AES Console Prices Back in the Day

[GohanX]

All you guys reporting buying a used system during the system's original run can take a hike. Youtube has made it clear you don't exist and your experiences don't count. Neo Geo was "omg expensive!!!!1" and only spoiled kids who could afford $650 had one.

No exceptions can be made for someone buying one in the KOF96 and Metal Slug era for cheap. The same thing happened to my brothers and I buying a $100 3DO at the end of its life. We never get mentioned on videos that talk about 3DO. Only people who paid full price.

I was a few years too young for this, but anecdotally most of the people who seemed to actually have it in the 90s that I know weren't rich, they were just teens with jobs who may not have been rich but could swing putting all the money from their part time job into finding a system and saving that $200-300 dollars once every few months for a hot home cart release. You might PM Viewpoint as an OG from way back who actually did this.

*edit* Now that I think about it, a lot of these Youtube retronoobs also have no concept of bargain shopping. Pay full, max price for whatever you desire the moment you want it. Waiting for a deal or finding it used at a bargain doesn't really enter their thought process. It's more like "I need this, it cost $XXX buy it now on ebay. Value be damned, do I have the money or credit to buy it?" I guess I can't hate on it too much, I've made a lot of money from these guys.

 

[Yamazaki]

Naked AES JP system with KoF 96 for 20.000 Yen in 2002.

one year later I bought Maigical Drop 3, Ninja Masters and RBFF2 for around 20.000 - 30.000 Yen each.


and found an Art of Fighting 3 in very good condition for 7000 Yen at Super Potato lol

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

This is way way too late for the list but if talking about really low prices, in 2012 or 2013 I bought from Hit-Japan on eBay a junk loose AES system for $40 USD plus $40 USD for shipping, it arrived a couple months later and there was nothing wrong with it. It did need a 9v rather than 5v power brick though.

 

[terry.330]

*edit* Now that I think about it, a lot of these Youtube retronoobs also have no concept of bargain shopping. Pay full, max price for whatever you desire the moment you want it. Waiting for a deal or finding it used at a bargain doesn't really enter their thought process. It's more like "I need this, it cost $XXX buy it now on ebay. Value be damned, do I have the money or credit to buy it?" I guess I can't hate on it too much, I've made a lot of money from these guys.

Yeah, there's no middle ground with these people. It's either paying an exorbitant price is somehow supposed to be impressive or they're total cheapskates and everything they get is some sort of amazing deal.

YOU WONT BELIEVE HOW MUCH I SPENT ON THE RAREST CONSOLE EVER!!!!!111

or

AMAZING $20K SNES LOT FOR $5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because nobody is going to click on a video or like a post on social media that says I paid a perfectly reasonable price for a slightly above average game. Everything is hype, humble bragging and showing off. Most of these people were toddlers back when retro gaming prices were cheap and no one gave a fuck about any of this. But it's all they know.

 

[city41]

Now that I think about it, a lot of these Youtube retronoobs also have no concept of bargain shopping. Pay full, max price for whatever you desire the moment you want it. Waiting for a deal or finding it used at a bargain doesn't really enter their thought process. It's more like "I need this, it cost $XXX buy it now on ebay. Value be damned, do I have the money or credit to buy it?" I guess I can't hate on it too much, I've made a lot of money from these guys.

If it's a big enough channel, pumping out videos fast probably makes more money even if you need to pay top dollar for the next "subject" of your video.

 

[Neo Alec]

Yeah, there's no middle ground with these people. It's either paying an exorbitant price is somehow supposed to be impressive or they're total cheapskates and everything they get is some sort of amazing deal.

YOU WONT BELIEVE HOW MUCH I SPENT ON THE RAREST CONSOLE EVER!!!!!111

or

AMAZING $20K SNES LOT FOR $5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because nobody is going to click on a video or like a post on social media that says I paid a perfectly reasonable price for a slightly above average game. Everything is hype, humble bragging and showing off. Most of these people were toddlers back when retro gaming prices were cheap and no one gave a fuck about any of this. But it's all they know.

It's also lazy research. I understand if you weren't around for it or didn't have the means, but there are plenty of people who were paying attention in the 90's who can tell you. Parroting the one most-cited datapoint of $650 is not very informative. It's too easy to tell the difference between a content creator who was actually there in the scene back in the day, and who is just talking about it second hand (which is unfortunately nearly everyone at this point).

I just watched a video on the Lincoln assassination, and it's fair to assume no one involved in the video was actually around at the time when it happened. Video game history is obviously nowhere near as important, but soon it will be the same way where there's no one left with firsthand experience to talk about these things, so what gets written now is what will most likely 'go in the history books' so to speak.

 

[StevenK]

It's also lazy research. I understand if you weren't around for it or didn't have the means, but there are plenty of people who were paying attention in the 90's who can tell you. Parroting the one most-cited datapoint of $650 is not very informative. It's too easy to tell the difference between a content creator who was actually there in the scene back in the day, and who is just talking about it second hand (which is unfortunately nearly everyone at this point).

I just watched a video on the Lincoln assassination, and it's fair to assume no one involved in the video was actually around at the time when it happened. Video game history is obviously nowhere near as important, but soon it will be the same way where there's no one left with firsthand experience to talk about these things, so what gets written now is what will most likely 'go in the history books' so to speak.

Hopefully in a couple of hundred years historians will be reading this very forum to find out about the dawn of video games, drawing the conclusion that absolutely everyone involved was a complete dick

 

[city41]

Parroting the one most-cited datapoint of $650 is not very informative

Not to mention that has to be for a gold system. I think that was the launch price? So take away a game and extra controller and you're more around $350-400.

Video game history is obviously nowhere near as important, but soon it will be the same way where there's no one left with firsthand experience to talk about these things, so what gets written now is what will most likely go in the history books.

I've noticed on the internet whenever something comes up that I know a lot about, people virtually always get it wrong. Which makes me think the stuff I see about things I don't know anything about is probably being relayed to me wrong most of the time.

 

[Neo Alec]

I've noticed on the internet whenever something comes up that I know a lot about, people virtually always get it wrong. Which makes me think the stuff I see about things I don't know anything about is probably being relayed to me wrong most of the time.

As with any internet research, the source is important. Usually some rando with a lot of views on Youtube is not a quality source.

 

[city41]

some rando with a lot of views on Youtube is not a quality source.

yup, and the point of youtube is entertainment and clicks. Don't let facts get in the way.

Anyway ... aes prices?

 

[Neo Alec]

I checked my personal collection of Neo Geo magazine clippings, and all I found was one Funco ad. I'd have to go get all my old magazines in storage to check everything. I'm sure someone else already archives Funco prices somewhere.

 

[supergoose]

Usually some rando with a lot of views on Youtube is not a quality source.

Neither is Wikipedia, btw.

 

[madmanjock]

PAL AES, Telegames, used, £175, 2003.

 

[HellioN]

I forgot I had this hanging on the wall in my basement.
Even back then I was such a nerd fanboi for the NEO·GEO.

Yeah it is gross looking, but you probably would be too if you were taped to the basement wall for about 30 years.
Here is the opposite side just for fun.

 

[wyo]

I bought an used JP AES with a controller and Viewpoint for £150 in 1994.

 

[Alphabet]

$325 for a JPN AES box with 2 controllers, one memory card in box and alpha mission 2. September 2006.

I forgot I had this hanging on the wall in my basement.
Even back then I was such a nerd fanboi for the NEO·GEO.
View attachment 71010
Yeah it is gross looking, but you probably would be too if you were taped to the basement wall for about 30 years.
Here is the opposite side just for fun.
View attachment 71011

Looks like the pages are sticky. What did you do with that?

 

[HellioN]

$325 for a JPN AES box with 2 controllers, one memory card in box and alpha mission 2. September 2006.



Looks like the pages are sticky. What did you do with that?

Same thing I did to Roker's mom.

 

[Neo Alec]

I forgot I had this hanging on the wall in my basement.
Even back then I was such a nerd fanboi for the NEO·GEO.
View attachment 71010
Yeah it is gross looking, but you probably would be too if you were taped to the basement wall for about 30 years.
Here is the opposite side just for fun.
View attachment 71011

I think I had this too.

I bought an used JP AES with a controller and Viewpoint for £150 in 1994.

Seems too low.

 

[wyo]

Seems too low.

The UK used video game market in the 90s was very weak. There was no collector scene, only players.

 

[Neo Alec]

Maybe they should've pushed the Silver system harder initially. The high price tag of the console with a game and extra controller probably served as a higher barrier to entry. Or perhaps the price difference didn't matter to the audience they were pursuing, who would have needed to be able to afford additional games anyway.

The UK used video game market in the 90s was very weak. There was no collector scene, only players.

Pretty nonexistent here too. Gaming was too young for collecting to be a common thing.

 

[konrad]

I had a neogeo CD in 1997 and I sold it every time to load a new stage, it was a nightmare. Then I bought the PSX and in 2010 I bought a cmvs mvc1 board, I customized 500€ it and started with mvs.

 

[neo_mao]

I didn’t get mine until 2007 so I was late to the party. I paid about $200 for an unmodded US system on eBay.

 

[LoneSage]

2009?: "Bought" a loose system from Big Bear here for I think it was $90, but because of a shipping delay he ended up giving it to me for free which he totally didn't need to do. This is the system I still use today, everything else was sold/traded away.

@BIG BEAR you're OK dude

 

[peterr928]

$225 for a boxed JP AES in 2000
$160 for a loose VIC-A Korean console in 2001
Sold both in the early 2000s

 

[fenikso]

Just looked mine up and I paid $100 for a loose gamer condition console in 2007. Got it from Tomcat off the forums.