In 2009, THQ pulled a publicity stunt by protecting a Nintendo Wii in 24 karat gold and attempting to get it delivered to Queen Elizabeth II. Her (*24*) by no means truly obtained her arms on the console, however now, after over a 12 months of public sale hijinx, you would possibly be capable of.
I truly wrote about this final 12 months, when the console, within the arms of a collector within the Netherlands, was attributable to go up on the market on eBay:
The Queen possible by no means obtained the console—as outlined on this wonderful episode of People Make Games—however it did ultimately discover its manner into the arms of collector Don, one of many guys behind the web site consolevariations.com, which I wrote about again in 2019.
Don, who’s now, “Moving on with life,” and seeking to purchase a brand new place, is placing components of his assortment up on the market, and the headline merchandise is in fact this infamous, 24 karat gold-plated Wii, which he has listed on eBay for $300,000.
That eBay public sale went forward in October 2021 and picked up over 700 bids, earlier than a current change in eBay’s public sale insurance policies—which tied the worth of an merchandise to the consumer’s promoting historical past, which on this case was “very costly console” vs “some man’s common eBay account”—noticed the public sale eliminated earlier than it could possibly be accomplished.
Six months later, the console’s present proprietor Don (who additionally runs the superb Consolevariations) has discovered a workaround, with the public sale home Goldin solely too completely satisfied to checklist the golden Wii (and the shitty recreation it was initially supposed to advertise) there as a substitute.
Here’s Goldin’s itemizing:
Due to the Palace Correspondence Team’s understandably strict coverage in terms of presents, nonetheless, for safety causes, the console by no means truly made it into the Palace, not to mention into the Queen’s arms. It was subsequently despatched again to the THQ places of work, unbeknownst to the remainder of the world, who assumed that it had reached its ultimate vacation spot, residing the lifetime of royalty. When THQ went bankrupt in 2012, “The Royal Wii” fell off of the radar, and no one actually knew what turned of it. However, 5 years later, it resurfaced, having been acquired by a collector specializing in developer {hardware}, who had obtained it from a contact he had at THQ. He finally bought the console, and it has been held quietly in our consignor’s arms since then.
Presented right here is the last word Wii collectible, commissioned particularly for Her (*24*) the Queen herself for a (considerably goofy, and finally unsuccessful) advertising ploy, “The Golden Wii.” The console and controller are each plated in 24 karat gold. Both exhibit minor dealing with put on, with the controller displaying scattered chips to the gold plating. The bundle contains the console, one controller, a duplicate of BIG Family Games, sensor bar, and all essential cables. The Wii will include a Letter of Provenance from our consignor testifying to its historical past and authenticity. Don’t miss your alternative to personal this really one-of-a-kind Nintendo collectible! (Crown Jewels not included.)
Bidding has simply opened, and if something I’m extremely curious to see the place it goes. On the one hand, it’s a Wii with some gold on it, a comic story and a duplicate of a really dangerous online game. It may go for little greater than the $1500 presently bid on it. On the opposite, we now dwell in a world the place Pokémon playing cards can promote for as a lot as an condominium, so who is aware of how a lot somebody will probably be finally prepared to pay for this factor. With bidding closing on May 22, I suppose we’re about to seek out out.
