game boy Work In Progress: Complete List of NA(US) Game Boy Cartridge Variants

[AdamW | 713]

I'm actually really curious to know if people will start throwing out stupid money for late variants, or if the stupid money will only ever be for "first production". Have you seen any cases yet of rare/unusual/interesting later variants getting crazy prices?

edit: personally I really dig cool variants regardless of production order and I'd pay a premium to get something like that black-ESRB SML if one came up. But probably not "college education" level of premium I haven't yet caught many/any cases of other people paying super high prices for non-early variants, though.

Edited May 18, 2021 by AdamW

[RH | 4,903]

34 minutes ago, AdamW said:

I'm actually really curious to know if people will start throwing out stupid money for late variants, or if the stupid money will only ever be for "first production". Have you seen any cases yet of rare/unusual/interesting later variants getting crazy prices?

edit: personally I really dig cool variants regardless of production order and I'd pay a premium to get something like that black-ESRB SML if one came up. But probably not "college education" level of premium I haven't yet caught many/any cases of other people paying super high prices for non-early variants, though.

I'm quite skeptical that people will pay much attention to these obscure variants.  I mean there's already a $2,000ish Sunsoft Lock N' Chase out there and it is one of the more rare variants for the system.  I know Mario has much more of an appeal, and SML and SML-2 CIB copies like mine are known to exist and probably number under 5 each.  Maybe even in total for both.  JVOSS and RpgCollector have been looking and these variants longer than I have so they have a better clue as to what really is very, very rare.  Regardless, I just don't see the larger community caring that much.  Maybe some but not a lot.

Personally, I'd consider $1,500-2,000 for my Rated E CIB SML2 to be fair, considering condition and the current market.  However, I know what I have and that it's rare, so it has a personal value higher than that.

[DefaultGen | 5,405]

44 minutes ago, AdamW said:

I'm actually really curious to know if people will start throwing out stupid money for late variants, or if the stupid money will only ever be for "first production". Have you seen any cases yet of rare/unusual/interesting later variants getting crazy prices?

It's gotta be in a set of some kind to have organic interest without someone marketing it I think. Game Boy hardcore completionists want some of these obscure GB variants. NBA Ballers Platinum Hits is $1000+ because people need it for their Xbox PH set, when it's an $8 game otherwise. There are so many undocumented miniscule variants, the market can't sustain any random minor rare variant selling for crazy money. I roll my eyes all the way out the back of my head and down the street when I see someone with a black box NES game start talking up the "rare 28th print, so and so code over here, only in print for 3 months according to this spreadsheet!" as if that matters to anyone.

[RH | 4,903]

6 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

It's gotta be in a set of some kind to have organic interest without someone marketing it I think. Game Boy hardcore completionists want some of these obscure GB variants. NBA Ballers Platinum Hits is $1000+ because people need it for their Xbox PH set, when it's an $8 game otherwise. There are so many undocumented miniscule variants, the market can't sustain any random minor rare variant selling for crazy money. I roll my eyes all the way out the back of my head and down the street when I see someone with a black box NES game start talking up the "rare 28th print, so and so code over here, only in print for 3 months according to this spreadsheet!" as if that matters to anyone.

I agree with this in principle.  The only value I personally see in late variants is for games like SML or SML 2 (and many others, I'm sure) it's a testament to how well loved those games were when they had a print run lifespan of close to 10 years!  Having that "first variant" is cool because it's what started it all.  However, having that last print, swan song variant is also cool, especially when it truly is rare.

In my mind, Nintendo wanted one last hurrah for these titles.  I think it might have been more for them, honoring the console, than trying to squeeze out a few more sales.  No one rally wanted SML/SML2 back in 1998 because everyone already had a copy of the game and if you really were late to the GB party and wanted those games, you could easily pick up a nice copy for $5 at Funcoland or Electronics Boutique. And yet, Nintendo still made a limited print run "just because" in the era of the Game Boy Color.

Of course, I have no desire to hype these variants but I do see value, in context, for some last-run variants to have special value within the collector community. This is one of those cases.

[AdamW | 713]

Yeah, that's an interesting take and makes sense for sure. I guess the set in this case is "black ESRB logo OG Game Boy games"; I definitely find that cool, I wonder how many others will

[JVOSS | 1,762]

1 hour ago, AdamW said:

Yeah, that's an interesting take and makes sense for sure. I guess the set in this case is "black ESRB logo OG Game Boy games"; I definitely find that cool, I wonder how many others will

really what i have see is the few people care about the late release with the exception of about 4o or so world collectors that i've been tracking and most of them are for CIB only so when a cart dose come up they tend to look the other way.

@RHYou was able to get a "CIB" of SML-2?  also if your looking the free items will be flowing in a few weeks.  i'm putting the lots together now. 

Side Note:  I have a few LnC-1 if anyone needs.

 

[RH | 4,903]

On 10/14/2020 at 2:15 PM, RH said:

@bowser  @creepsthething

Here's the cover of SML2.  Seems consistent with the bowser's SML cover.

 

4 minutes ago, JVOSS said:

 

@RHYou was able to get a "CIB" of SML-2?  also if your looking the free items will be flowing in a few weeks.  i'm putting the lots together now. 

 

 

See the above post from back in October last year.  That's my copy of SML2.

A CIB SML came up early this year on eBay.  I lost that bid.  I think @RpgCollector won that one, but I'm to lazy to look it up.  Someone on this thread fessed up to getting it.

[AdamW | 713]

well hey, look what just popped up on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304003204568

I was a little tempted. But they don't ship to Canada so I'd have to proxy it, and I think I'm gonna stick to my cardboard idealism. Must have box!

[JVOSS | 1,762]

4 hours ago, AdamW said:

well hey, look what just popped up on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304003204568

I was a little tempted. But they don't ship to Canada so I'd have to proxy it, and I think I'm gonna stick to my cardboard idealism. Must have box!

i have one if you want to trade for a sml-2 cart only

[Splain | 2,570]

I'm re-organizing all my GB stuff. Here's all my variants so far, with my most recent 2-line pickups. I also have that Tennis variant coming my way. I'm still missing lots of easy ones, like almost all of the DKL revisions. Two of those yellow carts are NFRs.

I should also mention that I started updating @RH's spreadsheet with all the new variants and info that's been uncovered in the thread, but I haven't worked on it for kind of a while. I'm mentioning it so that I'll get back to it soon.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

34 minutes ago, Splain said:

@Splainnice, but that looks little light how many do you have there?

[RH | 4,903]

On 5/19/2021 at 2:32 PM, AdamW said:

well hey, look what just popped up on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304003204568

I was a little tempted. But they don't ship to Canada so I'd have to proxy it, and I think I'm gonna stick to my cardboard idealism. Must have box!

If you, or anyone is not watching this item, the seller does seem motivated to sell this game. I just got a message that an offer was pushed to watchers for about $98.

If you were on the fence on buying this at $150, you can get it for $100, and maybe less, if you send an offer to the guy.

IMHO, this just goes to show that there aren't many of us looking for these rare variants. Compared to other market craziness, I think a rare cartridge like this at $100 is a steal. In fact, I'd be tempted to pick up the spare for a future trade if I hadn't already overspent my budget this month.

Regardless, if I was at a place to buy, I'd probably try to push my luck with $75.

[AdamW | 713]

yeah, I'd probably buy it for $98 if they shipped to Canada. Still might, I just don't want to keep imposing on my US proxy, they only just sent me another package

[RH | 4,903]

1 minute ago, AdamW said:

yeah, I'd probably buy it for $98 if they shipped to Canada. Still might, I just don't want to keep imposing on my US proxy, they only just sent me another package

If you can get me the cash, first, via PayPal, I'll do it. Just let me know what a realistic rate is to ship to Canada from Southern US in a bubble mailer or small box (your choice) and I am willing to do proxy it for free. I'm just out of cash in my PayPal so that's why I need the payment first. PM me and we can discuss.

[AdamW | 713]

edit: never mind, I see the relist.

Edited May 22, 2021 by AdamW

[Splain | 2,570]

11 hours ago, JVOSS said:

@Splainnice, but that looks little light how many do you have there?

Not as much as you, lol. These are just my variants, I'm still missing a dozen or two. The main "first release" collection is in another drawer.

[RH | 4,903]

3 minutes ago, Splain said:

Not as much as you, lol. These are just my variants, I'm still missing a dozen or two. The main "first release" collection is in another drawer.

You know, I never laid out my carts well for one big family photo.

I need to get on that. My collection of stuff I want to keep is probably around 650 GB carts and if I lay out the GBC/GBA, it's probably in the 750 range.

[Splain | 2,570]

15 minutes ago, RH said:

You know, I never laid out my carts well for one big family photo.

I need to get on that. My collection of stuff I want to keep is probably around 650 GB carts and if I lay out the GBC/GBA, it's probably in the 750 range.

It's a rush! I can't wait to complete other smaller sets (variants, black carts, PAL exclusives, CHN, etc) so I can take more pictures lol

[JVOSS | 1,762]

3 hours ago, RH said:

If you, or anyone is not watching this item, the seller does seem motivated to sell this game. I just got a message that an offer was pushed to watchers for about $98.

If you were on the fence on buying this at $150, you can get it for $100, and maybe less, if you send an offer to the guy.

IMHO, this just goes to show that there aren't many of us looking for these rare variants. Compared to other market craziness, I think a rare cartridge like this at $100 is a steal. In fact, I'd be tempted to pick up the spare for a future trade if I hadn't already overspent my budget this month.

Regardless, if I was at a place to buy, I'd probably try to push my luck with $75.

@RHat the 75 mark it still to high.  the average is going between 25-75.  over this month alone there were a few that went for ~17..  i got cib for 99. if the label was good then maybe 100.

the labels (ESRB "E" Black) is a matt finish so to get a good label will be tough..

[JVOSS | 1,762]

1 hour ago, Splain said:

It's a rush! I can't wait to complete other smaller sets (variants, black carts, PAL exclusives, CHN, etc) so I can take more pictures lol

@Splainnice looking family.  did you take the family photo. 

I need a good photographer. ~2500 kids need photographed you up for that? if your in socal?

 

btw you want a challenge set get the Rom Variants.

[phart010 | 1,707]

4 hours ago, JVOSS said:

@RHat the 75 mark it still to high.  the average is going between 25-75.  over this month alone there were a few that went for ~17..  i got cib for 99. if the label was good then maybe 100.

the labels (ESRB "E" Black) is a matt finish so to get a good label will be tough..

The danger with these rare variants is that the frequency of sales is so low that they are susceptible to market manipulation. They so rarely get listed identifying them as a -2 variant that all it takes is for one person to overpay and set the new baseline price. Then the next that goes for sale will use the last sale as the new bottom

Edited May 22, 2021 by phart010

[JVOSS | 1,762]

Have this in hand might keep.  no inserts and cart is dated to 99 so have to look at adding the other parts.  what everyone thoughts? 

[JVOSS | 1,762]

On 5/22/2021 at 10:52 AM, Splain said:

It's a rush! I can't wait to complete other smaller sets (variants, black carts, PAL exclusives, CHN, etc) so I can take more pictures lol

hold on you have a want a be DMG in there.

Spoiler

 

[Splain | 2,570]

I usually just toss Yellow in there because I don't want every comment to be "where's Yellow." Especially on sites like Reddit, it would be impossible to show a picture like this without it immediately turning into a TED talk about ROM headers. So I just put it in there because I have it anyway.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

5 minutes ago, Splain said:

I usually just toss Yellow in there because I don't want every comment to be "where's Yellow." Especially on sites like Reddit, it would be impossible to show a picture like this without it immediately turning into a TED talk about ROM headers. So I just put it in there because I have it anyway.

where's Gold, Silver?  where Revision Rat, Drop Zone?  missing bomber Man Pocket? Mr Nuts?