What are my video games worth?

Which console is it for?

We all thought video games were just for fun. Hours spent rescuing princesses, shooting pixelated aliens or pressing every button at once in a fighting game were time well spent. But old games that have been sitting in the loft can be worth something. Before you throw out an old console or give away a pile of scratched cartridges, here is how to tell whether your retro games are worth anything.

Some systems are more collectable than others. Look out for these: the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the Super Nintendo (SNES), the Nintendo 64, the Sega Mega Drive, the PlayStation 1, the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, the Atari 2600 and the Dreamcast.

If you remember blowing into a cartridge and hoping for the best, you may have some valuable games.

Boxed or loose?

As with most collectables, condition plays a part. A game that still has its box, manual and inserts tends to be worth more.

If your collection is mostly loose cartridges and tangled wires, do not worry. Plenty of collectors still buy games without boxes, or with some wear, especially if they are scarce or hard to find.

Rare, or just old?

Age alone does not make a game valuable. Some titles have become cult favourites, or were made in small numbers, which makes them very collectable. Games that could be worth more include early releases and first editions, limited runs and regional exclusives, games with manufacturing errors, and titles that did not sell well at the time. The flops of one generation are sometimes the sought-after games of the next.

Games with odd titles or obscure publishers can be worth a look too.

Fan favourites

Some games are wanted simply because they have stood the test of time. If you have any of these, it is worth sending them: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the N64, Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation, EarthBound and Chrono Trigger on the SNES, Pokémon Red, Blue or Yellow on the Game Boy, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on the PlayStation, and Conker's Bad Fur Day on the N64.

A PlayStation 2 or original Xbox collection can also be worth sending, particularly a complete set or scarce titles.

Finding out what they are worth

Before you list anything online or take it to a car boot sale, you can have a valuer look at your games. There is no guesswork. Put your games and consoles in a box and post it to us on a free label, and we make one offer for the whole box within seven days of arrival. We hold your offer for 14 days. Your offer tells you the date. If you need longer, just ask. Say yes on a working day and we send your payment the same day, once we have your details.

Often, where there is one collection, there is another. The loft or garage that holds your Mega Drive might also hold vintage toys, a forgotten film camera or old coins from a childhood collection. As you gather your games, look out for other items to add. You can put them all in the same box for one offer.

That console you thought was useless, or the game you have not played since 1999, could still be worth something. Check before you pack it away or give it to the nearest teenager.