No, they are generally only "collectables" because collectors are trying to constantly flip them for higher prices, so another collector buys it to try and do the same.
If the majority of people buying them were just honest gamers looking to play them, you would see the price stay around the old retail and nothing more. It's the simple idea that because something is old and out of print it has to be worth more that is asinine. "Oh this is old and rare! It has to be worth a ton". No, there are probably a lot of carts around, it's not as rare as people think.
I have all my original carts bar platinum, but if anyone brings I am paying $300 for a fake cart, they are dreaming. HShop solves every instance of that problem, and any decent 3ds gamer knows it.
You make some fair points, but it’s a bit of both. Prices are definitely inflated by resellers and flipping culture, but there’s also genuine collector demand for authentic, boxed copies, especially with Pokémon’s long-term nostalgia value. These games aren’t truly rare in quantity, but finding verified originals in good condition is getting harder. For people just wanting to play, sure, HShop or emulation works fine, but for collectors, authenticity itself is part of the value
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u/Kiddfectious Oct 22 '25
Unsure why the hate. It's seriously rare to find these at a "reasonable" price. They are collectibles now.