Video game collecting

Video game collecting is the hobby of collecting and preserving video games, video game consoles, and related memorabilia. Most video game consoles, and their games, are considered to be collectors' items years after their discontinuation due to their functional longevity and cultural significance. Collectors usually narrow their search to games holding characteristics they enjoy, such as being published for a specific video game console, being of certain genre, or featuring a specific character.

The value of a game depends on the quantity manufactured, the quality of the gameplay, its cultural impact, and the condition of the specific game being questioned. Games that are complete with their original packaging and paperwork are considered more valuable. In many cases, these components are valued more highly than the games themselves. Many times, video games crossover with other mediums, so collections often overlap with those of anime, manga, comic books, and other media.

The majority of collectors focus on collecting officially licensed releases of console based games, and pick from the following criteria to focus their collecting:

Collections normally stray outside the realm of licensed console games exclusively. The following categories are also popular:

While all video games can be seen as collectible, some are noteworthy for being particularly rare or desirable, which in turn contributes to high values. Prices may vary depending on condition of the packaging, paperwork, whether the item is sealed, how many inserts are retained, and whether the spine card is still present.

Some of the most collectible games in existence include:

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