It looks like the drinks are on eBay seller muresan this weekend, as the rare Nintendo game cartridge he put up on eBay has sold for a stunning $99,902. Nintendo World Championship is a rare promo cart that was given out to 90 winners of a special contest run back in 1991. Despite only being in an “acceptable” condition, the item has attracted a huge amount of interest.
There is reason for scepticism, though: a rarer, gold version of the same game fetched only $18,000 in 2010, and was in better condition too. Whether muresan receives his money or has been the victim of a coordinated shill bidding strategy remains to be seen. If the bid and payment are confirmed, this would be the highest amount ever paid for a single video game.
“A must for Nintendo collectors,” writes the seller on the auction page, “which I can attest to since I’ve been one for over 25 years. Those that walk in NES circles will relate my name with honesty and integrity but feel free to ask for references if you doubt my authenticity. These carts are near impossible to find anywhere so don’t let this pass you by.”
Seller muresan bought the game from another trader back in 2004 or 2005. He hasn’t disclosed the price he paid for it, but one suspects he’s making a tidy profit on the deal. While the first bid didn’t arrive until the fifth day of the auction, it went on to attract thousands of watchers and hundreds of thousands of views: now we await confirmation that the money has gone through.
