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Video Game Collecting

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It's not too late to start collecting video games!!!

When I was growing up, Nintendo was all the rage and the Sega Genesis was kind of an afterthought, but still popular. Some things have changed when it comes to games and others have not. Nintendo is still all the rage, but Sega has stopped making video game systems.

One thing that has not changed is the fact that video games are collectible. With the volume of games coming out it pays to know what to look for when it comes down to what to buy and play and what to buy and save.

Some Definitions you should know.

Greatest Hits - Otherwise known as "GH" or even "Red Label" - A Playstation 1, 2, or 3 title that has made it's money back and had it's price dropped by the manufacturer. Not all price drops come with a GH label.
Platinum Hits - Otherwise known as "PH" - The XBOX and XBOX 360 version of "Greatest Hits".
Player's Choice - Sometimes known as "PC" or "Yellow Label" - The Nintendo version of "Platinum" and "Greatest Hits".
OOP - Out of Print.
NES - Short for Nintendo Entertainment System; used in many auctions as a system identifier.
PS1 / PSX - Short for Playstation 1, used in many auctions as a system identifier.
PS2 - Short for Playstation 2.
PS3 - Short for Playstation 3.
X360 - Short for XBOX 360.
SNES - Short for Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
RPG - Short for Role Playing Game.

First rule of collecting, DON'T OPEN IT.

If you are truly planning on having your collection increase in value then you cannot open the game. If you really want to play it, then buy two; one to keep sealed and one to play. Put the sealed one away then rip open and enjoy the other one. If this game is truly a collectible and you keep your playable game intact with instruction manual and original game case, then there is a good chance it will increase in value as well.

If you can't afford two games, then another option is to buy one game when it's first released and then wait to see if it goes "Red Label", "Platinum", or "Player's choice". When a manufacturer makes their money back on a title they will introduce special packaging and reduce the price to below $20. As you start to learn how the industry works, then you will get a good feel for which games will go GH and which won't. For Example, I have never seen an Atlus game go GH, but if anyone else has, feel free to drop me a line.

Collectible Example - Nocturne for Playstation 2 by Atlus

When I first started selling, I had a chance to buy this title. If I would have known what I was doing, I would have snatched some up and held on to them. Most of these listed are used and are still selling well above retail.

While you're there do a search on completed items to see what the auctions are ending at.

It appears that Nocture was released for a second run. If this has been a game you were thinking of picking up, I wouldn't hesitate to do it now.

Sometimes even "Greatest Hits" can become collectible

Here's another example of a title that I really screwed up on when I first started selling. Final Fantasy VII was available almost everywhere when I first started selling / collecting. If I could have predicted the future, I would have snatched up as many as I could have. There are many examples of the greatest hits title selling for around $40, check out the "black label" games also, they are going even higher.

There is someone selling a sealed GH version of this title for $125. They probably won't get it for a while, but I'd say that eventually, it will sell.

Avoid the "Collector's Edition" Pitfalls

Not all games that are released as "Collector's Editions" will appreciate in value. Many will, but it may take a while and they may bottom out at an extremely low price before appreciating. Instead of paying full price when they are released, wait for the price to drop and then pick one up. Being smart with your money like this will definitely make it go farther so you can pick up that extra RPG when it's released.

Take Madden 07 Hall of Fame Edition for example. This game was originally released at a price point of $69.99, check out in the eBay auctions below what has happened to the value since.

Other examples of this occurring happen with racing games, many platform games and some shooters. To start with, stick with only paying full price for RPG collector's editions first and you should be OK.

An example of a Collector's Edition gone bad - Madden 07 "Hall of Fame"

I'm not saying that this game will never be collectible, but chances are it won't be.

However, now that it's at bargain bin price, it might be worth picking up just to wait and see.

Here are some great resources to start your collection.

Digital Press: They used to sell a print guide for collectors, but I believe it is all sold out. They do have an excellent online rarity guide and knowledge base to check out.
Midwest Gaming Classic: The Midwest's largest gaming convention. Unfortunately, I didn't get there this year, but I definitely will be attending next year.
Atari Age: A definite bookmark for the Atari collector.
Collectible Nintendo DS Systems: Information on all of the different Nintendo DS Systems available. Many are collectible.

Where to start?

There are so many games and systems out there that it can be hard to begin. I would start with deciding if your more of a classic gamer or Next Gen gamer. Many classic systems and games can be picked up for a great bargin on eBay. You may also want to consider bidding on a lot with games and a system included; this way you can start playing right away. I've included some vintage lot links on eBay below.

If you own a system already, you could probably start with picking up more games for the system you own already.

Gamecube Collector's alert

I try to update this page whenever I can with games to watch for. I just found out about Major League Baseball 2K6 for Gamecube this week.

PS2 Collector Alert - AR Tonelico

AR Tonelico is a very rare game that was just released back in February. It was originally sold with an art book and if you ordered it from Rosenqueen.com you also received a very collectible soundtrack. The games on eBay with the Soundtrack are all listed below. You can also buy the game without the soundtrack.

AR Tonelico on Amazon

The Nintendo 64 is a good place to start.

The Nintendo 64 is one of my favorite systems for game-play and originality of games. There were some real crappy games made for the N64 also, but they won't cost you much to buy and make your collection complete. Keep an eye out for any of the Mario Party games and Banjo Tooie.
All auctions listed below end are updated every one hour.

Pick up a Super Nintendo while your at it

Some of the extremely rare RPG's on the SNES system will cost you a pretty penny because they are rare or just good quality games. Don't buy one of the 3rd party systems that have just become available, buy the original. I've tried to weed those out for you in the listings below. I'll give you an example of what to avoid next.

An example on eBay of what to avoid in a SNES system

You may think you're getting a two for one system with what's listed below, but I have heard that these systems do not always work with all of the games which is why you should buy an original SNES.

If Atari is your thing, check out these auctions

Maybe you're really old school and want to start with the Atari. Below are some options for you.

Below are some NES systems to start with

The top loading NES systems are more reliable than the originals. They are more expensive, but they save you some headaches in the long run.

Once again, stay away from the third party systems for the same reasons as I stated for the SNES.

Maybe you want to start with Playstation.

If you're going to start with collecting for the Playstation, go ahead and spend the money for a PS2 right away. Your PS1 games will work on the PS2 system and you can cover two bases at once.

Check out our other video game lenses

The Software Castle Video Game Lensography: All of our video game related lenses can be found here. Check back often, we're adding more every week.

Are you a game collector? Drop us a line.

Reply

Edutopia Feb 15, 2012 @ 4:12 am | delete

I'm not a collector but my sister-in-law is. She is building collections across all US release consoles but her main focus is getting every US release NES game. She is down to about 40 games left but they are all the $1,000+ a cartridge ones.

Reply

shanktoofs123 Feb 12, 2012 @ 8:05 pm | delete

I am not a collector by any means, but I have alot of games that i realize would have been unbelievably valuable if I did not open.... UGH. I have the first edition of FF7, Marvel Vs. Capcom PS2 (which is worth 50 somethin open ) to name a few. The most Valueable game I have ever seen was Fire Emblem Thracia 776 a japanese only SNES title released late in the lifespan of the console. I saw it on sale for over $500. It is actually an incredibly fun game (but one of the most difficult strategy games ever)

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prince_david Sep 6, 2011 @ 8:30 am | delete

I started collecting games more seriously about a year ago. I really wish I knew how important this would become to me now that I am an adult, I have so few boxed games. Now I know, always hold onto your boxes, instruction manuals and inserts. The same goes for systems. I unfortunately threw away the box to my PS3 after having the box for a year in my apartment shortly before getting into game collecting.

Reply

prince_david Sep 6, 2011 @ 8:29 am | delete

I started collecting games more seriously about a year ago. I really wish I knew how important this would become to me now that I am an adult, I have so few boxed games. Now I know, always hold onto your boxes, instruction manuals and inserts. The same goes for systems. I unfortunately threw away the box to my PS3 after having the box for a year in my apartment shortly before getting into game collecting.

Reply

nagiracbe Feb 1, 2011 @ 11:21 pm | delete

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