Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Early SNES Classic Edition scalpers face pushback from eBay

By

SNES Classic hands on review top detail
Mike Epstein/Digital Trends
Shady dealers looking to cash in on the limited supply of SNES Classic Edition mini consoles will have to work a little harder than just going to eBay, apparently. Eurogamer reports that the auction website has been pulling down the listings of SNES Classic Editions that went up shortly after pre-orders were live.

Anticipating short supply, the scalpers were asking for nearly triple the cost of an SNES Classic bought above board. The retro console cost $80 when bought new directly from Nintendo, but the scalped listings averaged around 200 British pounds (roughly $260), and went as high as 300 pounds ($390). An eBay representative told Eurogamer that site policy dictates that people cannot sell items more than 30 days prior to when the item is able to be sold. This limits the predatory ability of people to re-sell items before they are even available to buy in the first place.

Recommended Videos

Fans, retailers, and ethically dubious middlemen have been on high alert about the SNES Classic Edition ever since it was announced because of how notoriously difficult its predecessor, the NES Classic Edition, was to purchase. Nintendo has reassured fans that the company learned from the launch of the NES Classic and will produce a larger supply of the SNES Classic. Retailers are also taking steps to curb shortages, such as by limiting purchases to one console per customer. Realistically, we expect that, given how popular and influential a console the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was, its plug-and-play mini edition will be even bigger than the last one, outstripping preparations and making it hard for fans that aren’t diligent or lucky to find one.

Related

The SNES Classic Edition launches on September 29, plugging into any HDMI-compatible TV for a ready-to-go retro gaming experience. It includes 21 classic titles ranging from EarthBound to Super Mario World. It also notably contains the debut official release of Star Fox 2, the never-released sequel to the SNES original which was canned in the mid ’90s in favor of developing Star Fox 64. It’s similar in function to the NES Classic Edition in all ways except that it will include two controllers with five-foot cables as opposed to the too-short three-foot cable of the NES Classic’s controller. You can learn where to pre-order the SNES Classic Edition here.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Will Fulton
Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
20 classic SNES games we want added to Nintendo Switch Online
snes games we want added to nintendo switch online super metroid

Nintendo finally answered the cries of Switch Online subscribers and introduced Super Nintendo games to its vault. With added online features, the ability to rewind and fix your mistakes, and save states that let you return to the exact spot you last saved, we didn't just get some long-awaited 16-bit classics but some new ways to experience them.

While games such as Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is included, we found that many of our favorite games are still not included in the introductory lineup. With that in mind, here are 20 SNES games we want to see added to Nintendo Switch Online.
SNES games the Nintendo Switch needs
Super Castlevania IV

Read more
If Amazon crashes again on Prime Day, eBay has your back
ebay paypal adyen hq

Online marketplace eBay is preparing to compete against Prime Day with a cheeky bonus offer that will only go live if Amazon’s site crashes like it did last year.

The aptly named “Crash Sale" will take place on the opening day of Amazon’s massive sales push on July 15, and promises to offer online shoppers “doorbuster savings” of more than 50% on top brands that include LG, Apple, Samsung, KitchenAid, and Garmin. And if Amazon’s servers once again buckle under the weight of online traffic as they did at the start of last year's Prime Day, eBay will flick the switch on what it describes as “a fresh batch of too-good-to-be-true deals.”

Read more
The HP Victus gaming PC with RTX 3060 has a $550 discount
The HP Victus 15L gaming PC in white.

Gamers don't need to spend more than $1,000 if they want to buy a new gaming PC because there are affordable options like the HP Victus 15L gaming desktop. From its original price of $1,400, you can get it for just $850 as HP has applied a $550 discount on this machine. However, you shouldn't delay your purchase because there's no assurance that the gaming PC will still be 39% off tomorrow. If you want to make sure that you get it for less than $1,000, you're going to have to complete the transaction for it within the day.

Why you should buy the HP Victus 15L gaming desktop
You shouldn't expect the HP Victus 15L gaming desktop to match the performance of the top-of-the-line models of the best gaming PCs, but it's surprisingly powerful for its cost. Inside it are the 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, with 16GB of RAM that our guide on how much RAM do you need says is the best place to start for gaming. It's enough to play today's best PC games without any issues, and it may even be capable of running the upcoming PC games of the next few years if you're willing to dial down the settings for the more demanding titles.

Read more