Nintendo 64 prices better on Ebay than Craigslist?

[azure]

So, I ran into a handful of N64 games when met up with a seller who was selling a 4-button Atari 2600 (with controllers, some manuals, and 22 carts.) The seller asked me if I knew anyone into Nintendo 64 games and then pulled out seven N64 carts (and 1 gameboy cart). I barely contained my excitement when he asked me if $10 was a good price. I expected to pay more since I paid a lot more for the Atari, which he claimed wasn't working, but it turned out it worked fine. He didn't have a switchbox so he probably plugged the RF cable into a composite jack and concluded it was busted.

 

So, anyway, back to the N64 carts. I have these carts, so I'm thinking I may as well get a N64 console now. This has led me to check up on prices, and I keep finding sellers on Craigslist and other classified sites are asking a lot more for N64 consoles than they go for on Ebay (including S/H!!)

 

Anyone else noticed this weirdness? Craigslist is usually a lot cheaper for Atari/Sega/Commodore/etc stuff than Ebay, but this time it's reversed. I wonder if these Nintendo sellers too emotionally attached to their systems, so they're inflating the prices.

 

If you're wondering, the Nintendo carts are:

• Super Mario 64
• Mario Kart 64
• Mario Party (version one I think)
• Zelda and the Ocarina of Time
• Star Wars Shadows of the Empire
• Star Wars Battle for Naboo
• Star Wars Rogue Squadron
• Super Mario Land 2 (for gameboy)

I still have no system to play them on. Still searching for the perfect console lot. The Nintendo collecting scene seems crazy to me compared to Atari/Sega/Commodore/Coleco/Intellivision/etc.

Edited January 12, 2018 by azure

[Tanooki]

I have, it's basically the local tax. Locals feel they deserve more because you can get it immediately and touch it as you pay for it. It doesn't matter that you can't turn it on (aside from a handheld or going into their house which is a red flag) to try it out and just have to assume the risk hoping for the best. They'll ask more than the local shops and more than ebay because they think they're special providing you a one on one fast service avoiding the ebay wait or dealing with retail. Maybe that is the case or not, but that seems to be the working delusion. I'd rather buy on ebay or even local retail because in both cases -- warranty and refund possibilities. A CL clown can take your $50 and run laughing.

 

On the good end of this, wow, dude gave you all that for so little?! I don't blame you, and I'm sure some self proclaimed honesty saint probably would have felt you should have paid for, but you didn't negotiate you just accepted it. The first four games alone are roughly like a $100 in stuff so you made out like a bandit.

 

The Nintendo collecting scene is an unholy nightmare, and the NES in particular was the one that started causing the downhill run to high priced hell around 2011/2012 that cancerously spread then to the TG16 and SNES and outward into Sega and other stuff with basically handheld games in general more or less dodging that bullet.

 

Play those games and really enjoy them, from there see if it is for you or not and research prices. If it sickens you too much to commit but you're having fun, drop around $100 on an Everdrive for N64 and a small SD card and you'll be fine.

 

 

I forgot to add, when you do buy and if it is online, look closely at the joystick on the controller. If it looks like it's sagging to the side, either just ignore it or ask the seller, and if you can't tell but the rest looks fantastic, again ask the seller. Mario Party1-3 alone with all the hard pressing fast spinning mini games on it wore out a lot of the internal joystick brackets causing droop, and if it's bad enough the stick will move on its own making it useless without replacement. Also not everyone is bright enough to see it, look at pics, N64 has a 4MB ram expansion in the top of it, if you see a red mesh with squares out of that red in the door compartment on there and they don't price for it (values up to $20 bought alone) go for it. A lot of games use it to smooth up FPS or go with 640x480 mode, others (a few) require it entirely to work or to allow large parts of the game to function (Perfect Dark, Star Craft, DK64, etc.)

Edited January 12, 2018 by Tanooki

[Andromeda Stardust]

ed64 is more than 100 last i checked, but worth it. v3 has lightning fast load and will auto-save without hitting reset. also do not by cheap china knockoff. they are junk. avoid ebay as its a crapshoot if you get genuine product or not. only use krikzz or stoneagegamer or retrogate to buy everdrive products.

[Oldschool80skid]

$69.99 + shipping w/ 1 x oem controller, oem av cable & oem ps online at game stop.

 

Shipping is about $6.00, so $76 total.

 

That's consistent with ebay, but if you are in no hurry and check daily on ebay you could find one cheaper.

 

The game bundle you got was a steal!!

 

Be sure to pick up 007 Golden Eye & F-Zero.

Edited January 12, 2018 by Oldschool80skid

[HoshiChiri]

N64 has been moving into prime nostalgia territory for a few years now, and it's messing with the prices. Your local guys are starting to overvalue based on their/their friend's nostalgia factor. I'm afraid it's more likely Ebay will come to meet Craigslist than the other way around.

 

Anyhow- if you're looking at N64 in person, be sure to check the expansion port & see what's in there. Getting one with the expansion pack is best, but be sure there's at least a jumper pak in there- if the slot is empty, the N64 won't work. (Or maybe if you're lucky, you can get a system on the cheap from someone who doesn't know that and thinks it's broken.)

 

I second taking extra care in picking out your controllers- loose analog sticks are common & very difficult to play with. There's lots of replacements on ebay though, and it's a terribly easy thing to do, so don't pass up a good deal on a functional controller with a bad stick. There's also a lot of guys offering ways to 'fix' a loose stick too, if you want to try any of that.

[azure]

I'll look into this ed64 cart. Anyone know if there are 3rd party N64 controllers that are any good? Any brands to look for? It's probably odd that I'm asking on an Atari site, but oh well.

 

I'm going to be patient on finding the console since I want that RAM expansion pack. I'm mostly collecting for the 2600 and Commodore 64 at the moment. I'm rebuilding the 2600 system I had as a kid and putting together a C64 system I wanted as a kid but never got.

Edited January 13, 2018 by azure

[Oldschool80skid]

This one looks promising.

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1247448559/next-gen-n64-nintendo-64-controller/comments

[Oldschool80skid]

Here's one listed in the Market Place!!

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/273347-fs-nintendo-n64-system/?do=findComment&comment=3934479

Edited January 13, 2018 by Oldschool80skid

[discgolfer72]

I have seen a huge increase in n64 sales over the past 4 months

prior to that id sell one at most a month in my store

 

since November we have sold 32 of them at 70$ with 3 loose games or 1 premium game

I'm actually completely out right now lol

trying to re stock

[Shadowgate]

Here in northern California it's pretty unbearable. People hear this stuff is worth money so their stuff must be worth a fortune. Sometimes they go as far as to quote me the prices they find on ebay for unsold best match listings.

 

I tried doing the whole mission to civilize thing for the experience. Trying to explain I'm not paying ebay prices when I can use ebay promotions, have it delivered to my door, and be guaranteed to work. Many of these people don't even know how to hook these old systems up to their newer TV so they are hitting me with top dollar for dusty stuff that worked 15 years ago till I threw it in my attic.

 

It fails most of the time. No one wants to be civilized. They take it personally that you're denying their copy of sonic for the Genesis with "Billy" in permanent marker isn't worth $25.

 

Had it go right a few times. Always with stoners. I had 2 that sat down with me and we made a deal. Anything I was interested in we would check recent sold listings on ebay and cut 50% off the base price. I was specifically interested in each item so it was great.

 

This latest guy on Craigslist has an entire game room of stuff. He doesn't seem to want to sell but the girlfriend says they need money. So they refuse to let me buy lots, only pick and choose. They fish for games I might like then they look up ebay prices. I just stuck to telling them selling on ebay is no cake walk. I'll probably get some more stuff off them when they really need money. They want to take advantage of me through ebay prices and I'm using the poverty line to give em a little nudge in my direction. What a world

 

That's my top tip. Know your stuff and negotiate in person. They won't be able to depend on researching every item and the cash in face technique works. You'll likely never see these people again. Try your techniques and always be willing to walk away.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Shadowgate

[Shadowgate]

I'll look into this ed64 cart. Anyone know if there are 3rd party N64 controllers that are any good? Any brands to look for?

Raphnet gamecube to n64 adapter. Wavebird or even a normal wired controller work wonderfully