Prices of Yesterday

By: J.D. Turbeville
LordJD The Nintendo Prices of Yesteryear

Were you around when the NES started in 1985? Do you remember those outrageous prices of paying $200 for the system and $40 for the games? I sure do! When my dad first bought me the Power Set in December 1987, he had spent $149.99 at K-Mart! How much can you get one today? Probably $30 at worst! I remember when my dad was going to get me SMB2, but it was sold out, so he got me RC Pro AM for $39.95 at the local store. We later went to Montgomery ward and bought it for the same price, but that was months after the game was released. I think the most popular game of all time, SMB3, cost my dad around $44.95 when it first came out! I was an avid player of the past and can give you more of these “When I was your age, I paid $200 for an 8-bit system …” stories can go on forever, but I won’t bother. Today is the best day to get video games from the NES and other 80s VG systems because of their ease to attain and their very low price tag. The games aforementioned probably averages around $8 at most! I say you guys are pretty lucky!

Scanned is a 1994 EB magazine where you can see the prices of NES games near the beginning of the systems demise. Also attached in this article are receipts which prove the price I (and my dad) paid for the NES at its peak. Laugh at me if you want, but remember who got to be a part of the Powerfest and other NES events when they were around? Do you see them anywhere now! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!