The gaming industry is undergoing a major shift from physical to digital.
With changing buying habits and plans from one of the biggest gaming companies to halt disc production; the second-hand market is in for a serious shake-up.
As the industry changes, could some of the games, consoles and collectibles already sitting in people’s homes be worth more than they realise?
To find out whether people could lose money or be sitting on hidden gems, we researched which physical games and consoles are fetching the highest prices on second-hand marketplace, eBay.
Topline summary:
- The current state of the video game market: The gaming market continues to grow in the UK and internationally, while the second-hand market is also worth billions. However, Sony’s plans to end physical disc production could change the landscape, potentially making physical games more valuable while reducing opportunities for everyday gamers to sell unwanted titles.
- The most valuable games and consoles: Research into eBay sales reveals the video games and consoles sold for the highest prices, with rare, sealed, and limited-edition items fetching thousands of pounds.
- The collectibles market: Gaming merchandise and trading cards can be worth even more than the games and consoles themselves, with Pokémon cards dominating the research and one selling for more than £700,000.
- Inside the world of gaming collectors: Case studies from collectors who have spent tens of thousands on games, consoles and merchandise provide insight into why people continue to invest in physical gaming items.
- Expert advice for those looking to cash in: Insights from Ewbank’s and UK Debt Expert highlight the growing demand for physical collectibles and offer advice for people looking to find value in old games, their consoles and related merchandise.
The industry’s current state of play
The video game market is increasing year on year, with research showing that the UK market has reached 8.76 billion, growing by an impressive 7.4% in 2025.
Moreover, across the pond, the US video game market is projected to rise from $53.74 billion in 2025 to $125.37 billion by 2034, showing just how big the market is on the global scale.
But it's not just major gaming companies benefiting from the industry's success. The global second-hand gaming market is estimated to be worth $7.2 billion, with consumers increasingly buying and selling pre-owned consoles, games, and collectibles.
In fact, American influencer and wrestler Logan Paul made a staggering £12 million sale at the start of 2026 from a rare Pokémon card, showing just how much people are willing to pay to get their hands on merch relating to their beloved video game franchise.
However, the gaming industry is starting to shift towards digital, with Sony's controversial announcement of ending video game disc production for PlayStation from 2028; a move that has sparked backlash from gamers, with the #NoDiscNoBuy movement gaining traction.
But could this be good news for collectors? While fewer disc-based consoles could make second-hand games harder to sell, reduced production could also make physical games rarer - potentially turning some titles into valuable collector’s items.
On the other hand, the shift to digital could make it harder for ordinary people looking to make extra cash by selling old video games around the home, with fewer physical releases potentially meaning fewer opportunities to cash in on unwanted games in the future.
To determine which games have sold for the most, our research was based on the top 20 video game franchises ranked by reported sales. Included in the list are many household favourites, such as Mario, Pokémon and The Sims.
The top 20 video game franchises by reported volume of merchandise sales
- Mario - 939k
- Tetris - 520k
- Pokémon - 515k
- Call of Duty - 500k
- Grand Theft Auto - 470k
- Minecraft - 400k
- FIFA - 325k
- Sonic - 261k
- Assassin’s Creed - 230k
- Wii Series - 221k
- Final Fantasy - 212k
- Lego - 205k
- Resident Evil - 201k
- The Sims - 200k
- The Legend of Zelda - 182k
- NBA 2K - 173k
- Star Wars - 166k
- Madden NFL - 150k
- Need for Speed - 150k
- Monster Hunter - 127k
The most valuable gaming collectibles revealed
Pokémon games have astronomical figures compared with the rest of the best-selling video game franchises.
It holds the record for the highest-priced individual video game sold in the dataset, with Pokémon Red A+ Sealed 1st print Sandshrew US version 1998 WATA 9.4 for Nintendo Game Boy, selling for a staggering £16,086.70.
Other famous game franchises in the top 10 list include The Legend of Zelda, Grand Theft Auto, and FIFA, showing a variety of franchises selling for significant sums on the second-hand market.
Interestingly, many of the games with premium price tags are vintage, factory-sealed games from the 1990s, with condition, rarity and age appearing to play a major role in how much collectors are willing to pay.
The findings show that keeping hold of older games in their original condition could potentially pay off with great rewards, with every title in the top 10 selling close to £2,000 or more. However, the data also highlights the importance of the condition, as the most valuable titles are predominantly sealed or professionally graded.
The top 10 most expensive video merchandise sold on eBay
| Ranking | Video game merchandise | Price sold |
| 1 | “Full-Art Mario Pikachu Pokemon 2016 Promo Japanese 294/XY-P BGS 10 POP 24” | £29,426.90 |
| 2 | “2016 TOPPS STAR WARS ROGUE ONE GOLD #2 CAPTAIN CASSIAN ANDOR 34/50 PSA 10” | £22,008.66 |
| 3 | ‘MTG Final Fantasy - Cloud Midgar Mercenary Promo Foil Top 32 Prize Las Vegas” | £16,706.11 |
| 4 | “2026 Prizm FIFA World Cup Lamine Yamal cracked ice SSP/23 Spain #70” | £15,086.70 |
| 5 | “FIFA World Cup 2026™ Champions Ring - Spain World Cup Winner Ring” | £14,564.30 |
| 6 | “2024-25 PANINI DONRUSS FIFA KABOOM! BLACK 1/1 #16 ANDREA PIRLO 1/1 PSA 7” | £12,506.44 |
| 7 | “Full-Art Luigi Pikachu Pokemon 2016 Mario Pikachu Promo Japanese 296/XY-P PSA 10” | £12,506.43 |
| 8 | “Lego Jango Fett - With Cargo Case - 65153” | £9,086.70 |
| 9 | ‘2025 MTG JAPANESE FINAL FANTASY COLORFUL CHOCOBOS-BLACK TRAVELING CHOCOBO PSA 10”‘2025 MTG JAPANESE FINAL FANTASY COLORFUL CHOCOBOS-BLACK TRAVELING CHOCOBO PSA 10” | £8,436.65 |
| 10 | Final Fantasy TCG cards for flowgrid” | £6,211.70 |
Pokémon cards top the collectibles market
The astonishing prices of Pokémon cards resulted in their own top 10 list, with the most expensive in the research selling for an enormous £735,672.04.
The value of a Pokémon card can be influenced by several factors, including its rarity and grading. Professional grading services such as PSA assess cards on a 1 to 10 scale, with condition playing a major role in determining their value.
The research also highlights just how much rarity can affect the second-hand market, with all 10 of the most expensive Pokémon cards identified selling for more than £100,000.
The top 10 most expensive Pokémon cards sold on eBay
| Ranking | Pokémon cards | Price sold |
| 1 | “2006 POKEMON BLACK STAR PROMOS #037 KYOGRE EX-HOLO PSA 10” | £735,672.04 |
| 2 | “Pop 2 BGS 10 Rayquaza Gold Star 1st Ed - Clash of the Blue Sky 067/082 Pokemon” | £428,639.74 |
| 3 | “1999 Pokemon PSA 10 Base Set 1st Edition Charizard Holo’ | £236,025.53 |
| 4 | “Ancient Mew Pokemon Card Year 2000 Signed Emo HOLO MINT edition 1/7” | £220,086.70 |
| 5 | “POP 1 MBA BLACK DIAMOND MEW EX PALDEAN FATES SIR #232 BGS 10 BLACK LABEL” | £183,918.19 |
| 6 | “1996 POKEMON JAPANESE PROMO COROCORO COMIC NOVEMBER #025 PIKACHU PSA 9 OC” | £146,713.62 |
| 7 | “2011 Pokemon Call of Legends #SL10 Rayquaza Holo PSA 10 GEM MINT” | £132,198.66 |
| 8 | “2000 Pokemon Charizard 4/102 PSA 10 HOLO 1st Edition Korean Base Set POP 7” | £119,941.31 |
| 9 | “2006 POKEMON EX LEGEND MAKER REVERSE HOLO #5/92 GENGAR CGC 10 PERFECT” | £108,143.90 |
| 10 | “POP 1 MBA GOLD POKEMON LEGENDARY COLLECTION CHARIZARD REV. RARE #3 PSA 10” | £103,067.76 |
Hearing from those who collect
Many gamers are willing to spend a small fortune on their most beloved video games, with some building collections worth thousands of pounds.
Michaela Harris and her husband, Samuel Harris, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, are two such gamers, having built up a collection of video games, consoles and merchandise worth around £30,000.
Michaela said:
“I’ve always had video game consoles since I was a kid, starting with Sega and then moving over to the very first PlayStation as soon as it came out.
“My parents were fortunate enough to be in a position to provide us with the latest video games and their consoles that were available. The first games that ever got me into gaming properly were Pokémon Red, Yellow, and Blue. My husband, Sam, has been the same, always wanting the latest piece of technology, with his gaming journey starting with Zelda, which he started playing from a very young age.
“A fun fact about us is that we were both also working at the video game retailer, Game, around the same time as each other, but never knew one another, whilst being in the same area!”
Michaela states that the couple’s collection of games, consoles and merchandise started when they met in 2015, with Sam’s experience of collecting from a young age inspiring both to continue growing their collection.
“I never really collected games until I met Sam in 2015. Sam, however, always collected games, consoles, and their merch since he was about 10 and has continued to do so since.
The couple’s buying habits have seen them spend tens of thousands of pounds on their collection, with some individual purchases costing hundreds of pounds.
“Collectively, we’ve spent around £30,000 on items relating to video games; in fact, it may be even more than that based on the collectibles that we have.
“One of our most expensive purchases at once was buying two of the Nintendo Switch 2s at the same time, for just under £1,000.
“We have sold some of our items for a pretty good price; one was a Hogwarts Legacy PlayStation controller which went for around £400!”
When asked about changes Sony is making to physical video games, Michaela said that these items are likely only going to go up in value and that the couple will be keeping an eye out for how the shift towards digital gaming changes the value of their collection.
“Games are likely to be worth more with everything going digital, and we are likely to hold on to the items that are worth more. We have a few collector's items that we won’t be selling until absolutely necessary, but hanging onto them means we’re likely to get more for them.”
Hearing from those on the selling side
James Spooner, Head of Trading Cards at Ewbank’s, said:
“Pokémon cards are without a doubt the most sought-after collectible of 2026. We've seen high street retailers running out of stock nationwide, international territories requiring citizens to provide photo ID before being allowed to make a purchase, and card events plus trade shows dominating event calendars worldwide.
“This is likely due to the year-long celebrations that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have been undertaking across all forms of their media. We've seen new releases of video games, trading card sets, and in-person tournaments over the past nine months, with plenty more to come - including the highly anticipated 30th Anniversary set, which is due to release in October. The question is, can this momentum be upheld into 2027? Only time will tell.”
James also notes that the growing shift towards digital gaming appears to be driving renewed interest in physical collectibles, with some unexpected items proving particularly popular at auction.
“We have seen a general trend towards the sales of physical media ever since PlayStation/Sony made the deleterious decision to discontinue physical discs in 2028. With this aggressive push towards an all-digital future, customers are yearning for a return to the tangible.
“A trading card set that has been historically overlooked but has seen a recent bounce back in popularity is the original 1977 Star Wars set by Topps. A complete set of all 5 series cards - separated into individual lots for auction - selling collectively for £2,262 (incl. buyer's fees).
“Possibly the most surprising turn towards the physical that we have seen at Ewbank's has been the trend towards signed products. A number of items that were signed by Nintendo mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto came to auction with us recently, which went above all expectations. Most notably, a Super Mario 64 box signed by him (with an initial estimate of £1,000-£2,000) sold for £8,450 (incl. buyer's fees) with us back in July.”
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer and producer, and is best known for creating or co-creating major Nintendo franchises including Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong and Pikmin.
As interest in collectible video games and trading cards continues to grow, auction houses are also seeing strong demand for physical items, with some selling for significantly more than their initial estimates.
James Spooner, Head of Trading Cards at Ewbank’s, said:
“Pokémon cards are without a doubt the most sought-after collectible of 2026. We've seen high street retailers running out of stock nationwide, international territories requiring citizens to provide photo ID before being allowed to make a purchase, and card events plus trade shows dominating event calendars worldwide.
“This is likely due to the year-long celebrations that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have been undertaking across all forms of their media. We've seen new releases of video games, trading card sets, and in-person tournaments over the past nine months, with plenty more to come - including the highly anticipated 30th Anniversary set, which is due to release in October. The question is, can this momentum be upheld into 2027? Only time will tell.”
James also notes that the growing shift towards digital gaming appears to be driving renewed interest in physical collectibles, with some unexpected items proving particularly popular at auction.
“We have seen a general trend towards the sales of physical media ever since PlayStation/Sony made the deleterious decision to discontinue physical discs in 2028. With this aggressive push towards an all-digital future, customers are yearning for a return to the tangible.
“A trading card set that has been historically overlooked but has seen a recent bounce back in popularity is the original 1977 Star Wars set by Topps. A complete set of all 5 series cards - separated into individual lots for auction - selling collectively for £2,262 (incl. buyer's fees).
“Possibly the most surprising turn towards the physical that we have seen at Ewbank's has been the trend towards signed products. A number of items that were signed by Nintendo mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto came to auction with us recently, which went above all expectations. Most notably, a Super Mario 64 box signed by him (with an initial estimate of £1,000-£2,000) sold for £8,450 (incl. buyer's fees) with us back in July.”
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer and producer, and is best known for creating or co-creating major Nintendo franchises including Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong and Pikmin.
“You could be sitting on a hidden treasure”
Commenting on the research, a spokesperson from UK Debt Expert said:
“With the cost of living still putting pressure on household budgets, finding money in possessions you already own could be a useful way to bring in some extra cash.
“While the figures in the research might seem surprising, they also show that valuable items could be sitting in people’s homes without realising it.
“As gaming continues to move towards digital, it’s worth taking a second look at old games and consoles as well as collectibles before throwing them away or selling for a low price.
“For anyone looking to make some extra money, checking whether an item is rare, limited edition, or in particularly good condition could make a huge difference to what it’s worth. It’s worth getting these valuable items professionally assessed or graded, especially for those who aren’t the everyday gamer, to help understand if you’re holding onto something of value.
“The key is not to assume something is worthless just because it’s old - you could be sitting on a hidden treasure!”
Methodology:
Using research on the top 20 best-selling video game franchises, we looked at eBay data to discover the most expensive video games, consoles, and merchandise sold on the platform.
The data also looked at the three most expensive video game titles and merchandise per gaming franchise and ranked the collectibles in order of price to determine which ones are worth the most money.
All data is accurate as of September 2026.
