Back then you could buy brand new full kits for $150-200 of Sengoku 3, MOTW, KOF 2003 off Arcade Shock. Games like Samsho V Special and Viewpoint kits were $200-300. Alot of loose games could be bought on Ebay for under $100. MOTW was a $70-80 game and Ninja Masters was more or less the same.
I remember holding off on Ninja Masters because all the offers I was getting was 120-150, and at the time I couldn’t afford that (I was like, 18 and working part time). Finally got a copy in 2018 for 125.
But yeah I remember Rage of the Dragon kits being SO cheap. Wish I got in on it then. I didn’t pay too much a few years back, but man.
Right now I feel like most of the MVS market isn’t too bad, most people think “Neo Geo? Oh that shit is $$” and don’t even look, so prices haven’t been fucking retarded.
They did start climbing in late 2017/early 2018. Around the same time those Chinese CMVSs were popping up on AliExpress and collectard YouTubers were praising the “CBOX”. I think that exposed a lot of these new collectards to MVS being actually affordable.
Hell, even the CBox is climbing in price. It was $180, and now $200 just gets you the acrylic and super gun, BYOB MVS board.