Blackmoor wrote:RPG collectables has very few deep pocketed collectors; it is a very poor choice for investors. It may be a better investment at some time in the future but probably not. For investments to work you require sustained growth. There is just not enough big spenders to soak up $2000.00 TSOJ's for very long. Maybe some day that $100.00 TSOJ will be available.
Sea-to-sky-games wrote:But are those interested in using the products in playing the game at all influencing what an Egg of Phoenix goes for? Most players will pay no more than $10.. but they go for a lot more than that.
Sea-to-sky-games wrote:The analogy is that you can "fly cards" with your friends, but that doesn't have any affect on the price.
Sea-to-sky-games wrote:Not really. They hold tremendous nostalgic value which drives up the price.. precisely what happens with rpgs.In fact, who is to say staring at your sports hero is any less volatile a characteristic for purposes of garnering nostalgia then playing a 20-year-old game?
VermilionFire wrote:A gaming item is much more than an object of aesthetic nostalgia. It can be played. Boardgames and miniatures are perhaps even better examples of this since they are tactile as well. Modules tell a story, and human beings have pined for great stories since the advent of spoken language.
If an RPG item typically sells for somewhere in the range of $25 - $50 (which is a large range, allowing for a great difference in market fluctuation) and a knowledgeable seller with a store puts it for sale at $95, then that is shady. A buyer who might someday purchase it, is NOT doing it because they THINK THAT IS WHAT IT IS WORTH or because it is WORTH it to them. They are doing it because they DON'T know what to pay. They were probably unfortunate and started searching ebay at the exact time that: 1) They decided they wanted to buy some item or items and 2) It was the only one listed at the time. Guaranteed, when they someday get a better handle on the market, they won't say "I was happy to pay $95 because it was WORTH IT TO ME", they will say: "Shit, I got ripped off".
Sea-to-sky-games wrote:This seems like strange reasoning to me and not one that has any explanatory power over human behavior. After all, it means all of us -- whether it is in rpgs at times, or buying food, or whatever -- go walking around with really no idea what things are worth to ourselves and we just fork out money like zombies.
Deadlord39 wrote:This discussion seems to come up twice a year, when a noobie comes on the scene and thinks he knows how the RPG economy works. I am tired of raking Seesaw over the coals, so here is my advice: follow your business plan, buy up lots of rare items at high prices, and sell them for even higher prices. It's been SOOOOO successful in the past.
This discussion seems to come up twice a year, when a noobie comes on the scene and thinks he knows how the RPG economy works. I am tired of raking Seesaw over the coals, so here is my advice: follow your business plan, buy up lots of rare items at high prices, and sell them for even higher prices. It's been SOOOOO successful in the past.
Sea-to-sky-games wrote:Actually, what this discussion seems to indicate is that there appears some hostility to new voices. I've never belittled anyone nor spoken in an adversarial manner... yet this is precisely what I've encountered from some others (to put in mildly). Is this how all "newbies" are treated?Moreover, I'm far from a "newbie" as I've been collecting tsr material for well over a decade and have lurked on this forum for awhile. I certainly don't run any business. But I am doing my graduate degree in economics, so I'd like to think I have some vague understanding of how economies work. But even so, surely all of is entirely irrelevant. After all, the one and only thing I've "contended" is that valuations are entirely subjective, which is what anyone without any background in any rpg or "rpg economics" can firmly postulate and defend. It is certainly not any novel idea or concept... except perhaps in this forum.
thehiddenone wrote:Considering the fact that he teetered back and forth about 4 times now on what he thinks and how he actually acts, I think Seesaw is the perfect name for him. Personally I think he is just a forum troll here to do nothing other than piss people off and try to start fights. He should from now on be treated just like every other forum troll and just flat out ignored by everyone.
Kosh Vorlontay wrote:Now on page 5 and the point is still missed
Badmike wrote:All SeaTSky has basically said in his many posts is that pricing is subjective. Mike B.
thehiddenone wrote:No that is not all he has said. You must have missed the posts were he said that how dare anyone act surprised and laugh that some stupid ass buyer paid far and above the going rate for an item. He has also defended the practices of just about every shady seller listed on this thread. I fail to see how because you have met this guy that it makes him any better than sellers like creep1962 and titan games. His philosophy about the economics of these sellers is the exact same yet no one until this guy has yet to defend it. Why now? Because you met him person, then he must be a swell guy? I don't buy it.