Retro Video Game Collecting: A Beginner's Guide

Retro game collecting has gone from niche hobby to full-blown market in about five years. Prices on sealed games have gotten ridiculous, a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for over $2 million in 2021, but the good news is that the loose cartridge and disc market is still incredibly accessible. You can build a solid collection of playable classics without a trust fund.

Here's what you need to know if you're getting started, including which consoles to focus on, what games are actually worth collecting, and how to avoid overpaying.

Pick Your Console (or Don't)

Most collectors start with whatever they grew up playing. That's the right instinct, you already know the library, you know what's good, and the nostalgia factor makes the whole thing more rewarding. But if you're approaching this purely from a collecting standpoint, some consoles are better entry points than others.

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

The NES library has 714 officially licensed North American releases. The heavy hitters, sealed copies of Stadium Events, Nintendo World Championships, are six-figure items that you'll never see outside of auction houses. But loose, playable copies of great NES games are still affordable. You can pick up Mega Man 2, Castlevania, and Metroid for $15-30 each. The console itself runs $50-80 in working condition.

Collector tip: NES cartridges are notorious for the "blinking red light" issue caused by dirty pin connectors. A $5 cleaning kit and some isopropyl alcohol fixes 90% of "broken" NES games. Don't pay premium prices for "tested and working" cartridges when you can clean them yourself.

Super Nintendo (SNES)

The SNES has the strongest pound-for-pound game library of any retro console. EarthBound, Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy VI, these are consensus top-100-of-all-time games. That reputation means higher prices: loose EarthBound runs $150-200, Chrono Trigger around $100-150. But there are hundreds of excellent SNES games in the $10-40 range that don't get the hype they deserve. Look at Actraiser, Demon's Crest, and Sunset Riders, all great games, all under $40 loose.

Collector tip: SNES games with their original box and manual ("CIB", complete in box) command a significant premium. If you find a CIB SNES game at a garage sale or flea market, buy it. The box alone can be worth more than the cartridge.

Nintendo 64

The N64 is having a moment. People who grew up playing GoldenEye and Mario Kart 64 in the late '90s are now adults with disposable income, and they're buying back their childhoods. Prices have climbed, but the N64 library is relatively small (296 North American releases), which makes it one of the most achievable "complete collection" goals in retro gaming.

The expensive ones: Conker's Bad Fur Day ($100-130 loose), Sculptor's Cut of Clay Fighter 63 1/3 ($250+), and the usual suspects like Ocarina of Time and Super Smash Bros. ($30-50 each). But dozens of solid N64 games. Wave Race 64, Pilotwings 64, Blast Corps, are still under $15.

Sega Genesis

The Genesis is arguably the best value in retro collecting right now. The console is cheap ($30-50), the game library is enormous and undervalued compared to Nintendo equivalents, and the games are just as good. Streets of Rage 2 is one of the best beat-em-ups ever made and costs $15 loose. Sonic 2 is $5. Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star IV, Shining Force II, all excellent, all affordable.

Collector tip: The Genesis has a huge library of sports games that are essentially worthless (Madden '93 through '98, NHL '94 through '98, etc.). These bulk up collections cheaply if you're going for volume, but they have zero resale value. Focus on the action, RPG, and platformer titles.

PlayStation 1

The PS1 bridged the gap between cartridge-based retro gaming and the disc era. The library is massive (over 1,300 North American releases) and the collecting scene is just starting to heat up. Final Fantasy VII, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and Metal Gear Solid are the marquee titles, $30-60 each for complete copies. But the PS1 has a deep bench of under-the-radar titles: Vagrant Story, Parasite Eve, Brave Fencer Musashi, Legend of Mana. Many of these are still under $30 complete.

Collector tip: PS1 disc condition matters more than cartridge condition for other consoles. Scratched discs can be resurfaced, but deep scratches that penetrate the data layer are permanent. Always check the bottom of the disc before buying.

Where to Find Retro Games

The best sources depend on whether you're optimizing for price or convenience.

Best Prices

• Garage sales and estate sales. Still the #1 source for below-market deals, but increasingly picked over by resellers who arrive at 6am.
• Flea markets. Variable pricing. Some vendors know exactly what they have; others price everything at $5. The Las Vegas Fantastic Indoor Swap Meet on Decatur has several retro game vendors.
• Thrift stores. Hit or miss. Goodwill's online auction site (shopgoodwill.com) sometimes has better finds than the physical stores, where employees often pull the good stuff.

Best Selection

• Dedicated retro game stores. Higher prices than garage sales, but curated inventory, tested hardware, and no uncertainty about condition. At Keep It Classic, every game we carry has been tested and condition-graded. We also stock vintage consoles when we can source them in good working condition.
• eBay. The largest selection online, but prices tend to set the market ceiling. Use eBay's "sold listings" filter to see what items actually sell for, not what sellers are asking.
• Price Charting (pricecharting.com). The de facto price guide for retro games. Check it before every purchase.

Condition and Grading

For loose cartridges, condition is mostly about the label. A clean, unfaded label with no tears or writing on it is what you want. Sharpie on the label (from parents writing their kid's name on it in 1994) is common and drops the value significantly, though some collectors don't mind for personal collections.

For disc-based games, the case, manual, and disc condition all factor in. "CIB" (complete in box) means the game, case, and manual are all present. "Disc only" is the cheapest option and fine for playing, but CIB holds value better long-term.

For boxed cartridge games (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis), the cardboard box is the most fragile and valuable component. A boxed copy of a common game can be worth 3-5x the loose cartridge price. Never throw away a box, even if the game inside is worthless, someone will buy that box.

We use a straightforward condition grading system at our store, you can see the full breakdown here. It applies to games the same way it applies to clothing: Excellent, Great, Good, Fair, each with specific criteria.

Games That Are Still Undervalued

Prices on the obvious classics have already climbed, but plenty of genuinely great games are still flying under the radar:

• Wario Land 3 (Game Boy Color). One of the best platformers on the system. $10-15.
• Mischief Makers (N64). A Treasure-developed side-scroller on a console known for 3D games. Unique and undervalued at $15-25.
• Shinobi III (Genesis). Arguably the best action game on the Genesis. Still under $20.
• Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PS1). A gorgeous 2.5D platformer that never got the audience it deserved. Starting to climb but still findable under $60 CIB.
• Lufia II (SNES). An excellent RPG overshadowed by Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy. $40-60 loose, which is a steal for a game this good.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

1. Don't chase sealed games. The sealed game market is driven by speculation and grading company politics. Collect games to play them. Loose copies are 1/10th the price and deliver the same experience.
2. Don't overpay for "graded" loose cartridges. WATA and VGA grading for opened games is mostly marketing. A clean cartridge is a clean cartridge.
3. Test before you buy in person. Bring a console to a flea market if you can, or at minimum, check the pin connectors for corrosion.
4. Start with one console. It's tempting to buy across every platform, but a focused collection is more satisfying than a scattered one.
5. Track your collection. Use an app like GAMEYE or a spreadsheet. It prevents accidental double-purchases and helps you see progress toward goals.

The retro game market is growing, but it's not too late to start. The vast majority of great games, the ones that are actually fun to play, not just investment pieces, are still affordable. If you're in Las Vegas and want to see what we have in stock, browse our retro game collection online or visit us at Downtown Container Park on Fremont Street.