Unused Nintendo NES System For Sale

As a lover of all things retro I'm used to adding systems and games to the collection that need a ruddy good wipe down prior to use. The C64 I purchased a month back required some serious work with a pack of hygienic wipes before I switched it on, and many years ago I bought a Space Invaders Part 2 upright cab that looked like it'd been stored in a barn for a decade or more. (That needed some serious cleaning work, I can tell you!)

With that in mind it always amazes me that mint (or near mint) condition items continue to pop up on auction site Ebay. So when ex ZZAP!64 / C+VG editor Julian Rignall, tweeted "Get your minty fresh unopened NES right here. Relive the joys of the bext Xmas present from 1988", along with a link to an Ebay auction, I just 'had' to take a look.

Here's the auction description:

Up for auction is this great Nintendo NES control deck with all original box, manuals, controllers, power, accessories and console as seen in the pictures.

Box and all accessories are in great condition, box has some very slight corner wear. Console and controllers have no cracks or dings/dents since the item has never been used.

It was only out of the box for the purpose of taking pictures for this listing. Includes original styrofoam and plastic accessory bags. UPC on box is 045496610067. This item is from a smoke free home. Excellent vintage gaming system from 1988. Rare find. Please email me with any questions.

The only issue with it being practically mint is that no one knows if time's been kind to the unit and whether it actually works, as this question and answer from a potential buyer and the seller shows;

Q: Any idea if it works properly?

A: I have no idea if it works properly. It's been wrapped in plastic and never opened. If I open it and plug it in then it no longer is never used. Plus I don't have any games to try on this unit. Thanks for your question.

The auction currently stands at $237, and ends on September 19th. If you're willing to take the risk on this being a worker or not you'd better get that bid in quick!

Update: The closing price for this unit was $310.88, with 21 bidders.