Here come the Sapphire auctions

[CrackTiger]

Didn't someone find out that those Sapphire bootlegs were made in the Netherlands or something?

Anyways, a seller from the Netherlands is selling more than one sealed copy of Sapphire, but at a collectible price...

Here's his current auction, hyping it as such a great deal-

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8262920131&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Here's a recent auction where he sold his other sealed copy of Sapphire-

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62053&item=8258822354

As you can see in the current auction, he also has an opened copy for display purposes.

I see that it has received a couple of offers so far which were declined. I guess that they were only offering him $300 or something.

[TR0N]

At least the second seller got it right

[pixeljunkie]

lotta' shmucks out there....buyers AND sellers  

[DaveGeorge]

Risky business. I would never pay that amout for a copy of Shappire without inspecting it myself first (heck, I'd not pay that much for any game). I can't believe someone dares to buy those things. €50 for a sealed bootleg I can live with but not that... Well if one is stupid enough to buy, there surely been one to sell. Me, I don't have the heart to scam someone like that.

[Daedalus]

Can you tell me why this game would sell for so much...I mean im being ignorant but 500 bucks for a shooter?

[Seldane]

Can you tell me why this game would sell for so much...I mean im being ignorant but 500 bucks for a shooter?

It was never officially released in stores. It was only available for sale on some japanese gameshow (not sure which). Therefore it is limited to a very small number.

[VestCunt]

Can you tell me why this game would sell for so much...I mean im being ignorant but 500 bucks for a shooter?

It was never officially released in stores. It was only available for sale on some japanese gameshow (not sure which). Therefore it is limited to a very small number.

really?  i was under the impression that it wasn't all that rare and that demand had made it so expensive.
it is a great shooter.  it makes my Dou pull effects off that i've never seen with any other game.
mindrec.com has a copy in their store for $250 right now.  they're a trustworthy source if any of you guys are looking to pick this up.

[Emerald Rocker]

It was in stores, the stuff about Sapphire being convention-only is an internet myth.  The arcade card was a huge flop because it was overpriced initially.  Since no one was buying arcade cards, the print run for Sapphire was fairly small.

Eventually the arcade card's price was slashed, and warehouses dumped their inventory on the market.  Unfortunately, by then, Sapphire was already sold out.  However, all the new arcade card buyers suddenly wanted it, so voila -- ridiculous price inflation ensues!

[CrackTiger]

It was in stores, the stuff about Sapphire being convention-only is an internet myth.  The arcade card was a huge flop because it was overpriced initially.  Since no one was buying arcade cards, the print run for Sapphire was fairly small.

Eventually the arcade card's price was slashed, and warehouses dumped their inventory on the market.  Unfortunately, by then, Sapphire was already sold out.  However, all the new arcade card buyers suddenly wanted it, so voila -- ridiculous price inflation ensues!

Its like with Circus Lido. Everyone thought it was the "rarest" PC Engine game and even when everyone started selling 10 sealed copies of it, there will still people paying a premium for it.

I remember how even a few years(or so) ago before Japanese sellers started using eBay, Tengai Makyo II would always go for $100+.