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4th Gen Why is Heartgold and SoulSilver so Expensive?!

ShadowSteel18

ShadowSteel18

11
Posts
8
Years
    • So lately I have been trying to complete my national Pokedex in Alpha Sapphire so that when Sun and Moon comes out I will already have all 721 Pokemon of the soon to be over 800 Pokemon that will be released. However while looking for Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver I found that just getting the old DS cartridges by themselves was going to cost me over $150. On sites like Amazon the games rages from $90 to just over $200, while on ebay auctions usually start at $30 with the "Buy it now" option being between $80 to over $250 (And this usually cartridge only). I just don't get it these were part of the main series Pokemon Titles, hundreds of millions were produced. Why are these games so expensive?
     
    The Den

    The Den

    Dark Mystery
    36
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    • Age 23
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    • Seen Nov 8, 2016
    HG/SS aren't being sold by Nintendo anymore, and there is a huge nostalgia factor when it comes to these games, making them a lucrative item. I wouldn't buy them on eBay, usually because they are so over-priced and most of them are bootlegs. I would go to your local GameStop and see if they have any. (make sure to check if they are real, hg/ss are real easy to fake)
     
    ShadowSteel18

    ShadowSteel18

    11
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    8
    Years
    • The problem with that is trying to find a store that has it. The best way to assure that you will get a copy is to order it online and have it at the store to pick up. However the option to do this on GameStop's website is not there. Not only that but the "Store Availability" option says that there is not a single copy in the St. Louis area. It would end up being a wild goose chase to find one.
     
    The Den

    The Den

    Dark Mystery
    36
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    • Age 23
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    • Seen Nov 8, 2016
    ShadowSteel18 said:
    The problem with that is trying to find a store that has it. The best way to assure that you will get a copy is to order it online and have it at the store to pick up. However the option to do this on GameStop's website is not there. Not only that but the "Store Availability" option says that there is not a single copy in the St. Louis area. It would end up being a wild goose chase to find one.
    Click to expand...

    Oh... Then I guess you can try to find one on eBay. There are some that are about 50 dollars. Just make sure they accept returns. Usually, if they don't accept returns, that could mean its a counterfeit.
     
    ShadowSteel18

    ShadowSteel18

    11
    Posts
    8
    Years
    • I going to GameStop Thursday to get the 3DS version of Pokemon Yellow and Sonic Chronicles. Whie I am there I will ask about HeartGold and SoulSilver. If they say that there isn't one available nearby, I will have to resort to ebay (and that is the last thing I want to do). I just hope that Nintendo releases Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal on the 3DS Virtual Machine.
     

    Hikamaru

    50,218
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    • As Den said, the games have been out-of-print for years now (I think it's only 6th Gen titles sold instore at the moment) and the nostalgic appeal of the games is a reason why they're very valuable among main series Pokemon games.
     
    ShadowSteel18

    ShadowSteel18

    11
    Posts
    8
    Years
    • Hikamaru said:
    As Den said, the games have been out-of-print for years now (I think it's only 6th Gen titles sold instore at the moment) and the nostalgic appeal of the games is a reason why they're very valuable among main series Pokemon games.
    Click to expand...
    I can understand that if it wasn't for the fact that Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum usually sell on ebay anywhere from $10 to $50 for all three games. Keep in mind that this is the same generation as HeartGold and SoulSilver.

    Also GameStop still sells HeartGold and SoulSilver (I talk to the store clerk) but they said that shortly after Pokemon Go launched the games sold out quickly. The closest GameStop that has a version of HeartGold (my sister still has SoulSilver) is 30 Miles from my house.
     
    Eden

    Eden

    Right you are, Ken!
    248
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    • HG/SS have always been difficult to find used.

    Part of the reason is because of its lesser sales in comparison to DPPt and Nintendo and The Pokemon Company's reluctance to re-release any of the Johto games at all.

    Plus older game collecting has become increasingly popular as of late, and it doesn't help any that HG/SS seems to be the more liked games among the Gen IV bunch. Thus, the game goes for high prices, especially when bundled with the Pokéwalker.
     
    ShadowSteel18

    ShadowSteel18

    11
    Posts
    8
    Years
    • If those two games have become so popular then Nintendo and the Pokemon Company probably know about it. After all when Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow were released for the 3DS in February of 2016 the games sold 1.5 million copies worldwide by April. Half of those sales were in the US as well. Not only that but there is even talk by the community to see a release of Gold, Silver, and Crystal to the 3DS. It's obvious that the Johto region has become a very popular region as of late.

    However I don't believe that the copies of Heartgold and SoulSilver are that rare. Since these are part of the main series Pokemon games there should be just as many copies as there are of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Right?
     
    TogeKisser

    TogeKisser

    220
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    7
    Years
    • Hey Shadow! I have a legit copy of Heartgold! you live in St. Louise? where's that? I live in Massachusetts and i would be happy to send you my copy because my gamestop has one all the time that nobody buys, and i want to see what pokemon are on it! the problem is, it would be really dum to buy a 60$ game i already have! if you can find out the information it takes to send an envolope with the game inside to you (EG: Shipping costs from Natick, Massachusetts to St. Louise, ????????) I would be happy to give you my copy for free! It might take me a while to scrounge up the money to send it to you though!
     
    ShadowSteel18

    ShadowSteel18

    11
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    8
    Years
    • TogeKisser said:
    Hey Shadow! I have a legit copy of Heartgold! you live in St. Louise? where's that? I live in Massachusetts and i would be happy to send you my copy because my gamestop has one all the time that nobody buys, and i want to see what pokemon are on it! the problem is, it would be really dum to buy a 60$ game i already have! if you can find out the information it takes to send an envolope with the game inside to you (EG: Shipping costs from Natick, Massachusetts to St. Louise, ????????) I would be happy to give you my copy for free! It might take me a while to scrounge up the money to send it to you though!
    Click to expand...
    St. Louis is in the state of Missouri. St. Louis is the general area, my mailing address is Pacific, Missouri. I am not sure if this site has a PM system, but if it does PM me and I will send you the details.
     
    Bounsweet

    Bounsweet

    Fruit Pokémon
    2,103
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    • Seen Sep 17, 2018
    ShadowSteel18 said:
    If those two games have become so popular then Nintendo and the Pokemon Company probably know about it. After all when Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow were released for the 3DS in February of 2016 the games sold 1.5 million copies worldwide by April. Half of those sales were in the US as well. Not only that but there is even talk by the community to see a release of Gold, Silver, and Crystal to the 3DS. It's obvious that the Johto region has become a very popular region as of late.

    However I don't believe that the copies of Heartgold and SoulSilver are that rare. Since these are part of the main series Pokemon games there should be just as many copies as there are of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Right?
    Click to expand...

    Nintendo as a whole is notorious for massively under-producing their games overseas, and making their shelf life extremely short. So, yes, they really are that rare. Your best option for availability is eBay without question, however if you have any independent gaming shops that sell used games, it's worth giving them a call. HGSS was grossly under-stocked past the initial demand, so the resale price on it has always been higher than the retail price. Every other main title game has a high resale price, but not nearly as much as HGSS.
     
    ShadowSteel18

    ShadowSteel18

    11
    Posts
    8
    Years
    • Well there are a few used game retailers that I could try. There is GameStop, then there is a store called Trade-N-Games who specializes in old games (NES, SNES, and even the classic Gameboy), and then there is Slackers. Though I know it is going to be the equivalent to the quest for the holy grail to even find one at those three stores.
     
    Gigadweeb

    Gigadweeb

    [b][i]The Black Swordsman[/i][/b]
    319
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    9
    Years
    • colours said:
    I've always had a theory that, as generations go by, older games are going to be rarer and rarer to find; GameStop and other retailers probably won't have the inventory that they used to when the games released, which means that, the fewer copies there are, the more expensive they become, which is precisely why you see ridiculous price hikes on sites like Amazon/eBay and the likes.

    For the record, I stay a good distance away from those sites if I'm ever interested in buying an older generation game. I don't doubt that my neighbouring GameStop has a few in stock, but they're probably going to be roughly $20-25 at best, which is ok.
    Click to expand...
    Yep. Brick and mortar stores for games are dying out, and only major chains like Gamestop/EB and retro stores are going to stay afloat, and retro ones are mainly because it's extremely easy to check for counterfeit games in-store, as opposed to online pics. Even then, online retro stores like LukieGames are getting more and more traffic, so I imagine video game stores will only be a relic within 10-20 years at most.
     
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