Technology and video game collecting are experiencing a golden age, so much so that today it is possible to find an authentic technological relic on the spot and in the least expected way, and make a fortune doing it. Consider, for example, a Nintendo NES cartridge that is heavily worn, with a hole in the side showing a bit of the inside, and that also comes without a sticker to identify it.

We may think that this is rubbish, outdated technology that is not worth a few euros, but the truth is that we could be completely wrong, because what is important is what the cartridge contains. If the outer plastic is gold, Even if it is in such a bad state of preservation, you could be holding a technological relic worth thousands of euros.

That’s exactly what happened with the Nintendo World Championships gold cartridge. It is in a rather poor state of preservation, but has since become a real rarity only 26 units were produced and to achieve it, it was necessary to win an exclusive competition held in 1990. This rarity makes it a technological relic, not the quality itself or the game it contains.

According to the data we have, it appears so only 13 of these cartridges remain, which makes its rarity even greater and its price rises considerably. One of the lucky winners of this contest has decided to auction off a Nintendo World Championships gold cartridge unit that he owns, and while it might look like a trash can at first glance, it’s a collector’s gem.

You’re probably wondering how much money we’re talking about, and the truth is that the number is staggering, as at the time of writing this article the cassette was reaching $130,000 at auction. This number is not final and it is clear that the auction will eventually climb to a much higher number with 24 days left to go.

Is it worth paying $130,000 for a very worn cartridge from a console that is long out of date? For a normal person, the answer will be a clear no, that’s clear, but for a collector who loves video games, or someone who wants do business through speculation If you buy now and then sell at a higher price, the answer will be yes.