...not doing so. Or at least modding your console with a 60hz switch. Once you've gone 60hz, you don't go back.

The other option of course is japanese games. I got Super Mario Kart, Kirby Super Star and Yoshi's Island together for a tenner. they're cheap as shit

 

[-KRS-]

Personally if you are in Europe and wanting to collect PAL SNES games, I would recommend...not doing so. Or at least modding your console with a 60hz switch. Once you've gone 60hz, you don't go back.

The other option of course is japanese games. I got Super Mario Kart, Kirby Super Star and Yoshi's Island together for a tenner. they're cheap as shit

Yeah I second getting Japanese games as well. That's what I mostly buy these days. Much cheaper. The shipping cost from Japan is often very cheap as well. And the boxart is usually better.

But then there are games that need to be in English to understand, and then your only option is American games. Canadian sellers often have pretty cheap shipping so I try to buy from those.

 

[Samuray]

Thanks for your replies so far!

There are no local auction sites in Germany, at least none worth speaking of. And although I live near Hamburg which is a rather big city, there's only one retro game store in my area and SNES games are rare and in between with them. They mostly have PS2 and newer. So not that retro after all.

Don't worry, richisawesome, I have a 60Hz enabled PAL SNES
But also a proper US console which I prefer to use, for JPN games as well. It's the one I got way back when I was a kid so I'm partial to my US system.

True, Japanese games are a valid alternative, and I've already bought several of those. But some games I really want from the US, due to various reasons....for example "U.N. Squadron", "Zombies Ate My Neighbors", "ClayFighter", "Super Street Fighter II", "Actraiser 2", "Joe & Mac", "Phalanx" (because of the awesome boxart), "The Lost Vikings".....the list goes on and on.
Not even looking for rare stuff since I luckily already have titles like "Chrono Trigger", "Turtles IV" and so on from back then.

Shipping isn't even the biggest problem. Yeah, it costs between 12 and 14$ to ship a game here, but on eBay you also have this Global Shipping Program BS which forces customs fees on top....and very few sellers are willing to circumvent that, sadly.

I would love to continue my US SNES collection sooo much, but there are very few options. I keep checking the BST thread on here but I never find any SNES games....boxed ones at that.

One time I was lucky when a Gaffer wrote in the SNES thread he wanted to sell "Magic Sword", which I swiftly picked up from him. That was great.

Maybe I should post some "want to buy" notice regularly in the BST but I wasn't sure it made sense since I got absolutly zilch replies, although I even included boxed NES games.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Question:

How much did Nintendo made in Japan SNES controllers sell for in the USA back in the day, MSRP?

I think the sns-005 was $20

 

[Sixfortyfive]

$25+ to ship a $5 SNES cart to Sweden? You crazy?

Honestly, a lot of times it's not even seller mark-up. USPS international shipping rates are steep if you want tracking (and reasonable on smaller packages if you want to forego it), and UPS is just obscene.

It cost me $40 to ship a small and not very heavy handful of Genesis games to Russia a month or so ago, without tracking, and took about a month to deliver.

Shipping isn't even the biggest problem. Yeah, it costs between 12 and 14$ to ship a game here, but on eBay you also have this Global Shipping Program BS which forces customs fees on top....and very few sellers are willing to circumvent that, sadly.

Oh yeah, that too. I opted out of that crap ASAP. It immediately struck me as some lousy pretense for eBay to further cut into the revenue, veiled as a "service." As if it's difficult to fill out a customs label.

 

[TheMoon]

Shipping isn't even the biggest problem. Yeah, it costs between 12 and 14$ to ship a game here, but on eBay you also have this Global Shipping Program BS which forces customs fees on top....and very few sellers are willing to circumvent that, sadly.

This is why I've started CTRL+F'ing for Canada immediately, skipping all US sellers. eBay is ripping internationals off and nobody can do a thing about it, it's disgusting. They even charge fees even if you're not even close to reaching the price limit to even register on custom's radar. Despicable BS is what it is.

 

[PumpkinSpice]

This is why I've started CTRL+F'ing for Canada immediately, skipping all US sellers. eBay is ripping internationals off and nobody can do a thing about it, it's disgusting. They even charge fees even if you're not even close to reaching the price limit to even register on custom's radar. Despicable BS is what it is.

I'm in Canada so shipping within the country is usually pretty reasonable via Canada Post. Shipping from the US, even if you're less than 100KM from the shipper is obscene. I'm often seeing $10 item with $15 shipping plus forced (unneeded) $10 customs fees. The problem is finding items available in Canada... it's hard cause we have 10% the population and apparently the rest of you are buying our stuff .

I've taken to just looking for stuff from Japan whenever possible for games (even some RPGs aren't that hard to take on in 日本&#35486, and from China/Singapore for everything else. The China comparison is ridiculous. The same $10 item is free shipping, no customs fees, and in some cases even comes faster than being shipped from America.

 

[Peagles]

What do they even do with those customs fees? Here we can spend $400 NZD before we get stung but I see fees on like $20 items. Do the sellers or eBay just pocket it? Our customs office certainly wouldn't be interested in it, they say anything less than the fees on a $400 spend isn't worth their while collecting.

 

[TheMoon]

What do they even do with those customs fees? Here we can spend $400 NZD before we get stung but I see fees on like $20 items. Do the sellers or eBay just pocket it? Our customs office certainly wouldn't be interested in it, they say anything less than the fees on a $400 spend isn't worth their while collecting.

It's not customs fees, it's VAT. You're importing goods which means you're not paying any taxes for them to your own country so above a certain limit you have to pay import VAT to make up for it. eBay has a system which auto-calculates that (and fucks over buyers). A seller once told me this is basically forced on them for international stuff in some way so they have to send their items to an official eBay shipping location which will then send it to the buyer and properly declaring value, etc for international delivery and that already takes care of the VAT fee you'd have to pay your local customs office for you. If you'd have to pay any or not.

The customs fees are those that you still only have to pay for high-priced imports starting in the three digit price range. You just get stung with your local VAT on top of the auction price.

 

[Peagles]

It's not customs fees, it's VAT. You're importing goods which means you're not paying any taxes for them to your own country so above a certain limit you have to pay import VAT to make up for it. eBay has a system which auto-calculates that (and fucks over buyers). A seller once told me this is basically forced on them for international stuff in some way so they have to send their items to an official eBay shipping location which will then send it to the buyer and properly declaring value, etc for international delivery and that already takes care of the VAT fee you'd have to pay your local customs office for you. If you'd have to pay any or not.

The customs fees are those that you still only have to pay for high-priced imports starting in the three digit price range. You just get stung with your local VAT on top of the auction price.

We don't have VAT here though, we have GST, and it's not collected on imports unless the total value is $400 or above (there are some exceptions like some particular items, and some do have customs fees too as opposed to just GST, but I've never been charged either by our customs office). This is why I'm suspicious when I see it on items that have a small value, I know how out system works and it just doesn't make sense.

 

[MrMan2k3]

My Super Famicom cart collection has ballooned lately. I recently reorganized all my carts and put them in a drawer, so I made up these labels to more easily tell the games apart:

 

[Sorta Maximus]

I think the sns-005 was $20

I just bought two new ones... the price was... more.

 

[IrishNinja]

goddamn that modded SFC is sexy as fuck; my US shit ever dies, i'm going in on that

 

[sixteen-bit]

When it dies, give me yours for parts
(the perks of being the only person who isn't enamored with the SFC/PAL SNES aesthetic)

 

[djtiesto]

I just ordered an SFC game called Neugier that I stumbled upon while reading HG101, an action RPG by Wolf Team developed by a young Yoshiharu Gotanda (of tri-Ace fame)? How could I have missed this! Thankfully I managed a CIB one for $12.

 

[Stumpokapow]

I just ordered an SFC game called Neugier that I stumbled upon while reading HG101, an action RPG by Wolf Team developed by a young Yoshiharu Gotanda (of tri-Ace fame)? How could I have missed this! Thankfully I managed a CIB one for $12.

Heh, I was just reading the HG101 article on this. I went to Aeana, who is the best expert I know on older RPGs/ARPGs, and she said "So that's what it's called."--apparently she had seen it advertised in a store decades ago, but other than that had never played it. I'd be interested in some impressions if you bought it to play it rather than just to collect.

 

[Amalthea]

People her are neugierig about this game it seems!

 

[TheMoon]

People her are neugierig about this game it seems!

What a curious happenstance.

 

[sixteen-bit]

2spooky4me

 

[theSlacker]

When it dies, give me yours for parts
(the perks of being the only person who isn't enamored with the SFC/PAL SNES aesthetic)

I'm with you, I like the NA SNES look more.

 

[djtiesto]

Heh, I was just reading the HG101 article on this. I went to Aeana, who is the best expert I know on older RPGs/ARPGs, and she said "So that's what it's called."--apparently she had seen it advertised in a store decades ago, but other than that had never played it. I'd be interested in some impressions if you bought it to play it rather than just to collect.

Well, I definitely make sure to play the games... but sometimes that can take years! So you may be waiting a while

I will definitely give it at least a brief shot, though. Older action RPGs are a bit more manageable than regular RPGs/SRPGs if you don't know much of the language, I've found.

 

[MikeHaggar]

Here's my new 50/60hz + region switch modded PAL SNES! The switches are on the back. The guy also clear coated the console after modifying the cartridge slot. Looks great!

Here are two pics, closeups can be found HERE

i need this done to my super famicom. no switches or anything, just the cartridge slot modded so that i can accept snes games. i wonder if that guy could just send me the modded plastic piece that contains the cartridge slot/flap.

 

[Seven Force]

When it dies, give me yours for parts
(the perks of being the only person who isn't enamored with the SFC/PAL SNES aesthetic)

I prefer the US SNES aesthetic, too.

 

[Timu]

Some SNES games are coming in the mail this week, mainly SFC games!

 

[linkboy]

i need this done to my super famicom. no switches or anything, just the cartridge slot modded so that i can accept snes games. i wonder if that guy could just send me the modded plastic piece that contains the cartridge slot/flap.

Same here, vastly prefer the Super Famicom over the US SNES design, anyone know anyone in the States who does things like that. I'd be willing to send my Super Famicom off to get the cartridge slot modded.

 

[D.Lo]

I was thinking of doing a 'best/worst console designs' thread. For me the US SNES would be in the bottom rung, alongside the original Xbox.

US SNES is the weirdest, stupidest thing ever. So many awful lines for no reason. And what a bizarre choice for colour scheme, purple and lavender? The whole thing made no sense at all, it looks like a dim child's attempt to build the Japanese one out of lego, but only had his little sister's pieces left. Next to the Mega Drive, which was very much a 'badass' pimped-out sort of look, the US SNES must have looked like a total dud.

The PAL/Japanese one is a really nice design, and having colours for the buttons and logo helps imply the SNES colour advantage over the competition. It's just so strange they bothered changing it. The NES needed a redesign for sure, I love the original Fami but it definitely wasn't right for the US market. SNES they should have left well enough alone.

Of course they did the same thing again by pushing the purple Gamecube as the default model (even after the black one was outselling it 10:1), and the Purple GBC, and GBA - someone at NOA must have a weird thing for purple.

 

[A Black Falcon]

I was thinking of doing a 'best/worst console designs' thread. For me the US SNES would be in the bottom rung, alongside the original Xbox.

US SNES is the weirdest, stupidest thing ever. So many awful lines for no reason. And what a bizarre choice for colour scheme, purple and lavender? The whole thing made no sense at all, it looks like a dim child's attempt to build the Japanese one out of lego, but only had his little sister's pieces left. Next to the Mega Drive, which was very much a 'badass' pimped-out sort of look, the US SNES must have looked like a total dud.

The PAL/Japanese one is a really nice design, and having colours for the buttons and logo helps imply the SNES colour advantage over the competition. It's just so strange they bothered changing it. The NES needed a redesign for sure, I love the original Fami but it definitely wasn't right for the US market. SNES they should have left well enough alone.

Of course they did the same thing again by pushing the purple Gamecube as the default model (even after the black one was outselling it 10:1), and the Purple GBC, and GBA - someone at NOA must have a weird thing for purple.

I like the transparent purple GBC and N64 stuff -- the Atomic Purple N64 controllers (you forgot these on your little list, but they packed one in with the system for a while!), and Atomic Purple GBC, look great! But yeah, I don't know why '90s Nintendo liked purple so much. That didn't change until after the Gamecube failed.

As for the US SNES, I don't think I've seen a Japanese one in person, but looking at pictures, I don't see why people say they think it looks so much better than the US one... I think the US one looks fine. And as for the cartridges, the US carts are FAR better! The square shape of US carts stack a lot better than the rounded Japanese-style carts, and the addition of end labels, as with the NES, was fantastic. I love the shape of N64 carts, but it is too bad that they didn't add end labels, they're essential!

 

[Timu]

One of the sellers cancels my order due to saying it was out of stock even though it said one was left and was in the shipment phase so it looks like I need to find another game now, shame as it was a Japanese game, I should had went with that other seller, lol.

 

[Celine]

Heh, I was just reading the HG101 article on this. I went to Aeana, who is the best expert I know on older RPGs/ARPGs, and she said "So that's what it's called."--apparently she had seen it advertised in a store decades ago, but other than that had never played it. I'd be interested in some impressions if you bought it to play it rather than just to collect.

The game was planned to be released in US but ultimately cancelled.

 

[MikeHaggar]

Same here, vastly prefer the Super Famicom over the US SNES design, anyone know anyone in the States who does things like that. I'd be willing to send my Super Famicom off to get the cartridge slot modded.

same boat. i only got my super famicom the other month. nice find though. really clean, mint, no yellowing. and it's cib with manual that has serial number that matches the console.

if you figure out somewhere to have this done in the u.s. please let me know. i need to get this thing modded and get a framemeister.

 

[Dekanach]

http://www.vaduamka.com/

2spooky4me

4ugly8me

 

[sobnekahcS moT]

Finally!
Got the first since release, the second five years ago and the third since my birthday last week.

 

[sixteen-bit]

^those games have some nice tunes

 

[SweetJohnnyCage]

Finally!
Got the first since release, the second five years ago and the third since my birthday last week.

Nice! The OST on DKC2 is on another level.

 

[-KRS-]

Got a CIB Sailor Moon R in the mail today. It's kind of a shitty beat 'em up but it's just so ridiculous I had to have it lol.

 

[JMDSO]

Got a CIB Sailor Moon R in the mail today. It's kind of a shitty beat 'em up but it's just so ridiculous I had to have it lol.

I thought that game was awesome. Very much a Final Fight clone.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Yeah its a bit weak for a beltscroller, but if you're a fan of the IP I don't blame anyone for buying it. That's why I picked it up a while back.

 

[-KRS-]

I thought that game was awesome. Very much a Final Fight clone.

Alright "shitty" was probably not the right word. It's pretty competently made and all. What I meant to say is that it's a pretty by-the-numbers beat 'em up that isn't really anything special. But it's certainly a fun little game for what it is.

 

[Peltz]

I just picked up Mega Man 7 US on eBay... I probably got had, but I've wanted this game for a while and have never seen it in person:

$128, loose, shipping included. Am I crazy? I've been craving to play this game on a real cart.

 

[Rich!]

I just picked up Mega Man 7 US on eBay... I probably got had, but I've wanted this game for a while and have never seen it in person:

$128, loose, shipping included. Am I crazy? I've been craving to play this game on a real cart.

Why didnt you get the £10 or so Japanese version? It works in US consoles.

 

[Peltz]

Why didnt you get the £10 or so Japanese version? It works in US consoles.

English text in the intro and ending. I know it's dumb, but it's important to me.

It's "Mega Man" not "Rockman"... the dude doesn't even shoot rocks.

I also own a Super Famicom, just for aesthetic reasons and imports. But this purchase was about Mega Man, and that's a particularly special series for me that I wanted in my own language... even though there's minimal text.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I just picked up Mega Man 7 US on eBay... I probably got had, but I've wanted this game for a while and have never seen it in person:

$128, loose, shipping included. Am I crazy? I've been craving to play this game on a real cart.

It's your money. Do with it what makes you happy.

 

[Peltz]

It's your money. Do with it what makes you happy.

So basically, yes I am.

 

[Timu]

These 2 came in the mail(game on side is Rushing Beat Run, Japanese and better version of Brawl Brothers):

 

[ZealousD]

So basically, yes I am.

I mean, that's about the going rate of MM7 these days. If anything you got an above average deal on it at $128.

 

[Friend of Sonic]

It sucks that the eBay GSP has to suck so bad; I cautiously hoped it would give me a good way to sell internationally. But it's a bad experience for the buyer that falls well below my standards, and eBay's requirement for tracking unfortunately are very expensive to meet. So, I stay US only. A shame.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

It sucks that the eBay GSP has to suck so bad; I cautiously hoped it would give me a good way to sell internationally. But it's a bad experience for the buyer that falls well below my standards, and eBay's requirement for tracking unfortunately are very expensive to meet. So, I stay US only. A shame.

So... just sell internationally on your own. Calculate shipping by weight and offer First Class International (for a cheap option) and Priority International (for a tracked/insured option). Why limit your reach?

 

[D.Lo]

It sucks that the eBay GSP has to suck so bad; I cautiously hoped it would give me a good way to sell internationally. But it's a bad experience for the buyer that falls well below my standards, and eBay's requirement for tracking unfortunately are very expensive to meet. So, I stay US only. A shame.

What's bizarre is you'll of course take the low rankings and possibly bad feedback for ebay/GSP's bad service. I had an NES game arrive damaged. It was $15 with $25 GSP shipping. I won the Paypal dispute, and got offered a refund of the price without postage (aka $15 not $40), if I returned the game at my expense.

How am I as a buyer supposed to be satisfied with that?