The going rate for some titles is absolutely insane, it really makes you stop and think when the prices of some games are worth more than a used car
There are three types of people I see responsible for driving up costs, and they are
1.Retailers, these guys think everything they have is worth several grand, and often people will look at these price lists and say "hey if he's getting that much..."
2.Newbies, I can't fault their enthusiasm heck, I am even guilty of paying too much for my first game and I think everybody does it, but often those high prices people are willing to pay at first just stick
3.Guys with more money than sense. we are talking about number 1's customer, the dude with enormous wads of cash who doesn't care about saving money, he just wants it now, and isn't interested in how they work. These guys aren't usually aren't long term collectors they just enjoy it temporarily until the games break and then they dump them.
Many of us will have to make the decision at some point, to either pay the high going rate for games, wait for a cheap fixer upper, or skip some of the games we want.
I think for the most part I fall into the middle category, I'm patient because in my experience you will run across games at a good prices most of the time, if you aren't in a hurry.
And there will always be guys getting out of the hobby (loss of interest, space, money, death, wives, ETC.) most games will come around again and again.
But that said, I don't judge anybody for paying out for that one game they really want, I know my day is coming soon too (I'm looking at you Tron, Addams Family...sigh)
Yes, eventually the supply will dwindle and prices will go up, but in my opinion it's too soon for at least the most common games to be doing this yet
just a few years ago Q*bert was pretty cheap, now it commands disgustingly high prices (damn you Wreck-it-Ralph!) but I still found a killer
so there is hope.
I am a bit worried because I have seen hobbies absolutely destroyed by greed, and it seems this is just beginning to happen to ours, and the higher the prices, the less accessible this hobby becomes for anybody.
