Pokémon Yellow was released for the Game Boy in 1998, which makes it extremely rare to find a game cartridge in perfect condition inside a sealed box. Unfortunately, an example of these valued at around R$ 52,000 had its packaging completely destroyed by US Customs and Border Protection.
The incident was reported by Nightdive Studio CEO Stephen Kick (@pripyatbeast) on Twitter. According to him, a copy of Pokémon Yellow rated 9.2 out of 10 for conservation status had its packaging destroyed by US customs.
The game rating takes into account several factors and the higher the better. To get an idea, the copy mentioned by Kick was valued at more than US$ 10 thousand or about R$ 52 thousand in direct conversion, as it had the original Nintendo seal on the box.
Friend of mine received this sealed and graded original copy of Pokemon Yellow…
US Customs:
Broke the acrylic case
Ripped and discarded the seal
SLICED the front of the box offMaybe they weren’t fans of @TheWataGames ? pic.twitter.com/lGs1qC1RIF
— Stephen Kick (@pripyatbeast) January 19, 2023
Unfortunately, this value will never be recovered, as Kick reports that the customs broke the acrylic packaging, violated the original seal and cut the cardboard box that surrounds the cartridge to visualize its contents.
The CEO won’t say whether his friend had insurance on the package, but the evidence may be enough for a formal claim to recover at least part of the amount.
In any case, there is a warning about sending collectibles by mail, as the packages can be opened in certain countries to check for the presence of contraband in the goods.
Speaking of Pokémon Yellow, it’s worth remembering a secret discovered by a player in 2020, more than 20 years after the title’s launch.