I'm gonna be talking about something that might have skipped your mind over the past eight or so years, Nintendo's Amiibo models! Essentially physical DLC, these models can be used with Nintendo games on the WII U, 3DS and Nintendo Switch gaming systems, unlocking sometimes game-breaking benefits for games related to the model. With over 120 models being produced over time, some of gaming's most beloved franchises have been immortalized in these retail priced £13/$15 models, depending on when you bought them.

Oh no, wait, I mean, IF you could buy them. Amiibo were bought out quickly, and scalpers would gleefully purchase them to drive up sales. Because of this, some Amiibos quickly escalated to high price tags, especially those that weren't reprinted or only had one release window due to a licensing agreement. Popularity also played a huge factor in whether a model had a large batch made. That brings us to this year, 2023, when I decided it was finally time to acquire an Amiibo collection. This, my friends, is my experience.

So here's me, based in the U.K, with a modest budget looking for Amiibo. I quickly found a problem. Amiibo can be anything from £10/$12 to over £100/$120, depending on the Amiibo Here are what I found to be the most expensive models to acquire, boxed and sealed.

Expensive models

- Joker: Persona 5, Super Smash Brothers collection

Easily the most expensive singular model,  Joker goes for anywhere between $80 and $120. I picked up two, one for £90/$100 and the second on a last-minute auction for £53/$73. It's funny to note this was the only model shipped in professional packaging both times. The only place I found him was eBay, nowhere else. You'll find him being a victim of scalpers quite frequently. Prices will often fluctuate based on how desperate the seller is for money.

- The Super Mario Odyssey collection

Consisting of Mario, Bowser and Peach in their wedding attires (That you may have seen in the new Super Mario Brothers movie). We're looking at £30/$35 - £35/$40 a model. There is a 3-pack containing all three Amiibo, which noticeably increased in value during my time hunting. This 3-pack will, at the time of writing, set you back a sweet £130/$150 on average. To obtain these, I used Facebook Marketplace and found a reputable seller to get Mario and Bowser. Then to acquire a Peach, I had to import a Japanese version from the site AliExpress.

- Sonic the Hedgehog: Super Smash Brothers collection

Sonic was difficult to find, He generally goes from £50/$60 to £70/$80, and he's old, so there's always the risk of damage. The one I bought was £50 and had a sizeable dent in the plastic. Be warned, box damage doesn't matter to some sellers who only count the model itself as important. Facebook marketplace had some, but I found nobody reputable selling it. Always practice caution on public marketplaces; they have far less security guarantees than a managed site or storefront.

- Rosalina: Super Smash Brothers collection and Super Mario collection

I don't know what it is about Rosalina, but she's always been challenging to find, even back in 2015.if you do find her, she's usually being sold by a scalper. The Rosalina I picked up was from eBay. I had no choice but to buy one with superficial damage. While I feel the Super Mario collection version looks better, I couldn't even find one at a reasonable price. Both of these models will set you back somewhere between £45/$52 - £60/$67 each.

- Shulk: Super Smash Brothers collection

Shulk wasn't so hard to find as it was hard to find someone who hasn't used his box as a punching bag. The one I acquired was heavily damaged, and I wasn't happy about that! Finding an undamaged Shulk still is a nightmare. £40 or $47 is what you're looking at for an undamaged model. And even then, It's not guaranteed. With his recent useability with Xenoblade Chronicles 3, his price  keeps growing. I don't actually own this guy right now, as I had to return mine. Hopefully soon!

- Player 2 variants of Cloud, Corrin and Bayonetta

Someone at Nintendo decided it would be fun to make Player 2 models for a few months and never again!  And in less quantity than their originals too. While easy to find, they're expensive. I saw the Nintendo store re-stocked them in October 2022. This is probably why they are everywhere, but nobody adjusted their prices. It's not likely to happen again, sadly.

- Pokemon Trainer (Red): Super Smash Brothers collection

I would like to think that as the only non-pokemon character from the franchise to get an Amiibo, this boosted the value up quite a fair deal. My experience in getting this guy was pleasant, and just happened to be one of the most expensive. And then, due to a bulk deal with another, I got a second for barely anything, whoops. £50/$60 is what you're looking at on eBay Other places seemed to always be out of stock with him, as it was with almost all Pokemon outside of Mewtwo, Pikachu and Lucario. Special shoutout to Incineroar, who defies all logic by being £40/$45 despite being in the second-worst region in Pokemon history!

These models are best gotten in deals with other models I find. People generally have this idea that a group of models averages out the price while singular models need to be milked. Anyway, onto the rare finds.

Elusive Models

Okay, so those were the most expensive in general. Now I want to talk about the most elusive. While generally not as expensive, they are rare, sometimes rarer than their cash cow counterparts. Most likely, you'll find these are niche characters with little to no useability in any games.

- Pac-Man: Super Smash Brothers collection

Poor Pac-man, he was tough to find, and the one I did find had undergone severe yellowing (Don't leave your models exposed to severe sunlight, or place them in a room with a frequent smoker). Perhaps his status as a Bandai Namco mascot left Nintendo disillusioned with this model.

- The entire Monster Hunter Stories 1 collection

I don't know what happened, but these amiibo aren't going anywhere outside of Japan. Even eBay only has extortionate pricing listings. They were not released globally, and it looks like very few people wanted them. Ergo they're very difficult to get your hands on. The second game's models sold globally but these? Not so much.

- Rockman/Megaman 11 Amiibo

I wish that Capcom would make Megaman Battle Network 7 already. Nothing to do with the Amiibo; I just want it. Anyway, this Amiibo came bundled with the collector's edition of Megaman 11, A game which had many digital releases, so physical copies were sparse, making this amiibo quite rare and hard to find. Mostly you'll only find it with complete copies of Megaman 11, Which go for anything between £105/$110 to £200/$200.

- Alm and Celica 2-pack, Fire Emblem collection

This one's a bit of an oddity in that you can find the Alm and Celica Amiibos easily on their own. But this special 2-pack is so ridiculously rare that it may as well be its own thing. eBay has prices of up to £160/$180, and you cannot find this in stores anymore, even second-hand. I also want to bring up the Mii Brawler/Swordfighter/Blaster 3-pack for the Smash Bros collection that's undergone a similar deal. Pyra and Mythra are an upcoming 2-pack too. Maybe that's a sign to be quick with that one.

- The Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary Collection 1st edition

Consisting of many different iterations of both Link and Zelda over the years, you may be wondering why this is here given the very recent restock. Well, dear reader, the point is because of a special 30th-anniversary symbol on the boxes that were only there for the year of the anniversary. This special mark is absent from subsequent re-releases making these forms of the Amiibos rare. Also, yet again, the 2-pack of the Wind Waker Duo is pretty rare. I think they should have the mark regardless, given the 2-pack was never re-released like the others.

- Detective Pikachu Amiibo

What is there to say? It came out for the game on the 3ds. It can't be used for anything except that game, it's double-sized, and the movie hadn't even come out by the time they decided to stop producing it. I got one, though, through a very nice seller on eBay who I jumped on to buy his whole collection for a tidy sum the moment I saw it. Never be afraid to send offers to people doing auctions. It sometimes works out in a really good way!

- Captain Falcon: Super Smash Brothers collection

I think people have a love for both Falcon and F-Zero. I don't think anyone wants to sell this model. Everyone who plays Smash Brothers knows the memes, and everyone who played it loved this character in general. It stuck in my mind of all the Amiibo listings that would come and go; Falcon just wouldn't show. An exceptional case, I would say. Perhaps he's just that beloved.

- Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong: Super Smash Brothers Collection

Somehow, someway, Nintendo didn't reprint some of their most popular Amiibo characters in this set. They were re-made in the Super Mario Collection and got re-prints there, but not these 2. Making these models quite challenging to get a hold of. Recently Nintendo reprinted a few Mario amiibo for Mario Day. Is there a Donkey Kong day at all, I wonder?

Finally, I want to leave you with a good way to tell what region your amiibo are from. If you live in the North Americas, your Amiibo will have a Bold white name and nothing else. If your Amiibo is from the Europe region, it will have translations underneath the name in multiple languages. And the Japanese versions have Japanese Hiragana and Kanji respectively. All Amiibo have the same functionality and aren't region-locked, so if you need to import one, you won't be at a loss. However, if you want them for display purposes, check where your Amiibo is coming from for matching. Make sure you separate your Charizards from your Lizardons.

If you made it to the end of the article, I have to say I appreciate you. I put a lot of work into building my collection this year, and it makes me happy to be able to share this journey with all of you. Thank you!