From Highest or Lowest Price? - Game Collecting

[LiquidShu]

Just finished my top 10 must buy games for the DS, PSP, Wii, and PS3. Many of them are in the top percentile on Metacritic and then some are personal choices. The issue I have come to is where do I start? Some games are $90 straight off amazon, cheaper if I can find them on eBay (though I want them in higher quality condition - new), and then much cheaper at GameStop. There is also the cheap, but amazing games, anywhere from $5 - 20. 

So, which spectrum should I start with? High (41+) and work my way down to mid tier (21 - 40), and finish it with the cheapies (20 - below). Or, maybe the opposite would be better? Perhaps, just buying things in what ever order works as well (though I like my lists to be organized). 

In case anyone was wondering what games I am going to be checking off my list:

 

 

PSP 

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

God of War: Chains of Olympus

Jeanne d'Arc

Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker

Patapon

SMT 3 Portable

Socom US Navy Seals 2

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror

Tekken - Dark Resurrection 

DS

Advanced Wars Dual Strike

Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow

Chrono Trigger

Elite Beat Agents

GTA Chinatown Wars

Kirby Canvas Curse

Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

The World Ends With You

PS3

Catherine

Heavy Rain

L.A. Noire

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots 

NIER

Okami HD

Red Dead Redemption

Resistance: Fall of Man

The ICO and Shadow of the  Colossus Collection

Vanquish

Wii

MadWorld

Donkey Kong Country Returns

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Super Mario Galaxy

Pandora's Tower

Sin and Punishment Star Successor

Sonic Colors

The Last Story

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Rhythm Heaven Fever

The reason why I wanted to get the "top 10" (not necessarily my personal opinion) is to have a solid stepping stone to start my collection of with. Every game I do have interest in and the others that were rated higher, but didn't interest me got scraped. So, "buying what I like" isn't an issue here.

Also, if anyone does have one of the higher priced games and is interested in selling it for something less than $90 (looking at you Advanced Wars) then hit me up~ 

[Kaykeiokay]

Nice to see another user getting into game collecting.

Personally, instead of focusing on buying order in regards to price brackets I would focus on exploring local sources then moving to online for the remainder. You'd be surprised at how many deals you can find for practically new games from sellers that just don't know their prices. Plus, the shipping prices for buying multiple games from a whole bunch of different sellers can really add up after a while. Although, since you seem to be based in America shipping prices shouldn't get too crazy. _{I'm not jealous at all.} The key to gleaning through the local market is knowing the price ranges for all the game you want on Ebay/Amazon. Look into what they're actually selling for though, not just listed prices. Some sellers are delusional about what their game is worth and end up artificially raising prices in general. Now if you just want to amass this collection as quickly as possible sticking with online stores would be your best bet, but buying locally can definitely save you money if you're patient.  (I don't think I've even seen a copy of Advanced Wars in the wild)

For your particular list I'd start hitting up every GameStop in the area, since most locations still have sizable PS3 sections with bargain bin prices. There may have a few of your DS and Wii titles as well, but in general their stock for both systems seems to have dwindled down to mostly shovelware titles. Just so you know, mainstream Nintendo (Mario, Zelda, Kirby, and Pokemon) don't depreciate that much in the used market and getting them new would be even worse, you really have to luck out to find them for good prices. (Nintendo fans nostalgia boners are far too strong ) After the GameStops I'd look into any used game shops/pawn shops/thrift stores/flea markets/garage sales. These places are usually the riskiest you could go there and find absolutely nothing, but when you score in these places you score BIG. The employees at these places (excluding the used game stores) don't do their homework when it comes to prices, except for mainstream Nintendo these places seem to take the amazon price for these games slap on a few dollars and call it a day. Anime/comic/gaming cons are also decent places to look, if you have any in the area, some prices are inflated but they tend to get marked down on the last day to move their stock. The last resource would be Craigslist or the Craigslist equivalent in your area if you can stand meeting with strangers to buy their shit. This method seems the most sketchy for sure but it usually turns out pretty well if you ask the seller enough questions and the sellers provides you with adequate pictures of what they're selling. (As long as you don't take and giant risks, of course.)

Oh! Also watch out for counterfeit DS/GBA games, there are quite a few for popular games. Definitely look at them with a critical eye or you might get duped. I remember seeing a booth at my local anime con selling fake copies of Pokemon and Fire Emblem.

HAPPY HUNTING!

[LiquidShu]

Damn, thanks for the reply! The only issue I have with going to local stores is that they lack the cases... I may just have to suck it up though and figure out how to print my own case art and slap it in a generic case.

I browse the /r/Pokemon often and I have seen people complain about bootleg Pokemon games, so I am well aware!

[Kaykeiokay]

I have the same issue too, if it's loose or even in a generic case the chances of me forking out the cash for it plummets. I even shake cases to make sure the manual is inside, must look like quite the weirdo to the employees. Having pieced together a few sets separately before, I can definitely say it was ten times more frustrating than going for a complete set. (I'm not paying ten bucks shipping on a manual I'm paying a dollar for, Dammit!) Luckily, in the area where I live quite a few people save the cases at least.

For the particular games you're looking for I don't think you'll have any issues finding them complete even in local stores (especially the PS3 titles) since the majority of them are pretty common titles. Unless of course, gamers in your area have something against game cases/manuals and constantly throw them out. Now if that's the case my heart goes out to you. Relying solely on the online retailers would drive me crazy, I've heard so many horror stories where a game is listed as "like new", but when it arrives the disc is full of scratches.

There was a storefront on either Amazon or Ebay that offered to print backup covers and manuals for games; I never used them myself though so I can't guarantee their quality. Another thing you know if you end up getting any loose games/ games with broken cases, is that it's fairly easy to find blank replacement cases for any system after the PS1, except for PSP. (Those cases are a bitch to find, especially if you need a specific amount.)