US$15,000 video game found in op shop

A US woman found the holy grail of video game history in Goodwill for US$7.99.

When a woman walked into Save Point Games in Charlotte, North Carolina, owner Wilder Hamm wasn't expecting much. She handed over copies of 10-Yard Fight and The Karate Kid to sell before handing over a game she'd picked up for US$7.99 in Goodwill — Family Fitness Stadium Events in near-mint condition.

One of the very first physical fitness games ever released, the 1987 game was taken off the shelves when the game's mat and license was sold to Nintendo not long after its release. It is believed that only 2000 copies of the game were made, of which only 200 were sold to consumers. Collectors believe that there are only 20 copies of the game still in existence; and in fact, a copy sold on eBay in 2010 for US$41,300.

The copy that Hamm saw was in fantastic condition: still in its original packaging, the manual wasn't creased and the cartridge unmarred. The woman, according to Hamm, knew that she had found something pretty special, telling him that she expected somewhere between US$7000 and US$15,000 for the game. Alas, Hamm could not afford to buy the game outright, so the woman decided to try and sell it elsewhere.

A copy of Stadium Fitness is currently available on eBay from a different vendor for a Buy it Now price of US$75,000.

Via kotaku.com