Topic: Collecting in Manchester

Hi all!

I have decided - after long deliberation - to go back to collecting SNES. I have decided that I want a Supaboy Hyper Beach, because, after the Switch, I want to enjoy gaming on the go. The main reason is only to play what is never going to be on the eshop - like Lufia, which I am crazy about.

Now, prices are ridiculous, especially online. So, I'd like to ask whether there's anybody here that has been collecting after the pandemic and how's the experience?

It seems that CEX has some reasonable prices compared to eBay (I'm around Manchester) - so what do you think lovely people?

Cheers!

Daniel.

@daniruy Yeah, when the pandemic hit, demand & prices went way up for all console generations and their games - I didn't see that coming. I'm not sure they've gone down here in the US. I haven't seen anyone talk about where good deals can be found.

I've found distance-buying from Cex to be crap, there's very little assurance over the condition the item you buy is in, whether the manual's included, for example, is something they don't specify. The few times I've tried Cex I've been disappointed and see them as a last resort.

But I don't live near a Cex store. If you have one nearby and can return stuff you're not happy with, or view the condition of items in store, then they might be worth keeping tabs on.

I'm finding recently that eBay auction prices are tracking closely to Cex prices, as if buyers are checking prices on Cex and then bidding up to the same amount on eBay. But there's bound to be occasions where you can get lucky and bag something cheaper going one way or the other, if patient.

Facebook Marketplace seems to be the one other option for me nowadays, and at least photos tend to be used so you can get a rough idea of quality, but I've never actually bought anything via it yet.

@WoomyNNYes Thank you! On eBay things are mental. I've seen many collectors on Youtube dropping the hobby due to the ridiculous prices too. It's mad that when I had my SNES collection back in 2010 I could afford games like Donkey Kong Country for the price of a nice burger. Do you see any light at the end of the tunnel or is it going to only go down?

@gcunit In Manchester, you can find some reasonable prices. Aladdin, for example, was 6 quid, in good condition - loose, though. I see your point and agree: it is better to go physical store for this. It is interesting that eBay is matching prices. Thanks for the Marketplace tip, I will give it a go.

It is early days for me. Being a dad to two little girls I have a VERY limited budget - not considering the living cost rise, so I decided to go loose cartridges for now. That will bring costs down a bit and I can track boxes and manuals loose in the future.