The Pokémon franchise has been around for the last 27 years, with the earlier games being considered collectibles as time goes on. As with other collectibles, players can choose to get an older game graded and sealed if they have no intention of playing it to up the value. But one player recently claimed they had their graded Pokémon Yellow game destroyed when passing through U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
In a tweet posted by System Shock game director Stephen Kick, he claims that a friend of his had their graded copy of Pokémon Yellow destroyed when passing through U.S. Customs. They said the CBP officers ripped off the seal provided by the grading service, broke the case into four pieces, and cut up the original game box.
The game was officially graded by Wata Games, who offer professional services for collectors to establish authenticity in their items. Based on prices for graded versions of Pokémon Yellow on eBay, this could be a $2,000 loss at a minimum. Some of the prices for the graded version of the game on the site go for much more.
It seems that the CBP has a process for requesting a claim on property damage or loss, although it’s unclear how much it will value the game. If the original owner is unable to get a couple thousand for the destruction of the game, it’s likely that they’ll end up taking a significant loss because of negligence on behalf of the CBP officers.
Some have posited that the officers might have taken issue with a battery in the cartridge or thought that the game might be hiding drugs. Kick even joked that they must not have approved of the work of Wata Games. Whatever the reason, this is a significant mistake that has irreparably damaged a piece of gaming history.
