Good game! Auctions are a winner for buying and selling vintage video gaming
February 6th, 2024
Good game! Auctions are a winner for buying and selling vintage video gaming
FROM vintage video games to modern consoles, auction is the perfect place to buy and sell all types of gaming systems.Headsets, controllers, even gaming chairs pass through the doors at The Lichfield Auction Centre and it’s perpetually exciting seeing what treasures are out there.
Hot right now are Nintendo games from the late 1980s to the early 2000s – Nintendo NES, SNES and N64 – and Sony Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance.
Another one worth looking out for is the PS4 original disc of Fortnite – this is popular because most people don’t realise it came out as a disc version first.
Vintage Pokémon games are also sought-after, with the main ones Pokémon DS games HeartGold and SoulSilver, Black and White 2, and Pokémon Conquest.
This SNES bundle made £600 at auction.Lots of different factors go into why people start collecting. Obviously if it’s a good game, that’s important!
How well the game sold at the time and how significant it was in the community are also factors, whilst if it has subsequently been released on more modern platforms, that tends to devalue the item.
Finding the right games is key – certain PS2 and PS3 games can be valuable but not all, which is why it’s important to come and get a specialist valuation of your gear.
For example a PlayStation 2 bundle sold for £220 last year, a SNES bundle made £600 and an NES bundle sold at £300.
The vintage Nintendo SNES game Earthbound which sold at auction for £900.Last year’s bestsellers included the vintage Nintendo SNES game Earthbound in NSTC format.
This game was never released in the PAL video territories.
The example we put to auction included the box and player guide, still containing its Nintendo Power subscription card and scratch cards – which still retained their smell!
The game was in working condition with the ‘save battery’ element still functioning and it sold for an impressive £900.
This factory sealed SNES games Super Metroid from 1994 sold at £800.Other auction successes included two factory sealed 1990s SNES games – Super Metroid selling at £800 and Terranigma, taking £580.
Sega Saturn games are also mega desirable and can reach accordingly high prices.
In terms of video game systems, more modern consoles popular now include the Game Cube, which came out from 2000 onwards.
So whether it’s a 1974 Magnavox Odyssey, 1980s Atari, 1990s Nintendo 64 or a console from the 2000s, it’s always worth getting a specialist valuation – likewise for vintage computers such as Apple Macintosh, Sinclair or Microsoft.
And when it comes to tracking down a long-remembered video game from back in the day or selling on your collection, either way the auction market will have you saying ‘GG’*.
To book a free valuation of video games, consoles and gaming gear, telephone 01543 251081 or email office@richardwinterton.co.uk.