To the casual observer, video games from the 1980s and ‘90s aren’t nearly as sophisticated as today’s games. So why would anyone bother to collect them?

According to video game expert Josh Ayala, the owner of Flashback Games, games from that so-called “Golden Era” are blowing up in part because the people who played them as children are now adults who are nostalgic for their childhoods – and have money to spend.

That’s driving up prices, which means if you have boxes of old video game cartridges collecting dust in your basement, attic or closet; they might be worth some serious cash!

We asked Josh about three popular gaming platforms: SEGA, Nintendo and Atari. Then we asked Josh to list three kinds of titles for each: High-Churn games (not worth much, but can be fun to play), Collector Targets (can be pretty valuable) and Holy Grails (cha-ching!).

Jimmy Rhoades has old-school video games worth the most coin.

1.  SEGA

Not as pricy as the others, but these are fun, playable games.

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  High Churn: Sonic
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  Collector Targets: M.U.S.H.A.
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  Holy Grails: Eliminate Down

2.  NINTENDO

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  High Churn: Zelda, Super Mario Bros 3
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  Collector Targets: Little Samson, The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak
• 
  Holy Grails: Nintendo World Championships 1990

3.  ATARI

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  High Churn: Pac-Man Atari 2600, Space Invaders Atari 2600
• 
  Collector Targets: Out of Control, Texas Chainsaw Massacre
• 
  Holy Grails: Game Play Air Raid Atari 2600

What was your favorite video game growing up? Join the conversation on our Facebook page, @TheListShowTV.