4 Tips for Buying Retro Video Games Online in 2024

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Older gamers have some sort of nostalgia for older titles, who have made their childhood so interesting. Arguably, we can see that older games were way more challenging than those we now have in front of us. Just think about legendary titles Hearts of Iron 2, Diablo 2, Fallout 2, etc. Some of these games can be found on this website. Of course, this where you can download them.

Surely, they give a smile on the faces of gamers who have been experiencing these games at that time. We can go even more back in the past to see even older games, from the seventies and eighties. The number of these highly-popular games is countless. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that so many people are interested in collecting as many of them.

At the same time, we can see that some of them are pretty valuable. The reason being that they are so hard to come by. When you take a look at it, it makes perfect sense some of them are pretty hefty. As it is the case with all kind of collections, they need to be in mint condition and properly functional. So, it needs to be said that every collector needs to be careful when buying these pieces. Now, we would like to point out some of the most important tips you need to focus on while buying these games.

1. Price Checking

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When you are looking for these older titles, their worth can be pretty strange sometimes. For example, some people are prone to overvaluing their possessions. So, there’s no reason why it should be any different with these pieces. Surely, you can take a look at these prices at many different websites where people are selling them, like Amazon, or eBay. Therefore, we would advise anyone to go through numerous different entries on these sites.

That way, they can be able to get an idea about how much should they pay for them. At the same time, it wouldn’t hurt you to go through some specialized websites where you can find numerous reviews of the titles, and predictions about their worth, based on the condition and popularity. When you take a look at these, you can see that the situation is pretty much the same as it is with collecting old comic books. The analogy between these is pretty clear.

2. The Difference in Photos

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In case you have decided to buy these pieces from really big vendors like Lukie Games, or DK Oldies, you will have the opportunity to see a stock photo. It needs to be said that these photos will not represent the exact copy of the game you are interested in. However, the description part will provide you with all the crucial information you need to be aware of the product. For example, we are talking about the condition of the game itself. In most cases, they will go from good to excellent condition.

Naturally, you will need to take a look at the terms of service before you can make the proper decision about purchasing one of these. When it comes to the question of photos, any proper seller would have absolutely nothing against presenting you with the original one. In case he or she doesn’t have it, you should abandon the idea of doing business with these sellers at all. Sometimes, the opportunity for the buyer to see these photos make the ultimate difference in question of the game’s originality. Since we are talking about really old titles in some cases, it makes a huge difference.

3. The Potential Problem with Shipment

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One of the commonest problems any buyer can come across when buying used electronics is the problem with the shipment. The reason is that they can break during this process. Without any doubt, they are one of the worst things you can buy online. Just think about it, you don’t have any idea about how they are transported. Also, when it happens, it is late to make some changes, right? Not to mention that mistakes with shipping are one of the commonest mistakes in this world.

Of course, the seller will test the console before it is shipped out to you. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s no chance for some mistakes to happen. So, the possible scenario is that the device is working properly, without any problems, and when it reached the address it was aimed at, it simply doesn’t work. It needs to be said that this is nobody’s fault. But that doesn’t mean that the buyer shouldn’t look towards some kind of insurance, just in case. Especially if we are talking about a pretty hefty item, right? In this case, it is possible to make some claims.

4. CIB Games

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We’ve pointed that the analogy can be drawn between old, mint-condition games and old comic books. They need to be in a proper condition to have a certain worth. Not only that, they should be packed in what the collectors are calling CIB, which is short for Complete in Box. It means that the item is packed in a proper way, which adds a whole new layer of protection against the problems that can arise during the process of shipping. Most of the time, it consists of being placed in a cardboard box, and with a lot of padding inside.

Surely, this is a proper way of shipping valuable items. Nobody likes to receive something that doesn’t work upon arrival. Naturally, it needs to be said that this way of protection is an absolute must. Only by doing that, the item will be safe from all the negative influences. At the same time, having some sort of insurance is an absolute must. Imagine spending a couple of hundreds of bucks on something and receiving a damaged product. Nobody likes that, right?

In Conclusion

Even though there are people who are not aware of the fact how valuable these retro games can be, it needs to be said that this market can be pretty hefty. Therefore, here are some tips you need to focus on to avoid all the unpleasantries that can arise practically from nothing.