Storage Wars Hunter Assumes Janky NES Is Worth $13,000
August 12, 2011 11:00 AM | Eric Caoili

Video games are popping up all over A&E reality TV shows lately! There was that episode of Hoarders a few weeks ago featuring an obsessive arcade collector, and now we have an NES appearing on the latest Storage Wars (full episode streaming here).
If you've never seen the program, it centers on storage lockers that renters have failed to make monthly payments on, and thus are sold to auction hunters, who then sift through the locker's contents for valuables to sell and make a profit on.
In this episode, high-roller Mark has paid $925 for a locker, and finds it's mostly filled with junk like cell phone accessories, a propane stove, guitars, and audio equipment. But then he thinks he's struck gold after discovering an old NES "001" model.
He brags to the camera, "NES-001, guys. I want you to look at this very carefully. This is the first Nintendo DS built. The last one that sold with five games in the internet for $13,000." I'm sure any gamer watching this episode was cracking up over this.
The auction he's referring to actually did happen last year, when a woman sold an NES and five games for $13,105 on eBay -- but it just so happens that one of those five titles was a complete-in-box copy of super rare game Family & Fitness Stadium Events.
Before Mark can try to hawk the NES-001 for that kind of money, he decides to have it looked at by an expert at a game shop, who's skeptical that any NES console could fetch $13,000 unless it was a prototype or some other kind of unique version.
In the end, the expert not only determines that it's definitely not worth $13,000 (he estimates its value at $10), he tests out the NES and finds out that it won't even power on. The disappointment on Mark's face and in his voice -- priceless!
[Via Winroba]
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9 Comments
Fine, I'll nitpick: The auctioneer is the person who conducts the auction and accepts bids, not the person who does the bidding.
jeffk | August 12, 2011 12:39 PM
This Nintendo Wii was owned by Mario himself back in 1937. $500,302.
Ian | August 13, 2011 9:44 PM
Well, the guy's supposedly a millionaire, so $105 isn't that much of a lost to him.
Make Money Online | August 14, 2011 1:33 AM
The worst part is this person was filmed making this terrible mistake.
Tim | August 14, 2011 10:48 AM
Can someone upload the part where he's super dissapointed to YouTube? It sounds hilarious, but i can't get access to that site in my country.
Frab | August 18, 2011 8:19 PM
Does no one else realize this was a bit? The way he was acting when he opened the storage unit(opening up the briefcase and saying it coulda been diamonds instead of papers)was clearly him mocking the regulars on this show, and the face that the camera crew and the redneck who always wears tank tops happened to be their and that he took it so calmly when told his $13000 nintendo was worth $10? Seemed highly staged.
Person | August 24, 2011 10:11 PM
Yeah well, he already has a ton of cash..... so really not that big of a disappointment for him I bet.
Alex | August 25, 2011 7:48 PM
What I'm surprised at is the guy in the store neither heard of the $13,000 eBay auction, nor even knows about Stadium Events- the game that shot that auction so sky high. He's supposed to have a VIDEO GAME store, and HE didn't know? Shame, shame guy who thinks the non-working NES is $20- you will NOT get that even at used places, as Game Stop (should they actually buy an NES) would NEVER accept non-working systems!!
Jim | October 13, 2011 2:52 AM
What I'm surprised at is the guy in the store neither heard of the $13,000 eBay auction, nor even knows about Stadium Events. He's supposed to have a VIDEO GAME store, and HE didn't know? Shame, shame guy who thinks the non-working NES is $10- you will NOT get that even at used places, as Game Stop (should they actually buy an NES) would NEVER accept non-working systems!!
Jim | October 13, 2011 2:54 AM