I started my collection and I hope to have every pokemon game in a sealed version before I quit collecting.
Does anybody else collect sealed games?
Are there popular names on this side of the hobby??
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I have a few in my collection
I was thinking about getting the sealed games eventually, but the first generation is pretty expensive (especially Red). I landed on just getting the games complete in box so I can still have the artwork displayed on my shelf while having the option to play the game or flip through the manual. I think it would be really cool to have them all sealed/graded but for now CIB is the route I’m taking.
Sealed pokemon games are getting more and more expensive. Luckily (unlike sealed tcg product), no one is opening sealed games to try to resell the contents at a profit so the supply isn’t decreasing. I set out to get all of the CIB and have all of them except ultra sun/moon (because ew) and Shield (just waiting for the price to go down). If your goal is to get them all sealed I would get them sooner rather than later and to start with Emerald and Crystal if you haven’t already gotten them.
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It’s worth noting, if you also intend to collect Japanese, that GB/GBC/GBA games were never sealed.
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@cross, why do you say start with Crystal/Emerald? Wouldn’t it be better to buy Red/Blue/Yellow first since the prices for those sealed games are usually higher?
Less likely to quickly rise given that they are already very expensive, whereas the GBC/GBA games still have a lot of room for rapid growth.
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One thing I still have leftover from childhood is the opened boxes, still with the instructions in them, of all the old games. And they’re all in really good condition.
Personally, those get the job done for me.
But I totally understand why people collect sealed video games. Nostalgia overload and great display items.
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Does that potential for rapid growth come from the fact that Crystal/Emerald sold the least amount of copies from the main series games?
I think it comes more from the fact people and flippers are batshit crazy about Pokemon right now, and they could view the cheaper options (Crystal and Emerald) as easy investment pieces compared to the Red/Blue/Yellow copies.
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Should also add: assume all DS games and consoles - loose, boxed, or sealed - are counterfeit until proven otherwise. The amount of fakes out there will surprise you. I regularly see people showing off Pokemon DS consoles that are obviously Chinese counterfeits. Can be tough to tell the difference if you don’t know what you are looking for. Sealed copies of Platinum are also popular fakes.
It’s because they’re the two “best” games from the gb/gbc era. They’re essentially the definitive editions for their respective generations. Of course get red/blue/yellow quickly as well but I would snag crystal, then emerald, then yellow/red/blue.
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Have you ever played Ultra Sun and Moon? Honestly they are some of the best games Pokémon ever made!
Check out the Ultra Wormhole. If you don’t have fun flying thru space to catch old Legendary Pokemon and Shiny Pokémon then I have no idea what you consider fun!
Seriously tho check out those games they are amazing! You can skip regular Sun and Moon but Ultra Sun and Moon are top notch!
Oh I played it, I just couldn’t get past the hand holding
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22 years ago today was when Pokémon Red and Blue were released in North America. I still remember walking into the now extinct Toysrus and seeing sealed copies locked behind a glass case. It made it even more exciting when you had to walk up to the salesperson and have them open the case with their special key. Sealed video games are invaluable because of these memories. Good luck with your goals! I think video games are going to be a hot market soon as they are the “Comic Books” of the 1990s/2000s.
Here is my sealed copy of Pokémon Red. I only wish I sent it to WATA for grading. Prices realized are almost double what they are with VGA.
I started collecting a few but like you said they are getting super expensive
I was flabbergasted when I found out how much the complete box with game and instructions go for on ebay. I kept several of the gba boxes because I thought they were cool but never in a million years thought they’d actually appreciate value past 20 bucks max.
Which ones do you have?
I have actually noticed a retrace on the prices of some games graded sealed, specifically gold and silver, while games like red and blue continue to soar up in price. Will be interested to see how other games are doing but not many come up these days that arent those 4.
I recently obtained a VGA 70 Red Version. It has a white ESRP (they changed it to black ESRB towards the latter end of production) and a Sandshrew on the back (rumored Sandshrew back is 1st print; Pidgey back is 2nd print).
One of my favorite pieces of my collection!!
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Honestly love this. I really want them too but can’t justify the price, it’s so damn much. CIB is like 95% cheaper
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