Selling old, boxed games.

[octavius]

So my parents want to clean out their basement. Among the unwanted items are my old collection of Amiga games. I don't need them; the disks are very unlikely to work, I can get the documentation online, and I'm not a collector.
But it would be a shame to just throw them in the garbage if either someone somewhere wants them, or if they can fetch a good price on Ebay.

I checked out one of the games - Pools of Darkness - and it sells for for 100 pounds?!?
Is that even remotely realistic? And in how good a condition would a potential buyer except the box and its contents to be? Would a potential buyer expect the disks to work?

 

[Russia is over. The end.]

Rincewind would be the Amiga specialist here.

 

[Melcar]

I have no doubt collectors would buy them even if they don't work. At a lower price of course. If you can somehow test them and at least confirm they are in working condition, then I guess you can expect a bigger return. More legwork on your part of course.

 

[Gilius Thunderhead]

I don't know much about today's "retrogaming" market, but 100 pounds for a boxed classic, complete, in good overall condition seems pretty reasonable.

Potential buyers don't necessarily care about the disks working, but you should be forthcoming with the fact that the games are untested. Depending on the size and prestige of your collection, you can make decent money if you take care to document every game individually, with clear pictures for each element of the game(disc, box, manuals, extras, etc.). It takes a bit of work, but might be worth it in your case.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

octavius I stopped collecting big boxed games around 2009, but even then I noticed that eBay sellers tend to overcharge.

Sadly the "big box game"-market doesn't have a solid foundation to gauge prices with, it's usually a question of the condition of the game + demand.

At least you're dealing with Amiga-games, they have a sturdier market than MS-DOS games.

And I'm 100% certain you can sell these games in Norway and get good value for them. I've seen the retro gaming scene there first-hand.

 

[mindx2]

I don't know much about today's "retrogaming" market, but 100 pounds for a boxed classic, complete, in good overall condition seems pretty reasonable.

Potential buyers don't necessarily care about the disks working, but you should be forthcoming with the fact that the games are untested. Depending on the size and prestige of your collection, you can make decent money if you take care to document every game individually, with clear pictures for each element of the game(disc, box, manuals, extras, etc.). It takes a bit of work, but might be worth it in your case.

octavius I can personally attest to this. Pictures, pictures, pictures! This is what will allow a collector to see as much as possible AND make it so you can sell at a higher price point. The big caveat here is that condition really drives the price with rarity coming in a very close second. So many sell a scuffed, dented, ripped, missing components, etc. game as "like new" or "great" condition that it makes a collector like myself laugh and turn the other way. I've bought and sold games since 1999 and have always been as upfront as possible and never had negative feedback from buyers. I have also always packaged what I sell very securely in solid boxes with filler. I've bought from others in the past who sent games in a flimsy mailer! Never bought from them again. Because of a good reputation I can usually sell at better prices, the third thing that drives prices. The forth driver of pricing is timing. I try to sell a few months before the Christmas holiday, the end of summer before school starts (many younger/college age kiddos get money at this time from family) and right after New Years as many people also get money as a gift and need to spend it...

 

[Rincewind]

eBay asking prices are generally retarded, and so are many buyers on eBay, so that should not be your benchmark.

If you're not a greedy guy and want to do some good and aid preservation efforts, I would contact https://amiga.abime.net/ first to see if they need anything for preservation purposes. I'm sure they'd cover the postage fees and maybe even give you a nominal sum if you have something they really need.

Otherwise, I wouldn't give more than say $20 for untested games. Yes, there are retards who are peddling single blank floppy disks for more... Well, don't be one of them

You can also find sellers offering 10-15 game bundles for around $100. That's more realistic and less hassle on your part (less trips to the post office, etc.) Just be upfront and state you have no idea if they even work.

 

[mindx2]

Rincewind Why not sell wherever he can get a good price? If there's a market for old games (and there most certainly is!) sell! It's called capitalism ie. supply and demand. People spend boat loads of money on many different hobbies and this is no different. I don't think octavius is into philanthropy so... why not? I understand and greatly appreciate your digital preservation efforts!! I just don't think everyone is or should be wired like you and I have zero issues selling a game to a collector for hundreds of $$$ which I have done on many occasions.

 

[Rincewind]

---

Rincewind Why not sell wherever he can get a good price? If there's a market for old games (and there most certainly is!) sell! It's called capitalism ie. supply and demand. People spend boat loads of money on many different hobbies and this is no different. I don't think octavius is into philanthropy so... why not? I understand and greatly appreciate your digital preservation efforts!! I just don't think everyone is or should be wired like you and I have zero issues selling a game to a collector for hundreds of $$$ which I have done on many occasions.

He asked for our opinions, so I gave him mine. You did the same, so we're good

He did not outright say he's in it for the profit; the starting line was "I'd hate to throw these away" (paraphrasing). So neither you or I really know if he "wants to get a good price" or not.

And yes, I have a low opinion of capitalism and especially eBay (when it comes to anything "retro" related). Getting a fair price is one thing, but greed out of control is another.

 

[Gilius Thunderhead]

You can look up sold items on Ebay. That'll give you a better estimate of what an item goes for in the market.

pricecharting.com now includes Amiga games too, apparently. It's a convenient resource, but don't take it as gospel. Prices can vary considerably from region to region, among other things.
https://www.pricecharting.com/console/amiga

 

[Avonaeon]

I'd look more at pricecharting, like mentioned above, then maybe charge 50-75% of that price depending on their condition.

As a rule of thumb, if you want to make money, sell them individually, take lots of pics and test if they work.

Idk if they have this in your area, but if you want max profit, find a reputable Facebook group and put them up for auction. This is also with max hassle, as you'll likely have to deal with a lot of retards, so be wary. And don't send anything until you have their money.

If you want minimal hassle, sell them together, still take a few pics though (and of the content) but it can be "all in one photo".

Another option is to find an online shop that sells similar things and ask if they'll buy it for a nominal sum. The good ones will test the games and whatnot before they sell them on their store.

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

I used to collect old, big box games heavily in the time between 2008-2020. Today, just occasionally (I have almost everything I wanted and I lack storage space).

So from a buyer's perspective:

100 pounds would have been definitely on the upper scale for me, but not unreasonable for a rare game in very good condition.

In the case floppy disc games, I didn't really care if the floppies still worked. However, what was very important to me is to get as many of the original contents of the box as possible.
Obviously things like the manual, maps, additional trinkets are the most important, but ideally I also looked for offers that included stuff like registration cards, leaflets and advertisements.
It's propably an OCD thing, but I don't really see the point in getting sloppily preserved boxes where half of the original contents are missing. For me, these old game boxes are time capsules, so having everything that was in there originally feels right.

As mindx2 said, take pictures. Detailed, well lit, close up. Take pictures from different angles of the box and of the individual contents. Make it as easy for the buyer as possible to discern what exactly is included and what state it is in without having to contact you. If the box has any scratches, dents, tears, be open about it and show it on a picture, so that the buyer can make a judgement if its fine for him or not.

You mentioned the world basement. I am sure you are talking about the kind of well ventilated, dry, plastered basement that can be used as living space, right? Right?

Because there is nothing worse than the smell of game boxes that were kept in something like this:

Lastly, please tell us your ebay handle when you start with the listings, maybe some of your stuff can be taken in the trusted and loving care of a fellow codexer?

 

[Vic]

I keep all my games safely backed up on torrent sites.

 

[octavius]

It's not really a basement, more like a part of the house at ground level that never was quite finished, and thus used as storage. It is dry and not too cold, so things have kept well.

Another thing, what is most likely to fetch a good price? A relatively common/popular game like a Gold Box game, or a more obscure game like for example Paladin?

 

[Rincewind]

Another thing, what is most likely to fetch a good price? A relatively common/popular game like a Gold Box game, or a more obscure game like for example Paladin?

I'd say the more obscure ones, but then you never know.

 

[Jarpie]

It's not really a basement, more like a part of the house at ground level that never was quite finished, and thus used as storage. It is dry and not too cold, so things have kept well.

Another thing, what is most likely to fetch a good price? A relatively common/popular game like a Gold Box game, or a more obscure game like for example Paladin?

Moonstone, people are paying up to 400-500 yurobucks for that game on ebay, at least for Amiga-version.

 

[Rincewind]

Moonstone, people are paying up to 400-500 yurobucks for that game on ebay, at least for Amiga-version.

Yeah, but that's the asking price.... That's one way to go about it if you're greedy: put stuff up at exorbitant prices and wait 1-2 years for a crazy person to show up...

Commodore monitors for $500+ that can die any second. Well, fuck you.

But whatever. People who use eBay and similar sites are the "retro == goldmine" mindset retards. Then more discerning people buy stuff directly or locally at sane prices.

I'm not alone with this sentiment:
https://x.com/CommodoreBlog/status/1162083084260564993

And admittedly the idiocy started a good 10+ years ago:
https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52586

 

[spectre]

Yeah, that's the thing. Anyone can set a listed price at 10 bajilion shekels for any given thing. What matters is if anyone has actually bought it at this price,
or is it just an invitation to haggle it out outside of ebay (there are selling fees to content with, after all).

Then again, if you've checked around and found no similar listing out there, you are free to set the price at whatever and just see what happens.
When I was unloading junk online, sometimes you just have to be ready to wait a whole year to get a buyer for niche stuff.
If you're getting some sort of traffic, your asking price is probably okay and just needs the right guy to come along, but if you get serious offers almost immediately, it's most likely undervalued.

 

[Gilius Thunderhead]

Another thing, what is most likely to fetch a good price? A relatively common/popular game like a Gold Box game, or a more obscure game like for example Paladin?

Cult games, specially those that are hard to find, fetch the highest prices. But you never really know beforehand, you really need to research every specific game. Pokemon games are common as dirt and still fetch high prices. I had a bunch that I sold last year and they disappeared within hours, despite me pricing them slightly above "market price"(I was already expecting them to sell well, just not that well). I also sold an extra copy of Silent Hill for the PS1 for around 100€, although I remember buying it for around 30€ not too long ago. Trends and speculation can drive prices in crazy directions. I imagine the Amiga market is relatively sheltered, but you should still be aware.