Shiny hunting has become a popular hobby for many Pokémon enthusiasts, some of which spend hundreds of hours on a single hunt; but this hobby has recently become very expensive for newer players who are wanting to dip their toes in the older generations of Pokémon. While DS and 3DS titles cost $35 to $40 at launch, that’s only a fraction of what they sell for now.
For those who are unaware, Shiny Pokémon are very rare Pokémon that are a different color than their original version. Every Pokémon has a shiny variant, but some are rarer than others due to their availability or method of obtaining them. Some Shiny Pokémon can only be obtained in certain games such as Victini in Black/White, Jirachi in Pokémon Colosseum (bonus disc), or Darkrai in Platinum. However, players who want to start hunting these Pokémon, and others like them, will have to pay a hefty price per title.
This is because, over the past year, the price for vintage Pokémon titles has skyrocketed. When Pokémon games for the DS were first released they would run between $35 to $40. Now, a loose copy of Pokémon: Platinum for the DS sells for an average of $80+, according to PriceCharting. If a player wants to Shiny hunt Latias or Latios in Gen 2, they can find copies of HeartGold or SoulSilver on eBay selling regularly for anywhere between $80 and $500 depending on the quality of the game. And since Shiny Victini is exclusive to Black/White, players will once again have to cough up roughly $100 for a loose game without a case. But why pay these outrageous prices if there are cheaper alternatives available?
Pokémon fans are subjecting themselves to paying two or three times a game’s original price just for a chance to obtain a different colored virtual monster when there are a couple of other much cheaper options. Players could emulate these games on their PC or through the use of flashcarts, or purchase a fake copy of the games for a highly discounted price. However, many portions of the Shiny hunting community view Shinies obtained on these feigned copies of the game as illegitimate. Even though it may take a trainer with an emulated copy of the game tens of thousands of resets to find their Shiny, it may be discredited due to the method the player chose to play the game.
This makes Shiny hunting more expensive than ever, and the prices for these games are continuing to rise. Used copies of certain Pokémon games went 10-years without raising above their original price, but they are now selling for $100 or more every day. The increasing prices of Pokémon games are raising the barrier for entry for new hunters and are also raising the value of certain Shiny Pokémon. If you think paying $15 for a Shiny Mew is bad, try paying $80 for a Shiny Victini.
Sources: eBay, PriceCharting
