The Cost of a Complete PAL Set

[mick_aka]

So I've been working on updating the old PAL Buyers Guide over the past 3 months using what games have actually sold for on eBay (including Europe and Australia), Amazon, GameGavel, eBid, eCrater and a number of online forums including here at SS:UK.

This will all be published shortly, however what this has also allowed me to work out is the cost of a complete PAL set currently.

By complete PAL set, for this purpose I mean every long boxed game complete and in good-very good condition (manuals, outer boxes etc.) NOT including any hardware or demo discs.

It's just for curiosities sake really so...

What you would be likely to pay on average in 2014 for all 240 PAL games: £3,509.00

If you bid high or use some of the more sensible buy it now prices you're likely to pay around: £4,648.00

and finally if you're sensible, wait it out and search well the cheapest you're likely to complete your PAL set for is: £2,370.00

[NeoGeoNinja]

Nothing to add to this Mick, aside... fantastic work!

I love stuff like these statistics.

£3.5k, huh?...

[mick_aka]

Yea that's the overall average based on average price for each game.

During all this you notice some really lucky people winning stuff very cheap, I also purposely excluded outlandish prices that were obviously the result of bidding wars and way outside what other copies had sold for.

[MIK]

Still works out cheaper buying second hand today for a full set than it might of when they were current and all brand new.

Most games had a £40+ RRP when new, add the machine price tag and 1 memory cart and it would of cost you 10K+ back in the day, only if you bought everything from say GAME and/or Virgin Megastore on release day each and every time something new came out.
Thank those that allowed part-x which in turn allowed us to get shot of the crap making the journey a lil bit cheaper!

[mick_aka]

I was into golf games in the mid 90's and distinctly remember dropping £44.99 on one of the Saturn's offerings, utterly worthless today.

[mancity]

Great stats Mick, thanks!

[MIK]

and who said GOLF games have a "Use by" date to make them worthless when they all come with holes/courses that need mastering..?  

[megamixer]

Jun 26, 2014 2:32:01 GMT mick_aka said:

I was into golf games in the mid 90's and distinctly remember dropping £44.99 on one of the Saturn's offerings, utterly worthless today.

I think I spanked £44.99 on Actua Golf back in the day as well. Probably the second highest price I ever paid for a new Saturn game. Most I paid was £54.99 for Fighters Megamix on the day of release. My 15th birthday was exactly 2 weeks later and I remember asking for birthday money early so I could get it.

A shop in Glasgow used to do game 'swaps', they might still do actually, so I very rarely had to buy too many games brand new just after release.

[DonPachi]

That's pretty interesting to know (and must have taken a while to calculate!), thanks. Originally I was looking at a full PAL set, and I've reached around 80 so far with some of the more expensive titles (PD Saga, Deep Fear). But since I'd actually amass like a respectable JPN collection further down the line, I'm only going to pick up games I'll actually play, or curiosities that are worth having in my collection.

[zyrobs]

Can't wait to see the guide.

Funny how half the price is made up by the 10 or so most expensive titles (PD Saga isn't even the top ten, I think).

[mick_aka]

Surprisingly looking at the average price they actually sold for PD Saga still tops the list with Swagman a close second (bare in mind this is a PAL only list)

Although we've seen things like PAL MK Trilogy and SF Collection selling on occasion for up to £200, those prices are WAY off trend, the average selling price for MK Trilogy was only £65 compared to £85 for Mr. Bones which is usually thought to be less expensive.
There were far more examples of MK Trilogy selling for under £60 than over, which I found quite a shock! I think the cheapest complete PAL copy someone managed to grab for £20!!!!

I've not included SOLD Buy it Now listings from anywhere, my reasoning for this was that they in no way reflected an accurate buyers guide price fore the game, it's more lazy people with money burning a hole in their pocket.
For example: There were 14 auction and private sales I had for Street Fighter Collection ranging from £40-£70, then bang in the middle someone used a Buy it Now to grab a copy for £140.

[zyrobs]

Ah, right, I was thinking among the lines of the 140€ I sold mine for - but that was some years ago, and it was missing the cardboard cover. Complete copies go for much more.

[mick_aka]

The reason PDS is at the top is the consistently high price, so it comes out with a very high average.

[rossdaboss]

I stared a spread sheet last year to find out the average ebay selling price for each PAL game. £3,996.00 was the figure I got for a fall set.

I've noticed the some thing as mick about the prices, one week a game will sell for a £50 the next week for £5. You just need to be patient and you can grab yourself a bargain.

[punx2511]

There was someone selling their collection of 206 pal games on eBay just last week £2800 it ended up going for