For the moment prices are largely in the hundreds or below but sell-through rates show that demand is strong and climbing, perhaps aside from the graded games market which has shown falls recently. Inevitably, this means that prices will rise again – and are likely to do so quickly.
Add to this the fact that as gamers age they become more nostalgic and generally have more disposable income to invest in this sector – and that as time goes by surviving games in fine condition are harder to find – and you have the perfect conditions for a promising collecting field.
Ewbank’s is the first UK auctioneer to recognise the importance of catering to this collecting base by launching a dedicated department to Retro Video Games and Consoles.
“At Ewbank’s we believe that developing new expertise and getting in on the ground floor with new collecting disciplines is vital to the long-term health of any auction business,” said partner Andrew Ewbank. “Equally important is ensuring that we give our clients what they want, which is why we prioritise areas like this. They are as important to new generations of collectors as fine furniture with a premium patina has long been to those who came before.”
Strong prices came, too, for Nintendo, Playstation and Sega games. A Super Nintendo ‘Rare’ Games Bundle, shown above, containing six of the rarer games for the SNES – Super Star Wars, The Lost Vikings, Lord of the Rings, Sim City, Utopia and Cutthroat Island – all complete in the box with manual – went way beyond its £80-160 guide to sell for £375.
Highlights from the August 11, 2023 auction at Ewbank’s
WHAT’S HOT IN RETRO VIDEO GAMES AND CONSOLES? – ANDREW EWBANK
What are the most sought-after brands and games?
In terms of brands, in general terms Nintendo has to be the front runner. There are so many systems across decades of the history of gaming that there are popular releases across all platforms. Right now, we are seeing lots of interest in Nintendo Gameboy and N64 titles. Also, now increasingly popular are early PlayStation 1 & 2 titles. There are the ‘holy grails’ out there too, of course, the titles limited to very small release runs or never commercially released. For example, there are only a dozen examples of a version of Tetris believed to have been made for the Sega systems (due to rights issues) and held only by the development team. A copy of this could set you back tens of thousands of pounds.
What else is there to collect in this field?
Alongside games and consoles are the collectables that were used to promote the releases, from the likes of Zelda in store standees to Mario models. There is a wide variety of gaming collectables out there. Another interesting area in a related field of collecting is computing, early Apple products in particular can be incredibly popular.
Highlights from earlier sales at Ewbank’s
February 2023
What can affect price?
The biggest drivers of price are factory sealed versus opened, and condition. A sealed version of a game will always fetch more and having contents, such as manuals, present on opened products helps to achieve the best prices. The health of the economy can also affect prices, as people have less disposable income. But the pool of buyers is growing, and those people who, like me for example, are in their 40s and grew up playing consoles and gaming systems, tend to have more money to spend as they grow older. The nostalgia effect is also very important. In terms of the gaming industry as a whole there is no doubt that it is a massive industry, and retro games and consoles benefit from the interest in gaming overall. These are the antiques of the future for this young market.
Anything you need to be aware of or avoid?
Do your research and ask questions of the seller. All reputable auction houses offer the opportunity for buyers to ask for condition reports and additional images. Be careful of user-to-user direct private selling sites and be sure to buy from trusted sellers if you use them. Most importantly, buy what you love – buying anything purely for investment can be risky, in particular with young markets like this, which can swing relatively quickly. Buying what you love means that you are engaged with the products in a way that you cannot beat, and this only helps with making the best decisions for you. Don’t forget to have fun while you’re at it. Buying at auction is fun, and what could be more fun that buying your favourite game from your youth?
www.ewbankauctions.co.uk
See also: Horror in Surrey: Ewbank’s Cinema Poster Collection
