Famicom - Complete Game Set Collecting.

[fcgamer]

LOL, sorry to implant ideas in your mind 

You should make a trip to Japan someday, but be sure to bring lots of cash (or perhaps it would be better not to....)

Yeah ever since reading from the OP and now your posts, I can't get this damned idea of a Famicom full set out of my mind, something I had been toying with for a long time.  This might be a fun project to start next year, depending on funds and the like.

I just checked on my official Famicom carts, which is not many.  I have about 2.5% of the collection done already, heh.  If you ever want to sell a cheapish, large lot of official FC games, maybe I would be interested, heh.

[nerdynebraskan]

Man, I am not feeling this "90% are crap" thing going around this thread. I'd say I'm only interested in about 20% of the Famicom library, but I also have the US or PAL versions of virtually all of the good games that got an NES release. There are definitely a few mediocre games in my collection, but they're all still worth playing or I wouldn't bother keeping them around.

If I weren't an NES collector, I could see myself owning 1/3 of the Famicom library. And that number would be potentially higher if I were able to actually read Japanese to enjoy some of those RPGs. (As it is, I've just bought translated NES repros of the most interesting ones.) There's undoubtedly some solid games there, even if I can't enjoy them for language reasons.

But yeah, as was said earlier in the thread, if you're going to collect start with stuff that you know you'll enjoy. You can always expand from there in any way that makes sense for you.

[80sFREAK]

Unless you live in Japan or and have lots and lots and lots of money forget about it.

fixed

[senseiman]

LOL, sorry to implant ideas in your mind 

You should make a trip to Japan someday, but be sure to bring lots of cash (or perhaps it would be better not to....)

Yeah ever since reading from the OP and now your posts, I can't get this damned idea of a Famicom full set out of my mind, something I had been toying with for a long time.  This might be a fun project to start next year, depending on funds and the like.

I just checked on my official Famicom carts, which is not many.  I have about 2.5% of the collection done already, heh.  If you ever want to sell a cheapish, large lot of official FC games, maybe I would be interested, heh.

I have a ton of doubles that I could do in a cheapish, large lot so if you are ever interested just shoot me a PM!

[lobdale]

Unless you live in Japan or and have lots and lots and lots of money forget about it.

fixed

I dunno, my Excel sheet tracker here says I have spent just shy of $1200 total on my Famicom collection (~260 boxed and loose FC/FDS games, average cost about five bucks a game, slightly higher for FDS), and that's boxed square-button and AV Famicom systems, a boxed gun, the whole set of Nintendo-published Famicom and FDS boxed and complete, most of everything Konami put out, carts of every Mega Man, both Contras, all the Castlevanias, Gimmick, Gold Punch-Out, Ghostbusters 2, Hebereke, Battletoads, all the Ninja Ryukendens, Splatterhouse, Bionic Commando, RAF World, and a ton of complete Konami FDS stuff (Green Beret, Final Command, Almana no Kiseki)...

If you wait for deals and lots, comb through lots of auctions, frequent small game shops and pawn shops, sell off your extras and pick up good reselling carts to offload to collectors, AND are patient, AND live in Japan, you can do it without having a ton of money.  Even though it took me almost three years and a lot of time spent on Yahoo, I think my entire collection ended up nearly paying for itself, or pretty close to it over time, simply from picking up doubles when I saw a good price or rooting through the Hard-Off stuff for things I already had but would be able to resell.  Combined shipping costs, due diligence, and a healthy dose of a lucky find or two don't hurt.

[nerdynebraskan]

Well done, lobdale. That sound very similar to the way I beefed up my NES collection 2-4 years ago. I did end up breaking even about a year ago by reselling doubles, and still wound up with at least $6000 US worth of new games and accessories for the collection. (I'm back in the red currently, though, as I've been buying more than selling since then.)

[famidon]

LOL, sorry to implant ideas in your mind 

You should make a trip to Japan someday, but be sure to bring lots of cash (or perhaps it would be better not to....)

Yeah ever since reading from the OP and now your posts, I can't get this damned idea of a Famicom full set out of my mind, something I had been toying with for a long time.  This might be a fun project to start next year, depending on funds and the like.

I just checked on my official Famicom carts, which is not many.  I have about 2.5% of the collection done already, heh.  If you ever want to sell a cheapish, large lot of official FC games, maybe I would be interested, heh.

I have a ton of doubles that I could do in a cheapish, large lot so if you are ever interested just shoot me a PM!

Pm'd
Post Merge: November 15, 2013, 01:52:53 pm

Unless you live in Japan or and have lots and lots and lots of money forget about it.

fixed

I dunno, my Excel sheet tracker here says I have spent just shy of $1200 total on my Famicom collection (~260 boxed and loose FC/FDS games, average cost about five bucks a game, slightly higher for FDS), and that's boxed square-button and AV Famicom systems, a boxed gun, the whole set of Nintendo-published Famicom and FDS boxed and complete, most of everything Konami put out, carts of every Mega Man, both Contras, all the Castlevanias, Gimmick, Gold Punch-Out, Ghostbusters 2, Hebereke, Battletoads, all the Ninja Ryukendens, Splatterhouse, Bionic Commando, RAF World, and a ton of complete Konami FDS stuff (Green Beret, Final Command, Almana no Kiseki)...

If you wait for deals and lots, comb through lots of auctions, frequent small game shops and pawn shops, sell off your extras and pick up good reselling carts to offload to collectors, AND are patient, AND live in Japan, you can do it without having a ton of money.  Even though it took me almost three years and a lot of time spent on Yahoo, I think my entire collection ended up nearly paying for itself, or pretty close to it over time, simply from picking up doubles when I saw a good price or rooting through the Hard-Off stuff for things I already had but would be able to resell.  Combined shipping costs, due diligence, and a healthy dose of a lucky find or two don't hurt.

Ahhh excel. The collectors friend

Dosnt sound like to much of an investment for the amount fo stuff that you have managed to acumulate. With the cost of the pound to the dollar, it works out about £700. About the price of a banger of a car haha

[L___E___T]

God I shudder to think what I've spent over these years.  Only recently have I reigned it in.

[80sFREAK]

Unless you live in Japan or and have lots and lots and lots of money forget about it.

fixed

I dunno, my Excel sheet tracker here says I have spent just shy of $1200 total on my Famicom collection (~260 boxed and loose FC/FDS games, average cost about five bucks a game, slightly higher for FDS), and that's boxed square-button and AV Famicom systems, a boxed gun, the whole set of Nintendo-published Famicom and FDS boxed and complete, most of everything Konami put out, carts of every Mega Man, both Contras, all the Castlevanias, Gimmick, Gold Punch-Out, Ghostbusters 2, Hebereke, Battletoads, all the Ninja Ryukendens, Splatterhouse, Bionic Commando, RAF World, and a ton of complete Konami FDS stuff (Green Beret, Final Command, Almana no Kiseki)...

If you wait for deals and lots, comb through lots of auctions, frequent small game shops and pawn shops, sell off your extras and pick up good reselling carts to offload to collectors, AND are patient, AND live in Japan, you can do it without having a ton of money.  Even though it took me almost three years and a lot of time spent on Yahoo, I think my entire collection ended up nearly paying for itself, or pretty close to it over time, simply from picking up doubles when I saw a good price or rooting through the Hard-Off stuff for things I already had but would be able to resell.  Combined shipping costs, due diligence, and a healthy dose of a lucky find or two don't hurt.

Still ong way to go 

[senseiman]

If you wait for deals and lots, comb through lots of auctions, frequent small game shops and pawn shops, sell off your extras and pick up good reselling carts to offload to collectors, AND are patient, AND live in Japan, you can do it without having a ton of money.  Even though it took me almost three years and a lot of time spent on Yahoo, I think my entire collection ended up nearly paying for itself, or pretty close to it over time, simply from picking up doubles when I saw a good price or rooting through the Hard-Off stuff for things I already had but would be able to resell.  Combined shipping costs, due diligence, and a healthy dose of a lucky find or two don't hurt.

This was my experience too for the first 4 years of my collecting when I lived in Fukuoka.  Just being patient and looking for deals allowed me to get some expensive games for surprisingly cheap.  My collection hasn`t paid for itself, though I have spent a lot on it  

It seems though that in the past year it has gotten a lot harder to stumble into deals.  Partly this is because I now live in a city where none of the recycle shops have bargains (and neither do any of the Hard Offs or retro game shops), but it also is really evident on Yahoo Auctions, where prices have absolutely skyrocketed in the past year or so.  I think people here have cottoned on to the fact that Famicom games have some value and so are just much less likely to be dumping them at bargain prices like they used to.

[nerdynebraskan]

Hey sensaiman, you'll probably need to edit your last post and fix your quote box as your comments are also in it.

But I could see that being true in Japan, though I don't know much about the situation there. I do know that prices are way up on Famicom stuff on the internet, but that probably has to do with demand from importers.

I do know that cheap Nintendo stuff has gotten harder to find here in the States as well. There was a prevalent attitude for about 10 years after the demise of the NES and SNES that the games and accessories were just "old junk." That attitude does still exist, but it's not nearly as common as it used to be. With the high demand for vintage cart systems among collectors, nostalgic gamers, and even Nintendo fanboys, it's become apparent to many that their old Nintendo in the closet is worth some money. Every time a boxed Stadium Events or Nintendo World Championships goes up for sale, it makes national headlines after it sells for $10,000+. Even people who don't know or care about video games still hear about that, and they're more likely to throw their old Nintendo up on Craigslist for $100 than dump it on a thrift store or yard sale now. There are still people living under a rock who don't realize this, but there's also tons more scavengers and resellers hitting those thrifts and yard sales looking for the deals. My favorite thrift store in town has actually started doing online research for the prices on their games, probably because they caught on with how many people were coming there just for Nintendo stuff.

Again, this is an American example but I could see this happening in Japan too.

[famifan]

i'm only collecting the games that really enjoyable for me

there is #1 world best famicom collection http://www.famicomworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=6522.0
i safely assume that every other collection definitely sucks

[senseiman]

Hey sensaiman, you'll probably need to edit your last post and fix your quote box as your comments are also in it.

But I could see that being true in Japan, though I don't know much about the situation there. I do know that prices are way up on Famicom stuff on the internet, but that probably has to do with demand from importers.

I do know that cheap Nintendo stuff has gotten harder to find here in the States as well. There was a prevalent attitude for about 10 years after the demise of the NES and SNES that the games and accessories were just "old junk." That attitude does still exist, but it's not nearly as common as it used to be. With the high demand for vintage cart systems among collectors, nostalgic gamers, and even Nintendo fanboys, it's become apparent to many that their old Nintendo in the closet is worth some money. Every time a boxed Stadium Events or Nintendo World Championships goes up for sale, it makes national headlines after it sells for $10,000+. Even people who don't know or care about video games still hear about that, and they're more likely to throw their old Nintendo up on Craigslist for $100 than dump it on a thrift store or yard sale now. There are still people living under a rock who don't realize this, but there's also tons more scavengers

Yeah, I have a feeling that something similar is happening over here.  There are now even national TV shows devoting entire episodes to the value of Famicom games (see this: http://famicomblog.blogspot.jp/2013/11/famicom-price-is-right-antiques.html ) so I think the word is out.  Plus with the low value of the Yen this year there are definitely a lot more overseas buyers taking advantage and driving the prices up.  The good old days of finding super valuable games in junk bins are probably nearing an end!

[nerdynebraskan]

It's not so much that the day is over, but that we probably won't get to rely on bargains in the wild anymore. There's still maybe a quarter of the goodies still winding up in thrift stores and yard sales, but there's also five times as many people out there actively checking the same sources. I'm glad my NES collection is practically complete, because I can't compete with the relentlessness of some of the other scavengers I know in my city. I rarely bother showing up for a yard sale that advertises "Nintendo" or "video games" anymore, because nine times out of ten if there was anything interesting and/or cheap it got bought up two hours before they officially opened by someone waiting outside their door at 6 AM.

I think the recession here has also played a part in game prices rising. There are more people shunning modern consoles because they don't have $50 to drop on every new game, and there are also the new professional scavengers. There are a lot of people raiding the cheap sources of games (or books, movies, etc.) that don't even collect or play them: they just know that they can make money flipping them locally or on Ebay/Amazon.

The game show that you mention in your blog is definitely similar to some of the TV/tabloid media attention that the American game collecting scene is starting to get. I know Pat the NES Punk was a guest on a recent episode of one those junk-flipper type shows. A lot of people who are having trouble making ends meet right now are watching these shows, or reading about the Stadium Events that sold at a Goodwill for $7 and was going to resell on Ebay for $15,000, and they're thinking: "Man, I should start flipping video games!"

It was also kind of funny how the contestants on that show were having difficulty deciding which games were truly the most valuable. That's definitely true of a lot of the newly-minted flippers today. It's so common for the guy who pulled an NES out of his garage and put it up excitedly on Craigslist to think his Legend of Zelda is worth big bucks because it's a recognizable name in a GOLD CARTRIDGE!!!

[senseiman]

Yes, it does sound similar.  The only difference is that there are no garage sales in Japan, so everyone gets rid of their old junk at second hand shops. 

Some of those shops used to employ people who didn`t know anything about retro games and would just dump stuff into junk bins for a hundred yen each or something. Even big chains did that, when GEO (kind of a Japanese version of Blockbuster) decided to stop selling pre-PS2 gen games 3 years ago they did a chain-wide `dump` and put everything at 100 yen, regardless of the title (that was one  of the greatest shopping experiences of my life, I visited 7 or 8 of their locations and got a massive haul of good Famicom titles for next to nothing).

Not many of them seem to do that anymore, and if there are any out there that do they probably get picked over in about 2 seconds.  Sadly I no longer have the free time necessary to go on treasure hunts like I used to, it just takes up way too much time and there just doesn`t seem to be much out there anymore.

The situation seems very similar to what happened with baseball cards about 30 years ago.  In the early 70s baseball cards were just thought of as disposable old junk.  Then a group of collectors started to form and they created a niche collectors market for the rare older ones amongst themselves.  They would go around to all of the garage sales and flea markets they could, getting huge hauls of what would become valuable old cards for next to nothing.  By about 1980 the value of those cards had risen to the point that the mainstream media began to take notice and suddenly everyone stopped selling old cards at garage sales because they now knew they were worth something, even though the average person didn`t know what they were worth and would tend to assume that any old card was worth a fortune.