The most expensive platform to collect for?

[TamagotchiTamaHero24]

In the modern day, collecting old games is a somewhat common hobby. And why shouldn’t it? There’s so many great games made through the years and all the platforms have their own charms and rabbit holes to go down. As a Saturn owner, I was warned for nearly a decade of the price of admission. And, being honest, I’ve actually been quite shocked by how uneducated this perspective was. Not because there isn’t a large number of games that’ll run you over $100, no, but because it failed to mention the number of titles you can pick up for a reasonable price that you would actually want to play. As of this current time, I’ve posted my Saturn collection as it’s been increasing, and I’ve yet to spend over $100. The most I ever spent for a game was $95 for Astal, which I feel was worth every penny. On average, my collection is full of games that usually go for around $30 or so.

In the spirit of it all, I think it’s time we discuss the truly insane. The most expensive consoles or computers to collect for. This excludes arcade machines, as they’re clearly the most expensive (both initially and overtime), but everything else is fair game.

I’ll start off the list with a low and high end pick.




LOW END EXPENSIVE - SEGA CD
Early CD consoles are really the more expensive retro options traditionally. The asking price for SEGA CD varies heavily depending on what you want. For me, I want a model 1 system with cool platformer and FMV games, with a smattering of sprite scaler options. In my personal case, it’s a massive upfront cost, and one that simply eludes me. It’s simply brutal.

HIGH END EXPENSIVE - NEO GEO AES
Thank goodness that the games for this machine are available elsewhere. Thank goodness the games on this machine are available in emulation. Thank goodness some of the games on this machine had great ports to its CD based little brother. Because the AES is, has, and always will be an enthusiast’s game machine. It’s got all the hallmarks of horror:
Games you want to play
Prices you don’t want to pay
A form factor you simply don’t see today
In terms of cost, it’s a nightmare. Hundreds of dollars? Cute. Try thousands for multiple entries in the Metal Slug series, and the unenviable monster of game prices, the now $13,000 Neo Turf Masters. Of course this system is mad cool. Of course it’s one of the most beautiful of its day. But it’s the kind of console you don’t even TRY buying until you have lots of disposable income. And even then; I’d question how worth it some games are for the platform.

Do you know of any systems that are more than Neo Geo? Even if not, feel free to share your pricing woes down below. Remember: game collecting is fun, but we all have our own limits. Be respectful of all opinions and have yourself a darn good time.

 

[Iguana-0]

The 3DO And CD-I cause they suck ass? in 1993 the 3DO and CDI were $700 a piece. Imagine how much those would cost today. In 1993 you could buy both a S-NES and a Genesis for significantly less the price. [$149 for Genesis and $199 for S-NES]

 

[bjork]

Panasonic Q would probably run you more than a Neo Geo. So would the Automobile Edition PS2. For computers, I'm told things like PC-88 and X68000 get up there as well.

As for games, you've got your standouts in each system's library and I suppose expensive depends on the person. Most I spent on one game was (I think, it's fuzzy) $380, though it was a gift and not for me. I think $150 was the highest I went on one for me. But nowadays I barely own anything and really weigh out if it's worth buying this thing or that thing, and most times it isn't.

 

[bigstinkie]

playstation 1 would probably be more expensive than meets the eye
not so much because the games themselves are mega expensive (with the exception of stuff like north american copies of koudelka) but that the library itself is so huge with so many quality titles in the less common genres like horror and rpg
so if you wanted to have a properly fleshed out ps1 collection you would be spending quite a bitzors

 

[NotGodlike]

The only one that come to my mind to where I live is Gamecube. And not because the system is very expensive or something like that, but the official games are literally impossible to buy for me. Even if they do, they sell for absurd prices to the point where many usually sell these consoles with some kind of picoboot chip pre-installed or hardmodded ones, but then they cost a lot due to that.
Thankfully Nintendo Wii can run Gamecube, and is 3x times cheaper with games even

 

[Michael Frank]

Switch 2

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24]

Panasonic Q would probably run you more than a Neo Geo. So would the Automobile Edition PS2. For computers, I'm told things like PC-88 and X68000 get up there as well.

As for games, you've got your standouts in each system's library and I suppose expensive depends on the person. Most I spent on one game was (I think, it's fuzzy) $380, though it was a gift and not for me. I think $150 was the highest I went on one for me. But nowadays I barely own anything and really weigh out if it's worth buying this thing or that thing, and most times it isn't.

I’ve seen Sharp X68000 games. I fear Sharp X68000 games. Both Japanese and international collectors LUST after its library, which includes some of the most beautiful sprite based games of the time. I tend to find that games with amazing sprites or chunky polygons tend to go for more these days, as there are large fandoms for both.

Generally, what drives up the price of games isn’t necessarily rarity: it’s word of mouth. As much as I love collecting games nobody has played and letting people know of the awesome experiences that are out there (it’s my favorite part of collecting and playing games), I’m also deeply aware how dangerous it is to do so. When a game becomes popular among a niche but passionate fandom online, horror stories can happen to the price.

This is what happened with Neo Geo and Sharp X68000. Niche in their time, lusted by many, and the prices reflect the hard truths of both realities. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and part of why I will always respect and recommend the Repo even as an avid physical game collector.



Collecting is fun, but your financial well being comes first.

 

[RIK-C-137]

Laseractive has to trump, right? Scarce, never emulated. But, I didn't know neo-geo prices were like that.

 

[Required Username]

Generally, what drives up the price of games isn’t necessarily rarity: it’s word of mouth. As much as I love collecting games nobody has played and letting people know of the awesome experiences that are out there (it’s my favorite part of collecting and playing games), I’m also deeply aware how dangerous it is to do so. When a game becomes popular among a niche but passionate fandom online, horror stories can happen to the price.

This is the case with everything that people never understand. Rarity =/= High Price.
If you can go on eBay and find ten copies of something, it's not rare, no matter what people say.
It's always funny when you see something truly rare for a system and it doesn't cost nearly a fraction of what some well-known "rare" games go for.

Also, on topic: gotta be the X68000, no question.

 

[Yankee]

Anything with Pokemon on it. No end of "I know what I got"ters wanting a few hundred bucks for their drained battery scuffed up sticker peeled copy of "AUTHENTIC" Emerald that's been gathering roach shit in their parents' cupboard for 20 years.