GameCube titles frequently exceed $150 on the secondary market, and retro stores rarely stock them. The console sold only 21.74 million units — a 34 percent drop from the Nintendo 64 and a fraction of the Wii's 101.63 million. Unlike the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, the GameCube lacked DVD playback, a key selling point in the early 2000s, and Nintendo's family-friendly positioning weakened third-party support. Flagship games reflect that: Super Smash Bros. Melee moved 7.41 million copies, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! 6.88 million, and Super Mario Sunshine 5.91 million, all well below top sellers on adjacent platforms.

The Wii's backward compatibility kept GameCube discs circulating without adding new supply, while the optical media itself degrades faster than cartridges. Nintendo did not re-release most titles until adding a handful to Switch Online for the Switch 2 in 2025, which has not yet lowered resale prices. Current asking prices range from under $30 for Metroid Prime to $160–200 for Chibi-Robo!, with Pokémon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness routinely clearing $150.

The Nintendo tax — the tendency for first-party games to retain value — compounds the effect. The generation that grew up with the GameCube is now in its prime earning years, driving nostalgia demand against a fixed, shrinking supply of physical discs. Retro stores are not hoarding inventory; the market simply reflects scarcity meeting sustained interest.