Collector pays over $90k for rare Castlevania copy after 23-year search

A rare sealed hangtag copy of a 1st production Castlevania has been sold for $90,100, making this one of the highest-priced auctions for a raw boxed video game.

There were 130 bids in total and the item started at $37,000 on eBay from a seller located in Frisco, Texas.

The 1987 release was described as being in ‘Brand New’ condition on the listing, a label that is reserved for items that have never been opened or removed from the manufacturer’s sealing.

With the original $27.87 sticker price tag still on the game, the buyer has paid a pretty penny to get their hands on the Japanese classic. The happy buyer then went on to leave feedback for the seller: “The best eBay transaction I’ve ever had. Awesome seller and easy to deal with.

“Thank you for an amazing transaction. Five stars all the way.”

With many left wondering who took the win for the rare Castlevania, it wasn’t known whether this person would reveal themselves or if the sale would remain anonymous.

Then, a few weeks after the listing closed and in the first week of April, the person who paid the staggering amount came forward on Instagram under the username ‘minus_worlds’. He took to the social media platform to share a photo of the game fresh out of the mail.

The gamer has spent the last couple of years sharing his purchases and video game collection. The account is dedicated to playing, collecting, selling, and trading with a focus on all things retro.

Nostalgia wins the bidding war

The two photos of the Castlevania game are captioned with: “The search is over after 23 years.”

After searching for over two decades, the gamer thought they’d previously missed the opportunity to re-purchase it: “I resigned to never being able to add this grail after years of searching.

“But, everything just came together for a childhood friend and I this week as we were able to obtain this absolute beauty.

“This was the first game my mom ever bought me. I still remember the phone call we made to buy it. It’s a core memory, as is this past week.”

Featured Image: Via Instagram User Minus_Worlds