Monday, March 3, 2014

Yoshi 3DS XL Good Investment?

Oh, look at this! To celebrate the launch of Yoshi's New Island, Nintendo is releasing a green limited edition 3DS XL complete with Yoshi being followed by five eggs. The selling price is $199, the same as a standard 3DS XL but unlike most other 3DS XL special editions, this one does NOT come with the game it is based on. Isn't that strange? You'll have to buy the game separately. They are already accepting preorders online at GameStop.

Now the question is, will this be a collectible item? Hmm... probably. That might be a little doubtful since Nintendo has been PUMPING out the limited 3DS XL's but I believe this one will be worth buying and storing under your bed. Two reasons:
  1. It's Nintendo
  2. It's Yoshi
Alright, those are some pretty superficial reasons but I'm gonna back up my claim with some real data that you can see. Let's look at the other limited edition 3DS XL's that have been released in the US.
The Pikachu 3DS XL initially retailed at $199 and $149 (at Target) but now sells for around double at $400 sealed or $300 just for the console itself and it shipped with no games included.

The Animal Crossing 3DS XL initially retailed for $199 and included Animal Crossing: New Leaf and now sells for around $300 sealed or $240 for just the console.

The Pokemon XY Red and Blue 3DS XL's initially retailed at $199 and included no game. They were even available for sale much earlier than either of the Pokemon games they are based on. They sell for around $220 for sealed and $180 for loose.
The Zelda 3DS XL was released to celebrate the release of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and launched around Christmas time 2013. It retailed at $199 and as low as $149 in some sales (at Target, again). It now sells for around $230 sealed and $200 alone. It is important to note that a download code for The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds came with the system.

The Mario and Luigi 3DS XL was released to celebrate Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and was part of Nintendo's "Year of Luigi" advertisement campaign. It retailed at $199, $179, and even $149 (at Walmart) during different points but is still wildly available in stores for $199 brand new and you can find used copies for around $180. It came with Mario & Luigi: Dream Team pre-installed.

So what is important to note here is that pretty much all of these have increased in price over time. That is a pretty strong indicator and collecting Nintendo is a huge fad right now. People love Nintendo and people love Yoshi; there hasn't been a Yoshi game produced since Yoshi's Island DS in 2006 and the twin launches of Yoshi's New Island and Yarn Yoshi signal that this upcoming year might be the "Year of Yoshi".

The special edition Yoshi 3DS XL goes on sale March 14th but I wouldn't preorder it or buy it as soon as it came out. I would wait for it to go on sale like many of the other limited edition 3DS XL's. When it does, I know I'll be buying one to sell at a later date... probably.

15 comments :

Anonymous said...

I just want to correct one thing:The Zelda Xl did not have the game pre-installed, it came with a download code. I had to wait a couple days to download it because the eshop was swamped/offline on Christmas.

Evan Butler said...

Ah, thanks!

Anonymous said...

You people talk about these systems (and games in other articles) like they are stocks or gold, not forms of entertainment which they are. You want to invest in something that has way more potential to make you money, invest in gold and silver, leave the games and systems to people who actually like video games.

Evan Butler said...

I completely agree with you and I own both gold and silver for long-term investments but I think there is something to be said about quick short-term turnarounds like game consoles that can be nice if you want to make an extra buck here or there.

Anonymous said...

I think that its great they do it. I probably wouldn't have my sealed nes games if not for people thinking they couldn't make a buck.

Anonymous said...

Yoshi will probably be as desirable as dream team 3ds. Will we ever get a star fox 3ds.

Anonymous said...

Too bad the Zelda 3ds is out of stock. I was going to use my refund to get one. Best Zelda since LtoP.

Anonymous said...

Really hate how the creator of this site and some others view gaming as an investment and a way of making money. Buy games and systems to play or display, not to make money. Resellers and scalpers make my blood boil. A regular bloke selling a double he finds is fine, but I cant stand those that just sell games and never play. I hope this current retro bubble bursts so you guys can't make money and the real collectors can finally afford to actual buy things.

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with the above comment! It is disgusting when more resellers are buying certain games then collectors, especially the rarer and more sought after titles. Eventually collectors are going to stop collecting (already know a few that have) because of the price gouging and reseller hording, and then these profiteers will be stuck with a bunch of games they can't make money on. It has happened with many other finite collectables in the past and retro gaming will be no different.

Anonymous said...

I think that the Yoshi 3DS XL will be a popular LE console, however the Pikachu XL is just a staple when it comes to Nintendo Handhelds...Keep in mind in the past, besides different colors Pokemon was practically the only special Gameboy Color offered here in the states.

I'm collecting XL's at the moment, and may consider selling them if it is worthwhile...got a Mario & Luigi, Red Pokemon X/Y, and a Zelda edition at the moment! :)

Anonymous said...

One gamestop here in Nashville, tn only got one of the Yoshi DSXL...we got it :-)

Anonymous said...

Got my Pikachu XL second hand for 190 gbp. The idea is it will still have some resell value once im bored of it. Not a worthy investment but it looks great!

Anonymous said...

looks like the yoshi edition 3ds xl just dropped on amazon to £149.86 which is the lowest price ever on amazon apparently http://www.smartpound.com/story.php?title=nintendo-3ds-xl-yoshi-special-edition-%C2%A3149-86-delivered-amazon

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Anonymous said...

This is on sale for $159 right now on amazon.ca and walmart.ca (Canada)

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