Maybe I created this topic to hate myself or be envious of others' finds but... what are your most accomplished deals you've secured over the years? Have you bought anything as of late you never thought you'd get because prices have been too high?

I recently snagged a copy of the CPCA/Suleputer Marvel Vs. Capcom OST on eBay for $4.99 from some guy. He really didn't know what he had there. Not sure if it has the obi, but the entire thing looks mint and for that price, why not? Not a fantastic soundtrack to have just one of those Capcom fighters that fetches for 6,000 yen on Amazon and higher elsewhere.

The only others I have in my collection that I covet are Star Fox (TECD-25275), which I secured on eBay (from Champs) many moons ago for, I believe, $60 or 70.

TOBAL 2 OST has kind of blown up overnight, where I won it on YJA a few years back for only 1,000 yen (middleman fees included, maybe $40 total).

Some of my buddies have better stories like teh_miker, deals he got on some Konami albums make me hate myself daily...

Recently... J.D.K. Band 2 @ 1500 yen (like new) .... Falcom Special Box '94 @ 1806 yen .... VM Japan @ 1500 yen (sealed) .... Game Music Graffiti @ 6000 yen (like new - normally sold for $200 in any condition) .... Dracula New Classic @ 3500 yen (like new - normally sold for much more in the past) and, of course, my find of Snatcher Battle @ 900 yen (like new)

I haven't made out on any deals lately... but I did snag a near mint Brave Fencer "Musashiden" OST off of eBay back in 2008 for $15.

However, that made me kind of sad because no one else was interested... I think that's a pretty underrated score not to mention game.

I think in recent years people (vendors) have been asking a lot more for Musashiden. Whenever I see it it's usually around $100... and while the DigiCube version is the only rendition available I can't help but think the demand can't really justify that price tag. I'm not saying that can't ask that but yeah, price and demand are sometimes very skewed.

2 years ago I got the soundtrack for Secret of Evermore for $24, and last year Contra Dual Spirits ost for $7.78.  Seems lately I've been shelling out on expensive albums more than getting good deals though.

I had no idea MvC and Tobal 2 had jumped in value, so glad I got both of those new back in the day haha.

TOBAL2 is wonderful, one of my favorite game soundtracks. Never heard anything quite like it, even from Nakamura's years with SEGA (VF music is the most undervalued series, possibly ever?) Oddly enough, you can get TOBAL No.1 sealed for under 2,000 yen -- this one was at one point, untouchable.

I also love the Tobal 2 soundtrack, I got the game import back in the mid to late 90s, played the hell out of it and loved those fresh jazzy vibes. I like Tobal no. 1 soundtrack also, they are both quite good, but pretty different.

As far as screamin' deals, I bought Donkey Kong Country trilogy soundtrack for $50. Not really sure what it goes for because I never saw it since, but it seems like a good one.

Very nice indeed - this one's still on my wishlist, and it's hard to find a copy in truly collectable condition (this from years of hunting both online and in real stores in Japan). Price is another factor - see Otaku currently, $175 with a faded spine. Let me know if you ever consider selling yours, but like you say it's a great score and if it was mine I wouldn't let it go

The only screamin' deal I've made was about ten years ago on eBay, where I was the only bidder on a complete Star Ocean 3 set (Vol 1 with first press box, Vol 2, Arrange Album, and Director's Cut soundtrack, all mint with obis) - $12 including shipping. The guy hadn't set a reserve and was heartbroken, but it was more difficult to renege on the sale back then so he went with it. I later sent him more money, because the set was in such amazing condition and I felt his pain.

Wait.....I thought getting deals like that made people lowballing scum!

Every one of us.

An original Estpolis Biographies for around $30. Does anyone know if there's something that holds the two mini-jewel cases together? Great condition, in any case. Thank you, Estpolis reprint for helping knock the value on the original down.

A few years ago, American Nightmare put his Game Music Graffiti up for sale. First time it has been sold in a LONG time domestically. It sat out there for a long time. Finally I bought it for $100 because I couldn't stand watching it dangle out there. I never thought it would go for less than $150-$200. It's probably my favorite arranged album overall, considering the material and the quality of the arrangements.

And just the general cheapness of Falcom albums nowadays. Ys IV JDK Special and Legend of Xanadu JDK Special for about $10. Ditto Ys Symphony, Ys Syphony 95 and Sorcerian Symphony (about $10 for all 3). A Falcom Special Box '95 for $20 (this was one of the last albums I had on my holy grail list and one of my first Amazon Japan grabs). It's been a busy time on Amazon Japan. Used Ys Perfect Collections are listed for 1yen on Amazon Japan! If shipping weren't an issue, I could make a tower of them for dirt cheap! If I ever had any intention on selling any of my Falcom CD's, I'd be distraught at how much value they've all LOST over the years.

A long time ago, I got the Ecco The Dolphin Songs of Time album for 99 cents and I flipped it for $35. I was also once lucky enough to buy Super Mario RPG OSV for the list price. I sold it about 6 months before the price exploded for about $100. The salt is real on that one.

Edit: And really? Tobal 2? I think I both bought and sold that one in the $15 range. Sometimes it's hard to guess the next one to blow up.

Back in the day, I bought a lot of "expensive" and hard to find albums for "cheap", and even some not cheap. Today, with mp3s and most things going digital, soundtrack collections are not worth what they once were. With some exceptions. I'm sure you can get good money for the really rare ones such as Super Metroid, Secret of Evermore, and some World of Warcraft soundtracks. Speaking of deals, I actually recently snagged a few soundtracks that I've hardly been able to find in years. Low and behold, they were dirt cheap on ebay. Also, they were Western soundtracks to old games, those seem to be substantially more rare than most Japanese soundtracks.

when Jodo and I colluded thru ebay messages NOT to get into a bidding war over the LAGOON ost,, and i won it for $35 and made him a copy

About nine years ago, I worked for a very small Midwest chain of used video game/DVD/CD stores.  On my way to the Minneapolis area one day, I stopped by another one of our locations, and happened across the domestic release of the Donkey Kong Country 2 soundtrack for a mere $2.95.  I was completely shocked by the discovery, and waited anxiously for the employee to find the disc within the drawers behind the counter.  A few months later, I told my boss what I had found and what it was worth, and at first she gave me the "You'd better give it back or I'll fire you this very minute" glare (she had actually threatened this to an employee who bought under-priced rare games in the past), but when I told her I was keeping it for my personal collection, her face softened a bit.  I would have totally abandoned that job if I had to, though.

There are definitely some big deals around there, you sharks !
But as I read, I was wondering : have you still made some great deals over the passed year ?
I just remember the big "champs" period like the best time to hunt. And it feels like it was... really years ago, until 2009 maybe.
What, me ? No, no good deal yet. Still expecting something good for the coming month (kudos, Ramza !).

I really haven't gotten a "great deal" for a while. In fact, more recently I've shelled out some painful amounts for albums I once had and got for sane amounts back when they came out.

Oh WHY did I sell off Wild Arms XF years ago! I should have seen that one coming.

No super deals myself, but while in Osaka 2 years ago I was in heaven pouring through a used cd store soundtrack section and came across a pretty decent condition copy of the cardboard box Xenogears soundtrack, Mario Galaxy 2 soundtrack and Breath of Fire IV soundtrack (amazing condition!) for not *too* bad prices. I think I walked out of there with a stack of 12 soundtracks for about $300.00.

Oh, one I forgot...Taito GSM 7 for $3 in beautiful condition. This was at Bookoff in Hawaii. They didn't have very many VGM CD's there (only other VGM album I found was a copy of Dirt Fox, also $3), but I still bought about $200 worth of Jpop there for $1-$5 per CD. I mailed them back my home address and they were all waiting for me. I kept the Taito album on the plane with me though. <3

I'll keep that in mind if I ever part with it... but I don't think that will happen. I really like/enjoy the game and given that I have the soundtrack, game and strategy guide I want to keep that small group of items together.

Well the game was definitely fun.

For the first 22 years of my working life I did not have to worry about budgets, quarters, or any type of reporting. For the past 2 years I have had to pay special attention to thinking in terms of quarterly spending, due to my new job. Because of my new way of thinking, here is a summary of what I've bought on YJA and AMZ JP (marketplace) in the first quarter of 2015, listed from high to low (in yen). I also specify whether it is a 1st (never owned) or 2nd purchase (previously owned).

January 2015 - March 2015 (First Quarter)

13980 | Gradius Gaiden OST (1st)

Some albums experience a yo-yo effect in value, where they go up and down, such as Sweet Home, Landstalker, Panzer Dragoon OST, Xardion and Dracula New Classic. But Gradius Gaiden has been expensive for the past 15 years. It's not taking the occasional drop in price, so one can only get a "deal" by waiting for the exchange rate to be more favorable.

9800 | After Burner 20th Anniversary Box (1st)

I paid full retail for this one, but it was factory sealed. But the very fact that it is sealed should've caused it to be higher than 9800.

7000 | Beyond the Beyond (2nd)

This album has dropped in value over the years. I remember not being able to touch it for less than $100.

6750 | Ys V OST (2nd)

I was surprised by how scarce this album is. If one shows up on YJA, expect to fight for it.

6350 | Zero Divide OST (1st)

The bidding started at 5000 and I've never seen one cheaper. If you want one, expect a long wait for an auction appearance. If you want Zero Divide 2, then you're dreaming.

4500 | Circle of the Moon & Harmony of Dissonance OST (2nd)

I normally see this one starting at 9000 and higher, so I pounced on the 4500 BIN.

4000 | J.D.K. Band 1 (1st)

I wanted one complete. I also never owned the first print in the past and it's slightly beyond amazing, so the higher than usual cost is justified.

3980 | Castlevania 64 OST (2nd)

This is the lowest BIN I've encountered on YJA recently. It usually starts at 5000 and higher.

3500 | Star Ocean Blue Sphere (2nd)

It's not easy to find one complete at that price.

3250 | Ys V Orchestra (2nd)

This is oddly much easier to acquire than the OST.

3171 | Criminal's Night music from CYBER CITY OEDO 808 (1st)

I found one sealed, at a slightly lower price than used copies.

3000 | Image from King Colossus Sega Sound Orchestra (1st)

This purchase replaces my flac files. It took me 3 years to find a complete copy. Any suffering and frustration you endure while looking for this is justified - it's that good.

3000 | Thunder Zone (2nd)

The cover art makes this feel like a Contra album, which is partly why it attracts me. It's also some of Data East's best music.

2934 | Music from The Legend of Xanadu II (2nd)

I wish that Music from Brandish 3 were this easy to acquire...

2800 | J.D.K. Band 3 Falcom Vocal Special (1st)

I've had a CD-R since the summer of 2000 and finally decided to replace it. I also recently uploaded the scans to VGMDB, since they were missing.

2650 | Panzer Dragoon Full Sound Version (2nd)

I don't know why, but this album keeps a low profile. While people are paying their left kidney for Donkey Kong Country and Ganbare Goemon, there are albums such as this that can tremendously satisfy without leaving a scar.

2494 | Brandish Piano Collection (2nd)

I should've had this more than a year ago, but I forgot to place a bid on it. I was unhappy about that because this album rarely appears on YJA. I don't always remember to check AMZ JP, but the prices for scarce albums are sometimes quite fair. This is my favorite piano collection.

2110 | Star Ocean Perfect Collection (2nd)

This album has significantly dropped in value. I've noticed for the past year that it can be obtained for less than 5000, which is much lower than the usual $100 - $150 for the past 15 years. I found one complete with a starting bid of 1500 and the auction ended at only 2110.

2000 | Final Fantasy VII Limited Edition (1st)

I always stayed well away from this album, due to its remarkably high price. But things are different on YJA and no one seems to care about this anymore. It was a BIN for 2000. And I bought the relisting, since it didn't sell the first time.

2000 | zwei!! OST (2nd)

Obtained one sealed.

1806 | Falcom Special Box '94 (1st)

It looks brand new. I expected to see some flaws at that price, but it usually sells low anyway. Again, the DKC people could keep their left kidneys and just pick this up.

1650 | Ys IV Perfect Collection Vol. 1 (2nd)

This usually starts at 5000 on YJA, but AMZ JP has better deals sometimes.

1500 | VM Japan OST (2nd)

Obtained one sealed.

1456 | zwei!! Super Arrange Version (2nd)

Sealed.

1332 | Ys Healing (2nd)

Sealed.

1276 | Sora no Kieski Super Arrange Version (1st)

Sealed.

1200 | Kaiser Knuckle (2nd)

This is one hugely entertaining Yack album, as is Fighter's Impact. But few people know...

1200 | Madara 2 Sound Fantasia (2nd)

Twinbee Paradise Sound Fantasia is indeed better, but this is not painful to own.

900 | Ys PREMIUM MUSIC CD BOX in FELGHANA (1st)

I found this on YJA and wondered what it was. I checked VGMDB and noticed that a large box set was released and that it somehow escaped my attention. I'm glad I was ignorant of it previously, because 900 is hard to beat. Retail is 8988 for comparison.

700 | Ridge Racer 2 (1st)

Cheap and couldn't resist.

650 | Rolling Thunder 2 (2nd)

Same as above.

480 | Ridge Racer (1st)

Same as above.

320 | Provincialism Ys (2nd)

Not the same as above. This was an album I was genuinely looking for because I find the arrangements pleasing. I remember there was some hostility towards this album over a decade ago. The J.D.K. Dulk (Dark?) Factory is not something you should forget.

200 | Street Fighter II Image Album (3rd)

And now we have come to something that stymies, perplexes, confounds and puzzles me to no end. First of all, this is in fact my third purchase of this album. I currently own one but this one has the large slipcase and it's in better condition than the one I paid 2000 for. It's also missing the obi, but I don't think it had one. The obi from the 2000 yen purchase does not fit around the slipcase. Also, the cover arts between the two editions are different despite the fact the catalog numbers are the same, PCCB-00075. The obi-laden edition has clearly visible gray streaks on the cover, while the slipcase version has much deeper blacks.

But none of that confuses me. What confuses me is why this album can be obtained for 200 yen. This is a prime example of why VGMDB needs to state the print run quantities, along with other vital album info. If we can find out how many of a certain album were printed, we can compare that with print run quantities of other albums. We already know the retail and used prices of albums. Knowledge of print run quantities could help explain some of those prices.

Jodo your post continues to exemplify why VGM pricing sometimes makes zero sense. 15 years ago, I would have said Star Ocean Perfect Collection, Falcom Special Box 94, Legend of Xanadu II and FFVII Limited Edition would have shot up in value. The Namco albums continue to go for pennies though. At least they have been fairly consistent.

I was happy to be able to obtain the Konami Special Music The 1000-Ryo Chest Heisei 3rd Year Edition for about $30. This was another holy grail of mine KOed (due to it having the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade soundtrack!). Also grabbed a couple Yuzo Koshiro albums for around $10 each (Misty Blue, Early Collection 1, Bare Knuckle 1). I seem to recall these going for larger amounts early on. I guess the 3-disc collections from a few years ago hurt their value.

Strange days in VGM-land...

I managed to pick up a sealed Diablo II soundtrack for $20 on eBay a few weeks ago for my friend.

Pretty good deal since opened ones are going for $30-$40.

Still for me nothing beats picking up the Albert Odyssey Gaiden soundtrack as "junk" at Super Potato for 1200 yen a couple years back.

Here's a summary of my 2nd quarter (April-June) finds.

15000 | Sound of Tower

I wanted to keep the cost below 7500 yen, but I had found one sealed. Sometimes used copies are listed at 10000+. It's one of the TOCT albums and those are usually quite good (Sword Maniac is a member). This contains music from a very interesting looking Saturn game.

12800 | Dragon Tail

I remember being disgusted with this album at first. I just wasn't patient and also didn't have good headphones. When I came back to it a full decade later, I thought of it as a COCA album, which are known for their exquisite mastering. This is in the same "family" as Insector X.

12000 | Vasteel

This is another one I didn't listen to for nearly 10 years. It's a COCA album, so the quality is superior.

10500 | Street Fighter EX Arrange

I found one sealed, hence the high price.

4700 | Guilty Gear Xrd

Haven't received this yet. Had to buy from YJA because it's cheaper than Amazon Japan.

4010 | Saga Frontier OST

I found an original SSCX sealed. I need to give this more play time, since it's been arranged like mad.

3054 | Parasite Eve Remixes

I listened to my CD-R and was shocked. This is a good CD! I thought it was interesting back in the Bose/Sony days, but in the Sennheiser age this is remarkable! I found one sealed.

3000 | Samurai Spirits 2 Asura Zanmaden AST

This is my favorite of the Hyper Neo Geo 64 albums.

2900 | Culdcept II OST

2800 | Mario Kart 8 OST

2800 | Falcom Special Box '93

2700 | Tokimeki Memorial Pro Fusion

2500 | Tokimeki Vocal Collection 5

2220 | Ogre -Grand Repeat-

1980 | Romancing Saga 3 OST

1868 | Tokimeki Vocal Collection 3

1450 | Tokimeki Sound Collection 2 and Vocal Collection 2

1400 | Villgust and Legend of Heroes Piano Collection

1300 | Falcom Special Box '92

1100 | Tokimeki Sound Collection 4

1000 | Tokimeki Vocal Collection 4

980 | Tokimeki Sound Collection 1

480 | Tokimeki Sound Collection 3

450 | Lost Child Side Z

350 | Samurai Spirits Image Album

If you rip this CD without gaps and burn it to CD-R, then it won't sound right when tracks change. If you copy the CD, though, the tracks play seamlessly on the CD-R, like the original disc. This is the CD that taught me the importance of gaps.

300 | Tokimeki Vocal Collection 1

I bought the Tokimeki Vocals because I noticed that Motoaki Furukawa arranged a lot of the songs. Prior to that discovery, I had no interest.

Bumping this thread with a few recent deals of mine (and following Jodo Kast's format for my post):

21600 yen | Super Mario Land

At first blush, this may not look like a great deal.  This album was listed by Book Off on YJA, where the low-res pictures showed only the exterior of the album and the obi, but not the interior.  As is to be expected for a store auction, there was no description.

Given concerns about the album's condition, this was around the most I was willing to pay.  When the album arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was in nearly perfect condition, and also included all extras (both the poster and the stickers).  If those extras had been part of the original auction description, I suspect it would have sold for much more.

$100 | Super Mario World

I found this on eBay, where I search for VGM only occasionally.  The album included both the obi and the 3D jacket, which made it a particularly good deal.

$68 | Mario Party 3 Original Soundtrack

This was also listed on eBay in Like New condition, but the photos showed only the exterior case (without the obi).  It turns out the album was fully complete, including the obi, registration card and insert.  This album doesn't trade often enough to establish a known market price, but I think this was a good deal.

100 yen | "zwei!!" SUPER ARRANGE VERSION

That's not a typo.  I won an auction for this album on YJA for under a dollar.  The album is in perfect condition and included the obi.  Truthfully this album isn't very expensive on YJA, usually going for 700 - 1000 yen or so, but I was shocked to get it this cheaply.

I sold my Mario Party 3 along with a game music cd from a Famitsu magazine for $45 a few years back, and it took a long time to even find someone to buy it.  I've seen it listed at very high prices before, but I have to say the actual demand is minimal.

Star Fox w/OBI for $150?

I picked up a copy of Star Fox with obi for 8800 yen:

http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/a … w169323194

I think that in general, when the seller doesn't show the obi in the main photo, an auction will generate less interest than it otherwise would - and that can be an opportunity for a good deal.

I snagged a copy of Insector X for $5 last weekend on eBay.  I doubt it includes any extras (it's not here yet), but it will be a solid deal nonetheless.

Some of my other good deals have come from buying sight-unseen on suruga-ya.  In one case, I bought a copy of 3D Hot Rally for 9000 yen, and it came complete in perfect condition.  In another case, I purchased a sight-unseen Suite Gradius Fantasia for 1300 yen, and it was also complete and in great condition.

In general, if you can buy a sight-unseen album cheaply enough, so that in the worst case you resell it and break even, then in the best case you can get a nice score.  I recently bought a few more rare albums that way (Cyber Core, Ganbare Goemon 2, Sound Fantasy Romancia), and I'll know how those turned out in a few days.

I have never, ever, seen a 3D Hot Rally for less than 20,000 yen. I am actually envious of your luck; it's incredible.

Wow. You bastard. I've been after that for years now! Please report back once you get it!

So the $5 Insector X arrived today.  It's in nice shape overall, and included both the stickers and the insert.  No obi unfortunately, but who could complain given the price?

I also received a few other albums I bought sight-unseen from suruga-ya: Sound Fantasy Romancia, Cyber Core and Ganbare Goemon 2.  The results were:

- Sound Fantasy Romancia included no extras.  I paid 5600 yen for this one.

- Cyber Core actually came complete, with both the obi and registration card.  The obi is a little tab marked but not faded at all, so that's a really good result.  I paid 8900 yen for this one.

- Ganbare Goemon 2 came with the obi as well, but no registration card.  In this case, the obi is perfect; no fading, tab marks, folds, etc.  That's pretty remarkable for an album this old; most of the Goemon 2 obis I see on YJA aren't in good shape.  This album cost me 15000 yen.

Overall that's really good luck; definitely better than I was expecting.

That's amazing about Insector X. I've had it out for a complete copy now for a good six or so years but they are indeed extremely rare as I've not seen one pop up yet. Even incomplete ones ask for $100 so I'm happy you got this deal, that's one for the books! Was this an ignorant seller or a collector who just didn't care?

I've been curious about suruga-ya but have always declined taking the plunge since they provide no details. I prefer O-Premium or Mandarake, myself. Still though, sometimes it's fun to roll the dice, for the right price -- dealers like Bookmarketing on Amazon can often provide that same experience.

This was the item here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Insector-X-Musi … SwuMZZGQzj

If I look at the seller's feedback, it looks like this person sells all sorts of random stuff, and has a few thousand sales under his/her belt.  It's entirely possible that they're a reseller of some kind, and that they actually bought the CD for even less than $5.