New tool for retro collectors: RetroGPE.com

[emiliacus]

Hey everyone!

A while ago, I set out to solve a problem many retro collectors face: searching for price estimates of games and always ending up with mixed results that lack clarity or real context.

That’s how RetroGPE.com was born — a website that calculates price estimates based on actual sales, but focuses on distinctions between NTSC regions (Japan, USA), PAL regions (Spain, Italy, France…), condition, and content of the lot.

The idea isn’t just to give you a number, but to try to reflect the exact variant of the game’s price, primarily relying on real sales and listings from specialized marketplaces. And when the system isn’t totally sure, you can help out by rating whether the suggested price seems right or should be adjusted.

Plus, you can use the site to visually register your collection and wishlist, check out what other collectors have, and even get in touch with them.

No registration needed: you can use it as a guest with a daily limit on estimates. If you want, you can create a free account to remove those limits. Registered users can manage their collections and wishlists and help refine prices when the confidence in an estimate is low.

This is a project I’ve developed more as a collector than a developer, and while there are still things I want to polish, it’s fully functional now. I’d love to hear what you think or get ideas to improve it.

If you feel like trying it out or sharing it with fellow collectors, that would be awesome. Thanks!

https://retrogpe.com

 

[Dr.Kisaragi]

Is so cool is showing the price of different currency, and easy too

You did a good job

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

You guys actually sell your games?

 

[nobitakun]

This website is kind of like pricecharting, but it lacks some platforms and many many games. I don't seem to find rare games, so I believe it still needs some work. But the site looks great, let's see how big it becomes :)

You guys actually sell your games?

I have never sold any game in my entire life. When I buy a game I make a contract to myself that can't be broken, even if the game is crap and I end hating it, because for me, each one has its own story. When I die, they can be burnt in hell, but as long as I am alive, they will stay with me no matter what.

If I lived in Japan full time I would collect them there, because second hand market is wonderful. I would even travel around nearby asian countries looking for releases of rare games, as flying around asia is quite cheap most of the year :)

 

[Rocket2049]

You guys actually sell your games?

you guys actually buy games?

 

[emiliacus]

This website is kind of like pricecharting, but it lacks some platforms and many many games. I don't seem to find rare games, so I believe it still needs some work. But the site looks great, let's see how big it becomes :)


I have never sold any game in my entire life. When I buy a game I make a contract to myself that can't be broken, even if the game is crap and I end hating it, because for me, each one has its own story. When I die, they can be burnt in hell, but as long as I am alive, they will stay with me no matter what.

If I lived in Japan full time I would collect them there, because second hand market is wonderful. I would even travel around nearby asian countries looking for releases of rare games, as flying around asia is quite cheap most of the year :)

Thanks for the feedback! You're totally right — the site is still growing. We're currently focused on polishing the platforms that are already included (fixing some titles, adding rare games, etc.), but more systems will definitely be added over time. I really appreciate your comment — it helps a lot!

 

[Bonkers225]

158k for Stadium Events and 56k for Metal Slug on the AES? Haha, these ppl be crazy.

 

[Tortuga]

$59500 for Metal Slug?? It's like 5 bucks on steam
Yeah i know it's different but fucking hell, you need to be insane to pay more than 200$ for a video game

 

[Anti-Law Savior]

$59500 for Metal Slug?? It's like 5 bucks on steam
Yeah i know it's different but fucking hell, you need to be insane to pay more than 200$ for a video game

That's just too damn much.

 

[nobitakun]

That's just too damn much.

These kind of prices test the true collector's and the true dumb people. The formers would never sell it if they bought it when the game was available to the masses, and the latters would buy it for their collection just because it's rare :O

 

[ColonelKurtz]

Very cool idea.

If you want to go the extra mile you could add some functionality that allows you to enter what games you have in your collection into a list/database that can track the value of your collection.

Something like Collectr (an app for TCG cards) but just for retro games.

 

[emiliacus]

Very cool idea.

If you want to go the extra mile you could add some functionality that allows you to enter what games you have in your collection into a list/database that can track the value of your collection.

Something like Collectr (an app for TCG cards) but just for retro games.

Thank you very much for your proposal. Right now, you can do this by adding the games in your collection one by one with the search engine and exporting to CSV later. But I find it very interesting that this process could be done in one go with a list from a CSV. The problem I see right now is to get the match of the titles I find in the file right but I will study it. Best regards!

 

[DrunkGecko]

you guys actually buy games?

thats what im sayin lol

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

If I lived in Japan full time I would collect them there, because second hand market is wonderful

It's gone to shit

 

[GuyZero32k4]

$59500 for Metal Slug?? It's like 5 bucks on steam
Yeah i know it's different but fucking hell, you need to be insane to pay more than 200$ for a video game

Guess I'm omega insane.
I'm gonna use this, gonna be while for me to get all the info in then. Been wanting to chart my stuff.

 

[nobitakun]

It's gone to shit

I disagree, it depends on what you're looking for and where. I am not the kind of person going to Akihabara or Ikebukuro to find stuff, I use to go to random towns where I've hardly seen any foreign people, and 99% of the time I've been to a GEO I've found very interesting stuff like new. Book/Hard Off is different thing, that's a hit and miss, but I am not looking for widely worshipped stuff, I am not paying more than 5000-6000JPY for a game, no matter how much I want it.

The cause of second hand market going to shit is specially foreign scalpers invading Japan.

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

I disagree, it depends on what you're looking for and where. I am not the kind of person going to Akihabara or Ikebukuro to find stuff, I use to go to random towns where I've hardly seen any foreign people, and 99% of the time I've been to a GEO I've found very interesting stuff like new. Book/Hard Off is different thing, that's a hit and miss, but I am not looking for widely worshipped stuff, I am not paying more than 5000-6000JPY for a game, no matter how much I want it.

The cause of second hand market going to shit is specially foreign scalpers invading Japan.

Do you live here?

I've been collecting for a long time and it is completely different now than it was when I started. You're absolutely right that it's because of foreign scalpers, the national diet library has even cited them as a big part of why they've started archiving games. Local retro gaming culture has changed a lot in recent years due to importers and tourists.

I maintain my position that it has gone to shit.

 

[nobitakun]

Do you live here?

I've been collecting for a long time and it is completely different now than it was when I started. You're absolutely right that it's because of foreign scalpers, the national diet library has even cited them as a big part of why they've started archiving games. Local retro gaming culture has changed a lot in recent years due to importers and tourists.

I maintain my position that it has gone to shit.

Last time I was living there for some months was before xmas. I went to a couple of places in Akihabara, totally not worth my time, but I went with other people so I couldn't actually decide. There was only one thing in there that surprised me, the son of my family's friend recommended me a 4 story store that had many games but the prices were expensive. Although, they had one complete story dedicated to physical PC games, with tons of hentai ones. I have always been looking for one specific Hentai RPG PC game that is a lot of fun but very old that I used to play when I was younger, and I gave a try in that place. They didn't have it and the shop assistant didn't even know what game was that by showing him the cover. Other than that, Akihabara it's never been a place to go for me, as that was my second visit and I never went there by myself.

My target places are outskirts of Tokyo, more out than in, big Tsutaya's and other second hand stores, because in towns they tend to be big. I have to admit my last time I was more active than usually because a couple of friends asked me stuff and I even had to spend money on UFO Catchers. But I usually go on chill mode, looking here and there, and buying what I find interesting and fair price. What I really like is to find yummy places for eating :)

In my country, and most western countries, the rule is as stupid as this: if it has anime on the cover the price rises automatically. It's not about how hard is to get the game, it's about a nonsense rule anime = valuable.

That does not happen in Japan, because the norm is to be anime, and when a game is expensive it means it is scarce and rare, there are no other reasons, as far as my experience can tell. And it also does not happen with japanese edition of western games, I've found many of them at very cheap prices.

The market is composed by 2 factors, the external people who mostly come only to corrupt, like humming-birds, taking whatever they think it is profitable to sell in their countries, and the local people, who have their own likes and behaviour, most of the time much more respectful than external people. That's why in Japan there are way less scalpers than in western countries, at least comparing it to mine.

The worst thing that happened to Japan is globalisation, and as a foreigner I understand why they reject people like me totally. I had the pleasure to talk with many people with different point of views and I used to agree with them. They sometimes tell me how surprised they are that I seem so japanese without being one. I usually take it as a compliment.

Well, I don't want to be political nor social in here, I understand you live in there and you know better than me, but that's been my experience in Japan along the years.

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

Last time I was living there for some months was before xmas

I don't understand, were you doing one of those 3 month visa waivers or something?

a 4 story store that had many games but the prices were expensive. Although, they had one complete story dedicated to physical PC games, with tons of hentai ones.

It sounds like you went to Trader. I love going there for eroge, it's a kind of heaven.

I have always been looking for one specific Hentai RPG PC game that is a lot of fun but very old that I used to play when I was younger

Do you know the name of the game? Now I'm curious as to what it could be.

 

[nobitakun]

I don't understand, were you doing one of those 3 month visa waivers or something?

Yeah, I only can stay up to 3 months because although I have family there I am not japanese. I wouldn't go Japan for 2-3 weeks, because I usually don't go other places for traveling, only for living, let alone Japan which is 14h away by plane.

I am planning to go visiting family again after summer. Maybe someday I will get a student's visa for 1 or 2 years so I can improve my japanese and I can live there for longer :)

It sounds like you went to Trader. I love going there for eroge, it's a kind of heaven.

Do you know the name of the game? Now I'm curious as to what it could be.

No, it's not Trader. I looked at the pictures and it was not like that. I am trying to remember but there were many multi-story stores, I only remember there was a train bridge very close, and the JR station was also pretty close because we walked there afterwards.

The game is Tears to Tiara. It was released for PS3 but it was totally remade and the gameplay is not the same, the one I like most is the original PC version. At that time, this saga was totally unknown outside Japan, but I found it because I used to play tons of eroge long time ago and my favourites were always the ones that have actual gameplay other than slideshows. It's sad they don't release many Hentai PC RPG's nowadays :(

If you happen to visit Akihabara often, you can look for it just out of curiosity :)

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

I only can stay up to 3 months

Than when did you live here? It sounds like you were a tourist.

I only can stay up to 3 months because although I have family there I am not japanese

Not being Japanese is irrelevant, you can stay longer you just need a visa.

Maybe someday I will get a student's visa for 1 or 2 years so I can improve my japanese and I can live there for longer :)

That's actually how I moved here when I was younger. The school I went to was awful, but I can't really complain since it gave me a visa.

No, it's not Trader

Hmm, I wonder what it could have been. There are several similar stores in the area, but when I think of stores that also carry used eroge the first I think of is Trader.

The game is Tears to Tiara

Oh I know it! It's from Leaf, I'm surprised the staff didn't know it. Leaf used to be huge back in the day.

If you happen to visit Akihabara often, you can look for it just out of curiosity :)

I haven't been out that way for a few years. Unfortunately there's just too many tourists there these days, it feels like stepping into a foreign country. I used to go there somewhat often before the pandemic but most of the shops I liked have since relocated or closed.

I'm curious how you have family here but don't qualify for a residency. Are you Brazilian or something?

 

[nobitakun]

Than when did you live here? It sounds like you were a tourist.

I'm curious how you have family here but don't qualify for a residency. Are you Brazilian or something?

As per the law, I am a tourist, a "reoffending" one lol. I can't apply for a digital nomad VISA because I need an income of 10m JPY or more per year. That isn't even realistic for japanese people lol. If I earned more than 10m I would have opened a business in there and get a better VISA.

Having family in Japan does not qualify me for anything, because I was born in Spain. You can have an aunt / uncle and cousins living there or whoever it is but if you want to visit them you need a tourist VISA. I am not Brazilian and I have nothing to do with Brazil, although I've lived in Portugal for 3 years :)

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

As per the law, I am a tourist, a "reoffending" one lol. I can't apply for a digital nomad VISA because I need an income of 10m JPY or more per year. That isn't even realistic for japanese people lol. If I earned more than 10m I would have opened a business in there and get a better VISA.

Having family in Japan does not qualify me for anything, because I was born in Spain. You can have an aunt / uncle and cousins living there or whoever it is but if you want to visit them you need a tourist VISA. I am not Brazilian and I have nothing to do with Brazil, although I've lived in Portugal for 3 years :)

Who said anything about digital nomads?

If you have a direct relative you may be able to get special permanent residency but it's case by case. Or if your parent is a Japanese national, there's a category for that too.

 

[nobitakun]

Who said anything about digital nomads?

If you have a direct relative you may be able to get special permanent residency but it's case by case. Or if your parent is a Japanese national, there's a category for that too.

Let's say digital nomad VISA is the best I could get right now by my situation, if I had that much income.

So, I will continue getting tourist VISA until there is a specific change in my life :)