Helping at a Gaming Market Made Me Realise It’s Time to Let Go of My Retro Games
I remember when games at a local market were a rare sight. Way back when, there would be a market held every Sunday near me, and there would be an occasional family visit to it. Around the many stalls selling antiques, food, and soft drinks, there would be, if I were lucky, a single stall full of second-hand games. Nowadays, it's a common occurrence. So much so, there are dedicated gaming markets held all year round.
I've visited a bunch of them in the last few years – increasingly getting the impression they exploded even more after COVID in 2020, as they're busier than ever — and it's a great way to meet others with similar interests too.
But this time, I was asked back in April if I wanted to help out a troublemaker, Luke Earle, at a gaming market found at the Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Nottingham for the day, to help sell some of his gaming collection. He's the organiser of the Tomb Raider events in Derby, held in October every year. The latest one is TR29, which I'm looking forward to once more.
So, I met Earle early that day, and I really enjoyed it. So much so, I'm having my own stall in June at a gaming market in Doncaster. However, I had spotted a few things throughout the day that I wanted to speak about, and why you should go to one of these markets.
He Who Dares..
Luke and I set up a table full of his games, consoles, and magazines early on Sunday, and eventually we got going when the market opened at 10 AM.
We spent a good chunk placing games and a couple of consoles on the table in a way that passers-by could see what we wanted rid of. But the magazines were something that surprised us both. Having been given to Luke as a donation, they almost sold out by the day's end.
Fun fact: I used to work at a phone shop as tech support. I had a dedicated space to help with any queries or lessons on how to use an iPhone or Android device. However, there were times, thanks to understaffing, that I'd have to sell to try and get some essential targets over the line. I never liked it, especially when it came to certain office suites, but today was different.
Within the first 15 minutes, Luke and I were both chatting to passers-by, mentioning the games they were looking at and if they wanted to buy something else as well.
It got so busy that we were taking turns buying coffees, so I thought I'd make a detour and look at other stalls. One impressed me the most, having brand new Japanese Gaming Guides. I was tempted, but I didn't have time to think it over — there was stock to sell!
Around noon, I noticed there was far more attention being paid to the magazines we had put into a box, but they were on the floor. After suggesting we put them on the table, I noticed we had a few more passers-by stop and look. For me, magazines, for many these days, unlock a memory. We all remember when we were at a store, spotting a magazine with our favourite game on the cover, and begging our parents to buy it so we could read it all on the way home.
These magazines were mostly of Official Nintendo Magazine (ONM) and N64/NGC Magazine, but it was the covers of Pokémon Gold and Silver, published between 1999 and 2001, that made a huge impression. I've always thought that a subscription service hosting all of these retro magazines between 1980 and 2005 would make someone incredibly rich. But who knows?
Overall, we had made well over £1000, with some big hitters, such as Pokémon Emerald and a boxed Super Nintendo with Super Scope. Earle was happy, I was given KFC as a reward, and we left satisfied. The day was done.
Fulfilling a Lost Childhood Dream
A big impression was made when a woman came up to the stall, looking at a Tetris Game Boy game. Now, oddly enough, I had been thinking recently of when I had been given my original Game Boy. I realised it was Christmas 1995, with Tetris, Mario Land 1, and Wario Land.
But this lady was so insistent on buying Tetris, and I was really curious as to why. And her story opened my eyes as to why some attend these gaming markets.
You see, her sister had a Game Boy and Tetris, and she was never allowed to play it. She would see the cartridge, slotted into the back of the handheld, but she was never allowed to own her copy of Tetris. Over 20 years later, on April 6, 2025, she bought it, ending up being incredibly happy that the childhood dream had finally been fulfilled.
Sometimes, I believe we miss this big picture that's overridden by how valuable a certain game is, or how rare another one is that has suddenly appeared at these markets. Instead, someone, like her, went to a gaming market to find Tetris, in order to fulfil a childhood dream missed, and she found it again. I don't believe she bought anything else — and she didn't need to.
Suddenly, I was thinking about the actual Game Boy games I've not played in years, such as Pokémon Red, Yellow, and Gold, to name a few, that are in this certain box in my flat. This box has been with me for almost 25 years. I've played these in other ways through my PlayStation Vita, iPhone, and other devices, but not with my original games. Ultimately, it made me wonder: What if there's someone out there who missed out on playing these games?
That stayed in my mind for the whole day, way after I had come back home. Suddenly, the hold that this box had on me was no more. Although I had already decided with Luke to set up my own stall in June, now I was ready to have these Pokémon games ready to sell then, as well.
Because I simply want them to be valued by someone else who won't keep them in a box for another 25 years. It's time to pass them on.
Overall, I really enjoyed working at the market. It didn't feel like 8 long hours, being on my feet — it was fun chatting to a bunch of different people with different reasons for coming and for buying what they did. It was just nice. It was nice to find out from people why they were buying a certain game or why a certain magazine brought back memories for them.
As I've said, I'll be at Doncaster Gaming Market selling a bunch of things towards something I'll be revealing soon. And as a bonus, SegaMags, headed up by Marc Jowett, will be there too, selling a variety of books, including my own.
If you haven't been to a gaming market before, even if you have a vested interest in games, I'm sure you'd have a great time as a day out.
Thanks for reading.
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