Karl Jobst has done some good investigative journalism on the auction fraud and the “fractional ownership” trading platform scams.
Historically, auction houses and platforms are often using relationships with celebrities and influential people to artificially boost the prices. The platform provides the veneer of a neutral open-market sale. The celebrity provides the “credibility” of a rich buyer, justifying the record price on the game or collectable.
I’d say don’t take any retro game prices at face value, and understand your own local market before buying anything. You can list things for any price you want on eBay. Doesn’t mean the product is routinely trading at that price. Wata can list and claim a “sale” at a ridiculous price on their own platform, and currently there is no way to credibly verify that sale was to a real buyer, and not pre-arranged or fraudulent in some way designed to inflate the precieved value of the item.
Karl Jobst has done some good investigative journalism on the auction fraud and the “fractional ownership” trading platform scams.
Historically, auction houses and platforms are often using relationships with celebrities and influential people to artificially boost the prices. The platform provides the veneer of a neutral open-market sale. The celebrity provides the “credibility” of a rich buyer, justifying the record price on the game or collectable.
I’d say don’t take any retro game prices at face value, and understand your own local market before buying anything. You can list things for any price you want on eBay. Doesn’t mean the product is routinely trading at that price. Wata can list and claim a “sale” at a ridiculous price on their own platform, and currently there is no way to credibly verify that sale was to a real buyer, and not pre-arranged or fraudulent in some way designed to inflate the precieved value of the item.