I've been waiting for years for this moment.
I played the second episode in April-May 2001 and it is one of my favourite PS game; I was near to get it, but something went wrong (my uncle had a copy of it, but my cousin lost it).
So I forgot the idea to play it for years, since I bought my PS2 (in June 2003) and Xbox (December 2004): but I never forgot the game.
"Sometimes they come back" wrote Stephen King, and he was right.
During the last April I wanted to replay Parasite Eve 2, so I got it on Ebay (a used copy for the price of 19,00 euros plus shipping).
It was a pleasure to replay it: and that's the reason why, from now, I'll never sell my games.
A game doesn't get old if it makes you feel emotions again and again.
I'm a collector in the strict sense, not just a player: for me videogames are not  mere consumer goods.
As I wrote in a previous blog entry, the only missing game for my PS collection was Parasite Eve, only available on NTSC /*** format.
I had some doubts about Ebay cheapness: I wouldn't consider 70 euros a "cheap" price for a used copy of PE (now THIS is a rip off); finally I realized that my strategy was wrong.
"If you try where the item is very common, basic principles of economics teach that the price must necessarily drop" said my brain: ok, let's try with www.ebay.com... groovy.
The items available are lots and the prices are far cheaper.
I tracked an interesting auction: the 3 discs version of PE, used but like new, shrinkwrapped.
Cool. I start the auction with the first bid, 0,50 USD. The days go by and the bids go on.
I decide to place my highest bid, the highest price I'm ready to pay: 15 USD.
God bless automatically generated bids: another user placed 15 bucks, but since I was the first bidder I won the auction.
The seller is extremely polite and cooperative: he informs me about shipping options, and I decide for the cheapest, but the slowest and less secure also, option: international air mail via USPS.
No tracking, no insurance: if the item goes lost, too bad for you.
But what should have I done? Is it smart to pay 15 bucks the item and 25-30 bucks for shipping?!
I took my risk.
The user tells me it should take about 5-8 days to get to my home. Let's wait patiently.
It's May 10, the item was shipped on May 1: there's a delay, it looks like the item has never left the US borders, maybe there are problems at the customs.
I contact via email the seller: he sends me the postal office receipt and encourages me to be patient.
Let's wait... I wonder what could be wrong with my item: it's original software, it's nothing dangerous or dubious, and the value is very low.
I suggested the seller not to write GIFT on the envelope: writing it is the best way to make customs officers suspicious.
Time goes by, and I get more and more frustrated: "there are so many illegal online purchases (e.g.: "original" Nike shoes for 30-40 bucks: they are generally from China, need to say more?!) and someone is creating troubles with my honest buy?!" I think.
And just when I was near to give up hope, the postman this morning delivered what I was looking forward.

The moral of the story:
Parasite Eve:                     15 US$
Shipping and Handling:      7,25 US $
Customs Taxes:                0 US$/euros
Total:                               22,25 US$ (= 16,50 euros)
Now THIS is doing good business, isn't it?