Physical copies of video games these days have a very robust life cycle. They're bought new, played and then usually enter a phase of recycling where they're either traded to a store for credit, passed around friends or sold off in some other manner. The canny gamer, understanding that he can truly have more game for less cash will determine his or her preferred price point for a game and wait till it reaches that stage in its lifecycle. One man’s OMFG-midnight-release-special-edition-treasure is another man’s 19.99 bargain bin special 8 months down the road. Entire communities on the internet have evolved to help you get the best bang for your buck.
I've been casually following the stories of Best Buy and Toys R Us getting into the pre-owned market now for some time. I believe that local competition in your brick and mortars can help drive down prices, or at least offer you a better option. With GameStop’s almost monopolistic empire of used game huts stretching from sea to shining sea, the average consumer has little choice in where they buy locally. The possibility of new players entering the market was exciting. There might be some real deals to be had, even if I didn't plan on trading them any of my own games.
So when I sat down and saw news on Cheapassgamer about the Toys R Us used game beta program opening up I dived into what scant details they offered. Games must be in good shape and come with the original case & artwork and miracle of miracles, they take in classic games. I jumped to the classic search to see what was involved when I saw this:



That’s right. Toys R Us will give you .50c for your copy of Earthbound with box. Fifty cents for one of the greatest RPG's to ever be made. Half of a dollar for a game that has spawned a massive fan base and routinely goes for over $80 on eBay over ten years after its release. This is an outrage. This travesty must addressed before my faith in humanity is completely broken. What say the people?