Without getting into the usual debate about having a third party to grade your video games' condition, one hardcore collector felt it was necessary to have one of the rarest games ever made slabbed. Whilst some would believe this is preservation, others are now panicking for the well-being of this NWC currently on eBay.
With only a handful of the Gold Nintendo World Championship cartridges from 1990 left around today, they have since been commanding insane prices on the likes of eBay and trading forums. Several owners in the past have confessed to placing their gold cartridge in a bank vault, ensuring their retirement fund is safe and sound.
Although putting a video game in bank might be considered madness to some, let's wander back to the auction in question instead.
For those not familiar with the VGA (Video Game Authority), these self claimed experts will happily grade your brand new or rare video games, give them a rating out of 100 and then seal them up into a plastic container for all eternity. Many of the sealed game collectors have taken to this new fad, happily throwing buckets of cash at this 'authority' to give them a shiny number. Understandably the rest of the gaming community looks on puzzled (and usually frustrated).
But where this Nintendo World Championships Gold Cartridge is concerned, we have to step forward and make a point. If you take a look at the auction, you will see that the VGA have unscrewed the fabled cartridge and separated out the two halves of the case, placing the board between the two of them. For an 'authority' which thrives upon the term mint condition, surely the application of a screwdriver on such an item is blasphemy on many levels.
It doesn't end there. If you look closely at the middle of the slabbed game, you will notice on the cartridge's main board are several chips currently exposed. If you then take a closer look, you'll notice two circular holes on top of them. These windows are used on re-programable chips to wipe their data clean, to use once more for something else. The method in which you erase data via these windows is by exposing them to UV light. This owner better keep one of the Nintendo holy grails in the darkest room imaginable from here on, or it's likely he will have an army of retro gamers holding pitchforks surrounding his humble abode sooner or later.
And finally, did we mention the price? No? Well, why not have a look for yourself...
1990 NWC Nintendo World Championships Gold competition cart NearMint+ VGA 85
Source: Gamesniped
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Comments
Surely thats defeating the point of VGA, i mean they dont grade your sealed game, then unwrap it and case it all loose do they. They have ruined that item, simple as.
Good luck to him though, having it open looks bloody awful!
You've hit the nail on the head right there. But in reality, could you expect anything less from an item that costs so much? I mean, who is going to stick a $27K game in their NES to play, especially considering there are other ways of playing the same thing! I would admit that I have a few items that I don't think will ever be played [with].
As for VGA ("authority!?!") - what a crock! But they'll be around as long as stupid people pay for the "service".
L
Very foolish. And to think someone would pay that much for it? I'd guess again. (let's see which mug bids on it!)
Disgruntled,
L
Totally agree withthe above. As for the VGA "Authority" they seem to be crooks. The only "Authority" I trust are those of avid gamers.....so this site and Retro Gamer are my 2 "Authorities"!! I accept no imitations!!!