Anybody have any idea what one of these would be worth? And how would it affect the value if the neon light was broken?

See, here's the situation: For the past couple months, I've been passing by this scuzzy, hole-in-the-wall appliance repair store on the way to work. Among a bunch of stuff in their windows, they have one of these nifty signs, which has probably been hanging there forever, and I'm so tempted to walk in there and see if I can talk them into handing it over for some sum of money.

So what exactly is the story behind these? When were these distributed, and do any Nintendo Authorized Repair Centers still exist at this point? I imagine my odds of getting it would be significantly increased if it's just there as some relic from the past rather than something that still advertises a service available to this day. I can say that I've never seen it lit up at least (which is why I'm considering that it may be busted). Any information would be more than welcome, and I'd be happy to entertain opinions on what I should do.