Retro Roy launches video games and consoles auctions at Ewbank’s on November 18

Ewbank’s will launch dedicated sales of Retro Video Games and Consoles on November 18. Specialist Roy Raftery, a well-known figure in this field and the world of collectable trading cards, is in charge.

He has overseen auctions of Pokémon, Magic The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards that have totalled hundreds of thousands of pounds since launching in the summer of 2021 at Ewbank’s.

Now the company, which also takes well over £1 million annually in Entertainment and Sporting Memorabilia sales, is expanding its offer in this sector.

“I’m extremely excited about our first retro video games auction, we have nearly forty years’ worth of gaming history going on sale. Our oldest system is the Commodore Amiga 500, which launched the year I was born!” Roy explains.

Such a wide range of games and consoles to choose from can mean a lot of research to find exactly what you want, but Roy has made it as easy as possible to find what collectors are into.

“I’ve broken our lots down in multiple ways; sealed games are really hot right now, so I’ve kept them separate, like our sealed copy of Pokémon Yellow, expected to fetch upwards of £500. I also realise that certain collectors may follow a specific games publisher, like Sega or Nintendo, so you’ll find specific lots addressing this, such as our collection of Sonic games on the Mega Drive, expected to fetch over £75.”

Roy says he wants the auction to include something for everyone. “We have boxed and fully tested consoles such as the iconic Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast, collections and individual games across many platforms, Japanese imports such as the WonderSwan and even a Panasonic-Q one of the most coveted gaming systems on the market.”

Video games are often traded online, with high street chains or at conventions, but making them available at auction can help boost buyers’ confidence when it comes to condition and authenticity, says Roy. He adds: “Ewbank’s are offering more than just your average Fifa title, we’re helping clients who can’t really take their unusual items elsewhere – mainly because the high street chains of today won’t take them. Just last week we had over 150 PlayStation One preview games come through the door. These were given to videogames journalists back in the mid to late 90s and include some of the system’s rarest games, such as Tombi.”

Every item has been hand tested by Roy or the clients and have been PAD tested at Ewbank’s. “It should be remembered that video games have been on the market for 40 years now, starting with early giant consoles in pubs and clubs from the likes of Atari, and games like Pong and Space Invaders,” says Roy. “Just like any collecting field, most games and consoles either broke or were disposed of following heavy usage over the years, which means boxed and unused systems have become real rarities and a must-have for collectors. We’ve taken great care storing our boxed consoles and when writing detailed condition reports on some of the rarest games, so buyers know exactly what they’re getting”.

It doesn’t cost a lot to get started as a collector, but you can pay thousands for the rarest items. A special gold edition 1990 Nintendo World Championships cartridge – one of only 26 produced and presented as prizes in a US competition – sold for nearly $100,000 in 2014.

Highlights of the first Retro Video Games and Consoles sale at Ewbank’s include a boxed Panasonic Q – GameCube exclusively released in Japan, estimated at £700-£1,200, a Nintendo Gameboy Light Pokémon Center Tokyo Pikachu Limited Edition, guided at £350-£700, a Sega Nomad Handheld Console MK-6100 & Power Bank pitched at £200-£450, and a sealed Game Boy bundled with Tetris released all the way back in 1989 that has a guide price of over £1500.

Bidding is available live online at www.ewbankauctions.co.uk

• Ewbank’s Sports & Entertainment Memorabilia department took over as the company’s leading specialist department in 2019 with over £1.25m in annual auction sales.