Your child’s old games console might be worth hundreds: collectors reveal the model numbers to look for in the loft

It usually starts with the thud.

You’re in the loft looking for Christmas decorations, standing on a wobbly chair you absolutely promised yourself you’d throw out, when a plastic rectangle slides out of an old IKEA bag and bangs into your shin. Grey, chunky, a bit yellowed round the edges. “Didn’t we get rid of the PlayStation?” you shout down the hatch. Apparently not.

For years, those old consoles have been the “we’ll sort it later” box - too good to bin, not exciting enough to plug in. But scroll any selling app now and you’ll see the same thing: people casually listing “old Nintendo” and being met in the comments by collectors gently screaming, “Show the back! I need the model number!”

Because here’s the twist: to a collector, your child’s “old games thing” isn’t just nostalgia, it’s hardware. And hardware is all about tiny details in a code most of us have never noticed, hidden on a sticker underneath the dust and dignity.

The listing that made me ring my mum

Mine started with a screenshot from a friend: a lopsided Nintendo 64, two controllers, one tangle of leads, listed for £25 on Facebook Marketplace. Underneath, a comment: “If that’s a NUS‑001(FRA) I’ll give you £150 right now.”

I zoomed in like it was CCTV footage. There it was, on the bottom edge of the console, half‑rubbed but readable: NUS‑001(FRA). “How many of these did we have?” I muttered, already reaching for my phone. Two minutes later my mum was in the airing cupboard, narrating the discovery of “that blue see‑through Nintendo you loved”.

Collectors told me the same story, over and over. Parents casually sending a photo of a loft clear‑out. A blurry shot of the back of a console. A WhatsApp reply in all caps: “DON’T THROW THAT. FLIP IT OVER AND READ ME THE CODE.”

The value is in the fine print, not just the logo.

Why that old console might suddenly be worth money

Nostalgia is having a very lucrative moment. The kids who saved up pocket money for a GameCube or queued for a launch‑day PlayStation are now adults with jobs, flats and a desire to buy back a slice of their teenage bedroom.

A few things have pushed prices up:

• Lockdown collecting. When everyone was stuck at home, retro gaming exploded. Rare consoles were snapped up and haven’t really dropped back.
• Limited runs. Special colours, bundles and first‑run versions were only sold for a short time. Once they’re gone, that’s it.
• Repairs and mods. Some models are easier to fix or upgrade, so modders pay more for the “right” version.

Two consoles can look identical on the shelf and be £40 for one, £400 for the other - purely because of the code on the underside and the colour of a plastic port on the back.

Let’s be honest: no one really kept all the boxes, leaflets and twist‑ties. That’s fine. The console itself and the right model number can still make it very much worth climbing up into the loft.

Flip it over: the codes and clues that matter

Before you Google anything, do this:

1. Unplug the console and gently wipe the dust off the bottom.
2. Find the sticker or embossed panel - usually on the underside or back edge.
3. Look for a short code of letters and numbers: often something like NUS‑001, DOL‑001, SCPH‑1002, CECHC03, MK‑1601, DMG‑01.

Write that down exactly, including any bit in brackets (EUR, FRA, USA). That little string is what collectors search for.

Below are the families that make ears prick up - and the very specific versions worth a second look.

Nintendo: NUS, DOL and DMG – the quiet goldmines

Nintendo love a code. On older kit, it’s usually printed in bold near the word “MODEL” or “MODEL NO.”.

On Nintendo 64 (1996–2002) flip it over and look for:

• NUS‑001(EUR) – standard European model, typically £80–£150 boxed.
• NUS‑001(FRA) – French model; prized by modders for better video output and often nudging well past £150 if tidy.
• Transparent colours (Jungle Green, Smoke Grey, Atomic Purple) or the big Pikachu editions can climb into the high hundreds boxed, even on a standard NUS‑001 code.

On GameCube (often purple or black, cube‑shaped):

• Model code is DOL‑001 on the sticker.
• Check the back for two AV ports. Early DOL‑001 units have both a regular analogue out and a smaller “DIGITAL AV OUT” port. That extra port makes them far more desirable; boxed examples with controllers often sit in the £150–£250 range, more for limited colours.

On original Game Boy and its cousins:

• The grey brick everyone remembers is DMG‑01. A clean, unyellowed one with a working screen and box can reach £100+.
• Chunky coloured “Play It Loud!” models (still DMG‑01, just in red, green, yellow etc.) often go higher.
• Game Boy Advance SP codes:
  • AGS‑001 – front‑lit screen, standard.
  • AGS‑101 – back‑lit, much brighter and loved by players. Same shell, different code; the 101s can fetch double.

If you see DMG‑01, NUS‑001, DOL‑001, AGS‑101 on something that still switches on, that’s your cue to stop treating it as “car boot” and start doing proper price checks.

PlayStation and Xbox: the heavyweights hiding in plain sight

Sony and Microsoft hardware has its own alphabet soup. Again, the sticker is king.

Original PlayStation (PS1, grey, CD‑based):

• Codes start SCPH‑xxxx.
• Early models like SCPH‑1002 (UK/Europe) are loved by audio nerds and modders.
• Very clean, boxed 1002 sets with controllers and leads can head north of £150; debug or development units (often blue or green, clearly marked) go far higher.

PlayStation 2 (slim black rectangle or earlier chunky version):

• Mass‑produced, but:
  • Special colours (ceramic white, limited silver packs) and boxed bundles with big titles still do well.
  • Working consoles with original box and manuals can reach £80–£150 depending on edition.

“Fat” PlayStation 3 with PS2 support:

This is the one that makes collectors text in a hurry.

• Look for a glossy, heavy PS3 with a flap of card slots on the front.
• Turn it over: you want codes starting CECHAxx or CECHCxx (commonly CECHC03 in the UK) - these have the original PS2 hardware inside and play older discs natively.
• Working, tidy examples with box can sell for several hundred pounds because they’re effectively two consoles in one.

Original Xbox and Xbox 360:

• Original Xbox debug kits (translucent green, often literally labelled “Debug Kit” on the front) are niche but can be worth serious money to collectors and museums.
• Limited edition 360s - especially Star Wars, Halo special editions and some Japan‑only colours - do far better than standard white models, particularly if the shell and faceplate are intact.

If your child begged for a “limited edition bundle” for Christmas in the mid‑2000s, it’s worth seeing exactly which one you bought.

Sega and the forgotten cult favourites

Sega’s heyday was earlier, but the right variant still makes retro fans a bit giddy.

• Mega Drive / Genesis (black, cartridge‑based):
  • Early “High Definition Graphics” Mk1 units (look for those actual words printed around the circular lid, and codes like MK‑1601) are more sought after than later, plainer shells.
• Dreamcast (small white box with a circle on top):
  • Any complete, working PAL Dreamcast with box and controller can hit £120–£200; special colours and Sega‑direct bundles climb from there.
• Handhelds like the Game Gear and Nomad are fickle - many have failing screens and capacitors - but working, recapped units with original boxes are firmly in “worth checking properly” territory.

In short: if it’s Sega, and it still switches on without making a worrying noise, do your homework before you donate it.

Quick reference: consoles to double‑check before you declutter

Use this as a nudge, not a price guarantee. Values move, and condition is everything.

Console / family	Codes / clues to look for	Why it matters
Nintendo 64	NUS‑001(FRA), coloured shells, Pikachu	Mod‑friendly, limited colours, bundles
GameCube	DOL‑001 with “Digital AV Out” port	Better video, early runs, collectable
Game Boy & GBA SP	DMG‑01, coloured “Play It Loud!”, AGS‑101	Nostalgia + superior screens
PlayStation 1	SCPH‑1002 (early model)	Audio/modding favourite
“Fat” PlayStation 3	CECHAxx, CECHCxx (e.g. CECHC03)	Built‑in PS2 hardware
Sega Mega Drive Mk1	MK‑1601, “High Definition Graphics” text	First‑run hardware, more desirable

If your sticker matches one of those, don’t guess the value. Search that exact code plus “sold” on eBay and filter by completed listings in the UK.

Condition, cables, boxes: what adds (and kills) value

Collectors don’t just buy a logo; they buy how complete the story feels.

Adds value:

• Original box and inserts. Even if it’s scruffy, having the right cardboard can multiply the price.
• Matching controllers. The pad that came with the console (same colour, same brand) always helps.
• Leads and power supplies. Official Nintendo / Sony / Sega chargers and AV cables are prized over anonymous third‑party ones.
• Manuals and leaflets. Health & safety booklets, warranty cards, even old receipts can sweeten a deal.

Hurts value (but doesn’t always kill it):

• Nicotine staining, heavy yellowing, or cracks in the shell.
• Missing hatches and covers (memory card doors, battery covers).
• Non‑original shells or obvious “custom paint jobs”.
• Un‑tested electronics. “Untested, loft find” is seller code for “might be dead”. You’ll get less than a working, demonstrated unit.

If you can safely plug it in and show that it powers on, reads a disc or cartridge and shows an image, you’re already ahead.

Where (and how) to sell without losing your nerve

Once you’ve realised the N64 under the Christmas lights is worth more than the tree, you’ve got options.

• Local selling apps (Vinted, Facebook, Gumtree): Fewer fees, but you’ll need to handle questions, no‑shows and haggling. Meet in public places, and don’t hand over anything without cash or confirmed payment.
• Auction sites (eBay): Bigger audience, more competition, seller protection - and fees to match. List with:
  • clear photos of front, back, ports, sticker and model number,
  • a short, honest condition description,
  • the phrase “tested and working” only if you’ve actually done it.
• Specialist retro shops and fairs: Instant sale, no postage drama, but they’ll pay trade prices, not collector prices - they need their own margin.

Whatever route you choose, avoid two traps:

• Don’t accept a stranger’s “valuation” in your DMs as gospel, especially if they immediately offer to “take it off your hands”.
• Don’t clean with anything harsh. A barely damp cloth and a soft brush around the vents is fine. Bleach and polish are not.

The eight‑minute loft check

If you’re now eyeing the attic hatch, here’s a fast way to work out if it’s worth a proper session.

Set a timer for eight minutes and:

1. Grab any consoles you can see: boxes, loose units, controllers.
2. Flip each one over and photograph the model sticker.
3. Note anything that looks limited: odd colours, logos (Pokémon, Star Wars, Zelda), bundled art on the box.
4. Pull out matching controllers and official leads; throw them in the same box.
5. Do a second pass for handhelds: anything “Game Boy”, “PSP”, “DS”, “GBA”, “Game Gear”.
6. Bring that one box downstairs. The rest of the loft can wait.
7. Sit with a brew and type each code into eBay with “sold” ticked.
8. Make a simple list: keep, sell, donate.

You don’t have to become a retro expert overnight. You just need to know which bits of plastic are quietly worth real money and which can go to the school fair without regret.

Somewhere up there between the suitcases and the baby clothes might be a console your child begged for in Year 6 that now covers a chunk of their first car insurance. All it’s asking in return is that you read the back of it.