Prices for the NES Mini are booming on eBay in the UK, after Nintendo discontinued the troubled console amid growing stock shortages.
The NES Mini, also referred to as the NES Classic Edition, was discontinued by Nintendo less than six months after its launch back in November, causing prices to sky rocket in online auctions. The console experienced huge issues with supply around the time of its release, with Nintendo struggling to meet the demands of consumers and it being out of stock regularly throughout its short lifespan.
Nintendo announced last week that it had discontinued the console, and that the next batch of stock it provided to retailers would be its last. “We understand that it has been difficult for many consumers to find a system, and for that we apologize”, the company said in a statement. However, one group that hasn’t been disappointed by the NES Mini’s supply issues is scalpers, who have been able to use this problem to their advantage by selling the consoles on eBay for a considerable profit.
Now these inflated eBay prices have risen even higher in the wake of Nintendo’s announcement, climbing as high as £350 on some listings. With an average price of around £200, it’s a far cry from the console’s UK launch price of £49.99, which many deemed a bargain considering the 30 classic games crammed into it. While it was initially touted as a cheap and cheerful way to play some of Nintendo’s best NES games, it’s now become something of a collector’s item, and its asking price will only climb now that the company is no longer manufacturing new models.
Many of the eBay listings now state that the NES Mini has been discontinued in their titles, taking advantage of the increasing rarity of the console. There are currently around 60 listings of the NES Mini on the site, though this number is expected to rise after Nintendo ships out its last batch of stock. The console is also available to buy from third-party retailers on Amazon for around £160, though the online retailer should receive new stock in the near future.
Nintendo made the announcement that it would be discontinuing the NES Mini in Europe today, with it having already been discontinued in North America and Japan. In a statement to Eurogamer, the company said: “We can confirm that we are no longer manufacturing the Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System. If production resumes in the future, an update will be posted on the official Nintendo website.”
