The Mario Scam & Retro Game Bubbles - it affects me (and you too)

My honest opinions on the controversial $2 million Mario scam video as well as what's going on with retro game prices & potential bubbles. Yes. It's a MESS!

My Video Gear & Equipment: (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from affiliate links)

Background music by Metal Jesus Rocks and the YouTube Creator Audio Library

[karljobst]

Been a fan of yours for a long time, thanks for talking about it :)

[retrodudez]

Without a doubt, this has affected the level of enjoyment one has going to a flea market or convention. The falsely inflated collectibles market has done far more damage than good. Sad.

[DanVasc]

News of that million dollar Mario even reached normies here in Brazil. A friend of mine who has nothing to do with the game collecting scene just mentioned it to me the other day.

[fernandocardenas]

Metal Jesus I've been watching your videos for years now man. Just want to thank you for all the content, there's not another channel like yours on YouTube. I tune in because you're videos feel like we're a couple of buddies talking about videogames. Never change bro

[stlrickyjones]

I thought trading cards was a mess. When the $ is on the line the wolves come out.

[jeenkzk]

There’s nothing like picking up games on the cheap, taking them home, plugging them in, and having a good time.

[Dram]

The important point to keep in mind is that “graded and sealed” isn’t a space dominated by collectors but by investors who have no interest in the games themselves, it’s just a means to make a buck.

[urmie]

MJR, I really liked this. Any chance you do discussion topics like this more? Doesn’t have to be latest gaming news, just straight talk about things you like. When you brought up Atari, it really hit home that it is a generational thing. 🤘🏻

[tomgreen]

When everybody else goes left go right. That's great advice that's exactly how I built up my PlayStation 3 collection now I have over 700 PS3 games alone.

[lordsofkoble]

I like the "go in the other direction" idea and would add to that how Karl's exposé shows the true culprits responsible for the crazy prices of retro games.
IT IS NOT HIDDEN GEMS VIDEOS!

[themajor]

Thanks for covering this MJR. It is a problem that should not be ignored.

[rolandkatsuragi]

A perfect example of speculators manipulating the market with hyper inflation is the speculator boom comics had in the early 90s. Publishers got greedy with printing books in the millions with so many gimmick covers, pack ins, and storylines that speculators ate up. However when they would resell the books with increasingly diminished returns, the bubble burst and lead to a near industry collapse.

[BenSchmerler]

Great video as usual on an important topic! I had a lady at a yard sale who had a sealed copy of Sonic Boom on Wii U, and she didn't want to sell it to me (which is good because I didn't want it) because she said "It's worth $6, 000 on eBay. Look!" as she showed me a listing of a graded (unsold) copy of the game. This stuff really does trickle down through the market. Average people are being totally fooled and scammed by this. The fractional share collectible companies are also stealing from people by promoting this stuff too and selling them a piece of a WATA game, taking advantage of average people, not rich people. WATA/Heritage are controlling the high end market, have lots of money and are manipulating everyone below while potentially causing permanent damage to a fun hobby. It's really messed up all for the sake of greed. Your advice about going for inexpensive, low demand stuff is terrific. Thanks for posting this.

[sharkelite]

I never owned a Wii U and thought I wouldn’t like it. Just bought one for cheap and really liking it! Great advice in this video!

[Followthelemming]

I don't leave a lot of comments because they get lost in obscurity, however this deserves my 2 cents. Bringing light to this manipulation is necessary and you have done a fantastic job staying reasonably neutral in your presentation of views. Thank you.

[Sfekke]

Thanks for addressing this!
It had to get out, Karl Jobst really started something big here; a massive thank you to him!! <3

[RetroAmateur]

So glad you touched on this. Mainstream media sites just made a fuss about this, and never addressed the red flags it raises.

[alanhammerton]

Very interesting, been keeping a eye on this story for a few days now. Also, some huge thanks from me (co-founder of Fusion) for having our Fusion and Zzap! 64 Magazines on your desk. We would love for you to contribute something for one of them or our upcoming yearly annual.

[Astrojammer]

I think the collector aspect of gaming is completely legit. But it relies on grading companies like Wata being reliable and honest otherwise it just harms the whole hobby.

[DarDarBinks]

Why would anyone want to keep a video game in its original packaging? They're meant to be played and enjoyed, not hoarded and then sold when you get divorced!