U.S. Customs destroyed near-mint, $3,800 Pokémon Yellow copy, owner disappointed.
A sealed copy of the classic game Pokémon Yellow, worth nearly $4,000, was destroyed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The owner of the game, The_Master_Of_Unlocking, was shocked to see the “senseless damage” done to the collector’s item. The game was certified by Wata Games, an independent company that grades and certifies games for collectors. It was given an A+ rating and a score of 9.2, making it an “exceptional condition” game.
The reason for the destruction is unknown, but it is believed that Customs was looking for contraband, counterfeited, improperly declared, prohibited, or embargoed goods. The_Master_Of_Unlocking purchased the game from an independent seller in Canada, and it cleared U.S. Customs in Kentucky before the damage was discovered.
The_Master_Of_Unlocking was disappointed to see the damage done to the game, as it was the first Pokémon game he owned as a kid. He was trying to secure a near-mint copy to display on his office desk. Although there are plenty of copies of Pokémon Yellow sold online, there are few that are in “excellent condition” and near mint like The_Master_Of_Unlocking’s was.
Kotaku reached out to U.S. Customs and Wata Games for comment, but none was given. The_Master_Of_Unlocking is currently going through the dispute process with PayPal.
The destruction of The_Master_Of_Unlocking’s copy of Pokémon Yellow highlights the power of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The agency is able to inspect packages, and destroy them if they are found to contain contraband, counterfeited, improperly declared, prohibited, or embargoed goods. While these regulations are necessary, it is still unfortunate to see a collector’s item destroyed in this way.
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