Basement gold has been found - Sealed stadium events (plus other SE drama!)

[ghostangelofcky]

and he almost took it to goodwill. wow


http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/rare-nintendo-game-is-40-000-windfall/1391148



http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/ga/buzz/feature/vg25/stadium-events-big-win_300.jpg

[Zoltor]

and he almost took it to goodwill. wow


http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/rare-nintendo-game-is-40-000-windfall/1391148



http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/ga/buzz/feature/vg25/stadium-events-big-win_300.jpg

Wow is right, what a find, and accidently giving such a rare/valueable find to Goodwill, would've been suicide worthy in my book, stuff like that only happens once in a life time(which even then, only if you are very lucky, and realize it when it happens).

[portnoyd]

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=141002&page=8

[scooterb23]

Suicide worthy? Dude, come on...come back to reality a bit. It's JUST A VIDEO GAME.

[Zoltor]

Suicide worthy? Dude, come on...come back to reality a bit. It's JUST A VIDEO GAME.


No, I was more along the lines of hinting at, it would haunt your entire life, that you gave it away, a "40K+ game.

Also by the way, the "It's only a game" remark, doesn't work in this situation, as It's not like you're gonna open it up to play it.

[scooterb23]

I would open it. Guaranteed, without even blinking.

Would I play it? Nah, it's a label variant of a game I already own. I take that back, I'd probably play it once just to get a rise out of the sealed collectors. But boxes don't fit into my Rubbermaid storage unit, so the box would get put on a shelf, and the game goes in the tub.

Also, for the record, I've given away things way more rare and valuable than a "40k+" game. I've also broken things worth way more than $40k. You'd never think real dinosaur fossils were as brittle as they are, made out of rock as they are, but damn those things will just snap in half even if you are careful with them.

It is just a game.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I would open it. Guaranteed, without even blinking.

No, you wouldn't. You'd sell it for 40 grand without any second thoughts. Because it's just a game. :P

[Shadow Kisuragi]

No, you wouldn't. You'd sell it for 40 grand without any second thoughts. Because it's just a game. :P

I'd sell it for 50k. Just because someone sold it for 40k.

[kupomogli]

Isn't this the third stadium events that's shown up in what. A month? Can we go for a fourth?

[Zoltor]

Isn't this the third stadium events that's shown up in what. A month? Can we go for a fourth?

Lol yea, I do think it is indeed the third. It's crazy.

[scooterb23]

No, you wouldn't. You'd sell it for 40 grand without any second thoughts. Because it's just a game. :P

If I found a Stadium Events, I'd keep it. Makes going for a complete NES set a whole lot cheaper that way :)

[pseudonym]

A handful known to exist aside, $40,000 is a ridiculous price to pay for a video game. Is there any other production game that comes close?

[Kitsune Sniper]

If I found a Stadium Events, I'd keep it. Makes going for a complete NES set a whole lot cheaper that way :)

No, you'd still sell it. And buy a CIB, opened, Stadium Events instead, and use the rest of the profits to complete your collection. :P

[ghostangelofcky]

No, you'd still sell it. And buy a CIB, opened, Stadium Events instead, and use the rest of the profits to complete your collection. :P

Ya, if your going to be hardcore, that's the right idea. Personally, I'd sell that thing in a heartbeat. Buy a new car with a license plate that reads "STDM EVT"

[BeaglePuss]

I would open it. Guaranteed, without even blinking.

Would I play it? Nah, it's a label variant of a game I already own. I take that back, I'd probably play it once just to get a rise out of the sealed collectors. But boxes don't fit into my Rubbermaid storage unit, so the box would get put on a shelf, and the game goes in the tub.

Also, for the record, I've given away things way more rare and valuable than a "40k+" game. I've also broken things worth way more than $40k. You'd never think real dinosaur fossils were as brittle as they are, made out of rock as they are, but damn those things will just snap in half even if you are careful with them.

It is just a game.

This is easily the gayest post in the history of this site.

[scooterb23]

Ya, if your going to be hardcore, that's the right idea. Personally, I'd sell that thing in a heartbeat. Buy a new car with a license plate that reads "STDM EVT"

I'm not "hardcore" I'm just a collector that plays games. And I still guarantee I'd not sell the first Stadium Events if I came across one. Now, if I came across others, I would, but I'd probably sell them at fair prices like I do with other games I've sold.

This hobby isn't supposed to be about money, slabs, grading, and sealed shrinkwrap...it's supposed to be about sitting in front of a tv for hours til your eyes bleed playing the games you buy, and coming online to share info about those games. I fear that's being lost...much to the detriment of the hobby as a whole. Or maybe this isn't the same hobby I joined into 30 years ago.

[Matt-El]

But to be fair, selling the money can be a means to other games to buy, including maybe a loose copy of stadium events to file away if indifferent to playing it.

[Sosage]

This is easily the gayest post in the history of this site.

In that he is a homosexual? How can you tell from his post? Oh. Wait. You meant that as a bad thing? Judging from your use of the word, I think you miscalculated what decade we're in. It's 2010, not 1990.

I foresee a possible scenario where Stadium Events becomes the next Tengen Tetris (use to be OMG Rare, now easily obtained). I mean, as someone else mentioned, three in one month? Sealed? Red flags are waving. Is there an accurate print run number?

[Kitsune Sniper]

But to be fair, selling the money can be a means to other games to buy, including maybe a loose copy of stadium events to file away if indifferent to playing it.

Which was my point.

If I buy a sealed game that's expensive as hell, I'd rather sell it and buy an open copy to play. It makes me happy, makes a sealed collector happy, and it makes my wallet less sad.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

That's exactly what I'd do, Kitsune. I'm more than happy having a CIB copy over a sealed copy, as it allows me to play the game and enjoy having it in my collection instead of just staring at it. I'm sure a sealed collector would enjoy a sealed copy more than I would.

I also find it hard to believe that the print run was so small or that all of those cartridges were destroyed. It's already been proven that the game appeared in stores other than Woolworth's, and much of the information about the game is hearsay. We'll see where the rabbit hole leads in the next month. If more cartridges keep appearing, we'll know the answer.

[Kitsune Sniper]

My theory is that the majority of Stadium Event copies were not destroyed, but rather the boards, cart shells, and sleeves were reused on other titles. Or maybe the plastic was recycled. I have no idea if this is possible, or feasible, but it's what I think. It wouldn't make sense to have something like that only to be destroyed...

[Shadow Kisuragi]

It costs less to destroy the cartridges than to ship them...

[Sosage]

My theory is that the majority of Stadium Event copies were not destroyed, but rather the boards, cart shells, and sleeves were reused on other titles. Or maybe the plastic was recycled. I have no idea if this is possible, or feasible, but it's what I think. It wouldn't make sense to have something like that only to be destroyed...

I agree with you and want to believe this theory as well, but I also feel like I need to point out that from my experience with software publishing, companies wouldn't bat an eye at destroying multiple dumpsters worth of stale product. When I saw this happen, however, it was outdated OS software and the medium was CD (no one wanted it, even in the retail system, and the CD medium is dirt cheap compared to boards/plastic cartridges).

[megasdkirby]

If I were to find at least two copies, I would keep one for myself.

The other one I would open and destroy it. Then I would post the video on www.smashmystadiumevents.com!! LOL

I bet alot of collectors would faint or have a coronary LOL

Of course, I'm only joking. But imagine if it was true... O_o

[BeaglePuss]

In that he is a homosexual? How can you tell from his post? Oh. Wait. You meant that as a bad thing? Judging from your use of the word, I think you miscalculated what decade we're in. It's 2010, not 1990.

Yeah, that was pretty classless on my part. My apologies.

[The 1 2 P]

I'd sell it and take a vacation. And buy lots of games......on my vacation to Japan. And yes theres like 6 active listings for Stadium Events, although I think the last sealed one just ended. The rest are for opened complete copies, atleast a few of them Pal versions.

[tomaitheous]

I'm not "hardcore"

No, but your a fool. When a game is worth 40,000USD sealed, it's not a game anymore. It's cash in your hand. Why would you trade 40k for 10k? No one would. Well, maybe if you're an idiot. Are you an idiot, sir? Or are you so well off that 40k is nothing to you?

[kupomogli]

This is when you start making bootlegs as quick as possible. Someone opens it, turns it on. Mario?

[Oobgarm]

This is when you start making bootlegs as quick as possible. Someone opens it, turns it on. Mario?

THIS IS THE GOLDEN TICKET.

[Gapporin]

No, but your a fool. When a game is worth 40,000USD sealed, it's not a game anymore. It's cash in your hand. Why would you trade 40k for 10k? No one would. Well, maybe if you're an idiot. Are you an idiot, sir? Or are you so well off that 40k is nothing to you?

Maybe scoot's a member of the KLF.

[Oobgarm]

Another has appeared.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110499541029

[Ed Oscuro]

No, but your a fool. When a game is worth 40,000USD sealed, it's not a game anymore. It's cash in your hand. Why would you trade 40k for 10k? No one would. Well, maybe if you're an idiot. Are you an idiot, sir? Or are you so well off that 40k is nothing to you?
Ouch...I wouldn't go that far.

But anybody who owned one would have to clam up about it...this person who has bought all of them (apparently) will either be putting them in a safe deposit box or they will be living in constant fear of a break-in.

Tom's right, it's best to just exploit somebody else's stupidity and trade the headaches off to somebody else (and get paid for it).

[kupomogli]

Another has appeared.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110499541029

12 hours left and it's over $100,000???? O_O

With the amount of copies we've seen in such a short amount of time is it possible that any of these would actually be bootleg or maybe the game is not as rare as people thought?

[Shadow Kisuragi]

$101,367.00...omfg. This has gone from somewhat sensible to absolute crazy. I told you people would pay almost any amount for a sealed copy of Stadium Events, and this is proof positive! I still say that this copy is a reseal though because of the non-authentic looking hangtab.

...someone should just list one for an astronomical amount BIN.

[Flippy8490]

If I were to find at least two copies, I would keep one for myself.

The other one I would open and destroy it. Then I would post the video on www.smashmystadiumevents.com!! LOL

I bet alot of collectors would faint or have a coronary LOL

Of course, I'm only joking. But imagine if it was true... O_o

That would be a Tsunami of gaming collectors sending out hits on you XD. Scary, scary people hardcore collectors can be :P.

Of course, im just kidding.

[thom_m]

Damn it. We were just talking about how crazy it is to sell a game for 40k...and now it's out for more then 100 grand! As I'm essentially a gamer and not a collector, it's really hard for me to conceive that - even after all this time here.

And then, you get it, and what? It just sits there? Is the thrill of having an actually complete collection worth all that money? It just leaves me wondering...

[AB Positive]

OK, when the value of a game that has more than six copies sells for more than a legitimately rare AES game of which there are only six known complete copies... ridiculous.

I never thought I'd see something top Kizuna EURO's $12.5K. Now I wish I hadn't.

[boatofcar]

OK, when the value of a game that has more than six copies sells for more than a legitimately rare AES game of which there are only six known complete copies... ridiculous.


An excellent example of how rare!=valuable.

[thom_m]

OK, when the value of a game that has more than six copies sells for more than a legitimately rare AES game of which there are only six known complete copies... ridiculous.

I never thought I'd see something top Kizuna EURO's $12.5K. Now I wish I hadn't.

All I said, and also this. This is all too crazy for me.

[scooterb23]

It's happening. The profiteers are descending.

The same thing that all but killed baseball card collecting in the 90s.

The same thing that all but killed comic book collecting in the early 00s.

It's the 10s, guess it's our turn. Good luck everybody.

[chrisbid]

It's happening. The profiteers are descending.

The same thing that all but killed baseball card collecting in the 90s.

The same thing that all but killed comic book collecting in the early 00s.

It's the 10s, guess it's our turn. Good luck everybody.



i think this will be mostly contained to the NES. few collectors give a crap about atari or sega games... more for me :)

[DuckTalesNES]

Up to $800,000 now. This has got to be fake.

[Ed Oscuro]

i think this will be mostly contained to the NES. few collectors give a crap about atari or sega games... more for me :)
I would like to share that optimism, but Kizuna Encounter pointed towards this happening for other games.

If it's a single buyer behind all this, it's obviously a ploy to corner the market, which I still think is ill-advised (especially since we've had "new" copies come out of the woodwork in just this short time!), and they're inviting a robbery or something. I mean - know anybody who wants to pay $41K on a crap NES game? Know anybody who wouldn't mind having their own copy to sell?


Up to $800,000 now. This has got to be fake.
I hope so.

[BetaWolf47]

few collectors give a crap about atari or sega games...
Wut now? I thought it was the collectors who cared the most!

[pseudonym]

No, NES is just the "in-thing" right now, in a few years we'll all be complaining about some high-priced SNES or PS1 games.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

http://blog.videogamepricecharts.com/2010/03/2nd-stadium-events-auction-is-fraud.html

It looks like JJ and quite a few other people agree with my sentiment about the auction.

[chrisbid]

once the story about stadium events hit the mainstream newswire, the potential for abuse and fraud shot upwards exponentially

[chrisbid]

No, NES is just the "in-thing" right now, in a few years we'll all be complaining about some high-priced SNES or PS1 games.

ps1 maybe (those educational titles), but the snes really doesnt have any uber rare stadium events officially released games.

[PapaStu]

ps1 maybe (those educational titles), but the snes really doesnt have any uber rare stadium events officially released games.

The Lightspan stuff isn't 'that' rare. Only a few titles are worth anything and the other 85 arn't worth but 3-5 bucks a pop. Because of the sheer number of those games (and that they wern't available for retail sale like SE was) their values will not be remotely close to the money games on the PlayStation.


The 800k is a blown auction. It won't sell for that, its just shill bidding now. Not that I know much of anything about SE games, but something about that box (the current 800k auction) has struck me wrong from the start. It just seems wrong, seals aside.

[Ed Oscuro]

It's happening. The profiteers are descending.

The same thing that all but killed baseball card collecting in the 90s.

The same thing that all but killed comic book collecting in the early 00s.

It's the 10s, guess it's our turn. Good luck everybody.
What got me out of baseball card collecting was fake (manufactured) rares, which video game companies have tried for a long while without most people really caring. Somebody here and there cuddles with their Mountain Dew Xbox, but the gaming itself still counts.

I'm aware that there were crazy spikes in card prices which came down over time, so as far as I know the hobby came back close to equilibrium.

I thought that comic books were at the same place cards were at the time (not that I'd know; I wasn't buying any of the 'good stuff,' my heart was never in it and I just bought some stuff that I thought I'd actually enjoy).

Back onto the topic of this game, somebody posted a blog link with some concerns about the photos and the seal...I think it's damn obvious that nobody serious is behind this latest one. Unfortunately this being an obvious fake means that people will be less critical of the $41K one (which may well be intentional, at least depending on who's behind the auction / bidding).

[pseudonym]

The SNES has Mountain Bike Rally/Speed Racer and that military shooting game + gun thing, the PS1 has, erm, the Elemental Gear Assassin's Case.

[Sosage]

800K...fake Stadium Events or not, someone is either shilling their own auction to a stupid degree or someone is trolling the auction with fake bids. I absolutely, positively don't buy that it is worth 40K or 100K, let alone almost a million. To put it even more in perspective, I can't imagine anyone single collector's video game collection being worth a million combined, let alone one single game (although...I dunno...wanna sell your collection DreamTR?).

In either case, it's no good for us. People are only going to see the end price.

I mean. Really. I only have 200 more loose carts to go. Could the uneducated opportunists please hold off until *I* am done with the NES library? :P

[Bad Atom]

I've been watching that auction just for the fun of it - really? $800,000? That's hilarious. It'll never actually sell...

[The 1 2 P]

I've been watching that auction just for the fun of it - really? $800,000? That's hilarious. It'll never actually sell...

That reminds me of the time a factory sealed Indiana Jones for the N64 got out of control and ended for $800. I contacted the seller a few days after the auction ended and he said that the seller told him that she made a mistake and wasn't going to pay for the item. I'm pretty sure something similiar will happen here. Then the seller will offer second chance offers to the people who bid $100,000-800,000 and they'll all decline. Thats ebay for you.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Another has appeared.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110499541029

The ridiculous bidding prices aside, that shrink wrap doesn't look right to me.

the vertical "wrinkling" in the back corners and the lack of a clearly visible horizontal seal line across the back seems pretty much a dead give-away that it's a re-seal.

I could be wrong as the pictures are all pretty small, but, I think it's spurious at best.

[Greg2600]

Well, I think tricksters invaded the bidding on that thing. No chance whoever wins the bidding is a legitimate bidder.

[RPG_Fanatic]

Damn!!!! that must be like hitting the lottery!!!!

[PapaStu]

The SNES has Mountain Bike Rally/Speed Racer and that military shooting game + gun thing, the PS1 has, erm, the Elemental Gear Assassin's Case.

Again, not that this thing is worth remotely close to 800k (hell its not worth 40k, watch, that one won't get paid for either).
The MACS system was not something that sold in the retail market. It was a special thing for the US Government. Guns and the 2 (or is it 3) games have been on ebay and at first were pulling good money, and soon began to hit saturation and their values dropped to the 500 range. Not saying that they can't go up some, but that isn't going to happen for some time.

The Assassins Case Elemental Gearbolt was not a retail item. It was a special promo made in incredibly limited quantities (less than 50) and given out to Japanese makers of the game, people in the biz and some were awarded out at E3 98. These, selling now are in the 1k range. Not 9k,13k or 40k. Most expensive PS thing? More or less (wait for some of the other crazy NEWS boxes to get out, then this will be chump change, hell a complete US Yaroze sold for more than that in 04 and there were twice those made)

Trying to equate something that was never 'in the market' so something that had a true retail run, no matter the shortness of time (SE sure as hell wasn't only available for a day) it was available for sale, just doesn't fly.

[MarioMania]

No one at AA answered me on this

How much did ebay get by the fees with the game selling at 41K

[-hellvin-]

Heh, I'm half tempted to just list my loose cart with a very high BIN and just see if someone actually buys it for WAY more than it should ever sell for.

[megasdkirby]

No one at AA answered me on this

How much did ebay get by the fees with the game selling at 41K

Probably a little below $1,200 before Paypal. Or maybe with Paypal fees. Not quite sure. You can use this though:

http://www.rolbe.com/ebay.htm

[Kitsune Sniper]

No one at AA answered me on this

How much did ebay get by the fees with the game selling at 41K

Rough estimate according to http://www.rolbe.com/ebay.htm, if the game started at $1, at ended at $41000:

$636.31 in eBay fees, and $1189.30 in PayPal fees.

So around $1825 in total fees. I don't know the actual starting cost, or the exact specifics, so this number is not accurate, but it's close. And people don't think eBay makes most of its money in PayPal fees.

[stargate]

Well, seriously, the 800K Stadium Events auction is a joke and bidders are clearly messing with the guy because it seems like a scam auction. The guy hasn't had any feedback for 3 years and he doesn't appear to speak English that well.

[megasdkirby]

Totally missed the part that the $1,200 or so was for Paypal only. DAMN that's alot of money them bastards at Ebay get.

O_O

[stargate]

Rough estimate according to http://www.rolbe.com/ebay.htm, if the game started at $1, at ended at $41000:

$636.31 in eBay fees, and $1189.30 in PayPal fees.

So around $1825 in total fees. I don't know the actual starting cost, or the exact specifics, so this number is not accurate, but it's close. And people don't think eBay makes most of its money in PayPal fees.

I hate Paypal. Their fees are ridiculous, even for low money transfers.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I hope the seller got paid with a Gift payment. XP

Edit:
And if the Stadium Events does end at over 800K, well the buyer is going to get hit with a $12000 eBay fee and a 23000 PayPal fee. I know, people are shilling this - but that's still 12,000 bucks in eBay fees. D:

[MarioMania]

That's why I won't sell on ebay..The fees

[pseudonym]

Again, not that this thing is worth remotely close to 800k (hell its not worth 40k, watch, that one won't get paid for either).
The MACS system was not something that sold in the retail market. It was a special thing for the US Government. Guns and the 2 (or is it 3) games have been on ebay and at first were pulling good money, and soon began to hit saturation and their values dropped to the 500 range. Not saying that they can't go up some, but that isn't going to happen for some time.

The Assassins Case Elemental Gearbolt was not a retail item. It was a special promo made in incredibly limited quantities (less than 50) and given out to Japanese makers of the game, people in the biz and some were awarded out at E3 98. These, selling now are in the 1k range. Not 9k,13k or 40k. Most expensive PS thing? More or less (wait for some of the other crazy NEWS boxes to get out, then this will be chump change, hell a complete US Yaroze sold for more than that in 04 and there were twice those made)

Trying to equate something that was never 'in the market' so something that had a true retail run, no matter the shortness of time (SE sure as hell wasn't only available for a day) it was available for sale, just doesn't fly.

I wasn't trying to say that they would be worth as much as SE ($40k) if it gets paid for, I was trying to say that they would probably be some of the more expensive items for those consoles in the future. Just a misunderstanding.

Anyway, this SE auction is joke. I was reading on NA that this is probably a reseal.

[Poofta!]

I've also broken things worth way more than $40k. You'd never think real dinosaur fossils were as brittle as they are, made out of rock as they are, but damn those things will just snap in half even if you are careful with them.

It is just a game.

i totaled my lotus elise (about 3 years ago) so yeah, ive broken more valuable things.

it is just a game, and we are in fact talking about money, the most abundant and renewable commodity in the known world. no way i would kill myself over something like money. would i regret/feel bad about loosing 40k? sure.

having said that, id definitely sell the bad boy. it means nothing to me. $40k on the other hand, i could get myself a REAL toy for that much ;)

[phreakindee]

Well this is just ridiculous. Was watching this one since the bidding started - it's another Stadium Events cart. But this one is... stupid. The bidding is so far up to $800,200. With a buyer with actual feedback, it appears. If there's a thread on this one already, I had not seen it. It would seem that the seller is located not too far from me either...

Yet another Stadium Events - sealed (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110499541029&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)

[savageone]

It just looks more like 2 people screwing around to me, there is like a 0.0001% chance of that getting paid for.

[ReTrO-pLaYeR]

Somebody has a lot of money on their hands. But, who spends almost one million one a game- even one this incredbily rare?

[phreakindee]

It just looks more like 2 people screwing around to me, there is like a 0.0001% chance of that getting paid for.

I would assume so as well. There are like 10 Stadium Events also on eBay right now... even the PAL ones are going for over a grand, which I find completely stupid. I thought the PAL game was darned easy to get ahold of.

[DefaultGen]

.....

[Greg2600]

This is the same auction that keeps being posted about. Even Yahoo! got duped into it.