Shmups as an investment

[NAVVARR]

What do you guys think about buying shmups as an investment?
With economies around the world flatlining and returns on bank account are virtually zilch.

One of the things I've noticed is that the rarest shmups inevitably increase in value year upon year.

I've been buying them for years and wouldn't like to be just starting out, glad I bought a lot of mine a few years ago.

They certainly do seem to buck the trend economically.

[CStarFlare]

You'll get better returns with a checking account.

[Super Laydock]

No.

Risky due to too many uncertainties/unknown variables.

Bad idead.

[EmperorIng]

This community lives to price gouge the fuck out of one another. Internet prices is the absolute worst thing about being in to shmups.

Hell, Metal Black was $35-40 when I started my Saturn collection two years ago, and now there aren't any copies on ebay less than $70. I don't think the world supply of Metal Black seriously compromised itself in those two intervening years.

It's bad to 'invest' in shmups. It's far wiser to play them then sell them. If I make half of what I paid for a game, I call it a win.

[Udderdude]

Not only is it a bad idea, some people around here (and other arcade-centric sites) will hate you for intentionally trying to flip PCBs to make a profit.

[KyoKusagani1999]

Why in the name of Radiant would I think of selling that game I Treasure?
If I were the owner of the PCB, I would have it out in public for everyone to enjoy.
It's not a genre that should be for the rich and rich alone, and that enjoyment
brings far greater joy to me than all the money in the world!

[Tigershark]

You'd have to buy lots of versions of the same "expensive" games to make it worth the return.

I think I remember reading something about Radiant not being that much of a rare game and yet it still goes for £100 or thereabouts. I think its price has been quite stable for a while. It's all relative - £100 is not that much to pay for a game you really want so I can't see prices going too much higher if they can be got relatively easily. It's all a question of how much of a mug you're prepared to be.

[justice99]

I know a French guy who is buying every Cave pcb he can.

It sounds a little risky but obviously better than buying 360/ps3 games.

The most important thing is to vary investment, you can buy gold, silver, currencies and why not PCB.

[EmperorIng]

Radiant Silvergun is not a rare game - you can always find several copies being sold on ebay or amazon or play-asia at any given time. It has the reputation of being "hard to find masterpiece" which ratchets up the price, a bit unfairly.

[exidy]

I started collecting Shmups back in the 90s, around 2006 I sold about 50+ boards and made a killing. But knowing what I know now, I could have made a super killing if I sold them today.

Im not sure if the prices will continue to go up. But thats a chance everyone has to take. IMHO prices are at an all time high, so purchasing the games now (as an investment) would be risky.

Jon

[Frenetic]

dang man, good to see you getting back into shmups! you should put a japanese candy cabinet with a Cave game (may I suggest Espgaluda 1) at 1up or 2up!

cheers,
F

I started collecting Shmups back in the 90s, around 2006 I sold about 50+ boards and made a killing. But knowing what I know now, I could have made a super killing if I sold them today.

Im not sure if the prices will continue to go up. But thats a chance everyone has to take.

Jon

[rancor]

I bought SDOJ last June for Y240,000. It's worth ~Y120,000 now.


CHA-CHING!!

[trap15]

Anyone who thinks of PCBs as an investment can literally GO FUCK THEIR OWN FACE.

PCB speculators are basically the worst thing. If that's why you buy PCBs, just get the fuck out.

If you want to invest in shit, go play the stock market or buy gold or something.

[moh]

I bought SDOJ last June for Y240,000. It's worth ~Y120,000 now.


CHA-CHING!!

I've been home sick all day, and this was the first thing to make me laugh. i love you.

[Jeneki]

I invested in some entertainment value. And I wasn't disappointed.

[R79]

Console-wise, you have to keep an eye on the download re-release scene, as well as international currency fluctuations... I know it's hardly sweet comfort to the new starters, but like the OP, I'm sure glad I built up a lot of my SEGA based software back when the dollar was trading at pretty much a straight two to the pound.

I noticed PAL Space War Attack on PS2 has gone up... but I know for a fact, Morrison's the supermarket were at one point overloaded with the 505 budget line, so the price could tumble if a few crates come out of storage.

*Blue Horseshoe lurrves Anacott Steel*

[Drake]

Maybe I can spend this absurd amount of money on games that I know I'll TOTALLY get my money's worth for because I really like them but because I know that when I get bored of them all I'll look back and cringe in how much money I've essentially wasted I will preemptively convince myself that they'll actually be worth more in the future so I'm currently justified in throwing away all that money now in order to sell it to SOME CHUMP later.

Makes sense.

[O. Van Bruce]

if you want an investment, buy limited edition dollfies, instead of games. they can get up to 3 or 4 times their original price after a few months after you buy then.

[exquisite_torture]

MMP/PS increased by 50%, then Cave announced a cheap reissue. I was simply gutted.

[Skykid]

I know a French guy who is buying every Cave pcb he can.

Same as all the other French guys then.

The reason shmups are the most valuable genre is a mystery to me: one assumes lower print-runs or simply less in aftermarket circulation because they rock and people don't like to sell. Either way, you could invest in unboxed US NES and SNES carts, since that's another completely bullshit ebay bubble that's enjoying fucking itself and everyone in it right up the ass at the moment.

Personally I just purchased a shrink wrap machine, that's where the big money is right now. That market's about to get carpet bombed.

[moh]

Personally I just purchased a shrink wrap machine, that's where the big money is right now.

HEHEHEHE. you so sneaky.

[Casey120]

Don't just shrink wrap them but put them in a plastic case and rate them afterwards for extra revenue !

Take the disks and carts out of the box first and sell those separately

[trap15]

Personally I just purchased a shrink wrap machine, that's where the big money is right now. That market's about to get carpet bombed.

Yessssssssssss

[Drachenherz]

Don't just shrink wrap them but put them in a plastic case and rate them afterwards for extra revenue !

Take the disks and carts out of the box first and sell those separately

And don't forget to take a dump in the cases. As they are shrinkwrapped afterwards, nobody will notice the smell...

[Skykid]

Don't just shrink wrap them but put them in a plastic case and rate them afterwards for extra revenue !

One step ahead of you. The VGA authority has done a fine line in masking fraudulent activity since its inception. I don't want anyone inspecting the goods too closely.

And don't forget to take a dump in the cases.

Or swap out certain carts for copies of Pit Fighter, the gaming equivalent.

[kamiboy]

Vintage games are a horrible investment. Prices "seem" to only be going up, but for some reason when you decide to sell something you can never, ever get back what you paid for it, let alone make a bit of profit.

You are better off investing in stocks.

[moh]

Vintage games are a horrible investment. Prices "seem" to only be going up, but for some reason when you decide to sell something you can never, ever get back what you paid for it, let alone make a bit of profit.

You are better off investing in stocks.

really? I am yet to sell anything for a loss...
The trick is to only buy when you find a reallllly good deal

[kamiboy]

Problem is patience. Re-sellers can just sit on a particular item for eternity until they find someone willing to pay their price.

When you want to sell some odd thing from your collection you will either have to sell it at a discount to move it quickly or have a lot of patience.

If you have something genuinely rare on your hand then, sure, there is a good chance of finding willing buyers quickly, but with stuff like ebay you are up against hundreds of others trying to sell the same common or semi-rare item.

Finding really good deals is a hard thing too. Requires a lot of time and patience.

In the end, I feel, if you factor in the time you spend doing this or that you always come out short. Unless of course you have nothing better to do, or enjoy doing this.

[moh]

mmhm, you're right about that. The stuff i sell usually sits for sale for quite a while. But hey, im in no rush to sell, but if i want something gone, i'll offer it for a good price just so I can break even.

that being said, is this really what anyone wants to do? buy the games to play them. Trying to resell them for a profit (usually pricing them higher than they're worth) is no good for the community.

[kamiboy]

Lots of re-sellers seem to want to do exactly that. I honestly have a hard time believing anyone can make any money from such an activity, but there is just too much of it for it not to be profitable in some way.

Anywaste, I very, very rarely sell anything. Only when I end up with a duplicate. In those cases I like what I paid for it back, but it never works out that way.

Only time I ever managed to make a little bit of a profit was by fixing up two broken systems. Of course if you factor in the time I spent it was a losing endeavour.