NES Collecting on a Budget: One Dad's Guide to Building a Retro Library
I have seven kids. Seven kids who all want to play different NES games simultaneously. Seven kids who don't understand why Dad won't just "buy Contra on the Switch eShop." Seven kids who have somehow convinced me that we need multiple copies of Super Mario Bros. because "what if two people want to play at the same time?"
Kids are expensive. Retro game collecting shouldn't be. Here's how I've built a library of 80+ NES games without going broke — and how you can too.
Rule #1: Never Buy Online (At First)
eBay and DKOldies are convenience traps. You'll pay 30-60% more than you need to because you're paying for the convenience of not leaving your house. For common games (anything under $30 market value), online prices are almost always inflated.
Where to buy instead:
- Goodwill / Salvation Army: $2-5 per game. Hit or miss, but when you hit, you HIT. I found a CIB Contra III at Goodwill for $8. The cashier had no idea.
- Flea markets: Go early (before 9 AM). Dealers will bundle — "I'll take these 5 for $20" works more often than you'd think.
- Yard sales: Ask specifically. Most people don't put old games out because they assume nobody wants them. "You wouldn't happen to have any old Nintendo stuff?" has a surprisingly high hit rate.
- Facebook Marketplace: Search "Nintendo lot" or "old games." People cleaning out their attics price things to move.
Rule #2: The EverDrive Is Cheaper Than 20 Games
I resisted this for years. "It's not authentic." "The kids should experience real cartridges." Then I did the math: 20 common NES games at $10 each = $200. An EverDrive N8 = $100. It's literally cheaper to buy the flash cart.
We use the EverDrive for expensive/rare games and keep physical carts for the favorites. Best of both worlds. The kids love scrolling through the menu and discovering games they've never heard of — it's like having a Blockbuster in cartridge form.
Rule #3: The "Still Cheap" Tier
These games are all under $15 loose and are genuinely great:
- Tetris ($5-8) — Still the best version. My 7-year-old daughter is inexplicably better at this than me.
- Dr. Mario ($8-12) — Better than Tetris for head-to-head family competition.
- Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt ($5-8) — Every NES came with this. There are millions of copies. Don't pay more than $8.
- Pinball ($5-7) — Simple, addictive, nobody talks about it.
- Kung Fu ($8-12) — The first game I ever rage-quit. My kids now understand my childhood trauma.
- R.C. Pro-Am ($8-12) — Better than it has any right to be. The kids fight over who gets to play next.
- Excitebike ($8-10) — Build your own tracks. The creativity mode keeps kids engaged for hours.
- Ice Hockey ($5-8) — Fat guy, skinny guy, medium guy. The ultimate family rivalry game.
Rule #4: Learn Basic Cartridge Repair
You will buy games that don't work. Don't return them — fix them. You need:
- Isopropyl alcohol (91% or higher)
- Q-tips
- A gamebit screwdriver ($5 on Amazon)
- An eraser (for really corroded pins)
Open the cart, scrub the pins with alcohol on a Q-tip until the Q-tip comes back clean. For stubborn corrosion, gently rub with a pink eraser. 90% of "broken" NES games just have dirty pins. I've "fixed" 15+ games that were sold as non-working. Those are the cheapest finds.
Rule #5: Trade With Other Collectors
There's probably a retro gaming group within 30 minutes of you. Find it on Facebook or Meetup. Collectors love trading — you can cycle through games without spending money. I've traded duplicate copies of SMB/Duck Hunt (which I accumulated somehow... they just appear in your house) for games I actually wanted.
The kid factor: Bring your kids to swap meets. Nobody can say no to a 10-year-old who earnestly asks to trade a copy of Jaws for their spare Castlevania. Logan has closed deals that would have taken me weeks of negotiation.
The Collection So Far
After 3 years of budget collecting: 82 physical carts, 1 EverDrive, 2 working consoles, 1 CRT, zero regrets. Total investment: roughly $400. Market value: north of $1,200 (not that I'm selling — these are family heirlooms now).
Start your collection. The games aren't getting cheaper. But they're still out there, waiting in Goodwill bins and flea market tables and grandparents' attics. Go find them — and bring your kids.