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SNES Game Collecting (Tips, discussion, and info for like minded collectors)

Chittagong

Gold Member
Felt like showing a bit of my collection:


Sorry for this cart shell, but I didn't like this game anyway. I still have the PCB.

Whoa, I had no idea that game specific third party carts for Satellaview existed, and I have been a Super NES enthusiast for all my life.

And I agree, NCAA Basketball is a terrible game. However you seem to have the NOE version which I would guess is fairly rare since the game was sent out to die and bombed horribly in Europe.
 

Lettuce

Member
After not really looking for snes games on eBay and spending the last 3 months concentration on my Megadrive collection I have just forgotten how stupidly prIced snes games now are on eBay when compared to Megadrive game, especially when you consider the ratio of CIB Megadrive games compared to snes games and the hike in price when you do see a CIB snes game.....or though MD games have started to hike up also now :(

I just feel really sorry for anyone wishing to start collection for snes in 2015, I've said it before and I'll probably say it again I'm SO GLAD I was doing the majority of my snes collecting 2004-2006 time....they were good years!!. It's got to the point now where the few games that I don't have instructions for when they do appear on eBay they go for as much as the cart itself sometimes....am I really comfortable paying in excess of £20-40 for a booklet!?......I don't think so.

I'm seriously starting to consider the reproduction route for my missing instruction manuals which I have noticed a few eBay members have started to do now, only issue is that the manuals I'm missing they don't currently stock and may never do.....

Metal Warriors
Wild Guns
Sunset Riders
Marvel War Of The Gems
 

Teknoman

Member
Aside from obscure stuff that I might not know about yet, I dont have that many SNES games I still think I want, but my list of stuff is outdated.
 
Aside from obscure stuff that I might not know about yet, I dont have that many SNES games I still think I want, but my list of stuff is outdated.

The only things for SNES that I don't have that I would want are now worth a gorillion dollars. Or I could try to go back and get boxes/manuals for the games I do have. That would only be half a gorillion dollars.
 
Can you do anything with the Satellaview? Or is it pretty much useless?
This is what I do with it:
T2hJaJ2l.png

Fh3chs5l.jpg


I'm one of the guys who reverse-enginnered this beast out of the BS-X, at least a bit until nocash just releases a HUGE documentation of it. I tried to confirm some of it with what I could do. It was still useful for accuracy.
 

Dishwalla

Banned

Well at least for the five games he traded in he got a decent deal, that's really about what those five are worth. Strange that the gold cart Legend of Zelda wasn't in their system though(actually kind of strange that any game isn't in their system, how hard is it to pull a list of NES games off the internet?).

edit: some one posted the alleged trade in values on NintendoAge.
11185729_483922325114499_1534373005_n.jpg

11195378_483922028447862_1283966249_n.jpg

11186416_483922341781164_886518614_n.jpg

11180115_483922351781163_2135090601_n.jpg

11178528_483922311781167_541842007_n.jpg


Those are some pretty high prices.
 
Wow, they really are. 30 bucks for Contra and 20 for SMB3? So they're going to sell those two to consumers for, what, $40 and $30? Those two carts are ubiquitous. This is going to make the price bubble so much worse...
 

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
I used to work at GameStop a few years ago. The price column is ACTUAL prices. Trade is in the Description column, in parenthesis.
 

Dishwalla

Banned
I used to work at GameStop a few years ago. The price column is ACTUAL prices. Trade is in the Description column, in parenthesis.

Even using this, the values aren't bad. Most of them you can't read, but something like Tiny Toons Genesis they are apparently giving $5.00 credit for, and selling it for $9.99? That's not too bad, they give you about half of what they intend to sell it for.

Also some games appear to have two values, like F-Zero. Could that be for the original release and the Player's Choice release? Or Metroid, silver label and yellow label?
 
I can easily see them giving high TIVs at the beginning to build up inventory and to keep them competitive against most independent stores. The high TIVs might also suggest that they don't have a lot of old inventory like people thought.

That said, the lack of high dollar stuff on these lists just shows that GS has no real intention of going after the collector market.
 

v1perz53

Member
After not really looking for snes games on eBay and spending the last 3 months concentration on my Megadrive collection I have just forgotten how stupidly prIced snes games now are on eBay when compared to Megadrive game, especially when you consider the ratio of CIB Megadrive games compared to snes games and the hike in price when you do see a CIB snes game.....or though MD games have started to hike up also now :(

I feel like I generally see way more CIB Genesis games available than SNES games on eBay, likely because Genesis games (a lot of the time) came in nice plastic cases that didn't get easily ruined and were a good way to store your games, while SNES games came in stupid cardboard boxes that were easily ruined, and most kids just threw them out and stacked their carts. So I understand why CIB SNES games cost more than CIB Genesis. Prices in general though for SNES are rather crazy though for sure.

I'm pretty glad I have very limited interest in CIB games when it comes to cartridges, as I like my collections to look uniform, so I would rather have everything CIB or nothing at all. Disc based games though I could never buy loose without also finding someone selling the case separately. I don't care about instruction manuals though, they are nice but for me the main thing I like about my collection is how it looks on my shelf.
 

enewtabie

Member
Gonna pull the trigger on a SNES soon. I have all the current/last gen consoles and portables and I'm trying to get the consoles/games I played the most when I was a kid. I had a NES when I was in the 6th grade and a SNES a little later on. I already bought a N64 and some of the wrestling games I played for hours.

I have a Wii U screen full of SNES games, so I'll get whatever is not on there. Besides garage sales and the fact there's no Retro stores around here. Is Ebay the best way to go?
 
You can try craigslist and the Buy and Sell forum here on GAF. SNES games do appear but not as often and are usually sold slightly below market value. You can try Ebay and stalk the SNES category, Buy it Now/Newly Listed. If your lucky you'll see an uniformed peson selling games cheap.
 

desk_jockey

Neo Member
Yeah, not sure what the deal is there. Now more people know a game called Pocky & Rocky exists on SNES, I guess?

If true, the point I was trying to make is that for games not on VC, the only way to (legally) play them, is on original hardware. Limited supply for growing demand.
 
Holy shit. I read this as "New SNES Games Coming..." Then I hit the link and saw the real story. Nintendo is so damn idiotic. I simply can't believe there won't be any others in the future.

Good news! There isn't a story. Publisher says their games won't come to the VC -> "Nintendo isn't bringing any more SNES games to VC". It's just extrapolating beyond what is reasonable.
 
Just stumbled across Cybernator this weekend (on Wii U VC). I swear, every time I think I'm more or less done finding awesome SNES games, another one pops up. Had a blast with this one!
 
Good news! There isn't a story. Publisher says their games won't come to the VC -> "Nintendo isn't bringing any more SNES games to VC". It's just extrapolating beyond what is reasonable.
Ah good. I figured it might just be a niche Natsume thing but I could not find the thread on this topic on the first few pages of the forum.
 

Shining

Member
Let's say you have a mint CIB copy of Earthbound and you decide to mount a battery socket on that shit, would that be considered defilement / a degrade in value? Example:

Batt-Replacement.jpg
 

Teknoman

Member
Gotta gripe a bit. Why the heck has Macross:Scrambled Valkyrie gone up in price :( I just got outbid on a cart only auction over the weekend :(

People are exhausting the more "common obscure" titles and are now going for others I guess. Bad news for me when I get around to going for it.
 

Lynd7

Member
Let's say you have a mint CIB copy of Earthbound and you decide to mount a battery socket on that shit, would that be considered defilement / a degrade in value? Example:

Batt-Replacement.jpg

I wouldn't personally. Would people have the same objections to re-soldering a new battery?
 

Cheerilee

Member
Let's say you have a mint CIB copy of Earthbound and you decide to mount a battery socket on that shit, would that be considered defilement / a degrade in value? Example:

Batt-Replacement.jpg

I think it's a fact of life that any game with a battery backup is going to need a new battery sooner or later.

If you do a sloppy job of replacing the battery, that could be considered defilement and hurt the value. A clean replacement should probably add a little bit of value (but will be taken for granted). A clean install of a battery socket, ensuring a lifetime of effortless, clean replacements? That's going above and beyond, if you ask me.

Although I don't think that it would improve the value all that much. Even a dead battery doesn't really hurt the price of an in-demand game that much, does it?
 

Reddaye

Banned
I went back home this past weekend (where my SNES collection is still hanging out because I don't have the room to move it with me at the moment) and found something I somehow totally forgot about.

Like a lot of people, when I was a kid I didn't really take care of game boxes, and manuals were kept, but left laying in different places. My folks ran a convenience store, and they rented SNES games at the time, which is probably the only reason I still somehow have the box for this.

I started pulling out my collection, which has a few games CIB, but nothing crazy hard to find. Super Castlevania IV, X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse, Saturday Night Slam Masters, and a few others. However, I had one that was sitting on top of the boxed pile that I somehow forgot I had the complete copy of from when I was just a kid...

Sunset Riders.

I knew I had the cart still. Which is a miracle considering I distinctly remember my parents closing down their store, and asking me if it was alright if they sold Sunset Riders, and a few other games. I came along a few days later and decided I'd rather not sell Sunset Riders, so they took it back off the shelf for me. Myself and a buddy used to play 2-player all the time.

Anyway, I wish I'd of taken a picture but the box is still in pretty good condition, and the manual is pretty minty. This was a pretty pleasant surprise. I went and popped the cart in and played about halfway through and the game is still as fun as hell. I'm not the world's biggest Contra fan, but Sunset Riders is a game that I just really dig. Whenever I get my collection moved back with me I'm going to twist some people's arms and get a few 2-player games going.

So this wasn't meant to be a dick pumping post. More of a "holy shit it's second Christmas" kind of post. Sometimes it's pretty crazy how things can survive your childhood.
 

Mercutio

Member
Although I don't think that it would improve the value all that much. Even a dead battery doesn't really hurt the price of an in-demand game that much, does it?

It might not now, but I think at some point it could be seen as a sign of possible damage to the board within. A dead battery in 10 years might not mean just "No saving" but could have burst and destroyed the surrounding traces on the board.
 

Reddaye

Banned
I always loved this game as a kid, because it felt so close to playing the actual arcade machine. I never owned it back then, so when I was rebuilding my collection of "must-haves" it definitely made the list.

When I was a kid I didn't even know it was based on an arcade game.

It really is a great game though. Putting it back in and playing for the first time in years it's instantly enjoyable, still looks great, and can be a blast in two player mode. I was impressed with how well it's aged overall, but then again the Contra formula is pretty timeless, and the game never really tried to strive for anything resembling "gritty" or "realistic" when it comes to the visuals. Really colorful and sharp looking game.

I'm happy I decided not to let my folks sell it when I was younger LOL.
 

Mzo

Member
Any big Sunset Riders fan should check out the team's next arcade offering, Mystic Warriors. New theme, same gameplay.
 

IrishNinja

Member
wasn't sure where else to put this:

Mike Berlyn (Creator of Bubsy) Has Cancer.

Mike Berlyn worked at Infocom, where he worked on many text adventure games like Suspended and Infidel. He then went on to create Bubsy and work on Siphon Filter, and he wrote Zork: The Undiscovered Underground. We interviewed Mr. Berlyn a few years ago, and we recently found out he is undergoing treatment for cancer. He recently lost his insurance and has to pay $36k in medical costs. Those who would like to donate can do so at his GoFundMe page.

We wish him a speedy recovery!
 

v1perz53

Member
So the SNES I ended up ordering on eBay arrived yesterday, works great and in great condition, really happy with the pickup. It came with DKC 1 and Super Mario World, and I also grabbed a Super Famicom copy of Super Metroid. Man, what an incredible system the SNES was, all of the games just feel so fantastic. DKC and SMW are a dream to play, and I still think the SNES controller is one of the best feeling of all time. It makes it hard to play SNES games on Wii/Wii U VC because even a classic controller doesn't feel as right. But damn, seems I will be spending more money on this than I originally intended, as I am really enjoying my time with the system so far, and I can't wait to play some things I never got to as a kid at my cousin's house.

I think the only thing I don't like is the artificial limitations games had in the 16 bit era that were just designed to waste your time. Like why does DKC make you start over at your last save if you lose all your lives? You can farm lives infinitely in Winky's Walkway, but it is tedious and boring. Same with limiting when you can save. But it is a pretty minor issue overall, I can't put DKC down otherwise. At least DKC 2 and 3 aren't that expensive.
 
So, I was in a used game store (Texas chain) yesterday and HOLY SMOKES am I glad I did most of my collecting 8-9 years ago.

The only tip I can give collectors is the hunt can be fun when you find those little gems in the wild. If you want to save money, that's the only way to go.

For instance (please allow me to brag), I made this find in a small independent thrift store a few years back. $75 total for the lot:

lot.jpg~original
FinalFantasyII.jpg~original

mana.jpg~original

castlevaniaiv.jpg~original


I may have posted one of those pics here before, not sure. Point is, keep looking in "the wild" for games if you want deals. The most I ever spent for an SNES game was for Chrono Trigger in 2007 or 2008 and I got it for $58.00 at Half Price Books. I was hating myself, but I'm glad I bought it considering how much it costs today.

DSC_0001.jpg~original


Happy hunting.
 

Mzo

Member
I think that's something important that new collectors are missing and most of the old-school guys I know have in common: the deep shame of even the thought that you might have spent too much on a game.

Now they brag about it and make threads about how much they overpaid. No wonder game prices have blown up.
 

Mercutio

Member
$75?

/dies

I'm not proud of it, but I sold a whole bunch of just empty boxes on eBay a year or two ago. Made like, $20+ off of some of them. Original Pokemon, SNES, etc. All childhood stuff. I didn't buy games and shuck them.

I will not ever collect cardboard boxes. They're just not functional as containers for games. I can so easily get clear plastic multi-game boxes and print nice fancy labels for less than $1.50 each.
 

NDPsycho

Member
I'm not proud of it, but I sold a whole bunch of just empty boxes on eBay a year or two ago. Made like, $20+ off of some of them. Original Pokemon, SNES, etc. All childhood stuff. I didn't buy games and shuck them.

I will not ever collect cardboard boxes. They're just not functional as containers for games. I can so easily get clear plastic multi-game boxes and print nice fancy labels for less than $1.50 each.

That's what is great about collecting. It's a personal objective. It's the goals you set for yourself and it's the same across most hobbies. I like to collect as much CIB as I can, but sometimes I compromise. We all have different expectations.

It's the same with my comics. I tend to prefer grades of a certain level but will settle for lower grades based on rarity or cost.

You shouldn't feel bad about selling your boxes if you had no interest in them. Just like you shouldn't look down on someone who was willing to pay for them. Be proud or happy that two people got what they were looking for.
 
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