Complete Air Raid fetches over $33k, priciest Atari 2600 sale ever
The world's only complete, in-box copy of Air Raid was auctioned yesterday for $33,433.30, the highest ever sale for an Atari 2600 game. The figure is nearly two grand more than the previous record held by the same game, which went for $31,600 in 2010. This copy is worth more because it also includes the manual, making it complete. It overtook the record when an 11th hour bid almost doubled the previous asking price.
This incredibly rare game goes for crazy money even without its box, with the number of known copies barely into double figures. It's so obscure that only the box clearly verifies the game's developer and official title.
The seller's story is remarkable too. Working in the video game department of a drug store in the 80s, he was given Air Raid to sell by a visiting rep. After trying it out at home, the seller decided it wasn't good enough for the store and told the rep to take it back. The rep (forehead-slapping-moment imminent) told him to keep it anyway. Nearly three decades later, the rest is $33,433.30 worth of history.
