SEALED Link's Awakening DX ~ Found Where You Won't Believe! (or maybe not)

[Kyle15]

So, today I accompanied my dad to the Sears auto center to get some tires changed.
This was not the Sears over at the mall though, oh no. It was 10 minutes west of Birmingham in the area of Ashfield. We pull up, and this Sears was unbelievably crusty.
(it seemed like an un-kept relic of years past)

After the car gets pulled in to the mechanic, my dad and I go looking around.
Within a few minutes, we end up at the video game case. I spot some brand new titles, and some old ones. Then, I spot a case FILLED with GBA games. There was some good stuff to be had within, but I nearly screamed when I saw IT just sitting there among the new/old GBA releases. Link's Awakening DX! What is a 9/10 year-old game doing in a Sears?! Not wasting any time, I find one of the employees to open the case.
I pull out the game, and come to find out it looks like it had just arrived fresh from Nintendo. The seal is the real deal, not a re-seal, and it had NO finger prints or smudges all over it! (it also had a very small hairline crease at the bottom, probably just half of a cenimeter, and it took me a while to notice) So, I gather the other little deals I found, (Gunstar Super Heroes, Card Fighters DS), and get to paying. First off, Gunstar Heroes scans in at $9.99. Then, Card Fighters DS at $2.97. Finally, Zelda DX. The guy scans it, and nothing happens. The computer barks a warning message that the UPC could not be found. He scans it two other times, then resorts to typing in the UPC number almost four times. It could still not be found.
With a stroke of luck, the employee happened to just give up and slam in a replacement price of $2.97! It was soooooooo UNBELIEVEABLE!
I pay, and soon after I'm on my way home. But, I couldn't help but notice two copies of Final Fantasy 4 Advance sitting there with a "ZERO VALUE" sticker. I get the guy to ring these up as well, and oddly, pull the same "no UPC magic" as Zelda. He then proceeds to sell them to me at $3.97 each. All in all, this was a very good trip! This Zelda may not be a huge find, but it will definately be one of my best. Plus, I got some other goodies for great prices as well.

So, I'm just asking this: how lucky am I to find such an old game in such crisp condition at a Sears of all places? I know they are known to hoard good stuff like Kmart, but I figured something of this caliber would have been gone long ago. I suppose it's just been fate though, sitting in that glass case for nearly a decade just for me.

[The 1 2 P]

Nice find.

[thetoxicone]

I hear plenty of interesting stories of people finding good deals on games at Sears but too bad none of the ones in my area have any games.

[PentiumMMX]

I've never had something that awesome happen to me, but I wish it could happen...
(Great find, BTW. I wish the local Sears had more than tools and appliances)

[FOnewearl]

Obviously it's lucky to find something so old and even much more so that it's actually something good. But I'd also say that lady luck was looking after you since the worker gave it to you for a few bucks and didn't tell you that he couldn't sell it since it was Out of System as happens with the OOS stuff at Sear or Kmart sometimes.

[Kyle15]

Is this game really hard to find in such condition?
I would rate this one an 8.5 or even a 9 for looking so good.
The only thing I can find wrong is some small scuff lines on the back seal, and an extremely small (probably cenimeter long) hairline crease in the box at the bottom. It is so minor in fact, I did not even notice it when I first got a look at it in my own hands.

Gem material for a decade year-old game, I suppose.

[Zman]

Nice find! I have never thought to check in the Sears stores around here, but after hearing that it may be worth it.

This reminds me of when I found a bunch of old Saturn stuff on the clearance rack at the Wal-Mart in Hoover (the old one).

[Kyle15]

Nice find! I have never thought to check in the Sears stores around here, but after hearing that it may be worth it.

This reminds me of when I found a bunch of old Saturn stuff on the clearance rack at the Wal-Mart in Hoover (the old one).

I suppose it's all gone, right?
Also, what is the best place to get Saturn stuff (or anything old) in the area?

[The 1 2 P]

I hear plenty of interesting stories of people finding good deals on games at Sears but too bad none of the ones in my area have any games.

My great Sears find was asking a clerk how much an unpriced copy of Metroid Zero Mission for the Game Boy Advance was. It rang up at $2.97 so obviously I snagged it.

[strassy]

good story, but the word is "caliber"..."calibur" is a video game word.

[Chunky]

where were the games in your sears's's's's

some have them in the electronics, one of them has them buried in the kids clothing deparment

[Kyle15]

good story, but the word is "caliber"..."calibur" is a video game word.

Oops, I had Soul Calibur on the brain as I was writing....
Thanks for catching me, I'll fix it.

[Zman]

I suppose it's all gone, right?
Also, what is the best place to get Saturn stuff (or anything old) in the area?

Yeah, that was years ago, before that Wal-Mart closed and the new one on HW 150 opened.

I do most of my searching at Thrift Stores and Flea markets - although the Thrift Stores have been cornered lately by ebay flippers and Flea Market dealers who have insiders working at them. The flea market in Bessemer is great - they have a couple of full time dealers that are very reasonable and always people out back that are selling stuff for cheap. About a week ago I got a Saturn, 3d pad, regular controller, power, a/v, etc for $15 - got home and it had NiGHTs inside! Bonus! Over the 9 years I have been collecting in the Birmingham / Tuscaloosa area, I have found some amazing stuff. I am just to lazy to post in the Finds forum.

As far as game stores, there are a few other overpriced stores that still carry old stuff (like Zone-1). All of the Game-X-Changes have gone away - they used to be great. I met a lot of very cool collectors and hard core gamers who worked or shopped there. (Most of them who troll here, but never post!)

I also hit the "crusty" K-marts (the few still left). After your find, I will be adding the Sears stores too!

I find 99% of the pawn shops to be way to scary and a complete waste of time. Plus, I don't feel like putting up with the attitude and the "them 'tendo thangs sell fer 60 times that on ebay" BS most of them do.

[Kyle15]

Yeah, that was years ago, before that Wal-Mart closed and the new one on HW 150 opened.

I do most of my searching at Thrift Stores and Flea markets - although the Thrift Stores have been cornered lately by ebay flippers and Flea Market dealers who have insiders working at them. The flea market in Bessemer is great - they have a couple of full time dealers that are very reasonable and always people out back that are selling stuff for cheap. About a week ago I got a Saturn, 3d pad, regular controller, power, a/v, etc for $15 - got home and it had NiGHTs inside! Bonus! Over the 9 years I have been collecting in the Birmingham / Tuscaloosa area, I have found some amazing stuff. I am just to lazy to post in the Finds forum.

As far as game stores, there are a few other overpriced stores that still carry old stuff (like Zone-1). All of the Game-X-Changes have gone away - they used to be great. I met a lot of very cool collectors and hard core gamers who worked or shopped there. (Most of them who troll here, but never post!)

I also hit the "crusty" K-marts (the few still left). After your find, I will be adding the Sears stores too!

I find 99% of the pawn shops to be way to scary and a complete waste of time. Plus, I don't feel like putting up with the attitude and the "them 'tendo thangs sell fer 60 times that on ebay" BS most of them do.

I've heard of the Bessemer Flea Market.
When does it open for the year?

[Zman]

I've heard of the Bessemer Flea Market.
When does it open for the year?

It's open all year, just on Saturday and Sunday.

[Kyle15]

It's open all year, just on Saturday and Sunday.

Thanks!
I'll try to get over there this weekend.

[8-bitNesMan]

Congrats on the find! Reminds me of the summer of '03, when I found about twenty different sealed NES games at a lonely Wal-Mart off the beaten path in Arkansas. I looked at the shipping labels and they had been there since the early nineties

[Kyle15]

Congrats on the find! Reminds me of the summer of '03, when I found about twenty different sealed NES games at a lonely Wal-Mart off the beaten path in Arkansas. I looked at the shipping labels and they had been there since the early nineties

THAT IS AMAZING!!!
Were any of them good titles?

[8-bitNesMan]

THAT IS AMAZING!!!
Were any of them good titles?

There were a few. I think Qix was the rarest one. I remember getting 3 copies of The Empire Strikes Back. I also picked up Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, the big box Carmen Sandiego game and several other titles. I'll edit this post with the complete list later. I talked to the store manager and bought the whole lot for a set price. Truly one of the best finds I've ever had!

[Kyle15]

There were a few. I think Qix was the rarest one. I remember getting 3 copies of The Empire Strikes Back. I also picked up Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, the big box Carmen Sandiego game and several other titles. I'll edit this post with the complete list later. I talked to the store manager and bought the whole lot for a set price. Truly one of the best finds I've ever had!

How much did you pay?
I'm guessing $20. (this is Wal-Mart, you know)