I'm never again selling a game system via eBay and here's why

If you've occasionally poked your head into the comments section of this blog or followed me on Twitter for any length of time, you've likely heard me say I never sell consoles or games once they're in my grubby little hands.

Although that isn't far from the truth (for the last decade or so, I've only sold doubles of games or games I really dislike and know I'll never want to play again), I made a few exceptions earlier this year when my husband and I decided to pack up our stuff, sell our home, quit our jobs and travel the country for the next eight to 12 months. (For more on this situation, read this post.)

One exception involved me auctioning off one of my 3DS systems via eBay.

I had five at the time (embarrassing, I know), and I rarely used this particular one, so I figured, "why not sell it to someone who would actually enjoy it?"

Before I continue, I need to say that this 3DS basically was in brand-new condition. I'd only played it a few times and, as such, there were no marks or scratches of any kind on its screen or body. The system's outer box and its contents were similarly pristine.

Anyway, someone recently bought it. Thrilling! I quickly packed it up--protecting it as much as I was able with bubble wrap and the like--and sent it on its way.

Nine days later, I got an email from eBay. The gist of its message: the buyer wanted to return the 3DS and be given a full refund because it wasn't working.

I was stunned. After all, I tested the system immediately before I shipped it and knew nothing at all was wrong with it. Still, I thought I'd be OK. While setting up the eBay auction for this system, I checked the box that informed interested buyers I wouldn't accept returns. Also, like I said earlier, I knew it was in perfect working order when it left my hands.

Note: this isn't the 3DS being discussed in this post

I did wonder if maybe something had happened to the package as it made its way from me to the buyer, but that didn't worry me because I'd paid for insurance (out of my own pocket, I should add) that would come to my rescue in such a case.

After exchanging a few messages with the buyer and doing a bit of research, though, I was back to despairing. First, I found out the package was not damaged during shipment, which meant that insurance I paid for was now all but useless. Second, I discovered that eBay pretty much always backs buyers in this sort of situation--meaning I may well be forced to accept the return and cough up a full refund.

That would've been fine with me if I believed my old 3DS was broken or otherwise made dysfunctional in transit, but I didn't. Instead, I was worried the buyer had done something to damage it and wasn't fessing up. (Which in my mind would mean it's his or her problem, not mine.)

The problem is, I have absolutely no proof the system I sold was in perfect, nearly new condition before I shipped it. Sure, I have photos of it from various angles (a few of which showed both of its screens in action), but even the most recent of them were taken a couple of months ago, just before the auction in question first went live. But I have no video footage that could be used to prove I hadn't knowingly and purposely sold a defective item. (And even if I did have it, would it really help me?)

My main fears: that the buyer had somehow damaged the system and that I was going to have to take it back--leaving me with a broken 3DS that obviously would be of little interest to anyone on eBay or elsewhere.

Thankfully, after hearing more from the buyer, I think it's possible I'll be able to fix the problem he or she is experiencing without too much hassle. Even if that's how the situation plays out, though, there's no way I'm re-listing the system.

Also, I'm now of the mind that I'll almost assuredly never sell a game system through eBay again. Although it seems like this particular buyer isn't trying to pull a fast one on me, what's to stop someone else from doing so down the road?

The fact is, there's nothing stopping someone from doing so in the future. Worse, there's little I could do before or after I list an item to protect myself as its seller from such a scam artist.

So, I'm basically done selling game hardware on eBay. And I may be done selling games (expensive ones, especially) on eBay, too. Which is too bad, as I've never had a bad experience as an eBay seller before now.

Should you follow in my footsteps? That's up to you. I would warn you to do whatever you can to protect yourself from situations like the one I just went through (I'm still going through it, actually, as it's yet to be fully resolved) before you auction off any of your games or consoles, though, especially if they're worth a bit of money.

The 'Tumbleweed Portable Club' (of lonely WonderSwan owners) has another member

Remember this recent post, the focal point of which was a snapshot of a tiny, cube-shaped box that was topped by a copy of Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits?

Well, the photos that follow detail the contents of that surprisingly small package.



No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. I finally got off my lazy butt and bought a WonderSwan. Specifically, a translucent black WonderSwan Color.

That may have elicited a groan from some of you. After all, anyone who knows anything about the WonderSwan knows that the SwanCrystal is by far the best of the three WonderSwan systems that were sold in Japan in the late 1990s and early 2000s.



The thing is, I didn't go out of my way to buy this WonderSwan Color. You see, it was just one part of a nicely appointed eBay auction that also included a number of WonderSwan games.

In fact, one of those games--the one seen below--was responsible for bringing my attention to the eBay auction in question.

That would be the WonderSwan port of Human Entertainment's Clock Tower--or Clock Tower for WonderSwan, as I believe it's officially known.

For whatever reason, I got a bug up my butt about this horrific point-and-click game a month or so ago, and while searching eBay for a copy of it I came across a tantalizingly cheap auction that included a black WonderSwan Color, Clock Tower, a visual novel called Terrors (not pictured here) and three other WonderSwan games.

Which ones, you ask? Well, here's one of them:

Although this WonderSwan Color "remake" of Final Fantasy IV isn't all that different from Final Fantasy IV Advance for the GBA--the latter was released in 2005, while the former was released in 2002--I've long wanted to own a copy of it because I'm such a huge fan of this particular Squaresoft game.

The other two games included in the eBay auction I ended up winning are Final Fantasy titles, too. Specifically, the WonderSwan Color re-imaginings of the first and second Final Fantasy adventures. (These remakes later served as the backbones of 2002's Final Fantasy Origins for PlayStation and 2004's Final Fantasy 1 & II: Dawn of Souls for GBA.)

The photo above showcases the back of the first Final Fantasy remake's box. That illustration covering its top half is pretty slick, don't you think?

I didn't snap any shots of the front of that game's box because, well, it's not all that exciting. The same is true of the box that houses the WonderSwan Color version of Final Fantasy II.

Still, you can ogle both covers in the image above--especially if you click and zoom in on it. 

Last, but far from least, is this photo of the translucent black WonderSwan Color I first described in the opening lines of this post. 

Something you probably can't tell from this snapshot: how small this system is. Seriously, it's about the size of my wallet--which came as quite a shock to me. 

Also a pretty big shock was the dimness of the system's screen. I had been warned about this, of course, but it's been so long since I spent time with a handheld that doesn't have a backlit screen that I almost forgot how annoying that kind of thing can be.

Oh, well, I got used to it back when I spent a ton of time with an actual GameBoy (these days I mostly play that system's titles through emulation--even though I have a couple of OG GameBoy systems and a ton of games), I'm sure I'll get used to it again.

See also: 'I now own 10 WonderSwan games but I still don't own a system that will allow me to play any of them'

Nice Package! ('Noble Pink' Nintendo DS Lite)

Considering all of the love I've shown for the Nintendo DS over the years (especially this past year, as I've devoted an entire series of posts to it), you might think that I'd have a whole slew of systems that are dedicated to playing its wonderfully diverse catalog of games.

In fact, I've only ever owned or played a single DS system--that being the white DS Lite I semi-begrudgingly bought (I wasn't all that keen on Nintendo's first dual-screened handheld until I finally experienced it for myself) sometime in 2007 so I could play Animal Crossing: Wild World while traveling for work.

Although I've barely put any time into Wild World in the ensuing years, I’ve spent hours upon hours with the aforementioned DS Lite--which continues to chug along like I only pulled it from its box yesterday, I'm proud to say.



Still, as much as I love its sleek design and its diminutive size, I recently came to the conclusion that I’d love it even more if it were a bit more colorful. Specifically, I'd love it even more if it were a pretty shade of pink. Which initially struck me as kind of funny, as my mom has had a pink DS Lite for ages, and I never much cared for the particular hue that Nintendo chose for its casing.

For some odd reason, though, I recently had a change of heart that prompted me to see the "coral pink" DS Lite ("noble pink" in Japan) in a far more appealing light.

So, when I came across an eBay auction for a (mostly) complete-in-box "noble pink" DS Lite a month or so ago, I naturally couldn't keep myself from bidding on it.

Anyway, imagine my surprise when I was able to win the auction in question with a bargain-basement bid (in my humble opinion) of $25.



As I alluded to earlier, the Japanese DS Lite I acquired as a result of this online shopping extravaganza can’t really be described as “complete in box.” Oh, a box was included, as you should be able to see in the photos shared throughout this post, and a pretty-in-noble-pink DS Lite system was included, too, but that’s about it. In other words, it didn’t come with an instruction manual or any of the pamphlets and fliers that Nintendo usually stuffed inside this product's packaging.

Of course, who in 2015 really needs an instruction manual for a DS Lite, especially one that’s totally, or at least mostly, in Japanese? Not me.

Even if I were the kind of guy who refused to buy anything but undeniably complete-in-box gaming products, though, I’d have shoved aside those irrational feelings in favor of picking up the lovely DS Lite shown in the snapshot above, as the hardware, in particular, is in pristine condition.



If I were to guess, I'd say the system's never been used. At the very least, its previous owner either has the softest skin ever or wore gloves while playing it, as the outer shell is free of the usual smudges and scuff marks. Also, he or she must've obsessively ignored the lower touch screen, as it has absolutely no scratches on it.

Is this beauty going to be my new go-to system for DS games? Sadly, probably not, but don't take that to mean it's going to sit in a cabinet, forever unused. I'll definitely pull it out and put it through its paces now and then, but for the most part I'll turn to my trusty OG 3DS when I want to play DS carts, as I love the more modern hardware's ability to track playtime.

Are any of you aficionados of the DS Lite's packaging--or, more likely, of the DS Lite itself? If so, let me (and others) know why in the comments section below.

Someone bought this rad FM Towns II computer via eBay late last week and now I'm sad

I'm sad, of course, because, in a perfect world, I would've won this particular auction, as I've wanted to own some sort of FM Towns system since I first laid eyes on one in an old issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine.

Granted, if I were to drop my hard-earned dough on one of maker Fujitsu's FM Towns machines, which were released in Japan between 1989 and 1997, it probably would make more sense for me to pick up an FM Towns Marty console rather than the PC variant seen below, but the latter won me over with its "original Macintosh" looks.



Anyway, this entire conversation is moot due to the fact that I only discovered this auction after it had wrapped up--and even if I'd come across it earlier, I wouldn't have had $960 to blow on it.

As for which games I would've bought alongside this FM Towns II (in the hypothetical situation that would've allowed me to do such a thing): the system's arcade-perfect Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands ports, for starters. I'd also love its supposedly spot-on Splatterhouse conversion, although I've heard copies tend to be pricey.

(Via retro-treasures.blogspot.com)

Anyone else own one of these as a kid?

I'd completely forgotten that I got one of these "official" Pac-Man mini-arcade machines for Christmas back in the day before I came across this blog post a couple of days ago.

I can't remember exactly which Christmas, of course, but I'm guessing it was in 1981 or shortly thereafter, as that's when this eBay listing says it was released.



If memory serves, it plays a pretty spot-on version of Namco's classic arcade game. Sadly, my memory's also suggesting to me that I sold my mini Pac-Man machine at a garage sale a few years later--most likely for chump change.

Should any of you want to relive those memories--or make some new ones--check out this auction, which ends at about 6:56 pm Pacific today. (Current bid is $100, not including shipping.)

(Via retro-treasures.blogspot.com)

Anyone want to spot me $1,400 so I can buy this boxed PC Engine LT?

OK, so I'm pretty sure everyone's answer to the question posed in this post's header is going to be a resounding "no," but you can't blame a guy for trying, can you?



After all, the PC Engine LT--which combines a PC Engine, a PC Engine controller and a five-inch monitor all in one lovely, kinda-sorta portable package--has long been perched at the very top of my personal "holy grails of gaming" list.

If you'd prefer to buy this beauty for your own enjoyment, though, I'd totally understand. I think.

Buy: complete-in-box PC Engine LT system

Anybody want to spot me about $3,500 so I can buy this unopened copy of EarthBound?

Would I like to own a complete-in-box copy of EarthBound someday? No question. Would I like to spend somewhere between $1,600 and $3,500 on said copy? No way.

If the activity on this ebay auction is any indication, someone's going to spend that much money on a copy of Shigesato Itoi's SNES classic within the next few days.



Granted, the copy in question is unopened and appears to be in pristine condition, but even then I can't imagine spending that much money on it.

I don't suppose any of you are planning to jump in on this particular auction before it ends on Thursday morning?

(Via retro-treasures.blogspot.com)

If only I had my dad's gambling gene

Actually, the headline above probably should read: "Thank God I don't have my dad's gambling gene."

After all, if I did have that particular gene, I'd likely spend way too much time trying to figure out how I could acquire the Japanese Bubble Bobble slot machine that's being sold via this eBay auction.

I mean, this contraption is nearly worth the price of admission (currently $499.99) just for its adorable marquee--which features a winking Bubblun--alone, don't you think?

Also worth at least a portion of that admittedly hefty price tag are the Stoners (no, not that kind) that appear to take up space between the cherries and oranges and other fruits.

Another enticing aspect of this particular auction: The slot machine in question currently resides in Tacoma, Washington, which is just down the road (well, sort of) from Seattle.

All that said, me buying this adorable one-armed bandit is about as likely as someone sending me an FM Towns Marty and a copy of that system's Bubble Bobble port free-of-charge, so don't hold your breath waiting for another post on this subject.

See also: 'Let's Play: Which Box Art is Better? (Bubble Bobble edition)'

I'd love to have a chat with the person selling this sealed copy of Bubble Bobble Part 2

Said conversation would begin, of course, with me asking the seller, "You're completely bonkers, aren't you?"

I can't think of a better question to ask someone who is trying to sell (via this auction) a factory-sealed copy of Bobble Bobble Part 2 for the oh-so-reasonable (insert eye roll here) price of $19,999.99.

Sure, the seller is accepting offers from interested parties, but I can't imagine any of them are going to walk away with this particular copy of the game for, say, a few hundred dollars (which, although a lot more than I'd personally be willing to spend on an NES title, is sure to be closer to what this one is worth) when all is said and done.

And then, of course, there's the fact that this eBay auction is for a copy of Taito's Bubble Bobble Part 2, a game that pales not only in comparison to its predecessor, but in comparison to that release's "real" sequels, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars, too. (Truth be told, I'd much rather play the oddly-expansive GameBoy title that goes by the same name than this ugly duckling of the series.)

Even if this not-made-by-Fukio-Mitsuji pseudo-sequel were the best game ever made, though, I guarantee you I wouldn't spend nearly $20,000 on it.

Much more likely to be bought by yours truly: The Famicom version of Bubble Bobble Part 2--in part because it can be purchased for a lot less than $19,999.99 and in part because I find its box art (which can be viewed here) a lot more appealing than the art (see above) that's plastered across the front of the North American release.

What would you rather spend 950£ on: Food, rent or a PC Engine LT?

It's a fairly well-known fact that I fancy the portable PC Engine--branded the "PC Engine LT" because it folds up like a laptop--that the ballsy folks at NEC released back in 1991. (Or, rather, it should be a well-known fact, since I've mentioned this sexy system in a number of posts--including this one and this one. Oh, and this one, too.)

Will I ever actually buy one of these sexy-but-bulky (for a handheld) systems? I'd love to tell you "hell yeah," but I'm not so sure--especially after seeing this eBay listing.

For those of you who aren't interested enough in the PC Engine LT to click on the link above, it takes you to an auction for an unboxed PC Engine LT, a blue-and-gray PC Engine controller and copies of four shoot 'em ups (Final Soldier, GunHed, Solider Blade and Super Star Soldier).

Oh, and the whole shebang will set you back just 950£ (about $1,500).



Hey, at least shipping is included.

As appealing as that price is, I think I'll pass--especially since I've seen plenty of unboxed PC Engine LT's appear on eBay with much smaller price tags (usually between $600 and $800).

Also, if I were to drop that kind of dough on a PC Engine LT--you know, if I somehow won the lottery and didn't mind spending nearly $2,000 on a game system--I'd drop it on a complete-in-box PC Engine LT like this one.

(Via retro-treasures.blogspot.com)

This one's for you, Sean

I couldn't help but think of Famicomblog proprietor Sean upon seeing this morning's addition to the Retro Treasures blog, which turned followers on to an eBay auction for a complete-in-box Donkey Kong Pocketsize Game & Watch system.

That said, I can't see Sean handing over the kind of cash that's surely going to be needed to win this particular auction. After all, the bidding's already up to £720 (approximately $1,120) and the auction doesn't end until around this time on Thursday.

All of this could be yours for $1,000 (or more)!

Although I'm sure that's way more than anyone reading this post is willing to spend on such an item, the eBay listing (here) is still worth a look if you're at all interested in Nintendo's Game & Watch products--especially since it includes a number of additional photos of the system taken from different angles.

(Via retro-treasures.blogspot.com)

Uh, I bought a copy of Ice Climber, too

You know how I said (in this post) that I used a portion of my Xenoblade Chronicles refund to pick up a cheap, complete-in-box copy of Hello Kitty World? Well, last night I used another chunk of that refund to buy a complete-in-box copy of Ice Climber.

As was the case with the above-mentioned Balloon Kid clone, I wasn't planning to pick up a copy of Ice Climber anytime soon. While keeping an eye on the Hello Kitty World auction, though, I came across an auction for the Famicom version of Nintendo's early, Eskimo-themed platformer and couldn't help but throw my hat into the proverbial ring for it.

Who could pass up such an awesome cover? Not I.

In the end, I won the auction and walked away with a complete-in-box copy of Ice Climber for a fraction of the price I was expecting to pay for it. (Most such copies of the Famicom version of the game go for $60 or more on eBay. I got it for less than half of that.)

Why did I waste my money on a game that I've bad-mouthed in the past? I'm embarrassed to admit it, but my main reason for buying it is that I really like its cover art (above).

Got $10,000 to blow? Buy me this 'complete collection' of TurboDuo systems and games

OK, you can buy it for yourself if you'd like. I certainly wouldn't complain if you bought it for me, though.

Regardless of who you purchase it for, you'd probably like to know what this "complete collection" includes before hitting this eBay auction's "Buy it Now" button (here), right?

Well, for starters, it includes one boxed TurboDuo system in mint condition and three unboxed TurboDuo systems in excellent condition. It also includes an Arcade Card (which allows you to play all of the system's Arcade Card titles), a "Diving Board" card (which allows you to play imports) and 129 North American and 30 Japanese games.


                 Just a few of the games that could be yours ... if you've got $10,000 to blow.

Although I'm hardly the TurboGrafx-16 expert I once was, this auction's asking price seems a bit high to me--especially since a number of the included games are "loose" (they don't come with a case and/or manual). Also, this so-called complete collection lacks the most magnificent Arcade Card title of them all: Madou Monogatari.

(Via retro-treasures.blogspot.com)

$3,600 for a sealed copy of Panic Restaurant?

I've played a lot of games the last few days. Among them: Taito's Panic Restaurant (aka Wanpaku Kokkun no Gourmet World in Japan), released for the NES in late 1992.

For those of you who have never heard of Panic Restaurant: It's a cute platformer which puts players in control of a chef named Cookie ("Naughty Kokkun" in the Japanese version) who has to make his way through a cursed restaurant. (See part of it in action here.)

Anyway, I've been playing the game using an emulator because, well, it's pretty darn expensive. Case in point: One eBay auctioneer is trying to sell a sealed copy of it for $3,599.99. (Another is selling a similarly pristine copy of the game for just $1,799.99.)

Opened copies of the game are cheaper, of course, although I'd hardly call them cheap. Loose copies, for instance, commonly command prices above $100.

I've been called a lot of things ...

... but "Twin Famicom owner" isn't one of them. Until now.

Yep, I finally broke down and bought a (red) Twin Famicom. I haven't received it yet (I only bought it--via eBay--a few hours ago), but when I do I hope it's as clean and unscathed as this one:

I nearly spent my birthday money on an Xbox 360 instead--I can't get the recently released Costume Quest and Pac-Man Championship Edition DX out of my head--but I figure I can pick one up sometime next year (especially if the system sees a price drop).

Anyway, I'll be sure to snap a few photos of my new acquisition--and share them here--after it arrives.

This is what I thought I was getting when I bought an NES

Actually, that's not true. By the time I bought an NES, I knew I was getting that iconic gray box (and a copy of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt). For some time before that, though, I thought I was getting this:



By the way, the "M82 Demo Kiosk" in the video above is being sold via eBay. (Here's a link to the auction.) The current bid, with about two days to go, is $2,000.

Yeah, I think I'll stick to playing NES games on my Wii.

(Via gonintendo.com)

Speaking of the original Dragon Quest ...

If I were filthy rich, I'd whip out my Platinum AmEx card and use it to purchase a red Famicom Twin and the following, still-sealed copy of the original Dragon Quest. (Isn't that cover art awesome?)

Sure, I could save myself about $180 if I bought a used copy of said Famicom game (like this one) instead, but in this imaginary situation I'd be filthy rich, so who cares?

And now a word from our sponsor

I recently put a few obscure Japanese PSone games on eBay in the hopes of securing some cash for future purchases. Here are the relevant links, in case any of you are interested in such things:

Dam Dam Stompland

Gunners Heaven

Mad Panic Coaster

All of the auctions end on Sunday afternoon, so don't dilly dally if you're interested in any of the games!

Sega Saturn fans: I'll also be putting two obscure Japanese Saturn games--Chibi Maruko Chan No Taisen Puzzle Dama and Terra Phantastica--on eBay soon.