Wednesday, July 30, 2008

2008 Price Predictions 5 Month Follow-Up

In January I made some predictions on which games would increase or decrease in value every month of the year. Three more months have passed since my last check-up so I think its time to see how I'm doing now after five predictions. For those keeping score at home, I was one for two in my first check-up.

April 2008 Prediction

"Grand Theft Auto games will increase in price because of GTA IV"
I actually did a full write up about GTA IV raising old Grand Theft Auto resale prices, so I won't repeat everything. In summary the average GTA game on Xbox and PS2 increased about 10% after GTA IV was released. So I got the April prediction correct, which brings my score to 2 of 3.

May 2008 Prediction

"Chronicles of Narnia goes up in price because of new movie"
This was a much riskier prediction compared to the GTA one in April because it was based upon a movie to video game relationship. In June I wrote an article showing that some movies do increase classic games prices but I didn't know that when I made my prediction. Turns out I got this one right, but only slightly. 3 out of 6 Chronicles of Narnia Lion Witch and the Wardrobe games increased in price. But overall the average price did increase because the increases were bigger than the decreases. 3 out of 4 right.

June 2008 Prediction

"Metal Gear Solid games will increase in price because of MGS 4"
7 of the 8 Metal Gear Solid games increased in price from May to June. The only exception was Metal Gear Solid 2 for Xbox which dropped $0.02. Games like Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear Solid for Gameboy Color, and Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes had very substantial price spikes of 50% or more. My prediction also said that Metal Gear Solid for Playstation 1 would NOT increase in price because it was so expensive already. The price did increase from May to June but the price plunged from January to February the month after I made my prediction so most of the price that I said was too high already erased sooner than I thought. Overall I predicted 6 out of 8 MGS games correctly. 4 out of 5 right.

So far in 2008 I'm batting .800. I haven't reached the half way point but I think that is pretty good so far.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes Becomes Rare

Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes has become a rare collectible in the matter of months. The game has always been a relatively expensive game as you can see from the chart below. Selling for about $20-25 used for most of last year. But in the last six months MGS Twin Snakes has increased in price every month and now sells for about $53 used and $124.99 NEW.
MGS Twin Snakes Price History
Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes Cover ArtWhat caused Twin Snakes to become such a collectible so fast and will it last? The release of Metal Gear Solid 4 probably helped ignite interest in the Metal Gear series again which increased demand. The game didn't sell very well so there aren't many copies available to meet this new demand. But the price increased nearly 150% from January 2008 to today. That is much bigger than previous sequel price increases we have seen like Grand Theft Auto and Pokemon.

This price spike is more than a temporary increase because a new game comes out. I think collectors have decided for some reason that this is a game they want for their collections. This kind of increase will keep prices high for the foreseeable future.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Sealed Auctions: Battletoads for NES

All the auctions listed in this article series are brand new and sealed. They are relatively hard to find or sought after by collectors.

Battletoads - NES



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-31-08 13:00:09
The game sells for $9 used and $130 new.
See Historic Battletoads Prices

Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence Limited Edition - Playstation 2



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-29-08 09:56:20
The game sells for $170 used and $330 new.
See Historic Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence Limited Edition Prices

Pokemon Blue - Gameboy



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-31-08 11:39:44
The game sells for $10 used and $99 new.
See Historic Pokemon Blue Prices

Samurai Shodown - Super Nintendo



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-31-08 13:17:51
The game sells for $5 used and $120 new.
See Historic Samurai Shodown Prices

Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes - Gamecube



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-31-08 23:23:26
The game sells for $56 used and $96 new.
See Historic Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes Prices

Zelda Ocarina Gold Cartridge - Nintendo 64



Auction Link

Ends: Aug-03-08 18:00:00
The game sells for $32 used and $200 new.
See Historic Zelda Ocarina of Time Collectors Edition Prices

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Sealed Auctions: Team Buddies for PS1

All the auctions listed in this article series are brand new and sealed. They are relatively hard to find or sought after by collectors.

Team Buddies - Playstation 1



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-25-08 15:44:41
The game sells for $52 used and $130 new.
See Historic Team Buddies Prices

Mario's Time Machine - Super Nintendo



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-25-08 21:00:42
The game sells for $7 used and $90 new.
See Historic Mario's Time Machine Prices

Star Ocean Second Story - Playstation



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-27-08 18:45:52
The game sells for $35 used and $120 new.
See Historic Star Ocean Second Story Prices

Castlevania III - Nintendo NES



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-28-08 18:03:04
The game sells for $8 used and $199 new.
See Historic Castlevania III Prices

Magic Knight Rayearth - Sega Saturn



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-29-08 20:04:31
The game sells for $56 used and $179 new.
See Historic Magic Knight Rayearth Prices

Legend of Zelda - Nintendo NES



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-26-08 17:41:19
The game sells for $9 used and $100 new.
See Historic Legend of Zelda Prices

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

15 Rare Nintendo DS Games | The Most Expensive DS Games

The Nintendo DS has seen more than 1,600 games since it launched in 2004 and became one of the best selling video game consoles of all time. Quite a few of the thousands of games for the DS have become rare and some have become very expensive for collectors. Below is a list of the most expensive and rare Nintendo DS games.

Click to see Prices For All Nintendo DS Games

Most Valuable Nintendo DS Games


Zelda Twilight Princess DS Demo

New Price: $NA | Used Price: $143
At E3 2004 Nintendo previewed Zelda Twilight Princess to all media at their press conference. They also made a Nintendo DS cartridge with the same Twilight Princess demo video and gave these away to all attendees. The cartridge contains no game play, just a short video of the game.

There are probably around 500 of these games and some of these might have been destroyed by the media who received them. The game was never sold commercially or sealed so there are no new prices for the item.

See Current Prices

Animaniacs Lights, Camera, Action

New Price: $120 | Used Price: $47
In Animaniacs: Lights, Camera, Action you try to create three movies by finding keys, hitting switches, and defeating enemies. During gameplay you can switch between one of five Animaniacs characters to take advantage of their strengths and weaknesses.

The game was published by Ignition Entertainment in 2005. Ignition is a smaller publisher and generally makes smaller production runs for their games. The DS version of the game was universally panned by gaming critics.

See Current Prices

Strawberry Shortcake Four Seasons Cake

New Price: $87 | Used Price: $26
Play as Strawberry Shortcake and travel during every season of the year to try and collect ingredients for the largest cake of all time. It was the last Strawberry Shortcake video game released for any console.

The game is notoriously hard to find. It was published by American Game Factory in November 2007 and marketed only via the Strawberry Shortcake email newsletter. Due to the smaller publisher and almost non-existant marketing the game didn't sell many copies.

See Current Prices

Phoenix Wright Trials and Tribulations

New Price: $85 | Used Price: $45
Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations is the last game in the Phoenix wright series of games. You play as an attorney who must investigate crimes and defend his clients. It plays like a visual novel with puzzle and adventure twists.

Reviews and sales for the game were very good and Capcom even issued an apology because it was so hard to find for a while. Capcom met initial demand, but after production ceased prices for the game have continued to increase.

See Current Prices

Inuyasha Secret of the Divine Jewel

New Price: $85 | Used Price: $21
Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel is a turn based role playing game developed by Bandai. You play as InuYasha and her friends as you try to save a girl who is the target of demons.

The game was released in 2007 and is the only InuYasha game developed solely for the US market and not released in Japan first. It is also the last InuYasha game relesaed for any console. Fans of the anime series help elevate prices for the game.

See Current Prices

Electroplankton

New Price: $80 | Used Price: $22
Electroplankton is a experimental music creation 'game' released by Nintendo. It doesn't have any end point or goals so some people prefer to call it a toy. You touch plankton on the screen and they make different sounds. You can combine the touches together to make music.

The game was initially shown at the Game Developer's Conference in 2005 as a showcase for what the DS could do. It wasn't released commercially until January 2006 and then only online and at the Nintendo World store in NYC. When the game sold out quickly resale prices were upwards of $70-80 in used condition. Prices have steadily declined over time though.

See Current Prices

Barbie Fashion Show Eye for Style

New Price: $75 | Used Price: $20
Customize different dresses, shoes, fabrics, accessories, and more to create your own fashion line. You are given different design challenges like making the perfect outfit for a male or female at a dance or wedding.

The game was published by Activision in 2008. Prices for the game increased dramatically during Christmas season 2010 selling for almost $50 in December 2010. Prices have stayed high ever since.

See Current Prices

Strawberry Shortcake Strawberryland Games

New Price: $69 | Used Price: $18
Another Strawberry Shortcake game developed by Game Factory this time it is a collection of mini-games themed after Strawberry Shortcake.

The game was released in 2006. In 2009 the Strawberry Shortcake franchise was relaunched with a new movie, new toys, and new characters. The relaunch increased interest in the video games as well.

See Current Prices

Digimon World DS

New Price: $65 | Used Price: $30
Digimon World is the first of four Digimon games to come out on the Nintendo DS. You tame, raise, and command Digimon and try to collect creatures during your adventure.

A Digimon game seems to make an appearance on almost every console's most valuable list. The series continues to stay popular over a long period of time, which helps keep prices high.

See Current Prices

Winx Club Mission Enchantix

New Price: $64 | Used Price: $30
The Winx series of games and television shows tells the story of six teenage fairies who must defeat Valtor. The gameplay is part side-scroller and part mini-game collection.

The game was released in October 2008, more than a year after the show stopped airing on TV and demand had dropped significantly by this point. In 2011 Nickelodeon aired four one-hour special features, which summarized the events in each season. This added exposure helped increase prices for this rare game.

See Current Prices

Scrabble

New Price: $60 | Used Price: $36
Scrabble was published by Electronic Arts in March 2009. It is a video game version of the popular word board game and includes six skill training games to help you improve at the game.

Soon after the game was released, EA decided to focus the series on mobile devices like cell phones and tablets. EA stopped production of the DS game in 2010. This was around the same time overall interest in Scrabble increased due to the popularity of the game on other devices.

See Current Prices

Phoenix Wright Justice for All

New Price: $60 | Used Price: $30
This is the second Phoenix Wright game to make the list. Phoenix Wright: Justice for All is the second game in the series. It uses the same exact engine as the first game but adds new characters and brand new cases.

Capcom produced the game in limited quantities and unlike the original Ace Attorney game it was never reproduced. Just like Trials and Tribulations, Justice For All has increased in price steadily during the last two years.

See Current Prices

Yu-Gi-Oh World Championship 2008

New Price: $60 | Used Price: $18
A card based Yu-Gi-Oh game for the Nintendo DS. You obtain playing cards in the game, Wi-Fi download, and trading. Then arrange your deck and fight virtual characters in the game or compete in a world ranking system online.

World Championship 2008 was the last game based upon the GX anime series. All future Yu-Gi-Oh games for DS have been based on the 5d's anime series released in 2008. Used copies sell for a modest $15-18, but new versions sell for $60.

See Current Prices

Dinosaur King

New Price: $58 | Used Price: $23
Dinosaur King is a hybrid card battling game and Pokemon clone created by Sega. You find fossils during gameplay and convert them into cards so you can control the dinosaurs. Each dinosaur increases levels and learns new moves as it gains experience from battling.

In 2008, the same year the game launched, trading cards and an anime series on Fox came out as well. The series stopped airing in 2010 and prices nearly doubled. The game has stayed valuable ever since.

See Current Prices

Smart Kid's Party Fun Pack

New Price: $55 | Used Price: $28
Smart Kid's Party Fun Pack is a collectiong of mini-games designed for little kids and based off the Smart Kids series.

The game was published by UFO Interactive in 2008. All the Smart Kids Nintendo DS games continue to sell for a premium price, but Party Fun pack is the most expensive.
See Current Prices

Winx Club Quest for the Codex

New Price: $55 | Used Price: $42
Another series with two games in the most valuable list. Winx Club: Quest for the Codex was the first game in the Winx series and released in 2006.

Like Mission Enchantix, Quest for the Codex started increasing in price in 2010 and has continued to appreciate at a steady rate.

See Current Prices

Other Expensive Nintendo DS Games


See What Your Games Are Worth

Click to see Prices For All Nintendo DS Games

Do you know the rare video games on all systems?



The list is ranked by the highest average new price and then highest average used price in the event of a tie.

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Sealed Auctions: Panzer Dragoon Saga

All the auctions listed in this article series are brand new and sealed. They are relatively hard to find or sought after by collectors.

Panzer Dragoon Saga - Sega Saturn



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-23-08 13:57:44
The game sells for $215 used and $440 new.
See Historic Panzer Dragoon Saga Prices

Super Mario NES Series - Gameboy Advance



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-24-08 21:47:33
The game sells for $26 used and $110 new.
See Historic Super Mario NES Series Prices

Castlevania Chronicles - Playstation 1



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-24-08 08:09:36
The game sells for $41 used and $99 new.
See Historic Castlevania Chronicles Prices

161 New Sealed NES Games - Nintendo NES



Auction Link

Ends: Aug-01-08 13:12:31

Tales of Eternia - Playstation 1 (Japanese)



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-29-08 02:58:55

Signed Albert Odyssey - Sega Saturn



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-23-08 16:47:46
The game sells for $40 used and $??? new. We haven't seen a new version of this game yet. But this one is signed and will probably sell for several hundred dollars.
See Historic Albert Odyssey Prices

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Rare Auctions: Stadium Events

This is the first in a series of articles highlighting rare game auctions on ebay. Unlike the other "sealed auctions" series, these games are opened but the games are rare collectibles and usually very hard to find.

Stadium Events Complete - NES



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-22-08 06:52:18

Donkey Kong Country Competition - Super Nintendo



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-23-08 10:49:26

Menace Beach - Nintendo NES



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-19-08 08:05:11

Intelligent Qube - Playstation 1



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-19-08 19:59:48

Aero Fighter - Super Nintendo



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-20-08 19:48:56

Guilty Gear - Playstation 1



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-23-08 13:41:09

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Sealed Auctions: Ikaruga for Gamecube

All the auctions listed in this article series are brand new and sealed. They are relatively hard to find or sought after by collectors.

Ikaruga - Gamecube



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-18-08 19:24:04
The game sells for $30 used and $117 new.
See Historic Ikaruga Prices

Guardian Heroes - Sega Saturn



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-20-08 20:19:49
The game sells for $75 used and $??? new (this is the first one we've seen).
See Historic Guardian Heroes Prices

Vanguard Bandit - Playstation 1



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-17-08 19:18:59
The game sells for $35 used and $84 new.
See Historic Vanguard Bandit Prices

Xenogears - Playstation 1



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-20-08 18:23:17
The game sells for $45 used and $85 new.
See Historic Xenogears Prices

Mana Khemia with Action Figure - Playstation 2



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-17-08 21:09:31
The game sells for $34 used and $41 new (prices for regular version, not limited edition). Limited edition only printed 1,000 copies.
See Historic Mana Khemia Prices

Zelda Collector's Edition - Gamecube



Auction Link

Ends: Jul-19-08 13:29:52
The game sells for $32 used and $64 new.
See Historic Zelda Collector's Edition Prices

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