Consoles that are CHEAP to collect for

[Rick Dangerous]

Everyone (myself included Is always whining about how expensive classic gaming is becoming. I have found that though there are always a few pricey titles for every console, there are many near complete libraries that can be put together on the cheap. The following are my favorite low cost collector consoles; what are yours?

 

-Atari 2600-Just so many out there in the wild, on CL, etc

 

-NES-Same

 

-Atari 5200-Yes getting a working console and controllers can be pricey, but because of this the games are cheap!!

 

-Sega Genesis- Consoles are like $20, most games still cheap and readily available\

 

-Nintendo 64- Still cheap on craigslist, though some carts getting up there you can find pretty much all for cheap if you look

 

-Sega Dreamcast- VERY affordable console, great library for $5-10 bucks a pop.

 

-PS1, PS2, PS3- Sooo many good games. SO CHEAP!!

 

-Xbox- Plenty to see on the original x box and all for very cheap, more than a few good exclusives.

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Atari 2600: Consoles depending what version it is should be $20-$30. You can get them cheaper if you spot one at a garage sale or flea marlets and thrift stores. Many of the commons cost a buck.

 

Atari 5200: Yes the controllers are finicky. But many of the games are dirt cheap and a few between $10 plus. The only tough one to get is Bounty Bob Strikes back.

 

Atari 7800: These systems are affordable and the same as the 5200. Lot of cheap games and the rarest is not a "break the piggy bank" expensive.

 

Playstation 1, 2, 3: The prices are really getting much lower for the systems and also in gaming stores when they sell them. Most of the games don't exceed 5 or 6 bucks.

 

NES: Sometimes you can get a great deal for a lot on Craigslist or a garage sale. Many of the games value are rising, but you need to look.

 

Odyssey 2: Systems are cheap and a small library. Many games are cheap and very very few rare ones.

 

Genesis: Systems cost $20-$30. And many games are dirt cheap and for all genres. One of the best starters consoles to collect for due to the affordability of the games.

 

Xbox/Xbox 360: Just like the Playstation 1, 2, and 3

[mikey.shake]

I just bought an Odyssey2 with 8 CIB games (incl. the two K.C. Munchkin titles) for $35. I like it. I mean, not as much as the 2600 or anything, but it's fun as a technological relic that's also fun to play. But that's not bad for a system and small game collection, I guess. And I know the K.C. games tend to go for a little more than the others due to the lawsuit. They seem to go cheap all day everywhere I see them. I like it, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but it's DEFINITELY cheaper than even the Genesis.

 

Speaking of, I've been an NES/SNES/2600 fan for a long time, but just sorta jumped into Genesis stuff recently because of my wife, and I'm surprised to find just how inexpensive a lot of the games still are, even some of the good ones.

 

But there are few systems I've found to collect for that straddle the cheap/fun line like the VCS. Stumbling over a box of $2 Atari games that might have a gem in it is the best.

[Opry99er]

You can get a nice setup for a TI-99 with a mess of cartridge games for relatively cheap. Lots of good games for that system too.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Opry99er

[Omega-TI]

You can get a nice setup for a TI-99 with a mess of cartridge games for relatively cheap. Lots of good games for that system too.

 

Agreed! Almost all TI games can be obtained for FREE, but if you want them in cartridge form, there are even new Multi-Carts which have tons of games on them. If you would like to learn what's going on in the TI-99/4A community, << CLICK HERE >>.

 

mikey.shake is right, the Odyssey 2 is indeed one of the cheapest platforms to collect for, but one has to have a taste for the "simple and basic". The games on that system are less sophisticated than the Atari 2600 genre. There is a relatively new dedicated forum here on Atari Age that deals with that platform. << CLICK HERE >>.

[CatPix]

That might be interesting to compare.

When I see that NES and SNES are cheap to collect for. wow. Haven't seen a loose cart for those systems selling for less then 30/40€ those days

 

Atari 2600 : because no one care for. Very cheap to collect for.

Videopac - Videopac games are cheap and easy to find, except for the big box games. Videopac+ are overpriced, at least the most common ones.

Intellivision : Same, not many people interested in, systems and carts sells for cheap.

Master System : Lots of games and few people interested in the most common games, so most games are easy to find for a reasonable price.

Megadrive - A bit on the average side, but can get cheap with luck.

Playstation - forget about FFVII and Symphony of the Night.. and the Resident Evil series. but most other games are cheap.

PS2 : cheeaap

Dreamcast : some games are cheap, other aren't. The systems themselves are costly usually.

GameCube : the system itself is cheap, the accessories aren't. Mario and Zelda games? forget about them, they are more expensive now than when they were new. Other games are fairly cheap.

Xbox : No one cares for. Go for it.

Edited October 5, 2015 by CatPix

[Lentzquest]

Game Gear games tend to stay cheap. Hardware reliability is the only hassle, kinda like the 5200.

 

The Genesis is definitely a good one too. Especially if you can bear to go cartridge-only.

[mbd30]

PS2 most definitely. You can still get many PS2 games NEW at a really low price. This is a good console to have if you're on a budget.

 

Unfortunately the old cartridge systems are becoming increasingly expensive to collect for, especially if you want CIB. Emulation will become the only practical way to play a lot of these games.

[BassGuitari]

Atari 5200: Yes the controllers are finicky. But many of the games are dirt cheap and a few between $10 plus. The only tough one to get is Bounty Bob Strikes back.

The thing about the 5200 is that even if you can get a system and some games for a fairly cheap (very doable, though it's getting harder), you're going to have to put a bit of money into getting the system--i.e. the controllers--working properly. Whether you go the DIY repair kit or refurbed route, you could be in up to $60-100 for a set of good controllers alone.

 

And it's a statistical guarantee that any 5200 controllers you get will need to be repaired. (Unless you go all out and get Best refurbed controllers right off the bat. )

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Atari 2600, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color for me. There are enormous quantities of great games that can be purchased for $3 to $5 each on all three of those systems. The NES is actually pretty budget friendly too for the most part, with the majority games outside of the mainstay first-party Nintendo franchises (Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, Punch-Out!!, etc.) and some of the big name third-party ones (Mega Man, Contra, Castlevania, Final Fantasy, etc.) going for around $5 to $10 these days. The most popular NES games, such as ones in the franchises I just mentioned, have gotten a bit pricey at $20 to $30 on average; but there's still dozens if not hundreds of great quality lesser known titles to be found on the old gray toaster.

[leods]

In my experience the consoles that have many readily available games for cheap are:

 

Game Boy, PS2, Xbox, PS3 and xbox 360. Atari 2600 seems to be fine also. All Nintendo and sega consoles are quite inflated... Damn, any crappy NES game seems to sell for 5 bucks or more, and good games easily go up to 30 and beyond. You get a full Retro compilation filled with great games for PS2 for that Price (or even much less).

 

I'd say a PS2 and some 10 oldschool compilations and you're set for years to come...

Edited October 6, 2015 by leods

[high voltage]

All consoles are cheap to collect for, all consoles have some titles which are more expensive.

Some consoles have overrated priced games hanging around on ebay because sellers believe they are super rare and collectable.

[TheRedEye]

Everyone (myself included Is always whining about how expensive classic gaming is becoming. I have found that though there are always a few pricey titles for every console, there are many near complete libraries that can be put together on the cheap. The following are my favorite low cost collector consoles; what are yours?

 

-NES-Same

 

-Sega Genesis- Consoles are like $20, most games still cheap and readily available\

 

-Nintendo 64- Still cheap on craigslist, though some carts getting up there you can find pretty much all for cheap if you look

 

 

are you posting from an alternate universe?

[ubersaurus]

Cheapest consoles to collect for right now are going to be the stuff from the PS2/Xbox era and the Xbox 360/Wii era. They're the systems that haven't blown up quite yet, although PS2 is starting to get there.

 

If you're looking at old games? Your best bet is going to be something pre-crash that was popular in its day, like the Atari 2600, Intellivision, Odyssey2, Colecovision, etc. NES has been blowing up for years, as has the SNES, and the Genesis has recently followed suit... and don't get me started on the late 90s consoles.

 

Alternately you could go with handhelds. Game Boy, Game Gear, Lynx, Game Boy Color, GBA, DS... most of the games on those platforms are pretty inexpensive if you just want the cart.

Edited October 6, 2015 by ubersaurus

[carlsson]

I agree with CatPix when it comes to Nintendo games. Except for sports titles, I can't imagine a single NES/SNES/N64 game that is "cheap", at least not on this side of the pond. The cheapest tend to go for $7 each, and those are the really crappy ones. Anything reasonably playable, you'd have to fork up at least $15 for a loose cartridge, no matter which Nintendo system you're talking about.

[omegadot]

Right now I really like the Genesis and GBA for quality:cost that are pretty universally approachable still. Especially if you start off with an eBay lot. I got both my GBA SP and Genesis Model 2 with 9ish games each, mostly good, for under 50 bucks shipped.

 

I think PS2 is a contender for king right now as you can get piles of great games for cheap since it had so many damn good games.

 

For context, I don't try to collect em all, I just like to have a solid variety of titles to choose from that I'll actually play and 10-20 bucks is fine by me for a good title. I've picked up quite a few that average to 2-3 bucks, especially on the Genesis and GBA recently, though.

 

EDIT: I'm also not concerned with manuals or boxes, although I think they are neat.

Edited October 7, 2015 by omegadot

[Jess Ragan]

I've found 16-bit consoles (particularly the Super NES) to be pretty scarce in the wild and costly elsewhere. I did come across a cache of cheap-ish Genesis games two years ago but made the mistake of buying Dynamite Headdy. When I came back later, Strider was gone. Blast it all!

 

Game Boy is reliably cheap, UNLESS you're going for the box and instructions too. As for the really old consoles, the Atari 5200 and the Odyssey2 aren't too common but are pretty budget-conscious.