Going rate for NES consoles?

[tz101]

What is a fair value for just a console deck, no controllers or AC pack?

This one place I frequent is trying for prices like $10-15. I hit another this past Friday and picked up a console with AC but no controllers for $1.49. Condition on most I come across at thrifts and flea markets is usually average with some grime and blinking screen usually due to dirty 72-pin contacts.

Any thoughts on fair market value at the present time?

[Guntz]

Console only? About $10 - $15 really, like your one store. It's not uncommon to get stuff below market value though, so you haven't overpaid yet.

[Nunzio]

$10-15 sounds accurate with controllers, hookups, Zapper and a game. Certainly no more than $20.

[adamx]

10 if just the console.

[17daysolderthannes]

$10-15 sounds accurate with controllers, hookups, Zapper and a game. Certainly no more than $20.

HA! try $35-$40 complete with original pin connector and $50+ with new pin connector. NES prices are through the roof.

[tomaitheous]

HA! try $35-$40 complete with original pin connector and $50+ with new pin connector. NES prices are through the roof.

^ This. They sell for ~$50 with controller and AC adapter (sometimes the zapper too). No game. And they sell too. Not sitting there on the shelf like the $30 complete Genesis' (like 4 of them currently).

If I saw them for $10-15 a piece, I'd be buying them up.

[Guntz]

You two are looking at eBay prices. Those generally tend to be higher than street value.

[Nunzio]

Yeah on the street as long as it's not some bullshit specialty store NES consoles are on the cheap.

I bought a NES Action Set complete in box for $40 and just consoles are even cheaper. PSX consoles are like $5, it's ridiculous compared to what stuff runs online.

[AD2101]

You two are looking at eBay prices. Those generally tend to be higher than street value.

I kinda find the opposite to be true. Locally, anyone who knows what they have will rarely price an NES for less than $50, with I believe $60 being the norm here. You'll still find the occasional thrift store, yard sale, and "I dunno wtf this is" deal, but 50 seems to be the going rate.

In my travels here's what I've noticed: Take what a game/system is actually worth, slap "Nintendo" on it, and increase the price by a couple hundred percent and you have what the item typically sells for. There are of course exceptions to this but its been pretty accurate for me.

[tomaitheous]

You two are looking at eBay prices. Those generally tend to be higher than street value.

No, I'm going from what I saw just the other day at Bookmans. AD2101's from Tucson, he knows. If the item sits there long enough, you can make them an offer and they usually take it. Like, the had Jackie Chan hucard for $20. Loose, which is ridiculous. So I offered the guy $5 and he gave me it (I already have the cart, so I'm gonna see if someone on my friends list wants it for that price+shipping). But NES systems? They never sit there from my experience. NES games? That's a little bit different story. And sometimes they clearance them out for like $1-2. That's when I swoop in and snatch them up >:D (loose Genesis carts too)

If you see working PS1's for $5? Or BOXED NES systems for less than $50, then you're a fool for not taking advantage and picking them up at that price. I remember when NES systems were like $5 loose here, something like 10 years ago. Man, I really wished I picked up all those systems back then.

[Nunzio]

I would have like 20 PSX and N64s sitting around then on top of all my Genesis consoles and spare NESs. Who has the space!? The stuff is worth very little here, you have to sell online and then it's not worth the time and effort to make very little money. Now a Turbogrfx or 3DO... I would buy those in a heartbeat!

[nathanallan]

NES consoles, go for a premium around here, usually upwards of $25 even with nothing else like a power supply. It's crazy, but they are hard to coem by here.

At 10-15 bucks I'd be buying them, too.

[Iron Lizard]

HA! try $35-$40 complete with original pin connector and $50+ with new pin connector. NES prices are through the roof.

Guilty as charged. I do find them in the wild fairly often still for cheap. I usually don't pay more than $5 just for the console. They are easy to piece together, all you need is a 9 volt ac and plain old composite cable, and the controllers are fairly common.

[17daysolderthannes]

They used to sell them at Play N Trade for $35 complete (as in hookups/controllers) or $50 with a new pin connector. People would buy them almost instantly. I think only the Wii sold faster (back when you couldn't get them anywhere).

[Iron Lizard]

I sorta hate selling them because they are pain in the ass, new 72 pin connectors tend to be crappy and that damn cart tray is bit finicky but I usually sell them with in hours easy.

[adamx]

around here a nes console only with nothing will go for 10 bucks if it works, 20-30 if it has all cords,controllers and works.
As for Ps1 go for literally around 5-15 bucks, I just got a og ps1 and ps1slim at the pawn shop with games and mutilple controllers/memory cards for 20 bucks I posted it in the haul thread

[Da_Shocker]

It's like Nintendo is some holy mecca of gaming. The NES sold by the shit load and the SNES sold less but still outsold the Genesis and they are still way more valuble than anything Sega has.

[tz101]

Good info here. I just don't get all the thrifts that act like NES and PSX consoles are rare or something. Its almost as bad as Ebay auctioners listing common carts as "rare" and upping the price by at least 50%. My observation has been that street prices tend to vary by area of the country you are in. Around my area, I would not be willing to pay over $10 for a NES console only, and possibly $20 for a complete Action Set with two controllers and a light gun. That $1.49 one I got the other day was a nice deal for certain. These Ebay and Craigslist people are laughable with their $50-60 asking prices. Get real...

[FoxHound]

80% of the time i have to go to ebay, because around me the local resale store that would carry the older games gouges the hell out of the vintage stuff. I kid you not GBA player for GC 29.99/ Mario Kart SNES 18.99/ NES complete with hookups 49.99/ 32X 29.99 loose/SNES Jr 35.99.

only thing I picked up from the store was Donkey Kong for GB for 8.99..at least it had a clear clamshell included

[Jesse813]

What is a fair value for just a console deck, no controllers or AC pack?

This one place I frequent is trying for prices like $10-15. I hit another this past Friday and picked up a console with AC but no controllers for $1.49. Condition on most I come across at thrifts and flea markets is usually average with some grime and blinking screen usually due to dirty 72-pin contacts.

Any thoughts on fair market value at the present time?

I'd say $10 - $20 for a bare bones NES is about average, if you look around enough though you should be able to find one for less.

[nathanallan]

I want an NES bare console for $10! Sheesh, I hate El Paso sometimes.

[promking]

Play N Trade on Long Island by me, sells NES systems for 49.99, one controller and cables no games.

I want a 32x, and can't find one local on craigslist, or in a play n trade. They want double ebay prices, it sucks.

[17daysolderthannes]

Play N Trade on Long Island by me, sells NES systems for 49.99, one controller and cables no games.

I want a 32x, and can't find one local on craigslist, or in a play n trade. They want double ebay prices, it sucks.

that's New York for you. I went to a PnT on Manhattan and the prices and selection were damn amazing considering the location. They overcharged on alot of their complete Genesis games, but the prices were at least competitive, which is impressive considering how much rent in Manhattan must be.

If everyone wants double eBay prices...why don't you just buy from eBay?

[Ecco]

I just heard of this the other day:

Most expensive NES game ever, just sold on eBay: $41,300

http://tamebay.com/2010/02/most-ever-expensive-nintendo-nes-game-sold-on-ebay.html

[Guntz]

Good for you. That auction is already old hat if you follow the NES scene. It was even posted in this forum not too long ago.

[Ecco]

^Well no I don't really follow the NES scene, and I didn't see it posted in this forum. Maybe one or two people will enjoy the article... Or maybe not. Oh well.

[OldSchool]

I paid $50 for a refurbished NES with new insides.... totally worth it considering I'm never going to go to a flea market in search of a dirty unit that needs to be refurbished for $5.

I'll spend the extra $45 and enjoy playing the games, but kudos to those who pay next to nothing and fix the unit themselves... different strokes.


Paid the same for my SNES and Genesis. $50 for a clean Console is solid.