Pokmon Red Is One Of The Most Expensive Pokmon Games
It’s only fitting that the game that started it all would be one of the most valuable. Pokémon Red and Blue released in 1996 and were the first games in the series for the United States. Oddly enough, Japan received Pokémon Green rather than Blue, but Red released in both territories. Both Blue and Green versions can fetch a pretty penny as well, but Pokémon Red is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the first generation of Pokémon games. Prices of course fluctuate, but towards the end of 2021 factory sealed versions of Pokémon Red could be sold from anywhere between $2000 and $4000. Again, while it’s extremely unlikely that anyone other than hardcore collectors would possess a factory-sealed version of the game, it’s still incredible to think of a Pokémon game selling for that much.
However, with a series like Pokémon that got its best year in 2020, it makes sense that the original games would be worth so much. After all, these are the games that started the Pokémon phenomenon they truly are a piece of game history considering they were the beginning of one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the entire world. On top of that, the amount of nostalgia that many gamers have for the original Gen. 1 games is essentially unrivaled. There’s a reason that Game Freak has repeatedly gone back to the Kanto well so many times over the years, as it knows how strong that nostalgia is.
The Circuit Board And Pins
Super Mario 64 DS , Pokémon Platinum
Have a look at the games circuit board. At the topmost part of the visible area of the board, you can see some white numbers and letters that can vary from game to game. Notice how the left game in this picture shows numbers, but the right one doesnt. The contact pins of genuine games are a golden color as well, while reproduction cartridges contact pins are often made of a cheaper tin, which can wear out more quickly. Given that the contact pins are what allows your system to read the game, you always want to have the best quality to ensure longevity.
Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times
Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times is a game that was released on the Nintendo DS in 2008 in Japan and in 2009 in the rest of the world. This game is a magical life simulation game that has the player control a character who is attending a magic academy. The player builds relationships with the NPCs in the game while learning spells and everything they need to know about magic.
Many fans have pointed out how similar this game is to the Animal Crossing franchise, a series that had two games released on the different Nintendo DS consoles. Unlike the Animal Crossing games, this game has become fairly rare. Getting a new and complete copy can cost up to $99.
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Why Cards Are Rising In Value Right Now
Pokémon card sales and prices have skyrocketed this year, with some cards selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
On Thursday, a sealed box of Pokémon booster packs sold for a record $360,000 through Heritage Auctions, while a similar set sold for $198,000 only two months ago. According to eBay, there were 60% more Pokemon card sales on its platform in September compared to January of this year.
YouTube stars, celebrities and investors have dropped big bucks on cards, which has contributed to the frenzy and helped push up their value. That, in turn, has encouraged others to snap up cards in hopes that theyll be able to turn a profit.
Theres an entire genre of buyers unboxing card sets on YouTube and Twitch, where DJ and producer Steve Aoki recently hosted a live charity event devoted to opening up packs.
Publicity is always something that can drum up momentum and price, said Eugene Smith, a 24-year-old card collector and investor from Tampa, Florida, who also happens to work in finance.
Controversial YouTuber Logan Paul has spent almost $300,000 , while the rapper Logic dropped $226,000 on a rare 1st edition Charizard.
When I was a kid I absolutely loved Pokémon but couldnt afford the cards, Logic .
People my age are finally in their late-20s, mid-30s, and they can afford the stuff they liked when they were kids, said Jesus Garcia, an assistant comics & comic art operations supervisor at Heritage Auctions.
Pokemon Red Blue And Yellow
These are obviously the games that propelled the Pokemon franchise to what it has become today. Any Pokemon fan old enough to play the games in the 90s has done.
Despite their primitive graphics and simple concept, they are still thought of as some of the greatest games of all time. They set the formula and standard for what Pokemon games are judged by today.
You can find copies of Pokemon Blue and Yellow on eBay right now for £2,000. Elsewhere, there are completed listings in North America for Pokemon Red for $2,500 .
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Theyre Only Worth What Someone Will Pay Right
So according to our expert, the general rise in video game prices are affecting the Pokémon franchise. Additionally, Pokémon is having its own rise in popularity. So these games are having a double-whammy of price increases.
This all checks out, but I still feel like Pokémon prices dont match what the market supports. Something still stinks to me.
We all know the mantra of collectibles-pricing, right? An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. The same is true for video games, as Ive said many times before.
If you ask me , I think JJ was being diplomatic by saying the gameplay is mostly unchanged. Ill go a step further and say the gameplay has remained completely unchanged since the original Red/Blue/Yellow editions. Theyve been reskinning the same game over and over for decades.
The only reason these games can maintain their current price is that fans tolerate playing the same exact game with slightly different graphics for years and years and years. Its mind-boggling, frankly.
But I guess the formula works, so theres no impetus for change. So who am I to judge. I did truly enjoy Pokémon Yellow for its time. But in 2021, we arent limited by the constraints of Game Boy technology. Sword and Shield could have offered up so much more and actually advanced the franchise. But they did not. And the graphics are just a notch better than Game Boy graphics.
All Of The Strange Apps
When you think about the properties that Nintendo would allow to have smartphone apps, Pokémon is probably not on the top of that list. Yet, they have somehow managed to build quite the impressive collection of apps, from Magikarp Jump to Pokémon Shuffle. What makes these choices strange to me is that they’re no different from many other games you can get on a mobile device.
However, because there’s a Pokémon logo attached to them, they get much more attention that other games . Now, the Pokémon Rumble series is even making its way to mobile, and it’s clunky, to say the least. Any other company wouldn’t be able to get away with these strange apps, but you bet that Game Freak will keep at it.
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Why In The World Are Gen 4 And 5 Carts So Expensive Now
As a kid, I didn’t treat my DS cartridges the best, I’ll admit. Both my Heart Gold and my White 2 cartridges barely play, due to the fact that the contacts have just about been SCRATCHED all off. So, I was able to get them to function one last time to dump my save and immortalize my ‘mons and story forever. Naturally, I wanted to buy another to possibly transfer my save to because I always love the real thing better, but when I tried to find one, I can only find them for $60+, and I am baffled as to why the carts are so expensive? Didn’t these retail for ~$30? Also, without a cart with IR, I can’t even use IR pass-through on something like TWiLight Menu++ to use my Pokewalker or nearby gen 5 battles.
So the question stands: Why in the world is this the case for the carts?
How Many Copies Of Pokemon Black And Black 2 Were Made
Nintendo never releases individual stats for each color of their games. This means that we can only provide you with rough estimates on how many copies of Black and Black 2 were released.
Pokemon White and Black sold a grand total of around 15-million copies. This means that there is around 7.5-million copies of the game out there. This means both Japanese and English language versions of the game too. However, English versions of the game will likely be a good chunk of this.
Pokemon White 2 and Pokemon Black 2 sold around 8-million total copies. This means that there should be around 4-million copies of Pokemon Black 2 out there. Again, these will be split between Japanese and English language versions, the latter being the most common.
Do bear in mind that you cannot purchase the Japanese version and play it in English. So, while the Japanese version is going to be a lot cheaper than the English version, it isnt going to be usable.
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Why Are Pokmon Gba Games So Expensive
The GameBoy Advance games are expensive because they come in cartridges. Games in rounds are costly to make. They even cost more to make than CDs/DVDs, which most new games come in. GBA game discs are expensive from the time they are made because they have so much information compacted into such a small game.
Is Pokemon Emerald Worth The Cost
We love Pokemon Emerald, and we genuinely believe it is worth the cost if you have a Gameboy Advance. Of course, if you do not own a Gameboy Advance, then it may be a little bit too expensive to buy.
If you are planning on buying for collectors purposes, then Pokemon Emerald is a must-buy. This is a game where the price has pretty much always risen.
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Why Is Pokemon Emerald So Expensive
Pokemon Emerald was the enhanced version of Pokemon Sapphire and Ruby. This means that it is part of the 3rd generation of Pokemon games. Like most enhanced versions in a generation, the game tends to be a lot better. However, it also becomes a whole lot rarer. So, why is Pokemon Emerald so expensive?
Pokemon Emerald is expensive because people want the game. It did sell well, but not incredibly well in comparison to the earlier games. Pokemon games always hold their value well, and demand currently outstrips supply.
Lets go into a bit of depth on how much you could be looking to pay for Pokemon Emerald.
Why Are Pokmon Games So Expensive 2021
But in 2021, we arent limited by the constraints of Game Boy technology. And the graphics are just a notch better than Game Boy graphics. So the real reason Pokémon games are so expensive is the same as any other collectible. Theyre worth what YOU are willing to pay for them.
Is there a Pokemon Green? Pokemon Green version was only released in Japan, as Red and Blue became available worldwide. This is because Red and Blue had updated graphics, and they found that releasing Green alongside Red/Blue would be redundant .
How old is Pikachu? As of last weekend, Pokemon is 20 years old, which means franchise mascot Pikachu is also 20 years old. Like many of the characters in the game, Pikachu is loosely inspired by real-life animals in this case, the pika .
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Why Are Pokmon Games So Expensive
I posed this question to our pal JJ, my favorite video game pricing expert and owner of Pricecharting.com. As usual, JJ brought his insight to the table.
Like you said, each of the games sold millions of copies. They shouldnt be that hard to find.
JJ went on to acknowledge that, yes Pokémon games are much more in-demand than a lot of other franchises, but there may be more to it. I dont think as many of them are available for purchase.
One of the factors affecting supply may be a consequence of Pokémon being so kid friendly and accessible to younger players.
Kids buy tons of them and having three kids myself, Im very confident that more of those copies were destroyed or lost than copies sold to adult collectors.
Another factor is Pokémons inherent replayability. People spend all that time catching them all, and even if they arent playing the game now, they dont want to sell it because then they would lose that team and all their pokémon.
While I agree that these are probably some of the factors affecting sales value, Im not convinced that those alone would keep prices where they are. Theres got to be more to it.
As it turns out, JJ felt the same way and went over a few factors that could be increasing the demand for Pokémon games.
Because the old Pokémon game cartridges are the only way to capture some pokémon, players have no choice but to track down the old games if they truly want to catch em all.
Whats Driving Pokmon Card Prices
Finding a single scapegoat for a reason a markets price increases is impossible. Most of the time, a variety of factors contribute to an uptick or a recession, which is the case with Pokémon cards.
One factor has been increased popularity among YouTubers and Twitch streamers posting viral unboxing videos. Armed with substantial expendable cash, internet personalities from Steve Aoki, Logan Paul, and the rapper Logic drop hundreds of thousands of dollars on rare card packs. Then, they stream the reveal and garner millions of views.
Another contributor might be the COVID-19 pandemic itself. More time spent at home means that people have been searching for new hobbies. Collecting trading cards has been the choice for many people riding out the pandemic at home. People who have been sitting on old collections have more time to get their cards graded, and DIY e-commerce businesses have become easier to build. Also, COVID stimulus checks have given young and middle-aged adults some spending cash to further their hobbies.
Speaking of kids who have grown up, those youngsters who idolized Pokémon characters in the late 90s now have the income and resources to expand their hobbies.
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You Can Get To Know The Market Quickly
Investing in Pokémon cards doesnt involve a lot of in-depth research or specialist knowledge. Unlike stock market, real estate or bonds investments, Pokémon card trading is straight-forward and relatively simple.
All of the information you need to start investing in Pokémon cards is freely available online, so it only takes a small amount of research to understand what to look out for.
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What Is The Deal With These Insanely Expensive Pokmon Cards People Keep Buying
Pokémon is the largest media franchise in the history of the world. That doesnt sound right, does it? Its true, though Pokémon is bigger than Marvel or DC or Harry Potter.
Whats most amusing to me is that if you look back to American television from when the franchise debuted, youll see that shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and South Park did episodes about how its just a dumb fad that will pass in a few weeks, something that clearly hasnt come to pass yet.
Everybody Loves Raymonds Pokémon spoof episode, Hackidu, was especially interesting because everyone in the adult cast was aghast that one of the cards from the Hackidu card game was worth $100. Logan Paul recently bought a box of Pokémon cards from that era and pulled a card out of a pack thats worth upwards of $85,000.
And just a few weeks ago, Logan Pauls Pokémon investment advisor bought a box of cards for nearly half a million dollars that turned out to be fake. Another first edition Pokémon TCG box is going up on Heritage Auctions next week and pre-bidding is already at $300,000. So why is everyone suddenly so interested in Pokémon, and specifically Pokémon cards?
Most people as they get older and become adults want to relive some of the things they did as children. For people in their 20s and 30s now thats Pokémon.
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Pokmon Cards Are Easy To Store
Valuable Pokémon cards do need to be stored properly to prevent fraying and accidental damage, but it takes minimum effort and cost to keep your collection safe.
Purpose-designed storage solutions for Pokémon cards are easily available, in the form of individual pockets or binders. Its therefore exceedingly simple to keep your cards safe and organized.
- eBay: See Pricing
Description: Set out on an adventure amid floating islands and witness a world brought to life by renowned designers and animators. Battle robot enemies, build your strength and undertake quests as you journey through the Shepherd Republic and meet fascinating characters. Take control of Red as hes drawn into an epic tale and becomes responsible for the fate of the world.
Why Its So Valuable: Solatorobo is pretty niche, even by JRPG standards. There werent too many copies floating around when the game launched, so a complete-in-box unit is worth quite a bit today.
Expensive Elite Trainer Boxes
The elite trainer boxes are the most expensive Pokémon TCG packs globally. They have a heavy price tag and are only available to a few people in the world.
A lot of people think that they are not worth their price tag. The cards inside these boxes are usually scarce and hard to come by.
These boxes are so expensive because they were created with a very high-end clientele in mind. They were designed for collectors who want to get their hands on some of the rarest cards out there. For example, if you wanted to get your hands on a Pikachu card from this box, it would cost you a lot just for one card!
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