Rare Switch Game Trade Leaves Retro Collector in Tears

A collector of retro video games recently caught the attention of the internet with a controversial trade for the new special edition Nintendo Switch console, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The limited edition OLED model of the console is currently being sold by Nintendo for $359.

In recent years, retro video game collecting has been experiencing a boom in the market. This has been beneficial for those looking to sell off their collections, as they have been able to offload games and consoles for double or even more than what they originally paid. However, for those looking to purchase retro items, the market has become a nightmare due to the high demand. Despite this, one collector's trade has caused quite a stir online.

The trade in question was made at Hey Bro Video Games in Houston, Texas. The store posted a video on its social media page discussing a customer named Quincy, who traded in several vintage video game items for $700 and the Nintendo Switch Tears of the Kingdom special edition console. The video was then shared on Twitter, where many users criticized the trade as being unfairly advantageous for Quincy given the current resale value of the items traded in.

The limited Pikachu edition Nintendo 64 was the most coveted item among social media followers. It is currently selling for $800-900 if it is complete in the box. The seller also brought in several other complete-in-box items, including the original Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario 64, Goldeneye 007, Super Mario All-Stars, and Mario Kart 64. Many of the games traded in are also available on Nintendo Switch Online, making the value of the trade-in even greater.

At first glance, it may seem like Quincy was shortchanged by the store in Houston. However, when considering the combined value of all the items, the trade-in appears to be fair. Quincy received a console worth $360 and $700 in cash, totaling close to $1100 in value. Various retro price charting websites show that the maximum resale value of all of Quincy's items is $1300-1400. While selling on eBay may have resulted in a higher payout, claims that the trade-in was a total rip-off are exaggerated.