Launched in 1983 in Japan, Nintendo’s Family Computer, or Famicom as it is more fondly known, quickly became a household name thanks to titles like Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. Strikingly different in design to its Western counterpart, the NES, the Famicom’s low profile with its multitude of buttons and ridges and docking slots for a pair of gold and burgundy controllers is now considered to be an iconic piece of video game hardware, frequently bought and sold at auction or at used game stores.
While many gamers would no doubt quite like the idea of picking a Famicom up for themselves and reliving a few 8-bit classics, we’re not entirely sure how many people would be in the market to buy 1,000 of the things all at once…
Advertised on Yahoo! Japan’s auction website, the seller has started the bidding at 7.5 million yen (almost US$76,000), calling the machines “national treasures” that any hardcore gamer would want in their hardware collection.
Working out at 7,500 yen (US$76) per unit–which we can’t help but feel is a little steep for such an enormous bulk buy–there are currently no bids on the item, but we’re sure there are positively hordes of interested parties waiting in the wings hoping to snap up a bargain at the last second.
The consoles are divided up into three categories by the seller: excellent condition, good condition, and sun-bleached yellow, the latter being something that anyone who bought any white or cream-coloured electrical goods more than 10 years ago will no doubt be familiar with. Both ‘long’ and ‘short’ versions of the console can also be found mixed in among the more pristine stock.
The seller asks that the winning bidder take the entire stock of 1,000 consoles in one go. They also state that the merchandise will arrive in batches of 30, meaning that you’ll be spending an entire month taking stacks of Famicom consoles into your garage. Just think how pleased your family or spouse would be!
For anyone interested in making a huge (in both senses of the word) investment, the bidding is still open, but be aware that the buyer will sell only to those within Japan and who intend to keep or use the consoles on these shores, as they were originally intended.
Ah, to open a door an find 1,000 NES consoles stacked up just waiting to be given homes. It’s like something I would have seen in my happiest childhood dreams…
Source: Yahoo! Auction via Byoukan Sunday
