How is the number declared rarity for a game discerned? Is this based off actual numbers of distribution or purely speculation.

i was hoping to make a rarity v. price video but NA's system seems as whacky as rarityguide's outdated database.

Curious as to what's wacky about it? I made a rarity list like 6 years ago, based it off of about a half a years worth of ebay/amazon data, and it fell pretty close to the rarities that NA has. At least for cart only.

As far as your question, I honestly don't know exactly how the list was assembled or if it is a working document and continues to change.

Its just that this market is volatile and the prices change almost weekly at this point. Also consider the scale. If stadium events is a perfect 10 rarity level then 6,7, and 8's are still pretty scarce. And whether or not the owners would like to admit it, theres probably 10 times more dino peaks in the world than stadium events.

NWC 10, SE 9 F2 8, and then everythang else will be a lower number based on rarity.

maybe we should start ranking games on a 1-100 scale??

I see this topic brought up from time to time. It would help if there were some production numbers to go by but also you must account for cartridges that have been destroyed over the years. It's a rather discerning process that would take a lot of information to accurately rate rarity levels. Pimp has it about right at the top end of the scale but when you get to the mid ranges the scale gets a bit blurred.

That would be like rarityguide's list that uses a percentage for rarity.

What were you looking for? NES? SNES? Sega Pico?

a few things that stuck out to me while just browsing certain titles.

Chrono trigger
sqoon
Mohawk and Headphone Jack
Sesame street countdown

these numbers feel completely arbitrary

I guessed at the rarity and then looked them up. I got headphone jack right on, was off by 1 on sqoon and sesame, and chrono I was off by 2. Realistically, as has been said, the 3-6 rarity range will be blurred, subjective, and based on relativity.

Production/distribution numbers are completely unknown, so studies of the current market availability (like ebay) are the main source or rarity numbers.  

 

my point is things like chrono and earthbound seem to be based on subjective production numbers, while things like sqoon and mohawk seem to be based more on listing frequency.

and the idea that a box or manual can be more or less rare than the other supports the idea that the list is based off listing availability and not production.

The box + manual rarity is typically the same as cart rarity in most cases and really shouldn't be used as it is pretty clear the boxes and manuals are much less available than the carts, but are we really going to go through and decide how rare each manual for every game is, let alone maintain the thousands of listings as they change throughout the years.

The rarity guide is useful, but shouldn't be taken as a holy guide with no errors as rarity is dynamic, and can change weekly / monthly / annually.

Well, go on. Get us production numbers and make a change good sir. We will be waiting

what? nobody asked for misguided sarcasm. my point was that the numbers seem based on either or, not one exclusively or a combination of both

IMO NA has by far the best rarity guide and collection tools out there.  If you know of a better guide then Id like to see it.

 

nobody ever said the lists were based on production numbers. it's availability, and it's considered relative to other items of the same type- cart vs cart, box vs box, etc. The NES list is pretty well refined at this point, the SNES list less so.

Rarityguide has been obsolete for years. It's kind of insulting you would compare NA to that.

I can tell your first hand as I recently bought a cib sqoon in fairly good shape. The box is way harder to find in decent shape than the cart or the manual. I spent more than id like to admit on it but it is one that im glad i knocked off my list since nice boxes show up quite infrequently on ebay and elsewhere. Certain games just don't show up that often, weather its because its in a collector's hands or just not available at the present time. I am a very patient person but some games it seems like if your in the right place and time you are just one lucky person to come across it at a reasonable price. Hope this info helps you out some but its not always so cut and dry as people would like it to be weather its the rarity guide numbers on here or elsewhere, its just part of collecting since we will never know exact production numbers or whats been destroyed its a complete crapshoot estimate at best.
 

I made 1 or 2 threads before. The rarity is something that collectors still debate about, no matter how high or low they should be.

I want a way that satisfies everyone, but that won't happen. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to add them.

The NES rarities seem very accurate.
SNES not as much, but good enough for the most part.

The rarity is based on who is working on the rarity at the time the rarity is adjusted. Typically, the rarity gets changed when...

1. Someone complains, and the rarity for Foo Bar gets updated.
2. Someone starts collecting for platform X and realizes that rarities need to be adjusted (this happens over time, as some rare games get lowered due to "finds"), and is willing to help makes those changes.
3. Someone completes a set, and helps to point out their observations

So, technically, rarity is somewhat subjective, but I wouldn't call it purely speculative. Our system is community-driven, not based on productions numbers (which I've tried on multiple occasions to obtain, without any luck). Numbers are mostly changed by specific collectors that have more experience in a specific platform than most. All changes require someone, here, doing those changes. There's no master group of elitist collectors changing these -- you help to change them. That all said, it is wacky, just as the fluctuant nature of rarity vs popularity is. So to me, we're in check with the market as much as you realistically can be.

 

understood. this was my main question as i know it's all but impossible to have a rarity index in the purest form. i suppose NA's guide could be called an "availability guide" to be most accurate.

NO!! It's the NA rairity guide.

After a relatively kind explination of the process by many members and even The Evil Overlord himself, you still want to change it?

**Is nominated for PADF**

i didn't ask to change it. i used a different word to better describe it. keep you well adjusted pants on

What is rarity vs availability?? Is there or is there not a warehouse filled with Stadium Events?!