For game collectors and curators, that’s a high score: hundreds of classic games, many of which, according to video footage of discovery, appear to be factory sealed. The whole thing eventually sells out, and when it does, it could become one of the biggest, potentially raking somewhere north of seven figures.
The treasure is an impressive run, encompassing games from the 3DO, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, and of course the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). An eight-minute clip showcasing the library made the rounds earlier this week, courtesy of Game rooma Nebraska-based three-outpost video game retailer whose owner, Chris Thompson, serves as the sales liaison.
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You’d think it’s the kind of unique find that comes out of nowhere and makes instant waves (and an instant viral hit on social media). But Thompson, in a telephone interview with Kotakusaid the video dates back to last fall, before the holiday retail rush swept through Gameroom.
“An employee called me one night and said, ‘Chris, you’re not going to believe what just happened,'” Thompson said.
Nor could you: a factory-sealed copy of Mortal Kombat 2 for the SNES, held by a guy who just wanted to get a rough idea of its value. (Apparently the man had a second match with him which was more shocking than Mortal Kombat 2but Thompson declined to elaborate on what it was, noting that the owner requested anonymity throughout the process and that the game was such a unique find that it could be identified.)
Thompson met the owner, who said he had a lot more where he came from, remnants of a video game store that closed in the mid-90s. The two walked back and forth for a moment, and Thompson floated an idea: he would shoot some footage, put together a short video, and draw attention to the sale (and, of course, Gameroom. budding presence on YouTubetoo).
“I’m pulling out my camera that I don’t even really know how to use, and I’m afraid I’m tripping over a game that’s worth more than, you know, my house,” Thompson said. “So I get a bunch of footage and then we say goodbye.”
It was in December. Thompson just posted the video earlier this week. Since then, interest has skyrocketed. The original video currently has nearly 40,000 views. It was covered by IGN.
Thompson, however, acknowledged that some details were hastily released. The video is titled “Video Game Store Closes 1994 Inventory found 27 years later factory sealed SNES Sega Genesis Saturn” (emphasis Kotaku‘s). But some of the featured games—the trigger of a stopwatch, for example, or sports titles from 1996 – came out in 1995, which led to intense scrutiny. Some reviewers called it foul. Others have tried to use the missed date to identify the exact location of the original store. (Thompson declined to provide details of the original store to Kotaku.)
The specific year doesn’t matter: that total volume is worth much, probably much more than some initial estimates, which pegged it at “tens of thousands,” Chris Kohler, editorial director of digital eclipseRecount Kotaku by email. (Disclosure: Kohler was formerly a Features Editor at Kotaku.) A shrink-wrapped copy of TMNT: Turtles in Time recently sold for $38,400, Final Fantasy 3 for $36,000, the trigger of a stopwatch for just under $20,000.
“I made a joke that everyone wants the trigger of a stopwatch … I have 40 different people who say, ‘I want the trigger of a stopwatch and I can bring you the briefcase full of cash,” Thompson said, noting that’s absolutely not how a sale of this magnitude is going to happen.
the trigger of a stopwatch is the biggest, but the loot is flush with other coveted finds like Street Fighter II Turbo, The zombies ate my neighbors, Castlevania: Bloodlinesand Breath of Fire IIalongside many vintage sports games: your crazys, your Fifas. The vast majority appear to be factory sealed.
“There are so many that while the collection is easily in the ‘hundreds of thousands’ range if it’s worth a penny, I think you also have the potential for, once all is said and done, that ends up being a million dollar find in today’s crazy market,” Kohler said.
Classic games in pristine condition have always had buyers, but in recent years there’s been a sea change in how jaw-dropping certain counts can be. Last year a 1987 copy The Legend of Zelda Came for nearly $900,000. This was immediately followed by a copy of Super Mario 64 sold for $1.5 million, once you taken into account the buyer’s premium of 20%. The market is crazy right now.
“I think we’re seeing more and more of these races popping up because more and more video game sellers are on YouTube now,” Kohler said. “The last generation of salespeople tended to keep these things to themselves.”
The video may have garnered a big buzz this week, but that’s just the start. Thompson said the clip is not indicative of the full library, believing that what is shown publicly might only represent half of the total find, although he suggested that some games from the unfilmed portion of the transport could be unsealed. He is attracting interest, including some – perhaps not fully considered – offers in the $1 million range, but described them as “honestly, probably weak”. He hasn’t inspected the entire collection yet. He has yet to document everything beyond a simple eight-minute shaky camera clip on YouTube. And then there’s the matter of, oh, having the whole collection appraised by an official organization, like Wata. All of this takes time.
“There’s a right way and a wrong way to do it,” Thompson said. “And honestly, what’s more valuable than the things themselves is the historical significance.”
