There's a lucrative market for second-hand video games, but it's all about timing and condition.
While some of you might be cursing your parents for selling a rare copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for mere cents at a yard sale, most of your dust-covered collections probably aren't worth that much.
Still, it's important that you check what you've got tucked away because you could be unknowingly funding your retirement with a treasure trove of classic games.
In an era when Logan Paul is breaking records for selling rare Pokemon cards, there's an ever-booming industry for retro games. While the honor of the most expensive game ever sold goes to a copy of 1985's Super Mario Bros. that fetched a jaw-dropping $2 million in 2021, there are still plenty of titles that could earn you a not-so-small fortune.
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There's a ton of hype ahead of the next Grand Theft Auto, with gamers waiting a patient 13 years since GTA V released. After years of speculation and rumors, we know Rockstar Games is officially heading back to Vice City for GTA 6.
A colorful cast of new characters is set to don their floral shirts, but for those who want to see how it all started, you might want to check out 2002's GTA: Vice City. Originally released on the PlayStation 2, Vice City cast the late Ray Liotta as the voice of the smart-talking Tommy Vercetti.
This Scarface-inspired outing is one of the best-selling PS2 games and is considered by many as one of the greatest video games ever made.
We recently covered how a rare copy of Capcom's Resident Evil on the OG PlayStation is currently going for $10,000 at auction, and even though it's not quite got the same price tag, a similarly pristine Vice City is going under the hammer for thousands.
Heritage Auctions is holding a signature game sale, with this version being worth more because it's part of the mid-production run that says "manufactured and printed in the U.S.A." While this adds to its rarity, there's also the fact that this specific copy holds an elusive WATA 9.8 A++. It's true that WATA 10 A++ gradings exist, but there are only a handful, and they tend to be reserved for newer releases like Nintendo Switch or PS3.
To get a WATA 9.8 A++ after 24 years is undoubtedly impressive, which is reflected in the current cost of this specific Vice City. At the time of writing, this copy is under offer at $4,100. Adding on the buyer's premium, that's a lofty $5,125, with chances that it'll go for even more.
It's true that GTA: Vice City has had numerous rereleases over the years, although we're sorry to say that the copy you have lying around probably isn't worth $4,000. Then again, there's no harm in checking.