World · India Bureau
Rare 1982 Atari game discovered at Texas charity store sells for $10,590
A vintage video game cartridge found among donated items at a Goodwill store in Texas fetched over $10,500 at auction, with collectors identifying it as one of only 13 known copies in existence.
LSN India ·
An exceptionally rare Atari 2600 game cartridge from 1982 has sold for $10,590.79 after being discovered at a Goodwill thrift store in Texas. The cartridge, titled Air Raid, was spotted by an alert Goodwill employee while processing a batch of donated video games.
Recognizing the cartridge's unusual appearance, the employee consulted with his father, who helped confirm its rarity and potential value. The subsequent seven-day online auction attracted significant collector interest, with bidding reaching 34 separate offers before the final sale was completed in 2021.
According to Goodwill officials at the time of the auction, Air Raid represented an exceptionally scarce piece of gaming history. The charity organization confirmed that only 13 known copies of the game were believed to exist in circulation, making the discovery a noteworthy find for retro gaming enthusiasts and collectors worldwide.
The sale underscores the growing market for vintage video game memorabilia, particularly for obscure titles from the early era of home console gaming. Items from this period have become increasingly valuable as nostalgia drives collector demand and as the rarity of certain cartridges becomes more widely documented among gaming communities.