A MAN is set to make £1,000 after unearthing a rare N64 controller in his loft.
Liam Clousdale, from Manchester, found the gaming accessory after more than two decades – and it’s now set for an auction windfall.
3
3
The plumber, 39, accidentally found the the Nintendo 64 gaming controller in his home in Whitefield.
The lucky man is now set to become hundreds of pounds richer as it turned out to be a valuable rare special edition.
Foxdata released it the late 1990s as part of a range of four different designs – including Desert Storm, Chrome Leopard, Red Rain and Purple Forest.
At the time, the gaming enthusiast was given the pad as a birthday gift from his parents.
Read More Money
Liam said: “I got the pad as a birthday gift from my parents in 1998.
“The ads for it appeared in the official Nintendo magazine, the N64 Magazine as it was known back then.
“At that time you picked stuff out of the adverts in the back pages instead of via the internet.”
But it was one of his friends who told the avid gamer the pad could be a hidden treasure.
Most read in Money
Liam explained: “One of my friends spotted that a Foxdata pad had sold for a decent amount of money and remembered I had one.
“He asked me about it so I unpackaged my old pad from a box in the loft where it had been carefully stored away.
“I then contacted Hansons as I found an article about a previous gaming sale they had held.”
Liam said the controller came with the popular Foxdata console – which was the only one with four ports for pads.
More than 25 years later, the Nintendo 64 Foxdata Silver Leopard has been dubbed by experts one of a few hundred that exist in the world.
Experts at Hansons Auctioneers said the retro item could now go for £1,000 under the hammer.
Liam said: “I was very surprised by how much it was potentially worth. I’m happy to pass it on to a proper retro collector.”
Hansons auctioneer David Wilson-Turner said: “It’s believed Foxdata produced around 800 of these customised controllers across the four designs, meaning there could be less than 200 examples of Liam’s controller in the world.”
“That range that has become increasingly sought after in the video game market.”
David added: “The Nintendo video game franchise is one that’s grown ever stronger with each console that’s been released on to the market.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“This controller offers a chance for a Nintendo memorabilia collector to source a rare, hard-to-find item.
“Though the controller has been used and is in need of slight attention that only adds to its charm.”
How to check if you have a valuable item
If you find anything that is legally defined as treasure, it must be reported to the local coroner.
The report must be made within 14 days of either the date of discovery or the date on which you realised the item could be treasure.
The penalty for not declaring treasure is an unlimited fine and up to three months in prison.
Items defined as treasure include metallic objects other than coins that are at least 10% precious metal by weight and are at least 300 years old.
For coins, any two from the same find that are at least 300 years old are defined as treasure.
Non-treasure items of cultural or historical interest can be reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme in England or Wales.
There are slightly different rules in Scotland and Northern Ireland, which can be found on the devolved governments’ websites.
After you make your report, you’ll be contacted by either a local Finds Liaison Officer or museum curator, who will discuss next steps with you.
3
