Video Game Store With No Prices

 I bought a used Xbox One X in February 2021, and it was time to go to the local video game store to see if they had any used Xbox One games that I could add to my collection. Specifically, I was looking for a golf game, since none of the old Xbox EA Sports golf titles will play on the Xbox One X. 

I haven't been to our local retro video game store since the pandemic started back in 2019. I thought the store might have gone out of business by now, but it was still there and open. Upon entering the store, everything looked about the same except for a huge display of Funko Pops. The Xbox games were on a rack at the back of the store. The selection was small and they didn't have any golf games. The next thing I noticed was that none of the games had any price tags or signs indicating how much they cost. I asked the salesman about it and he said that since the prices fluctuate so much, it was a waste of time to put price tags on everything. If there was a game I was interested in, they would lookup the price online. I've been in some antique stores without prices, but never a video game store. On a tight budget, this isn't how I like to shop.

Seeing that I was the only customer in the store, I wondered how this was working out for them. They probably get most of their sales online and the store is just a place for people to trade in their old games. How did prices get so volatile that listing prices was pointless? It all comes back to the Super Mario 64 game that sold for $1.56M back in July, 2021. Sealed, graded, retro video games have been selling for ever increasing prices, causing massive price variations for older games. I happened to come across a video on YouTube by Karl Jobst that calls out the fraud and deception that led to this situation. I watch a lot of YouTube videos and I had never heard of Karl. But, as soon as I heard the voice, I recognized it from his other videos under the name Modest Pelican. It is quite entertaining to hear his Australian accent as he narrates his video game play. For the past two years Karl has been adding videos about fraud, deception, and cheating in the video game world.

The story he uncovered is fascinating in its complexity and unbelievable in how the value of retro video games have been artificially manipulated. This has happened in the past with coins, sports cards, and collectable toys. Usually it doesn't end well for people who get caught up in the hype. It is unlikely that a video game collector is going to pay those high auction prices. But, investors who are only out to make a buck might. It's too early to know if Karl's video will change anything. I will be following the story with interest and commend Karl on his great work in documenting this story.