There are many books and magazines showing off and detailing the various works of art Yoshitaka Amano produced for the Final Fantasy series, but this box contains more than I have ever seen in any other collection. Think about this; the box weighs about 16 pounds… you could spend an entire weekend looking through these books and extras. The collection covers every title from the first Final Fantasy through to and including Final Fantasy X.

Yoshitaka Amano “The Sky” Art of Final Fantasy - Inside you get three hardcover books that divide art for the series I to III, IV to VI, and VII to X. There’s a fourth softcover book called “All About Yoshitaka Amano” which is exactly that; a biography and more information about his work. Then you have an illustrated plastic sheet, two postcards, and a 96 page flip book which shows an example of Amano’s art in motion. The text in the books is Japanese unfortunately, but the collection of art here is staggering. Concerning the price… keep in mind this box is long sold out (2002) and is really hard to find. The release price (sold only in Japan) was about 28,000 Yen which converts to about $360 US. The auction’s buy now price is $1,000 with the option to make an offer. If the seller accepted an offer of $700, I would say you have a nice deal going. I envy the future buyer of this amazing set.

While we are on the subject of Final Fantasy, I would like to list one of my favorite Final Fantasy VII statues. I don’t own one of these (yet) but, damn… look at this…

Final Fantasy VII Aerith Gainsborough Polystone Statue - The design gives a sense of weightlessness that stops your heart for a moment. It also brings to mind one of the most important moments in FFVII (if not the most important). The statue stands over a foot tall and is simply pure awesome. The price set by the seller is quite high. The release price was something around $200 and I’ve seen this selling for $600 recently off eBay. You can try contacting the seller for a more reasonable price.

Next we have two homebrew games built off of Zelda Link to the Past and Super Mario World. You may have heard of or even played the ROMs, but these are well done reproduction carts.

The Legend of Zelda Parallel Worlds - For people who wished there was a sequel to Link to the Past (there are official semi sequels but let’s not get into that).

Super Mario World Return to Dinosaur Land - This is great because new Mario games are, for the most part, new level designs. Most Mario hacks are just made to test people with the most difficult levels possible but this game does well in making a fun experience.

I’ll end things today with a bunch of quick auctions for some great rare games. Not much to say about each individually but if you’re looking for a certain Neo Geo or Sega CD game that is hard to track down, it may be listed here.

King of the Monsters (Neo Geo)

King of the Monsters 2 (Neo Geo)

Last Resort (Neo Geo)

Shining Force CD (Sega CD)

Snatcher (Sega CD)

Keio: Flying Squadron (Sega CD)

Lunar: Eternal Blue (Sega CD)

Ebay seller mazoku has a ton of great promo pins up for grabs. Each auction began with very low bids. Pins are a category of collecting all it’s own and is often overlooked. I think they’re great when they are hand outs to promote a game before it’s release because it’s a cool look at the past. So, take a close look here today pin collectors. You may find something you want which has been mixed in with a bunch of unrelated pins.

Final Fantasy VI Pin - Very classy pin here. They didn’t clutter it up with the title or anything. You can be sure the final bid on this pin will be quite high.

Sega Pins - Here’s a nice selection of Sega pins. There’s a couple Saturn pins, Sega Sports, Dreamcast, and a few Sonic pins. 11 pins in this auction.

Working Designs Pins - They may not be very well known in North America, but Working Designs had some great games. 6 pins here.

Virtual Boy Pin - Here’s a sad reminder of the disappointing days of Virtual Boy.

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Pin - This pin shows up on eBay often and I’m sure we listed it more than a few times. The auctions that never sold had this pin up for a crazy buy now amount. This pin however is taking bids.

Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask Pin - You can tell at first glance that this pin was made out of plastic or rubber. I prefer metal pins, but hey… it still looks good.

10 Mixed Pins - This auction for 10 pins has a bit of everything including 3DO, Sonic, Mega Man X, and Atari Jaguar. The one that stands out the most to me is the Pac-Man pin.

Mortal Kombat, Area 51, and Sports Pins - Not sure why such a nice Mortal Kombat pin was mixed in with a bunch of sports pins. Still, it’s only a few bucks if everyone else keeps away from this auction.

Playstation Pins - Hey check that out. One of the four pins is a Playsation VIP pin. Try putting that on and walk around a Sony booth at a convention answering questions and taking interviews lol.

Mario and Wario Pins - These are some great early pins. Mario is Missing? Hmm, there can’t be too many of those out there.

Nintendo Gamecube Pin - It looks to me like this is a very cheap quality of metal, but it’s very clean and in great shape.

Capcom Pins - Here’s a mix of Mega Man and Street Fighter pins. 8 pins in total.

Good morning VGA readers. Like always we have some cool auctions for showcasing today. The one that interests me the most is obviously the signed Final Fantasy VII copy by Uematsu but the price is high. Let us begin:

First auction is for a Final Fantasy VII copy signed by Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of the music for the Final Fantasy series. The autograph is loud and clear, and definitely legit, but is it worth the price tag? Well if I had a spare $1k I would bid on it for sure. This was signed at the Distant Worlds in Vancouver 2011.

Other Video Game Auctions:

- Philips cd-i 602 development console white -This is a Philips development console, it’s not often that you’ll find one or that one shows up on eBay. A CD-i fan must be going crazy now with this, and there’s one day left with 3 bids only!

- Microsoft Halo Store Display 3d Poster Statue Master Chief – This is just totally awesome, it’s not too big, it’s not too small, it’s just the right size to have. It’s a very rare and unique promotional item for Halo. I would have bought this in a heart beat, even if shipping was $300, but it is only pick up.

- MegaMan Legends 3 Promo Poster 2011 E3 – Exclusively sent to members of the press and VIP’s to promote the upcoming game. You were qualified to get this poster only if you were a registered E3 2011 VIR.

- Titan Quest Minotaur Statue – Professionally hand painted by OxMox studios is quite a gem, extremely rare and has been on display at various trade shows. I cannot believe there are no bids on this.

- Insomniac Games Charity Auction – This is a  signed Resistance 3 Olly Moss Poster.his hand-framed masterpiece off and give all the proceeds to Big Brothers Big Sisters.This is a special opportunity to own a piece of Insomniac history while also supporting a worthy cause.

- Grand Theft Auto IV Replica Key – This key was an award given to the first hundred or so people who got 100% completion within 7 days. It is a rare collectible but is it worth what it is currently priced at?

- Microsoft XBOX Development System – I know there is a solid market for consoles and development units and this is one on that list of desired consoles of course. I think it’s fairly priced yet no one has bought it.

- Counter-Strike Condition Zero – By Valve these cards are part of the promotional line from the game which it didn’t have many to begin with. Counter Strike will always be a shooter classic. Cool cards at $.99 it’s a steal.

- Sonic the Hedgehog figure Japan Sonic – I don’t know too much about this statue other then it’s a rare Sonic statue from Japan. It does have some damage behind the legs. Ask questions before bidding. Is it me or does it look creepy?

I have some cool video game auctions to show you but before I do that I would like to give credit to Matrix6 who is the original owner of the beautiful “Uncharted 3 Travellers Chest” picture on the beach! I was fortune enough to be informed that Matrix6 took all the time and effort to make those pictures on the beach which can be seen here, and I was told that enough people have stolen his pictures to use on eBay without giving him proper credit. It really only takes 5 seconds to type “credit to:” and the persons name. Reason I am mentioning this is because we all should make an effort to give credit where it’s due, and the seller of the UC3 Chest didn’t give credit . Respect goes a long way let me tell ya folks. We’ve all been there where someone steals our pics (or info). (Thanks Beau!)

Moving onto the video game auctions, there’s some awesome auctions ending soon such as the Mario Stage Figures! You really need to check them out to see how cool they are. I use to own a couple, but never saw the rest of them. Anyways I thought I’d mention that they are ending in about an hour and a half so check it out!

Video Game Auctions:
Menace Beach NES Cart Gray Version
Pocket Watch Final Fantasy X
Max Payne 3 Art/Info Book – Pick one up while supplies last! Thanks PJ!
Piece of Billy Mitchell’s Tie – For those of you who are tuning in for the first time , check out Akira’s interview with the man himself here!
Very Impressive SNES Boxed Lot – Although the auctions not worth close to $5k, the price is pretty high up there. You got the Mega Man X’s, The DKC’s and some nice RPG’s especially a complete Earthbound. Nice lot!

Nintendo DotGraphics Stage Figure 2 Super Mario Bros. Complete Set – check out how much these DotGraphic Stage Figures are going for! Very nice set!
American McGee’s Alice LIMITED ED. BLUE VINYL LP Signed
Activision Patch Decathlon Bronze Original 1980s Atari 2600 High Score
Activision Patch Roadbusters Original 1980s Atari 2600 High Score Award
Super Nintendo Store Display
Vintage Nintendo Super Mario Bros. over 4 ft tall promo display figure
Super Scope Promo Button
Bulletstorm Nutcracker RARE promo
Portable PHILIPS CD-I
Official Final Fantasy VIII Poster Store Display Playstation – Haven’t seen this one before.
Vintage Early 90s SEGA CHANNEL T-Shirt – I don’t know how many of you tuned into the Sega Channel, but this is an awesome t-shirt for those who remember and want to reminisce.

Good luck!

Good morning VGA readers. Today’s post is a little special as there are some really nice goodies for you collectors out there like a signed Earthbound game(famicom). But I will begin by discussing the benefits of computer/gaming glasses. I recently had serious symptoms of what could be related to excessive computer use. Let me explain…

For about 4 weeks I had a massive headache, equilibrium issues(balance), and huge pain behind my eyes which made me fatigue and only want to lay down and not do anything. I am very much receptive to pain but this was something new I never felt, it was extremely painful from morning to night, even when I closed my eyes, even if I got good sleep. So researching on google for medical issues is like shooting yourself in the foot, you can find so much stuff that isn’t related. I went to several doctors and they couldn’t find anything. Then I realized after doing some research that being on a computer for 10+ hrs a day can definitely do some damage. That added with stress is what happened. So now I actually plan my time around a computer. But now I found a solution to my problem, and everyone elses problem.

If you wake up in the morning with a massive headache and eye pain after a long day of gaming or computer use, well think about getting computer glasses. Not reading glasses, glasses specifically designed for long hours in front of a computer or a TV. There are companies that produce these kinds of glasses for an affordable price, but one company imparticular caught my eye. That is GUNNAR Digital Performance Eye Wear. More specifically they actually have designed limited edition Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 glasses. It is estimated that 70% of the American population suffer from CVS which is Computer Vision Syndrome. I think personally that anyone who stays in front of a computer or TV for a long period will pretty much get a headache or eye pain, it’s a no brainer. We’re already in the digital age and more time is spent on computers and screens then ever before. You could use eye drops, walk away from a screen every hour for 20 minutes, or get a good pain of computer glasses at GUNNAR which is a technical eyewear solution that protects, enhances, and optimizes visual performance for anyone who spends long hours viewing computers or digital screens. GUNNAR Advanced Computer Eyewear helps minimize eye fatigue and visual stress, while improving contrast, comfort, and focus for anyone who spends long hours viewing digital screens. I am going to get a pair, and I think every gamer should have this next to his controller… will you get a pair?

Other Video Game Auctions:

-Extremely RARE Mother 1+2 Set Signed by Shigesato Itoi – The Creator of EarthBound signed this famicom game in 2003. This auction was recently on YAJ(hehe yes I see everything my friends), and I won’t say how much the seller actually won it for because I don’t think it’s fair to do that, but it is clearly for reselling purposes which is fine. I use to think it’s an evil thing but that’s how business works. A lucky fan will win this for his/her awesome collection. It’s the real deal so don’t miss out on a gem.

- Dead Space Ultra Limited Edition (Xbox 360) -  There are apparently 1000 copies for the PS made of this. It is pretty rare indeed and easily sells over $800, in fact some copies have sold for $1500+. This one is mint and unopened.

- Final Fantasy III (JP) signed by Nobuo Uematsu - All proceeds go to charity. From closer observations and comparisons I can say this is a legit Uematsu signature. The seller does have some references but compare them yourself and you can see it is legit. Low starting bid I might even give this one a shot.

- Call of Duty Black Ops Signed Poster - I don’t know if this is a print or an original hand signing. The seller says he/she interviewed a programmer and received this poster. It would be logical to say it’s signed because what programmer would give a printed signed poster? It’s like having an interview with the president and receiving a letter with his signature but printed… doesn’t make sense but you never know, better to ask the seller.

- Castlevania Koji Igarashi Autographed Dracula X – A REALLY nice signed Koji Igarashi paper. It’s on a Dracula X fact sheet, something that will have value over time. The auction is very low.

- Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Limited Edition Collection – Submitted by VGA friend Casey (Thanks!), this collector’s edition includes:

• The Collectors Edition game for PS3 (sealed)
• Marvel Vs Capcom 3 poster (slightly damaged from carrying around)*
• Marvel Vs Capcom comic book cover art (not an actual comic)*
• Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Shirt (large)*
• And a Marvel Vs Capcom 3 branded plastic bag*

- Videopac G7000 Boxed + 27 Games + Game Case – Submitted by VGA friend Hendrik (Thanks!), this is the Magnavox Odyssey² but in Europe it was called the Videopac G7000 and it’s boxed and in great shape and comes with 27 games. A console collector should not miss this!

Good afternoon VGA readers. I’ve got some unique auctions for you today which includes some classic titles and cool limited edition merchandise. I usually don’t like posting custom video game items but this Marle Plush from Chrono Cross is just so well done it probably is better then what Squaresoft would have had done in 1999. Let’s start:

First auction is for a Harle Plush from Chrono Cross. This plush was not made by the seller, rather it was purchased by her/him online from an artist ten years ago. Harle measures 9.5 inches tall and 5.5 inches wide. The plush has remained in bubble wrap and stored safely in the sellers closest untouched. As the seller states, “This cute little harlequin/dark moon dragon can be yours now, as I’ve lost interest in videos games. My loss is your gain”. It’s currently at $100 with zero bids.

Other Video Games Auctions:

- Robot Rubble for Intellivision -A rare title indeed, Robot Rubble almost never shows up brand new, however that is not what raises my eye brow. When I read the description the seller says, “This is the only such game in my husband’s collection“… huh? What does that even mean? Wouldn’t he post this? Did she get this as part of her divorce settlement? Is this revenge for sneaking over to the neighbors house in the middle of the night? Why wouldn’t he part with something so valuable in his collection himself unless he is too ashamed to face reality? We will never know…

- FALLOUT 3 PS3 Survival Edition -The seller is right, this is the only one on eBay right now, but what he isn’t right about is gauging the price range to Amazon.com. He says, “So this is the only one on eBay right now and the only one that I’ve seen for less than $8000.00 (look it up on Amazon.com)“. I wanted to buy Castlevania mint on the NES and I saw a few for $30 on eBay complete. Then I took a look at Amazon(I don’t know why) and some seller had a listing, “The rarest NES game ever Castlevania!” and he had it at $400 bucks…

- Call of Duty Black Ops Launch Kit Xbox 360 – A rare launch kit released for Black Ops. Comes with t-shirts, a lanyard and more. It’s at $300.

- Huge Nintendo Lot 155 Games -All the games have been tested and work. It will be annoying to ship I can imagine. From the description it doesn’t look like any come with a box or booklet. Keep in mind a lot of these are doubles and even tripples.

- Earthbound SNES Boxed Complete – Earthbound always amazes me because of the fan following and the demand for all it’s items and collectibles. It’s pretty much a gold mind if you find a rare Earthbound related item. This is complete with the scratch N’ sniff.

- Call of Duty Strategy Guides Signed -Seller has a bunch of COD guides for sale, and all signed by one of the authors of the multiplayer sections. I don’t know what that means so you need to ask the seller but COD MW was fully focused for multiplayer game play which was awesome.

- World of Nintendo Fiber Optic Sign – I think this is one of the Nintendo Signs that collector’s want the most, but it’s always expensive. Really nice in the dark. This one is at $700.

- Aqua Blue Nintendo 3DS Signed – Autographed Aqua Blue Nintendo 3DS System. It is covered in a plastic sealant that is easy to remove and replace to preserve the signatures. To find out more about the autographs check out the auction..

- Super Mario Bros 2 Sign – Looks beat up from the pictures. My impression is that this was originally acquired and hanged several times from one room to another. When Dad got upset with all the noise he aggressively took down all posters and punished the children by closing down the game room, then after the storm put it back up with a new pin hole. Well that very pinhole has diminished the value of this priceless artifact.

- Huge 60″ Final Fantasy VIII Cardboard Store Stand – Great Stand up. I remember seeing this everywhere. It was actually really big too like the description states, “Huge”. This would looks cool in any game room. Has some wear but overall good shape.

- Chrono Cross Card game Complete Set 60 Bandai -The price is fair as I don’t see this ever dropping due to the lack of appearance on eBay. It even has the full 6 special card set(prism).

The posters and banners listed here today vary from uncommon to very rare. Every one of them is in great shape too. We also have a bunch of figures listed and most of the auctions are complete sets. If you’re a figure collector, you will find some great sets here you can check off your list. First, let’s start with some limited print posters…

Silent Hill “I’m Alone There Now…” Poster (Limited 300) - The complete title for this piece is “I’m Alone There Now, In Our Special Place, Waiting for You” and I’m sure every Silent Hill fan remembers those haunting words. A few offers have already been made.

Final Fantasy VII Store Poster - This poster showing the release date for Final Fantasy VII is in great condition. It’s double sided and the color is a deep as it was day one.

Space Channel 5 Figures, Complete Set - Unless you’re a fan of the games, you probably wouldn’t think of Space Channel 5 when thinking of figures based on video games. This auction is for the complete set of figures and the resin statue as well. All figures are sealed.

Resident Evil 1 Figures, Complete Set - The complete set, sealed of course, comes in 5 packs but there are actually 9 figures total.  The Tyrant figure was made so huge that it needed a blister pack unique from the rest.

Resident Evil 2 Figures, Complete Set - Another sealed complete set. This time, 7 packs containing 12 figures. Very cool stuff from my favorite in the series.

Metal Gear Solid Snake & Meryl Figures - Fairly common, but the price is decent. The box is still factory sealed.

Super Mario RPG Vinyl Banner - Vinyl banners sometimes be made in a cheap run which leaves them open to easy damage. If you make the winning bid, try not to roll and unroll the banner too often.

Mario Kart 64 Vinyl Banner - Another banner that is taking bids. This one comes with the shipping box and hanging instructions.

We have a lot of video game auctions to show you today. I’m actually excited for this post because there’s a lot of auctions that are priced decently, and a lot of these items are on my “want-list” like this Original Super Mario 64 95 Gold Grade Factory Sealed! I say original because this has the “N64″ logo on the top right of the box, not the “Player’s Choice” logo. Now I don’t know about you, but ever since Video Game Authority started to grade games I always wanted to get my hands on a Super Mario 64 95 grade. I mean sure I would love to have a grade of 100, but I can say I’ve never seen a 100 grade. Supposdely resellers who order bulks of these have 100 grades stored in their collection. Nevertheless, the auction I’m talking about already hit the $500 and already passed the magic number I had off the top of my head. What I wanted to do with this 95 SM64 grade was eventually go to a Nintendo  convention that Mr.Martinet is attending to and get this autographed by him. That would make this the ultimate Super Mario 64 collectible! To have the voice of Mario sign it! But that’s just me.

Other Video Game Auctions:

Castlevania Koji Igarashi Autographed Dracula X – “You are bidding on a promo sell sheet that was given out by konami to promote the release of Dracula X on PSP. It’s double side with screen shots and facts on the back. This was autographed by Koji Igarashi in silver sharpie on the front. I got the this when I worked for GameStop and was in Vegas for their yearly conference. Konami had Koji flown in to sign autographs and promote the game. Koji carried a whip to sign autographs. I was never a castlevania fan. So I pass this on to you. It in great shape no bends or tears. Small dent at the bottom but did not rip through you can see it in the picture. It has been in a plastic case in my closet since I got it. It’s the size of a standard sheet of paper.”
1992 Super Nintendo Super Scope T-Shirt – When you do you ever see Super Scope t-shirts? This is an awesome vintage SNES shirt thats in used shape, but still looks great. The start bid is $6.99 so check it out!
Sega Mega CD Promotional Tin – This is a really cool auction. This is a Sega Mega Cd Promotional Tin with Upcoming Game Release Cards. It came with Mean Machines Magazine in the early 1990′s.
Final Fantasy III (JP) signed by Nobuo Uematsu – A near mint condition copy of the Famicom edition of Final Fantasy 3 signed by the composer himself, Nobuo Uematsu. Seller says: “I had the pleasure of meeting him and the rest of his band, the Earthbound Papas, at the gaming convention MAGFest X and they were kind enough to sign and donate a few items to help support the charirty I work with here in Japan called Japan Cat Network (JCN)JCN goes into the nuclear disaster area of Fukushima to feed and rescue the many animals that have been left behind all these months. It is not just cats and dogs either, we have helped save chickens, pigs, cows and even some tamed boar.”
Earthbound Papas bag & drumstick signed Nobuo Uematsu – Same seller as above. He says hat both his auctions are going to charity. You might want to check that out, but in the end you are probably trying to win the auction so you both win.
Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time 1997 E3 Promotional – I bet by the end of this week this auction will be sold. The seller has a “best-offer” option on top of his decent price. I’ve seen this priced high in the past.
Sonic 3 – Special Edition Enamel Pin Set in Box – I always love to see vintage sonic the hedgehog items on eBay, even if they happen to be pins.
Space Channel 5 Complete Figure Set Palisades Ulala Pudding Evila Statue – I cannot stress how rare these are. Seller says: “Scroll down for larger pics! This is a complete set of every Space Channel 5 figure released by Palisades. The large Ulala & Morolians statue has been opened, however, the five smaller figures are all factory sealed and in flawless mint condition. The Ulala statue is in nearly perfect condition, but there is one flaw. The blue Morolian’s antennas are slightly bent. This is the only flaw on the entire statue. This is an incredibly rare find, to have all of these figures in one place. Just so you know exactly what you’re bidding on, I have gone into complete overkill mode on the photos! I have taken photos of the entire set from every possible angle, 29 pics in all. Yes. 29 PICS. As a collector myself, I just like to let people know what they’re getting. Check out my other auctions as I’m selling off the bulk of my game memorabilia collection from back in the 90’s when I worked at Electronics Boutique. All sales are final, no returns. Payment due within 48 hours of auction’s close.”

Also:
Xenogears Playstation promo poster
Nike 2007 Playstation Sony Air Force 1 AF-1 Size 9
Hungry For You Pac-Man
Limited Edition Uncharted Poster Autographed By Naughty Dog Developers

Good luck!