Finance site Ocean Finance got in touch with a $4,000 story. That’s how much they calculated some readers could make selling retro game consoles.
Firstly, I sucked on my teeth and dug around to ensure Ocean Finance wasn’t a dodgy payday loan site, and it doesn’t seem to be. It operates in that controversial space where companies make money from people struggling.
Secondly, it’s weird that they’re talking to me in dollars when they and I are British.
Thirdly, they had some expert tips on evaluating your collection, and I thought these were worth sharing. So, here goes.
How to find out how much your console collection is worth
Six tips from Ocean Finance
- Unopened and sealed consoles and games are worth the most to collectors. Always include this in the listing. Many sellers also get their products graded by a grading company (UK Graders). This lets the seller verify the item’s condition and ensure they’re getting an acceptable deal.
- Limited or special edition consoles and games are popular with collectors. If there aren’t many copies being sold, this usually means it’s rare, and you’ll be able to sell for a higher price.
- Check the date to see if it is from an original model or run. If you don’t know when it was purchased, you could always check the model number. Original models can be sold for a lot more than later runs.
- Make sure it works and is in good condition. Unless it is sealed, the person buying it will likely be doing so to play on it. If it doesn’t work, you can still get some money, especially if you list it for parts.
- Boxed consoles and games will sell for more. Most people will have lost the box over the years, but if you’ve still got the box, this will help you increase the price.
- Sell it in a bundle. If you have the console, you’ll have the games to go with it… and vice versa. Selling these together will help you make more money.
I know, I know, not rocket science but a handy checklist.
Retro games worth thousands
As for that $4,000 angle? You can dig into that further in the full Ocean Finance study.
In summary, Ocean Finance says there’s been a three-fold increase in people interested in retro gaming over the lockdown. This is based on search frequency, the usual go-to for this sort of outreach metric.
Nintendo Game Boys have seen a 65% increase in searches since January 2022, and, in part, this is people looking to play Wordle on the console.
The money-centric company point out you can get Game Boys on ebay for about $100. The special edition models, though, cost a lot more. The Planet Hollywood edition Game Boy sold for nearly $4,800, and that’s perhaps the figure the $4,000 comes from.
As it happens, though, a sealed Pokemon Yellow Edition Game Boy game sold for £10,000 and pink Hello Kitty Game Boys sell for nearly $10,000.
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