Scalpers Are Scalping The Wii U For 800 Dollars In 2019

Wii U, the predecessor to Nintendo Switch, was seen as one of the biggest failures in Nintendo history, only doing better than the Virtual Boy.

Given that there were only about 15 million Wii U consoles manufactured, prices of brand new sets are bound to increase in the years to come, as the Wii U enters “ultra rare” and “legendary” status. So if you still have a Wii U, take good care of it as it may be worth thousands of dollars in the future.

[EddieNX]

Still have my ZombiU launch bundle in good condition. With a fair few games.

[Neonridr]

my Wii U isn't going anywhere. I got rid of my Wii so I need to keep it in order to play some of the Wii games I kept when I got rid of the console. Loved ZombiU actually.

[mikeslemonade]

Just sell it and get a PC. You will eventually be able to play every WiiU game you would want to play on PC.

[Neonridr]

@mikeslemonade - I have a gaming PC. I like keeping my old consoles though.

[EddieNX]

How you supposed to emulate certain WiiU games without the Gamepad?

Much rather play games natively than emulation , every day of the week

[Profchaos]

Good idea I've got a great gaming PC I've tried the emulators they never feel as good to play despite looking better you always battle controls and getting it streaming to a tv using Xbox controllers is just annoying.

I still use my original hardware just for the feeling of playing legit

[mikeslemonade]

Like seriously how many of those WiiU games are you gonna play? Much better to spend your time with modern games. And now modern games are even more diverse with indie games.

[rainslacker]

@Mike

If it was just about playing the games, one would be better off just buying a used system for much less. There is no reason to pay a premium for a new unused system unless one is a collector, and wants it for that purpose. Of course, people value things differently, so maybe they just prefer new, but because most people aren't willing to spend that much more for it new if they intend to play the system, these prices will go down, as the impulse collectors market evens itself out. They probably saw a couple sold at high prices on Ebay, then they all jack of the price, because there are people out there that don't understand that these things aren't rare, or even collectors items yet, but want to collect them. It screws up the market, but if its like many other things in the collectors market, it goes back to a reasonable amount later.

To me, new systems I'm weary of spending a lot of money on. Mostly, because if I don't intend to play it, I have no way to verify that it works, and opening it to verify it works devalues it to a used system level...making a high purchase price not worth it anymore. I'd rather get a well taken care of used system, then not have to worry about it. I will pay a premium for a complete system, with box, and all original materials, but I'll only buy new if it's not much more than used, or cheaper, and then, in many cases, only if I can return it if it doesn't work. I have a couple boxed systems, which I did test with white gloves, but if I were to sell them, I'd be transparent they were opened, but mostly new.

There is the caveat however that on the WiiU, a used system may have damage to the game pad screen though. So, new may be a better choice, since as of right now, they're more likely to work out of the box, and would still include warranty service through Nintendo through 2020....assuming you can prove you brought it unopened, and it had never been registered.

[mcstorm]

Neonridr I was with you with that but just moved to pc and so far all the games I have tried on the emulator seem to work well so my wiiu is going to be sold and I'm also getting others on the switch. For me I loved the wiiu and even though it had a short life I perfered it to the Xbox one and ps4 due to the games just being pure fun on it and different to what the other 2 offer.

[mikeslemonade]

At some point there will be a WiiU type controller on PC with a usb. It’s not hard to make because the WiiU gameplay was garbage anyway.

[Zeldafan64]

Zombiu was the reason I got the Wii U at launch. Between physical and digital I've got over 70 games. Never selling it.

[mcstorm]

Thats an amazing collection and like I said above lived the wiiu very underrated

[FanboysKiller]

Mine is breath of the wild bundle and it looks so sexy.

[neutralgamer1992]

They are available around me on offer up for about $100. May buy one

[isarai]

Why? Its a completely obsolete console seeng as how everything has been ported to switch at this point. Anywho i still have mine, maybe, dont really plan on selling

[Kados]

It still has a handful of games that have not been ported to the Switch. Xenoblade X & Paper Mario Color Splash are a couple major ones. It is also still the best system to play Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, & Wind Waker on.

[callahan09]

Mario Maker is not on Switch (it is on 3DS, and while I haven't played it I've heard it isn't as good or complete or is missing some things from the Wii U version?). I really hope they bring it to Switch, though, it would be great on Switch!

[Cobra951]

Agree on the Zeldas, especially TP. The mirrored world in the Wii version is an abomination, and the waggle controls don't fare much better.

[Zeldafan64]

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is another one.

[Concertoine]

i like to keep it to play party games, wii games, and after modding it, gamecube games.

[Servbot41]

Ease of modding

[meka2611]

It's most likely for all the older games from virtual console that you cannot get on switch yet. Like super nintendo and other games; switch just has nintendo. Plus some other games that aren't ported yet.

[rainslacker]

You can buy them used, with some games at GameStop for $160. Could probably find them cheap on craigslist.

Eventually, due to the sales of the system, it'll become a collectors system. But that time isn't now.

The TurboDuo can easily cost $700, used, no games, no box, potentially no controller....sometimes may need repairs. Took about 10 years after it went off the market to hit $500 on the collectors market. WiiU had a few key games which will make it more desireable for collectors, but ultimately, it'll be easy to find for quite a while.

Scalpers have a habit of being very reactionary when they feel that there might be a sudden boom on the sales of something. It happens a lot with games in the collectors market, and is the main reason why older games tend to have prices inflated much higher than they really should be. Eventually, it can set a standard price, but if one isn't impulsive, they can almost always get the stuff cheaper. Obvious exceptions exist, but inflated prices for an extended time are rare for things that aren't particularly rare.

[Cobra951]

Yeah, it won't last. Seems like a bit of a fad to me. I still have my original SNES, and selling that won't make me rich. I might get a bit of cash for my Earthbound cart with box and manual, though.

[PurpHerbison]

Yeah, I doubt that. I can go on local Facebook or Craigslist postings and find them for around $100 with games included.

[addictedtochaos]

The article is mainly talking about brand new unopened Wii U consoles.

[rainslacker]

You can still find them at local game stops new in some places. They don't sell them online new though. I know my local game stop had a couple about a month ago.

This inflated price is going to be temporary. I would suggest people not get too anxious about losing out. There are some collectors nowadays who really don't understand the way the market works, and tend to be too impulsive which drives up prices, which scalpers then use as incentive to create this sense of something being worth more than it really is.

[PurpHerbison]

Well, I can't say whether or not the ones listed as unopened are truly unopened but the point is they simply aren't that rare.

[mch2011uk]

Lol a console Nintendo couldn't sell for $300 is now $800 lol

[eagle21]

The irony. :)

[MajorLazer]

People are stupid

[bannhammer07]

Every Pawn 1 in my city has Wii U's for $100, why would you buy one for this much?

[deafdani]

Collecting purposes. There's a good chance a brand new, never opened Wii U console will cost a fortune in a few years, because Nintendo made so few.

[bannhammer07]

Huh, I guess I can't understand the value of air sealed products. I'm not a collector so it's odd to me.

[chris235]

i gave it away for free after a few weeks because i was too embarrassed to take money for it. good luck finding these „connaisseurs“ who are going to pay you thousands for it.

[EddieNX]

Insecurity issues ? If you struggle selling hardware to strangers, is there anything you're actually confident at?

[remixx116]

Lol facts, I was like tf? It's a good ass system and who the hell is to embarrassed to sell at plastic entertainment system??

[rainslacker]

I guess we value different things. You seem to be ashamed you brought it, so wouldn't accept money for it, yet freely go on the internet to say that you were silly enough to buy it not realizing you wouldn't like it. Not sure what part of that makes you sound more foolish.

I gave mine away to my cousins kids, because they were having financial troubles, and he's a good kid. He loved it, as I had plenty of games to let him play. I eventually got it back to play BOTW when it released, and I partook in some older games i had put off. I gave him an extra PS3 I had as a replacement, although his family isn't having financial troubles anymore.

And there are going to be people paying that much for it. The scalping market will boost the price when there are a few people buying them at that price, because it creates this false sense of rarity and that drives people to be anxious about losing out on a collectors item.

Personally, I've found I've saved more money by not being reactionary, even though there have been occasions where I might spend more on some items. the overall money I save though, allows me to get a lot more in the long run. not that I really care to have a new WiiU for collection purposes. I tend to stick to the games for collections. Although I do have a nice collection of limited editions dreamcasts from Japan.

That said, I paid about $800 for a used Turbo Duo with the arcade card and hucard converter included. Pristine condition and had the box and manuals, with the 5 in 1 pack in disc, and was the US version, which while unnecessary, is actually kind of rare with all that stuff in good condition. It's was the centerpiece of my game room set up until I moved,but it'll go back there when the time comes.

[LoveSpuds]

I actually liked my WiiU, I didn't own a Wii so got to own a whole bunch of great games across the Wii and WiiU library and when I look at them on my shelf, they make for a pretty great selection of titles.

I took a punt on the WiiU becoming quite a rare console in 25 years time given how few were manufactured and decided to buy quite a few of the bigger or more desirable games on the off chance they become somewhat collectible down the line.....you never know.

[rainslacker]

I liked it too. Wasn't too fond of the standard controller, but it was what it was. There were some good games on it, and yeah, it had that nice back catalog of Wii games as well.

I wouldn't call it my favorite system, but it was fun enough. I didn't have it for a few years because I gave it to my cousins kid until BOTW released, but at the time, I was too busy with so many other games that I couldn't manage to make time for it anyways.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

Time to put mines on EBay then. It’s been in my garage for about 3 years now.

[deafdani]

This is for brand new. Used won't be worth much.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

Yeah it was a joke. I have no interest in selling my Wii U

[2pacalypsenow]

Still play a ton of Virtual console on mine, so no need to sell it.

unless they start selling for 1000+

[traumadisaster]

I bought one from Nintendo eBay store refurb from ninty the Christmas when there was faint whispers of the Switch coming. My kids love it! We will play it several years until the next switch comes out and then stay a console gen back to save money.

[IcedOmega13]

It's a great homebrew machine and even though it can't run gamecube discs it can run gamecube backups.

[IMissJimRyan]

Nintendo fans deserve that.

[prankster101]

Legendary...?

Pfft!

[FallenAngel1984]

I got a Wii U just so it could replace my Wii. I have no intention of selling it, especially since it came with so many Virtual Console games available for download because it was used

[Shuckylad]

I love my wii u more than the switch so far.

[Zeldafan64]

The Gamepad makes things so much better.

[InTheZoneAC]

Will sell mine for $800. Wind waker edition, bids starting at $800 free shipping to US. Reply a bid! Paypal only.

[Zeldafan64]

Most of my comments on this site are typed on my Wii U. Including this one.

[FanboysKiller]

I don't have a reason to sell it, I'm really in love with it.

[Knightofelemia]

You just notice this now people have been asking high dollar signs for new Wii-u's in the box when Nintendo said the system was done years back. And that usually happens with any other system when the console is done it's life cycle. I bet new PS3's command a high dollar new in box as well.

[Pantz]

You can't scalp an item that is no longer in production. If it's a brand new, never opened Wii U, or a brand new, never opened Dreamcast, they are going to be way more expensive to buy now than they used to be.

I bought a used Wii U recently and after some shopping around I found one with all the original cables, and a few accessories for $150 free shipping on eBay.

Amazon is rarely a good place to buy out of production items.

[SlagWolf]

I’ve seen people selling them locally by me for around $100 with a few games just in the last few weeks. Buyers market.

[EricLane]

I have a lightly used Wii U for the baragin price of $600 if anyone is interested. I'll throw in 7 games for another $250. Do I hear $850?

[deno]

Same here. Still have my Mario bros bundle, Zelda breath of the wild, donkey Kong tropical freeze, sonic lost world, super Mario 3d world, pikmin 3, zombi u, super Mario bros 2.

[hiawa23]

I was looking fro a Wiiu recently to finish some games as my daughter is stingy with hers and I could not believe the prices. I thought the point of selling something on Ebay or Amazon is to sell something. Who in their right mind would buy a Wiiu for $800?

[Veneno]

Sell a Wii U and just put a Switch in the package. They'll never know the difference....

[Jrios355]

I still have mine, and I hold on to it dearly. Still play Breath of the Wild on it, recently bought Shovel Knight, and I still play Wii games on it as well. Nothing's going to make me sell it or give it away.

[Thomaticus]

800 dollars?! lol

[WeAreLegion]

Until Fatal Frame V is available on Switch, it'll always be necessary.

[pleasuretokill]

What do I think? As a game collector since I was a kid in the late 80s? 15 million copies of ANYTHING is NOT LIMITED at all, whatsoever. Just a person with a Wii U system hoping to get that cash. Don't we all want that sweet cash though?? Now, if you have a rare game or bundle, still sealed... sure, save that for cash. But, your launch day system that has been used moderately and is still in great condition, with a few used games that EVERYONE has... you will get minimum of that sweet cash. Sorry...... The dream is dead

[Good-Smurf]

These scalpers gave a goodwill gamer like me a bad rep,I sold my Wii U not long after I finished Earthbound on it for $200 with 10 games.
The deal went off in 24 hours.
What about Dreamcast I see far less try to scalp that thing.

[Jon_Targaryen]

Softmodded mine recently. Best value I ever got out of the console

[kythlyn]

As long as Super Mario Maker is exclusive to the Wii U, it is a killer app that people will want to own the system for.

[NonPartisanGamer]

Scalpers scalping is news?

[TheRacingX]

I love my WiiU , all my Nintendo needs are right there.... no need for me to get a swtich...yet.... hoping new Metroids, Donkey Kong Country, Zelda, etc will change that....but as long as they keep porting over WiiU games, Im not buying

[J-DARKnes]

Really? I got 2 WiiUs one for my 6 years old and one for me. Got them at the local pawnshop for $100