‘Holy Grail’ of video games valued at $38,000 bought at Goodwill for $8

[Ares]

Every so often I go inside and see if I can find a treasure. No luck so far

[Wally's Comics]

I donate to goodwill to get rid of clothes that are wearable but I feel guilty about throwing away.

 

Me too. A good organization, but not exactly a charity in my mind.

 

yeah, I don't see it as a charity - especially when I get a tax write off.

 

 

 

[DiceX]

is that the one you played while running on that mat?

 

Yes, and I swear my son had the game because I can vividly remember playing it.

We would cheat by kneeling behind the mat and pounding it with our fists.

The long jump and hurdles were a breeze if you did it like that.

 

 

[the420kid]

game is still worth $8 to me

[Wally's Comics]

game is still worth $8 to me

 

It's kind of a trip, but this is another collectable that will always haunt me...

 

Just like the POTF figure line back in '85 I remember the day when I was a Roses department store and they couldn't give these Star Wars figures with the coins away...

 

They had unopened cases sitting next to the figures on display that were marked

down to .99 each.

 

The same thing with this product - I remember being at a department store up north

in Water town and seeing dozens of cartridges sitting on the bargain shelf for $1 - just saying buy me!, buy me!!!

 

 

maybe I should join Napoleon and try to shock myself back to the future

for passing these up...

 

 

 

 

[OldGuy]

game is still worth $8 to me

 

You wouldn't feel that way if you had one.

[dudeman5000]

When good things happen to me I try to pay it forward by doing good for others.

 

There are numerous opportunities to help people in need.

 

 

 

(thumbs u

 

Chris

[dudeman5000]

game is still worth $8 to me

 

It's kind of a trip, but this is another collectable that will always haunt me...

 

Just like the POTF figure line back in '85 I remember the day when I was a Roses department store and they couldn't give these Star Wars figures with the coins away...

 

They had unopened cases sitting next to the figures on display that were marked

down to .99 each.

 

The same thing with this product - I remember being at a department store up north

in Water town and seeing dozens of cartridges sitting on the bargain shelf for $1 - just saying buy me!, buy me!!!

 

 

maybe I should join Napoleon and try to shock myself back to the future

for passing these up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Bronty]

The journalist that wrote $38k should be embarassed, its valuable but nowhere near that valuable. It would have to be sealed and mint to get that price, and this is opened not sealed.

 

As I posted in the 'all purpose video game thread', a copy of the cartridge with a torn box sold for $11,500 within the last month on ebay. That's the most recent point.

 

This copy (NOT the copy pictured, which incidentally belongs to me) that is currently for sale is up on gamegavel at a starting bid of $12,000, and has one bid last I checked.

 

Its very tough to say what it will go for, but we are talking some number between 12 and 20k, certainly not 38k.

 

Regardless, a mighty fine 7.99 purchase.

 

How much would you value your copy at? I know you like games and it's facinating to see collectibles like this but to most people it looks like junk (not to say it is of course, just what most people would say).

 

25k maybe? Its tough to say. You don't really know til you sell it

[Bronty]

is that the one you played while running on that mat?

 

There's more than one game that used that mat.

 

When you think of the mat, you are probably thinking of Track & Field, Athletic World, or World Class Track Meet, and not stadium events.

 

As an aside, Stadium Events was issued, nintendo liked it so much they bought the rights, and basically rebranded it as world class track meet. So the 'original' is rare but the 'reprint' common.

[Bronty]

game is still worth $8 to me

 

It's kind of a trip, but this is another collectable that will always haunt me...

 

Just like the POTF figure line back in '85 I remember the day when I was a Roses department store and they couldn't give these Star Wars figures with the coins away...

 

They had unopened cases sitting next to the figures on display that were marked

down to .99 each.

 

The same thing with this product - I remember being at a department store up north

in Water town and seeing dozens of cartridges sitting on the bargain shelf for $1 - just saying buy me!, buy me!!!

 

 

maybe I should join Napoleon and try to shock myself back to the future

for passing these up...

 

 

 

 

I would say there's probably zero chance of that (no offense). Stadium Events wasn't on the shelf long enough for it to have been discounted to $1 anywhere. It came out in Sept 87 and it was only available for a short window until production stopped due to the rebranding. NOBODY was selling nintendo games for $1 in 1987, that's for sure. They were selling too well.

[Bronty]

is that the one you played while running on that mat?

 

There's more one game game that used that mat.

 

When you think of the mat, you are probably thinking of Track & Field, Athletic World, or World Class Track Meet, and not stadium events.

 

As an aside, Stadium Events was issued, nintendo liked it so much they bought the rights, and basically rebranded it as world class track meet. So the 'original' is rare but the 'reprint' common.

 

If anybody cares, athletic world was also re-packaged (the initial packaging/box design was very similar to stadium events). The original version of the box is rare, maybe $500 with the cart and manual, but obviously less so than stadium events.

 

[Bronty]

one more post in case anyone is interested.

 

Bandai was actually the very first 3rd party publisher for the NES. (Through June 86, only nintendo published games had been released). In October 86, Bandai put out the first three 3rd party games, being the three games on the top row of this group shot. You can see how there was a company box design template, similar to the way there was with the early first party releases. Being such early releases, all of them are pretty tough finds and sealed very tough indeed.

 

The company's next releases were athletic world in july 87 and then stadium events in Sep 87. As you can see, those two games had the same design template also, and it was really just a tweak and color change on the earlier template. Instead of a black to grey gradient, you now have a white to grey gradient. Also, the title of the game is now captured in a second banner instead of as a looser logo.

 

[Old Fashion PB and J]

i remember muscle

[Bronty]

yeah it probably won't surprise you to know that the Muscle tie-in sold a little better than Ninja Kid which in turn sold considerably better than Chubby Cherub / fat angel

[the420kid]

that photo is a who's who of some of the worst NES games released . Suffice it to say there were loads of stinkers.

 

Pro Wrestling is where its at!

[Bronty]

well what do you expect in terms of gameplay? They are some of the first games released so of course they aren't going to be the best titles on the system.

 

A lot of the early nintendo releases get romanticized (and some rightly so) but try sitting down and playing black box baseball or 10 Yd Fight and you'll wish your life was over.

[the420kid]

Zelda was an early release and it is still the tits. maybe a special case?

[DiceX]

Zelda was an early release and it is still the tits. maybe a special case?

 

Zelda was groundbreaking. No doubt about that.

 

 

[valiantman]

 

Who made this chart?

 

UNICEF spends $0.90+ from every dollar on the services they exist to provide.

Less than $0.10 of every dollar goes to administrative costs and fundraising efforts.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4617'>http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4617

 

The March of Dimes spends $0.65 of every dollar... not $0.10.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4045'>http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4045

 

The CEO of the American Red Cross is paid one penny for every $100 donated. (one penny for every ten thousand pennies)

 

Goodwill charities have LOCAL chapters, unrelated to the claims made in this chart.

 

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

 

Let's spread unfounded rumors that charities don't do anything...

because that's what it means to be truly charitable.

 

A poorly created chart with poorly worded statements comes from a poorly functioning head.

The ones who perpetuate it without thinking are even worse... it takes no brain at all to do no thinking.

 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/charities.asp