The Video Game Critic

Hey Critic, I have a pretty big sega genesis collection. I have three consoles, a bunch of controllers including two of the joystick ones, and about 80 games. I have some cool games like old shooters (truxton, hellfire, etc) and stuff like gunstar heroes. My question is, do you think all this stuff will be worth more in the future, or will it not increase in value like Atari stuff. I’m thinking about selling most of my collection now but do you think it would be a better idea to put it all in a box until 2020 or something like that. Thanks!

Kenneth,

If you've been reading this message board over the last few months, you'd hear readers continually lament about selling (or worse giving away) their old systems, and then regret it something terrible.  In many cases, they ended up tracking down their old stuff later and buying it back again for an even higher price!

Unless you absolutely need the money, I would hold onto your stuff, or better yet - hook it up and play it!  It sounds like you have some good games.  People on the Wii's online store are paying $6 a pop for some of those games.

If you really appreciate classic games (and since you're on this site I assume you do), I'd advise you to hold onto your stuff.  But that's just my two cents.  Let's hear what other readers have to say.

Dave

Definitely keep it all.  I can't tell you the number of games I've sold and then, several years later, regretted it strongly.  I remember being so bored with one game that I couldn't bear the thought of ever playing it again, so I sold it for $1... but about a year later, I had to buy it back for $10 because I wanted to play it so badly.

Same even goes for video-game magazines... I'd kill for the huge collection of EGM, Gamepro and Nintendo Power from around 1988-96 that I had (I threw them ALL out during spring cleaning one year).  Stupid!

Well, like most I have sold old systems and regretted it. And believe me it is a pest tracking old stuff down again. The amount I recently spent replenishing my Saturn Collection...

That being said in the case of my Mega Drive (genesis) particularly, I have been toying with the idea of starting to sell it off simply because I have noticed the hardware becomig very unreliable. I am much more a gamer than a collector (though I couldn't resist some nice Saturn pieces when I was on my recent binge there) so I don't min playing Mega Drive games on well emulated PS2 collections or on the Wi. (Which have an advantage anyway because the original PAL conversions for most Mega Drive games were horrendous).

Still I would think very carefully about selling anything. The only stuff I tend to sell on a regular basis are modern games which I was never really able to get into. THey have the twin advantage that I wont miss them and they are worth enough for some reasonable beer money.

Keep the stuff.  You're not going to make any return on your investment selling old video game stuff, and will likely lose money.  The trouble that you'll go to in tracking down that stuff later if you choose to do so will only double your loss.  Plus, you're not going to make much money quickly anyway because:

1. Videogame consoles are cheap and plentiful
2. Retro gamers are notoriously cheap--myself included
3. You're competing against eBay
4. You're competing against Virtual Consoles
5. You're competing against second-hand/thrift stores

All of those sources sell what you're selling at less than you'd like to sell for, plus--again--you'd have to deal with the immediately available inventory when you decide to buy it back.

Unless you just want to be rid of the stuff because you have no interest in it at all, don't sell it.  And if you had no interest in it at all, you wouldn't be here.

DO NOT SELL! ARE YOU CRAZY!?

Listen to us all, we've been there! Oh, if only I could find games like 2600 Mr.Do! and my huge NES collection again!

At the time I sold these, I needed money bad (I was a college student-others have been there!) but I learned something: If you are broke and MUST sell SOMETHING, sell your MOST RECENT systems or games, not your "antiques". Like, a PS2 or PS2 games- because in 8 years you'll want whatever you sell back, and the more recent, the easier/cheaper it will likely be (simplifying things) plus you will get MORE for a PS2/DS game than an old 7800 or Genesis cart. If you really,really, REALLY want to get rid of the stuff-GIVE IT TO ANOTHER GAMER. It's a nice gesture and it will be easier to track down in 8 years!

Allow me to give another perspective here.

I'd answer a few questions first, before I'd keep the stuff:

Do I regularly use the systems and games? Or, if not use, do I at least have them neatly displayed and organized so I can admire them, if not play them?

If the answer to the above is no, then you have to ask yourself a harder question:

Am I ever going to play/neatly display this material? Or, is it just going to be a cool collection that is forever in a box?

Finally, if the answer is "no" to that, then you must sell.

I love games, but the reason why I don't collect is I know that I'm a crappy organizer of stuff in general, and things would get out of place, and I'd lose track of things. I know I'd have many games that simply didn't get played. This is why I'm not a collector.

But hey, if you're like Dave, and keep the stuff extremely well organized and/or you play the games regularly, then there is no reason at all to part with it!

-Rob

Thanks for all the replies; you have convinced me to keep my whole collection. The only games I have that are worth anything are ones I still play. I wouldn’t mind getting rid of all my sports games but they’re only worth about 45 cents each so it’s really not worth it. I haven’t been playing the old genesis much lately, which is why I was thinking about selling it in the first place, but you guys are right, I’m sure I would miss all my Sega stuff after I sold it. Again, thanks for all of your thoughtful replies!

When you said you had three consoles,did you mean three Genesis consoles? If you have two other ones that don't get play,sell them or give them to somoneone younger to enjoy.

I'd say you should give all of your games to your brother or something, he'd get more use out of them.