Are Old Video Games Worth Anything? The Honest Answer

By Josh Eldred · New Mexico Literacy Project · June 25, 2026 · Last verified June 2026

A minority of old video games are genuinely sought after; most are not — and the difference is knowable in a few minutes. Retro gaming is having a real moment, and that has people hoping the bin of cartridges and discs in the closet is a windfall. Usually it is not: most of what fills those bins is common modern disc games in well-played shape, and a whole tote of those is far more abundant than people expect. But the sought-after stuff is real, and it does hide in ordinary bins, so it is worth a quick sort before you decide. I take video games along with books here in Albuquerque, and this is the honest rundown I give people: which games draw interest, how completeness and condition matter, and what to do with the rest.

The short version: I take video games free across the Albuquerque metro, any quantity, any condition, no sorting — loose carts, boxed games, controllers, consoles working or not — and I will flag anything genuinely collectible before it goes anywhere. Text 702-496-4214 or use the free pickup form.

The hard truth about the bin in the closet

For the last two console generations, games were shipped on discs in the tens of millions: the annual sports franchises, the big shooters and racers, the licensed movie tie-ins, the family titles that came bundled with the system. A typical bin from a PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, or Wii is mostly those — common everywhere, in the scuffed, well-played condition most home discs end up in. The demand for the everyday disc-era title is thin, because the supply is enormous; someone faced with a tote of ordinary games is looking at the tote, not the games. That is the baseline reality, and going in with it saves a lot of disappointment.

It also means the worst thing you can do is assume the whole bin is junk and dump it — and the worst thing you can do is assume it is a fortune and refuse to part with it. The truth is in between and specific: a few items in the bin may be genuinely sought after, and the rest are worth keeping in circulation rather than in a landfill, where the plastics and electronics do not belong.

What actually makes a game less common

Four things, in roughly this order:

Platform and era. The interest is concentrated in the cartridge era — NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and earlier. Those games were pressed in smaller numbers and have largely stopped circulating, so good copies are genuinely scarcer than the disc-era flood that came after. Original consoles and accessories in working condition from those systems are collectible in their own right.

Completeness. A game that is complete-in-box (CIB) — with its original box, manual, and any inserts, maps, or registration cards — draws far more interest than the same game loose. So much got separated from its packaging over the years that the intact set is the harder thing to find.

Sealed copies. A factory-sealed, never-opened game is the most sought-after state of all, for any era. If a shrink-wrapped copy turns up in a closet, set it aside and do not open it — the seal is the whole point.

The unusual or low-print title. Certain rare or low-print releases, late-run titles, and collector genres are scarcer than the franchise hits everyone owned. These are the games worth pulling out and looking at carefully rather than lumping with the lot.

How to tell, in a few minutes

You do not need to be an expert to triage a bin. First, identify the platform and era — set the retro cartridge systems (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis and earlier) apart from the modern disc systems (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Wii). Second, check completeness — pull anything still in its box with the manual and inserts, and especially anything factory-sealed. Third, note condition and look for the unusual — a clean cartridge or unscratched disc, a working console, or a title you do not recognize as one of the common ones. Remember that age alone does not equal demand: an old common disc is still common. The small pile that survives all three filters is the one worth having looked at properly before it goes anywhere; the rest is a common lot.

What to do with them

Set the genuine standouts aside for a closer look. If a few items pass the triage above — a retro cartridge, a complete-in-box copy, anything sealed, a working vintage console — those are the pieces worth identifying carefully before anything happens to them. When I flag something during a pickup, I tell you what it is so you can decide.

Donate everything — regardless of platform or condition. The common games still have life in them; someone wants to actually play them. That is where I come in: in the Albuquerque metro I take video games free, any quantity, loose or boxed, working or not, with no sorting, along with the books, CDs, and DVDs. Nothing needs to be tested, cleaned, or appraised. Anything that looks genuinely collectible I pull and flag for you first; the playable common games and working gear go back into circulation to people who want them; and only what is truly dead is responsibly recycled. Nothing goes to the landfill, and you get the bin out of the closet in one trip.

Bins of games and consoles to move?

Free pickup across the Albuquerque metro, any quantity, any condition, no sorting. I'll flag anything collectible before it goes anywhere.

Call or Text 702-496-4214

Frequently asked questions

Are old video games worth anything?

Some are, most are not. The common modern disc games — PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Wii-era sports and franchise titles — were pressed by the million and are abundant, so demand for the everyday stuff is thin. The interest concentrates in retro cartridge-era games (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis and earlier), factory-sealed copies, complete-in-box copies with the manual and inserts, low-print or unusual titles, and working original consoles and accessories. It is worth a quick sort before assuming either windfall or worthlessness.

Does NMLP take loose carts and broken consoles?

Yes. I take video games free across the Albuquerque metro in any quantity and any condition — loose cartridges, boxed games, discs with or without cases, controllers and accessories, and consoles whether they power on or not. Working gear and playable games go back into circulation; only what is truly dead is recycled. Nothing goes to the landfill, and nothing is appraised.

Do I need to test or clean them first?

No. You do not need to test, clean, sort, or box anything — take it all as it is. I handle the checking and the sorting on my end, so a dusty bin of loose carts and tangled controllers is completely fine. The whole point is to make it one easy trip out the door for you.

How do I schedule a free video-game pickup in Albuquerque?

Text or call 702-496-4214, or use the pickup form, and tell me roughly what you have and where it is in the Albuquerque metro. I bring everything in along with books, CDs, and DVDs, with free pickup and a 24/7 drop box. Anything that looks genuinely collectible — a sealed or retro title, a working vintage console — I pull and flag for you first.

Are old board games worth anything? — the honest answer for the other big game-closet pile, and why they make great donations.
Are Old Vinyl Records Worth Anything? — same straight talk for the record boxes in the same closet.
Free Book & Media Pickup — Albuquerque — books, video games, CDs, DVDs, one free pickup.
Donate to the New Mexico Literacy Project — how donating works and everything I take.

Cite This Guide

Eldred, J. (June 2026). Are Old Video Games Worth Anything? The Honest Answer. New Mexico Literacy Project.

https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/what-to-do-with-old-video-games

Content is original research by Josh Eldred. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cite with attribution.