Nostalgia game prices soar - even flops

ENTHUSIASTS are waking up to the investment appeal of old computer games and consoles, recognising the historic value of items from a time when gaming first became popular.

Last year, a 1996 Nintendo 64 Super Mario cartridge that sold for $60 new, pictured, fetched $1.5million (£1.1million) due largely to its tip-top condition. Jonathon Hendricks, owner of computer game value tracker PriceCharting, says: ‘Retro games continue to be a great investment – and 2022 could be an exciting year. A couple of years ago the average collectable game rose in price by a quarter. Last year it was almost a third.’

The trajectory looks set to continue, especially as investors rediscover more historic titles. Hendricks says: ‘Many people turned to old favourites played as youngsters during lockdown. Nostalgia will remain a key driving force this year.’

Other games that have been soaring in value include a rare shoot ’em up challenge called Air Raid for the Atari console, and early Tetris games for Sega consoles, both now selling for five-figure sums, having originally gone on sale for just a few pounds. Even video game flops can be valuable, as few survive. For example, Nintendo’s maths homework puzzle Donkey Kong Jr Maths proved to be a donkey on release in 1983 at £3.49 – but may now sell for £300.

Consoles still in packaging can sell for far more than their original price. A 1990s Sega Mega Drive can fetch £600 – more than three times its initial retail price of £190.

PriceCharting offers the latest prices on games and consoles, while websites such as CeX and eBay let you study the market as well as buy and sell old games.