I just finished browsing Ebay for Phantasy Star stuff for the first time since December. Tons listed, with Some of the prices are quite laughable. And when I say laughable, that's a vast understatement where some items are concerned. Some listings are just plain rip-off's.
We shall start by looking at a few horrificly over-priced items.Phantasy Star IV: Official Player's Guide:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Phantasy-Star-I ... 1113710280Sixty dollars with free shipping is beyond top end pricing for this guide book. Last two copies that sold on Ebay, both in the last two months, ended with bids of less than $20 each. Where guide books are concerned, seldom few gaming publications from the last three decades received low print runs and are still considered to be diserable enough by player collector's to actually command more than double the original retail price on the used market.
PSO HUnewearl Statue:http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEGA-Phantasy-S ... 1153369551Even though there were only 1,000 of each statue in this series were made and only sold in Japan, the poor HUnewearl is remarkably the least desired of the three. She is the most resold and least valuable of the three statues with an average of four changing hands per year just on Yahoo Auctions alone. Ending bids for a mint condition HUnewearl statue in mint packaging generally struggle to reach $100 (US) dollars. The seller of this statue is capitolizing on the idea that most of the English speaking world doesn't know how to go about using an import service. Even the most desired statue of this series didn't sell for this much money. $600 + Shipping for the HUnewearl statue is a total rip-off.
PSO2: 2013 Arks Grand Prix Memorial Book:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Phantasy-Star-T ... 1156996574Again, someone is attempting to capitolize on the ignorance of others. This book with DVD set was just released on October 31st, 2013. It retails for roughly US $20. So, $54 with free (international) shipping means this seller is going to easily double what they paid for it.
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And now for the flip side. Expensive stuff on Ebay that isn't as bad as it seems.
+-+-+-+-+Phantasy Star Music Collection 2000-2007:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Phantasy-Star-M ... 1151409703Yes, I do realize that is listed at US $225.00, with free shipping. This 10CD & 1 DVD compilation collection sold out from retailers in Japan at a retail price of roughly US $170 in a mere week after release. Used copies in Japan itself are presently bringing the retail price. So to be able to import it for $55 over retail isn't that bad. Do keep in mind though, popularity and demand of this set being what it is that Sega's Wave Master Studios could very well reprint it without warning causing an overnight drop in demand.
PSO2: Lillipa Zoku Stuffed Animal http://www.ebay.com/itm/Phantasy-Star-O ... 1293019143Two words to explain it all; PROMO ITEM.
Phantasy Star IV 4 - South Korea Samsung Edition:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sega-Genesis-Ph ... 1114747238I can't say just how rare, if at all, it may actually be considered in South Korea, but we rarely see any of the Samsung manufactured Korean-language copies of the Phantasy Star games turn up on Ebay.
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Now, by no means am I upset to see such a great interest in the Phantasy Star franchise on Ebay. I did a "Sold Listings" search for "Phantasy Star" and it was amazing to see just how much Phantasy Star merchandise has sold in the last couple of months. And, incredible to see what specific items are legitimately commanding when auctioned. As a fan it's "phantastic" to see Phantasy Star holding such great popularity. Only negative to the existing demand is from the collector stand point, clearly indicating we're gonna have to pay more for whatever items we do buy.