Australian retailer EB Video games introduced final week that it will be increasing its trade-in service to incorporate retro video games and consoles. It feels like idea on paper (we retro recreation followers relish the thought of seeing extra classics out within the wild), however in apply, the costs supplied by the retailer are tough (thanks for the heads up, Press Begin).
In keeping with the EB Video games web site, the brand new retro service gives the corporate’s “commerce worth assure”, which means you will get “high cash” for something you select to commerce from NES to Wii U. Hmm.
If all of it sounds somewhat obscure, it is with good cause. Retro recreation collector Justin (@livingaretrogaminglife) determined to place the brand new trade-in service to the take a look at, taking a handful of video games from his assortment alongside to an area retailer to see how a lot “high coin” can be supplied for every. Spoiler: it ain’t that a lot.
Justin’s trade-in pattern included large hitters like Donkey Kong Nation 2 and Banjo-Tooie, however every recreation got here again with a far cheaper money provide than you’d hope. DKC 2 obtained a $10 AUD (~£5 / $6 USD) provide, The Minish Cap landed $16 AUD (~£8 / $10 USD), Yoshi’s Island and Banjo received $21 AUD (~£10 / $13 USD), whereas the likes of Pokémon Black 2 had $20 AUD (~£9 / $12 USD). What’s extra, they’re all in-box and seem like in excellent nick.
Clearly, retro trade-in is a complete completely different beast to trendy video games and has to take issues under consideration like situation, how full it’s and whether or not the cart is legit within the first place. However, challenges apart, these costs are fairly bleak.
As some extent of comparability, whereas it may not all the time provide one of the best change charge, a retailer like CEX gives £29 money for a complete-in-box DKC 2, £49 for The Minish Cap and £71 for Banjo-Tooie. eBay gross sales can typically go even larger. Issues cannot all the time be a one-to-one translation, it is true, however you need not learn too deeply to see that EB Video games’ gives are somewhat off what you would possibly anticipate.
The identical practices appear to use to consoles, too. Push Begin reported that the retailer will provide $70 AUD for a Wii U with GamePad and sensor, $80 AUD for an N64 with cables and controllers, and $82.50 AUD for a PS2 Slim — all of which, unsurprisingly, falls in need of what you’d discover elsewhere.
Naturally, Justin from livingaretrogaminglife did not cough up his valuable assortment for such a low sum and returned residence with all the above video games protected and sound. Phew.
Hey, maybe that is one thing of a studying curve for EB Video games and the retailer will begin to provide fairer costs because it will get to grips with the retro market. Someway, we doubt it.
What do you make of those trade-in costs? Tell us within the feedback.
[source instagram.com, via press-start.com.au]
Jim got here to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, regardless of his insistence that The Minish Cap is one of the best Zelda recreation and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (sure, actually), he has continued to jot down information and options on the location ever since.
