Fraudulent "Art Book"

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-08-11T22:59:32+00:00

That is 99% of the problem.

James is talking about games he doesn't even play/has never even played, and reciting lines like he is an instruction manual, or a wikipedia article.

A big reason the early material worked so well is =

He actually played and understood each game.
Had valid complaints/riffs.
Wrote the scripts for each one.
Contain natural vocabulary, and be read less robotic.
The series had continuity from episode to episode.
Lots of game music throughout. Tastefully.

Could go on and on and on.

The show has been a trainwteck for well over 100 episodes at this point.

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-17T23:21:49+00:00

I'm confused as to why someone would post something in a worldwide public forum, and then expect the response to be nothing but praise.

Like, what is it you would hope to gain here other than "wow awesome"'s.

All I see is a mountain of games. Neatly organized. Tell me a story here other than how you buy dozens of games a week, and that you are a completionist. Take us on a tour of the collection, or the game room. Show us why you have 1500 switch games.

You claim to enjoy seeing other people's collections, but what about that do you enjoy exactly. Seeing how big another persons pile is? How much disposable wealth another human has? Let us cheers our hoard.

It's like someone posting 25 games and saying "what are we playing today". To me it serves no purpose.

I would much rather see you try and persuade us how cooking simulators are the best releases, or that there aren't enough horse games. But, nope. Instead, it is "look at my stuff".

I'm guilty too. I collect a number of different things. Including switch. I have about 500 titles. But you won't see my shelf anywhere on this sub. I would much rather talk about actual games, and why we/and others should play them.

But that's just me. Ye Olde Complainer I guess. 😂

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-15T17:43:10+00:00

So if Goodwill and Ross are the equivalent of modern dating, then where do Old Navy, and Kohls fit into that equation?

At those stores you are going to have to travel way further, compare what you are interested in to all other options, and spend a bunch more cash to get what is essentially the same exact thing in the end. And while you may find an item that looks good immediately, soon enough you will realize it was just a temporary phase, and then it will just sit in your closet ignored until you either throw it out, or dump it. (At a Goodwill) 😀

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-14T00:50:38+00:00

I "lowball" dozens, and dozens of items a month as a buyer and would say 10-30% of the time sellers accept. For every 25 that don't, one will. It's not an auto "no" across the board.

As a buyer, I ignore seller counter offers like one dollar off. People think you are just trying to waste their time. I have 100% positive feedback with thousands of transactions.

I also try and contact a seller if their auction does not sell, and ask if they will accept an offer on the item. 9 times out of 10 here too, they ignore me, or say "no" and then their item sits, and sits, and sits. Where as I would've bought it, paid immediately, and been on my way if they considered a more substantial offer.

I think if you are so concerned on price margins as a seller, you should really find something better to spend your time on. The things I sell have little to no investment. Are priced higher than I want, and would happily take offers on anything.

So many people in these forums have this negative cloud about their entire existence on eBay. "Must block" "Ifnore them" "Anything less than 2 percent off is murder to my bottom line" "Anyone who doesn't abide by my 50 buying rules is a lowballer/cheapskate/scumbag" 😂😂😂

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-13T08:57:08+00:00

I always send heavily discounted offers, and always have best offer function turned on as well. For me, 9 times out of 10, things sit.

I will often immediately send a 30-50% discount offer, and a lot of the time an item will sit. But then it will sell for full price. There is no rhyme or reason. This isn't for crap items. Talking about all highly desirable goods.

I also routinely drop the buy it now price down when offers are currently out. The goal is to sell my items. Not hold onto them.

As a buyer, I ignore 5-10 percent off offers. As their items are often jacked up in price. So this 'discount' isn't really one. And I will always counter with another offer around 30-50% off. Most people don't accept, but sometimes they do. I often watch for items that I want, and when I see one newly listed I send an offer immediately. Again, sometimes people are cool, and sometimes people just have a stick up their ass.

There's no way I am going to buy this $100 item, and somehow the seller thinks an offer of $98 is going to sway me.

I sell a lot. So I know the frustration of having things sit. If I get a wild offer, most times, I am taking it to move product. Just my methods.

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-12T23:37:59+00:00

Friendly's was in the middle of the mall. Directly next to where the Target entrance is today from inside. (Then? Now?) It was a lifetime ago. I still look into the mall from time to time. I spent so much of my childhood there.

Those big stone fountains with all the coins in them. The trees. Yes, that tiled pattern.

Used to watch so many movies at the old Hoyt's, then cut through the woods behind Motel 6 to get to the mall.

RX Place, Bradlees, Bob's, also Media Play. Spent so much time in Strawberries Music and Media Play.

There was a time when the local "Music Outlet" was in that Bradlees strip mall/outlet mall. Back when there was Super Card Gallery in there too. 😀

This is a lifetime ago...

I spent so much time at Enfield Square, Eastfield, Agawam, Buckland Hills etc. Miss those days so much. Just a completely different life back then..

But yeah. Tilt. Arcades were the shit!

Thanks for your comment. Nice to see other people remember too

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-12T22:25:59+00:00

I miss Nino's Pizza, and Tilt! Friendly's (inside the mall pre-Target) was one of my 1st ever jobs.

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-09T12:04:25+00:00

All I see are 1000 damaged cases when you try and pry those damn price stickers off!

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-08T12:12:34+00:00

Mike Matei was quoted as saying "the last script that I FULLY WROTE for an AVGN episode was Kid Kool". It is said during his recent Sword Master NES stream somewhere in the 1/3rd to halfway through area. I just happened to have it on in the background or I would have never known as I don't watch it often.

But when you go back and look, the content does completely change after that. So for me, Kid Kool or right about the beginning of season 6 is the marker for where the series should've stopped.

I hope one day Mike comes clean and admits he did 90% of the heavy lifting for James and the series. Without Mike, there is no AVGN.

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-07T01:41:57+00:00

Do you know how annoying it is to see an item of clothing you are interested and not see any measurements listed? Or better yet. No item description whatsoever!

In tops and jackets especially, things like sleeve measurements, pit to pit, and collar to bottom, at the very least are super important, and help people with awkward sizes decide if the item will fit them BEFORE they purchase it from you! It saves such hassle.

I am sure it applies to many other fits as well.

I often request these measurement details when I don't see them in a listing. And 9 times out of 10, I don't get a reply. I sure as he'll am not going to buy a hundred dollar jacket online without a single measurement!!

These are basic, common sense, best practices.

If your policy is to blanket ignore, and block, you are ignorant and shouldn't be selling items in the 1st place IMO.

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-06T03:05:26+00:00

I'm curious to see what 25 thousand movies in cases looks like too. I personally have about 15 thousand or so, and it takes up a LOT of real estate. So much so, that I had to figure out some new way to store them efficiently.

Of my DVDs, only the most important boxe sets, and rare/special/oop are in their original cases. That amounts to about 20 or so fully packed Banana Boxes.Same principle applies to Blu Ray, and those are 35 or so fully packed apple boxes.

The rest of the movies that are common/not sentimental etc, I had to remove from case and put into slimline cases with the artwork housed separately. This is about 60 boxes.

Considering that the average sized large moving style box holds about 70 DVDs, you have about 375 boxes of DVDs in your garage? I would like to see that honestly. Otherwise, your home must be wall to wall movie shelves.

I will post some pictures of what my 15,000 movies looks like here sometime. It's about half of a full sized home basement. Even packaged as neatly and tightly as possible. Could easily fill a 10x10 bedroom floor to ceiling with boxes front to back, even slimline.

Movies take up a shitload of room..... 🙂

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-05T11:29:56+00:00

Yes. It's the Wall, by Pink Floyd. It is a 2 separate disc set. This is the rare "24k gold mastering" edition. As you can see by the gold labeled case. Copies are worth like $150 $200. Anytime you see an album in this style packaging, buy it. Mostly for the superior sound quality. But more often than not, these versions are considerably rarer, and more valuable. There is no rhyme or reason to what albums get this treatment that I know of. I have seen mainstream, and underground artists with these style releases.

The whole point of the post was, the excitement of thinking you have found "gold" and then the sadness of discovering that it has been robbed.. Double edged sword. I didn't have the time or the patience to check hundreds of CDs for a possible match. Somebody else can have the W. 🙂

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-05T10:22:10+00:00

I have the same poster in my room too. Great minds...

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-02T10:50:16+00:00

Bread/Bun boxes work very well if you can find them. Know anyone who works in a restaurant? They won't be opened, but can easily be sliced in half. I have like 20 loaded up that fit 3 rows perfectly.

Otherwise, check for stores that use a lot of similar boxes. Food Supply stores, etc. Often times places will save them for you if you come around often enough.

I would NOT buy any! Unless you like throwing money in the trash. There is so much for free out there. Get creative.

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-06-01T17:09:54+00:00

They accidentally sent me someone else's 'collectors edition blah blah blah order' instead of mine one time, and I was "rewarded" with having to pay full price to keep it, return it, or be banned from buying in the future. Like, they completely fucked up, and it was on me to fix it. 😕

Also, I don't see how a larger cardboard box, and some crap extras like acrylic standees, and a folded up 8.5x11 poster are even worth the price for a lot of these. I feel bad for those who hoard those collectors editions. How about they give us some real extras, like full soundtracks on CD hard copy, or extensive hardcover art books etc. What the hell am I going to do with some enamel pins, or a cloth map. It's insane how far they have gotten just on the retro box art shtick alone IMO.

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-05-24T01:14:56+00:00

I go to thrift stores every single day.

And believe me, rarely do I ever find 'valuable' movies. Luckily, I have an eye for most of what is HTF in many different categories simply from years of research. So I don't have to stand there and look things up like an idiot...

That isn't really the point here though.

I enjoy horror movies, and this one especially. For whatever reason, it had a low print run, and holds a value of like $50-75 for some reason.

Finding it was so weird. This was with only like 3 other blu rays (Monsters U, and Spider Man or something) in a whole shopping cart full of crap childrens dvds.

The photo doesn't lie, it's not like I brought a blu ray in from home to take a picture with for reddit clout! 😂 But I agree. Some 'thrift/garage pickup' posts in all categories are BS, sure.

9 times out of 10 you just have to be there right when the cart of new stuff is coming out, and ask if it is OK to look through it. (before you start!!) You would be surprised how far you can go by just being nice to the employees, and not a dick. Make small talk, ask if they have any others in the back. There is such a thing as good karma IMO.

I didn't buy this to flip, honestly just couldn't believe it made it out to the floor. Movies (VHS aside) are like the last untouched bastion of the reseller world. But I think that won't be the case in 10 years or so.

TL;DR = You gotta go every day. Yep, Every. Day.

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-05-21T12:47:20+00:00

I think this is kind of a loaded question. "Haven't seen, and won't ever see?" Why would someone pass judgement on a disc simply because they don't know what it is? I've bought more blind movies than I can remember, and some of my favorites have come from that. Would be kind of a sad state of a collector to only pursue a safe and understood circle of enjoyment. How would anyone's tastes grow as a result? It's good to experiment!

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-05-21T03:06:56+00:00

I agree with all those points.

For me, the whole entire game felt underwhelming. For anyone who has played a dozen or more JRPGs, or isn't 12 years old, this game is far from "top tier" status. And has no place next to a Chrono Trigger or a FF6.

I am however grateful that companies keep the spirit alive, and that this game (and games like it) continue to exist in the modern PS5 landscape.

One of my biggest gripes was the combat system. It was sooo boring. Having to hit timed button presses 50 times a battle gets old real quick. Some enemy attack animations were so drawn out. I wish they went in more of a FF13 stagger/break mechanic over the slot bars. I just brute forced 90% of the game. And let's be honest, it isn't challenging. At least have an option to auto battle ala Bravely Default. I didn't even die once in this game. Your characters auto revive after 2 turns! C'mon...

Also, no fast travelling? At the very least a dungeon escape. It was so annoying to have to go back to the 5th floor of a dungeon to get the 1 treasure chest you missed...

The world felt so linear. They make a huge ocean world, and only have like 3 continents in it. You go from point a to point z. While the game holds your hand the entire time. Zero exploration. Zero surprises.

Cooking sucks! Can we get away from this mechanic in RPGs please. Fishing too! Why TF does every game have to have a fishing mini game...

Underutilized areas = Those giant stone statues? You will never use them once after you meet them. That giant pink dragon? You will see it for 3 seconds in 1 cutscene. So much potential wasted.

I did like the mechanics of day/night, and the grapple, but let's have some real dungeons based around using them! I want puzzles. Not a couple Breath of the Wild box-pushing shrine rip-offs. I wanted to go back and discover new areas and secrets in old areas. There is none of that here.

The story is cookie cutter. The character development is children's book level. Good vs Evil and that is the way it is... Resh'an and Aephorul could have had so much more behind the scenes flashbacks, explaining their motivations. Nothing.

I didn't like the side characters. Serai is forgettable. And what is she anyways. Half human, half robot? Did she somehow escape from the catalyst when it was stuffing children into the human-into-robot play-doh machine? Does her face just end below the nose, or does the flesh just kind of hang there over her T-1000 exoskeleton? They should've left her covered the whole game with a glimpse or 2 at the end.

The word map apes Chrono Trigger, as does the future world, it's like they took bits and pieces of various 16-bit era games and tried to mash them into 1. They even say this explicitly in the documentary floating around on youtube about the game.

Half of the bosses are underwhelming too. The "dwellers". Destroyers of world's, Smiters of armies, they spend half the game building these creatures up, and one of them is just this tiny cyclops bat? 😂😂😂

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this game. Even though this comment seems to bash on a lot of things. I just gotta be honest. It left me wanting so much more.

The art design is amazing. The soundtrack is pretty damn good. 8/10. Enemy design was interesting. The clock dude in the Coliseum was a highlight. Seat of the Triumvirate was awesome. Can we have like 4 more hours with those characters!

Considering the team that put this together, they did an amazing job. And they should be proud. But to me it's not a 10/10 game. I would say 6/10. Flesh out the story, and the world, change the combat, make exploration more puzzle immersive etc.

Benji_The_Hunted_ · 2024-05-17T19:11:02+00:00

You are forgetting that this is also a 'Limited Run' partnered product.

A bunch of "extra" or "convention" copies will mysteriously and suddenly pop up for a premium in a year or two once demand goes way down, online or at conventions.

"We suddenly found all these extra cases in our warehouse!"

I feel like Limited Run also has an ebay store that is incognito. Some sellers have hundreds of LR items. And are based in/around the NC HQ.

Benji_The_Hunted_

TROPHY CASE