Four flea markets in one trip is a lot of walking, but the reseller behind @FlippityFlip says the payoff was worth it. The pickups, in the reseller’s words, “got insane.” One of them was by far the most rare and valuable item the reseller has ever found at a flea market, and it was sitting on a table with a two hundred dollar price on it.

It was a sealed, first print copy of Halo: Combat Evolved. The reseller spotted it after walking the market and checking every table, and the reaction was simple. The reseller thinks it is worth way more than two hundred dollars, so the plan was to go buy it.

Here is the full video from the trip.

Why A Sealed Game Gets So Much Attention

Halo: Combat Evolved came out alongside the original Xbox in 2001, which makes it one of the best known games of its era. Most copies were opened and played, so a copy still in its shrink wrap is the kind of thing collectors get excited about.

The reseller says the game “just shot through the roof,” and mentions a range of about five hundred to seven hundred dollars for sealed copies. The reseller also says this is insanely rare and thinks only about two like it have ever been sold through the reseller’s own eBay sales. For a game that sat on a flea market table with a two hundred dollar price, that is a big gap between what it cost and what the reseller believes it could bring.

Before anyone gets carried away, one note. Those figures are the reseller’s own read on the market. Asking prices and actual sale prices are not the same thing, and a sealed game only brings top dollar if the right buyer shows up. Even so, the reseller clearly saw the two hundred dollar tag as a bargain rather than a risk.

The Other Finds From The Trip

The Halo game was not the only thing in the haul. The reseller’s first pickup of the day was a 1994 Daffy Duck, bought for five dollars. It has been selling, and the reseller says it is worth about one hundred dollars loose on eBay, so that is the asking price.

Another item typically goes for about forty-five dollars, but because this example is in such great shape and includes the drawstring, the reseller plans to ask fifty. It is a small difference, but it shows how much condition and original pieces matter to buyers.

How To Spot Your Own Flea Market Jackpot

You may never find a sealed Halo, but the habits behind this find are open to anyone.

• Walk every table. The reseller checked every table at the market and kept walking before the big find showed up. The best items are rarely at the entrance.
• Learn one category well. A seller who knows video games can recognize a first print sealed game in a glance. If you collect or know a lot about a certain thing, you will see value that other shoppers miss.
• Look up sold prices, not asking prices. Anyone can list a game for any amount. What buyers actually paid is the number that counts. On eBay you can filter your search to show sold items.
• Condition is money. Sealed beats opened. Complete beats missing pieces. Even the drawstring on a small item changed the reseller’s asking price.
• Be ready to move fast. A good item will not wait for you to think about it. Know your budget before you walk in, and bring enough cash to say yes.
• Remember the costs. A two hundred dollar purchase needs to cover selling fees and shipping before it becomes profit, and a sealed game needs careful packing.

What To Do If You Have Old Games At Home

This story is a good reason to take another look at the boxes in your own attic or garage. Old games, especially ones that are still sealed or that come complete with their cases and manuals, can be worth checking. Do not open anything that is still in its shrink wrap. Opening it takes away the very thing that makes a sealed copy special.

Search for the exact title on a selling site and filter for sold listings. Compare copies in the same condition as yours. If you have a sealed copy of something popular and the sold prices look high, it may be worth getting a second opinion from an experienced collector before you list it.

The reseller kept walking, kept checking tables and spotted a game worth far more, in the reseller’s view, than the two hundred dollar price. That is the lesson. Look carefully, know your numbers, and stay curious. The next table might be the one that pays for the whole trip.

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