Mike Smith from Yahoo Games reports that “it wasn’t even the game itself that was worth the bulk of the money – it was the original cardboard box, which collectors value at a breathtaking $10,000.”

Apparently collectors consider it to be one of the hardest-to-find NES games ever made, as fewer than 10 complete copies of the game are thought to exist.

The seller, who at first wasn’t aware of why the auction was attracting such avid interest posted the item description as:
“Up for auction is an original Nintendo NES gaming system with 1 hand control. There are 5 games with it. They are, Family & Fitness Stadium Events in the original box with the dust jacket inside of the box, Major League Baseball in the original box with the dust jacket inside of the box, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 the arcade game in the original box with the dust jacket inside of the box, Super Mario 3 in the original box with the dust jacket inside of the box and the original game, Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt. I have had this stored in the closet for years for my kids to play but the way that electronics come & go and change from one year to the next they wanted all of the new hot items of their own now and now it’s time to get rid of things that are no longer being used or wanted. This system worked perfect when i stored it but somehow over the years, we have managed to misplace the AC cord & the television hook up. I am listing this and selling without hook up but it I find them, i’ll send them along with the rest at no additional charges to you. Please keep in mind though that any AC cord will work with this and the hook up from a VCR would hook it up just as well as the original cords!”

UPDATE: After this story was published two weeks ago, it inspired a gentleman to check through the collection of games in his basement that were slated for a Goodwill donation. From Plugged In on Yahoo Games comes the following:

Rare Nintendo game is $40,000 windfall – Plugged In – Yahoo! Games

Rare Nintendo game is $40,000 windfall
by Mike Smith
Buzz up!

February 26 8:46 P.M.
Stadium Events

“This rare game sold for $41,300.

Impressed by the story of the North Carolina eBay seller who stumbled upon an ultra-rare, $13,000 Nintendo game? So were we — and so was Kansas reader Dave, who headed for his basement to see if there was video game gold lurking down there.

“We had quite a collection (185+ games) that has sat in our basement for over 20 years,” Dave told Y! Games. “The games were on a list to be brought to Goodwill – in fact, within a month, Goodwill was going to have them.”

To his astonishment, not only did he find a copy of the same game that just fetched over $13,000 on eBay — highly sought-after collector’s item Stadium Events — it was in perfect condition, right down to the original shrinkwrapping and Richard Gordman pricetag. (A mere $29.99, if you’re wondering.)”

Wow!

Interested in other collectible video games? Check out Video Game Price Charts.

Their description of collecting for the Atari 2600:
“The Atari 2600 is the system most people collect games for. This is likely due to more people owning a 2600 than any other classic gaming system. Back in its heyday, who didn’t have an Atari? This has two effects. First many people have a nostalgia for the 2600 and pick one up to play all the games they remember from their past. And second, because so many people had one, it’s one of the easiest systems to collect for as there are so many games floating around.”

The titles in the unbelievably rare (10) category:
- Air Raid from MenAvision
- Alien from Xante
- Atlantis II from Imagic Picture
- Beany Bopper from Xante
- BMX Airmaster from Atari
- Copy Cart from VidCo
- Crypts of Chaos from Xante
- ECPC Cartridge from Romox
- Eli’s Ladder from Simage
- Gauntlet from Answer
- Karate from Ultravision
- Magicard from CommaVid
- Mangia from Spectravision
- Motorodeo from Atari
- Music Machine from Sparrow
- No Escape! from Xante
- Obelix from Atari
- Pepsi Invaders from Atari
- Solar Storm from Xante
- Video Life from CommaVid

Visit AtariAge here >>

Some current live auctions on eBay for vintage Atari video games:

:

• Atari 2600 Purina Chase the Chuckwagon with Instructions

$78.07 (12 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 6:19:28 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Chase the Chuck Wagon (Atari 2600)

$43.00 (3 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 15:04:57 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• ATARI 2600 GAME SWORDQUEST WATERWORLD PLUS BOOKLET HOLY GRAIL OF GAMES RARE 1983

$109.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 18:02:50 PST Buy It Now for only: $149.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

• Atari 2600 83 games

$81.00 (39 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 18:06:13 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Bachelor Party(Atari 2600)

$34.99 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 18:18:57 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Star Wars: The Arcade Game – Atari 2600 / Sears Video Arcade

$39.99 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 18:21:38 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Boxing (Atari 2600, 1980)

$50.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 19:04:49 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Atari 2600 Threshold In Box with Instructions Adult Owned

$49.95 (0 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 3:52:39 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Beat ‘em and Eat ‘em (Atari 2600)

$50.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 4:29:57 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Dragonstomper Complete Rare (Atari 2600)

$39.99 (0 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 5:02:40 PST Bid now | Add to watch list