2 SR7

Perhaps I should have named my Top 20 Most Rare section "Most
Collectible," or "Most in Demand," because there are many rare items
that are not worth collecting. What I am trying to express in my
limited title, "Most Rare," is something much more than just the most
rare Sega items; they are the "most rare collectibles in the highest
demand." Obviously this would have been too long of a title, so I
opted for the much shorter version.

However, I felt the need to clarify my exact intentions of my Most
Rare section. Many of you may not agree with the list, and if demand
necessitates it, I will add a Readers' Most Rare List in the future. But I
feel it is important to clarify that my Most Rare Lists are not just lists
of games that had the smallest production run, and are technically
the most rare games. Nor is it as simple as ranking which games have
the highest resale value. It is a list of rare items that are popular and
in demand not just because they are rare, but because they are
excellent products. Just know that my list is based on years of
research and collecting and even I sometimes do not completely
agree with it. It was a very difficult list to compose.

My domestic list only includes products that were released in
America---which is why there are noticeable absences such as the
Virtual On Twin Sticks. Thus, some games that may be more common
in other territories (such as Alex Kidd in Shinobi World) are high on
the list because they are rare in America. And my import list contains
products that were not released in America---which is why a game like
Alisia Dragoon for the Mega Drive is not on the list (it's a rare game in
the Japanese market, but quite common in the American market).
The import list is also affected by the language barrier because
American gamers who are not literate in Japanese, will tend to import
games from Europe when given a choice, or to import Japanese
games that are not as dependent on reading text.

And while the list is not completely based on price, it is definitely a
large factor. Most games on the list include some of the better
released games for a system that were produced in limited quantities.
However, there really is no accurate way to estimate the
approximate surviving quantity of any rare items---which is why
creating this list has been so difficult. Price is a factor because in a
free market, such as online auctions, the consumers determine the
value of the product. And while this demonstrates what is in demand,
it can sometimes be misleading; thus, price is only one of many
factors I use to compose my Most Rare Lists.

You will notice that there are more rare games for the less successful
Sega systems (as there were less produced) and more rare
peripherals for the more successful Sega systems because there is a
greater demand for the expensive and underproduced items. For
instance, there are more rare games for the less successful Saturn
system than there are for the more successful Genesis system (as
most Genesis games are fairly common because of the systems
popularity). Likewise, the Maracas controllers for the Dreamcast are
more "collectible" than the 3D Glasses for the Master System, mainly
because the maracas are in higher demand.

I have provided a "going rate" price range for each item to give you a
general idea of how they are worth. Keep in mind, however, that this
is based primarily from online auctions; but I consider it to be quite
accurate. Obviously if you find any items that are new/sealed then
their value would be considerably above my range. Also, the
collectors' market is known to change with time so many items on
the list may shift around and item values will drop along with a drop in
their demand.

And, of course, my list and my price ranges both assume that all items
are in mint to excellent condition and are complete. Yeah, there are a
good number of Shining Force III discs floating around ebay, but if you
don't have the original case and manual, it is significantly less
valuable and not much of a collectors item. And please note that I am
not including special edition systems on the lists simply because they
would completely dominate them.