WTB: Silver Phantom Hourglass DS Lite

[Iwatasan]

Want To Buy
Title: Limited Edition Zelda Phantom Hourglass DS Lite Bundle
Platform: DS Lite
Region: UK only
Condition: Complete in box
Notes: This bundle came with Phantom Hourglass (PAL) and a silver DS Lite with a black outline of Phantom Hourglass art. It was limited to 1,000 units. There are tons of counterfeits out there, so I'm only looking for one complete in original box as evidence of authenticity. I just lost a bid on eBay for one of these and I'm totally sick over it. It was the first one I've seen in years and seemed to be complete and in good enough condition. I figure it'll take me years to find another comparable offer so I might as well get started posting wanted ads. I'll gladly pay $500+ for one and would be willing to consider absolutely any offer. Send me one via PM or e-mail me at sylvanmonk "at" gmail "dot" com.

[nipperkipper]

Want To Buy
Title: Limited Edition Zelda Phantom Hourglass DS Lite Bundle
Platform: DS Lite
Region: UK only
Condition: Complete in box
Notes: This bundle came with Phantom Hourglass (PAL) and a silver DS Lite with a black outline of Phantom Hourglass art. It was limited to 1,000 units. There are tons of counterfeits out there, so I'm only looking for one complete in original box as evidence of authenticity. I just lost a bid on eBay for one of these and I'm totally sick over it. It was the first one I've seen in years and seemed to be complete and in good enough condition. I figure it'll take me years to find another comparable offer so I might as well get started posting wanted ads. I'll gladly pay $500+ for one and would be willing to consider absolutely any offer. Send me one via PM or e-mail me at sylvanmonk "at" gmail "dot" com.

This is a tough one to find, i have been after one for ages as well - when this first came out i went to my game store and they had two priced at £100 i believe - i went to buy but my card was declined (fraudulent activity i didnt know about the day b4 which was just my luck) so after going to the bank to sort it out and withdrawing cash i went back and both were sold - i felt like crying - will never forget that day

what was the link of the ebay item if you dont mind that is

[Iwatasan]

Here it is :(

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170733897510?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

WHY DIDN'T I BID MORE. :barsong:

I've already got dibs if the winner doesn't pay up but yeah right :banghead:

[Twisted]

that sure is a beauty..do you know how one came about purchasing it in the UK?..when they were announced?..like was it a UK specific retailer exclusive?..or did nintendo put out a announcment, that they'd be only 1,000 but available at all UK stores?..etc?..i would love to know a bit of back history on this :)

[Twisted]

also is or was the boxart exclusive to the "silver" model?..and was it like only pre-order?..

[Iwatasan]

I don't know the entire story, and I wasn't in the UK when it was released, but I was watching the news online at the time. It was 2007, coming up on Black Friday, shortly after the release of Phantom Hourglass. On short notice, NoA and NoE announced simultaneous releases of special edition Zelda DS Lite systems bundled with Phantom Hourglass. The US version was the gold Triforce edition and the UK one was silver with that black outline art. Except I don't remember hearing ahead of time that either one would be limited. The US one sold for a while. I've heard they made 10,000 units but that could easily be an underestimate. The UK one though I found out later (after it became much harder to find on eBay) was limited to only 1,000 units. Then you started seeing Chinese and Hong Kong companies selling replica silver DS Lite cases with the same art, and not long after that people selling their DS Lites "refurbished" with the replacement cases. Hard to find the genuine article these days, needless to say.

This is a pretty speculative account, but from what I understand, the UK silver PH DS Lite was only available from "small independent (franchise?) game shops." Of course with only 1,000 units produced, each game shop probably got like 10. So of course if you didn't pre-order, then tough luck for you, but to be honest, because of NoE's last minute announcement, I'm not even sure if you could have pre-ordered. First-come first-served survival of the fittest gets it may be closer to the reality. And yes, that particular box art was exclusive to the UK edition. The US DS Lite was gold and had very different box art. Kinda tired right now so if I missed anything just post another reply and I'll try to tell you everything I know. I have some pics layin' around too.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

There are tons of counterfeits out there, so I'm only looking for one complete in original box as evidence of authenticity.

As you already stated, there's tons of counterfeits out there. These are actually regular DS Lites which have had a cheap external case swapped - The cases themselves are not official Nintendo cases

Obviously the only way to be 100% sure is to buy the complete set with box, and to be honest these things are so rare and sought after I would guess that almost all of the people who bought one will most likely keep the set complete


I don't know the entire story, and I wasn't in the UK when it was released, but I was watching the news online at the time. It was 2007, coming up on Black Friday, shortly after the release of Phantom Hourglass. On short notice, NoA and NoE announced simultaneous releases of special edition Zelda DS Lite systems bundled with Phantom Hourglass. The US version was the gold Triforce edition and the UK one was silver with that black outline art. Except I don't remember hearing ahead of time that either one would be limited. The US one sold for a while. I've heard they made 10,000 units but that could easily be an underestimate. The UK one though I found out later (after it became much harder to find on eBay) was limited to only 1,000 units. Then you started seeing Chinese and Hong Kong companies selling replica silver DS Lite cases with the same art, and not long after that people selling their DS Lites "refurbished" with the replacement cases. Hard to find the genuine article these days, needless to say.

This is a pretty speculative account, but from what I understand, the UK silver PH DS Lite was only available from "small independent (franchise?) game shops." Of course with only 1,000 units produced, each game shop probably got like 10. So of course if you didn't pre-order, then tough luck for you, but to be honest, because of NoE's last minute announcement, I'm not even sure if you could have pre-ordered. First-come first-served survival of the fittest gets it may be closer to the reality. And yes, that particular box art was exclusive to the UK edition. The US DS Lite was gold and had very different box art. Kinda tired right now so if I missed anything just post another reply and I'll try to tell you everything I know. I have some pics layin' around too.

You are quite right. These were actually commissioned as a thank you to all the small official Nintendo traders, and only sold by the small businesses in Europe and the UK. I bought mine from a small independant trader who was selling on eBay.

They are indeed limited to only 1,000 units, and this has been clearly stated since launch, and well documented by Nintendo themselves who put out a press release prior to launch. I am sure there's adequate citation to be found somewhere online

It's also not just limited to the UK as far as I am aware - It was for selected indie retailers across all of Europe

Original RRP was around £130 I believe (a little higher than the standard cost of a DS Lite with a game at the time), although current eBay demand pushed prices to around the £170-£180 mark. I personally paid around £160 for a sealed one (which is still sealed I might add)

Soon afterwards, prices shot up, with unboxed complete ones usually fetching upwards of £450 and sealed examples often fetching between £600-£800. These prices seem to have held steady over the years (as you can see from the link a few posts above)


This is not to ever be confused with the far more abundant GOLD Phantom Hourglass DS Lite which was sold exclusively in North America

[Iwatasan]

Can I buy yours...? I'll pay you 4 times what you paid for it! -_-

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Can I buy yours...? I'll pay you 4 times what you paid for it! -_-

I think you may already know the answer to that question :nono:

[Iwatasan]

Yeah...*sigh*

[tcon7]

After reading this thread, I was a little reluctant to post (especially as my 1st post).

I'm the guy that won that auction in your link a few posts back. First, let me say I now feel real bad about taking the item from Iwatasan. All I wanted to do was buy myself something nice for the holidays. For what it's worth, I will be on the look out from now on for another Silver Phantom DS Lite.

But, don't lose hope Iwatasan. I am seeing more and more rare Zelda items on Ebay. For example, I was recently able to acquire the Zelda Oracle of Ages / Oracle of Seasons Limited Edition. It was a little damaged (picture makes it look much worse), but still sealed (possibly resealed?). I was able to get it with shipping for 480 GBP, so it was kind of a compromise for me.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/310361063469

Also, here is another one that just sold from the same seller. This buyer may have gotten a better deal.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/310357365171

Now, here are two other limited editions that sold earlier this year. These were not damaged and went for $1200 and $1500.

October:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zelda-Limited-Edition-Oracle-Seasons-Ages-/130581941028

May
http://cgi.ebay.com/Zelda-Oracle-Ages-Oracle-Seasons-Limited-Ed-/230621281435?clk_rvr_id=232590647655

Anyway, my point is that only 500 of this limited edition were produced and it has appeared 4 times on Ebay this year alone. I think you would only see this bundle about twice a year in the past. Another Silver Phantom DS Lite WILL pop up again sooner than you may think, Iwatasan (and I hope one does).

I didn't mean to go off topic, but I had to get this out of my system. Btw, I would be happy to provide pictures of the DS itself for anyone looking to buy one without the box. I know how hard it is to find any info about this Phantom DS bundle.

[Iwatasan]

No way, you're the guy? lol That's incredible, how did you find this forum?

Yeah let's see, if I remember right I waited until 30 seconds left to place my bid which I think was 500 pounds. It got bid up from like 120 past 500 to 510 in like 25 seconds and I just couldn't click fast enough to place another bid before it ended. I drank heavily that night :barsong: You must have been ecstatic though, what did you put for your max bid?

Don't feel too bad. I'm watching eBay like a hawk these days and you're right, eventually one will come along again. Tell you what, if you ever get a sealed one, I could buy this one off of you. And thanks for posting, it's pretty cool to actually hear from "the guy," lol. Kind of gives me some closure about that auction. Anyway take care of that thing and think of me if you ever want to sell it. If you end up sticking around these forums send me a friend request, I like to keep in touch with other serious Zelda collectors.

Cheers
:beer:

[tcon7]

Iwatasan, I sent you a friend request.

Here are some high-res pics of the DS system itself. That way you and anyone else looking for this set can see a what an authentic one looks like.

http://img289.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=400207339_IMAG0147_2_122_29lo.jpg
http://img229.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=400218957_IMAG0148_2_122_71lo.jpg
http://img293.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=400235489_IMAG0149_2_122_567lo.jpg

I don't know why, but it is so hard to find any info about this set online. I spent hours searching and still could not find any detailed information or pics. It was very hard to determine what this was actually worth. And, in the end, I probably overpaid.

If I can provide any help to anyone else looking for this set please PM me.

Anyway, I happen to find this site when searching for info about this set. I check this site and others w/ other serious collectors, like Digitpress, Nintendo Age, etc. Btw, I collect Castlevania, Mega Man, and Resident Evil stuff also.

As far as my max bid, I think it was something around 550 pounds. I used the Ebay sniping service hidbid.com. I have never really been a fan of sniping, but I am finding that it really does work in some cases. Plus, I can change my max bid at anytime. I also scan sites from other countries, like Ebay UK or yahoo auction japan. Some sellers don't say they will ship internationally, but will if you ask.

[Iwatasan]

Hi tcon7, I saved those pics. Always useful to have lots of pics of the rare stuff I'm looking for. As far as info, some good stuff has already been posted in this thread but yeah the Internet has more or less dried up when it comes to info about this console. Of course, it was a very limited single run release that really didn't get a lot of press, especially in the US. I remember reading about it on the usual video game news media outlets online four years ago, but they don't seem to have those articles anymore. The only one I could dig up was this:

http://exophase.com/2234/special-edition-phantom-hourglass-ds-lite-bundle/

Here's a couple links to collectors who have these, and the last link is to a Hong Kong knock-off distributor, so anybody reading this for God's sake don't buy this and if you see it being sold anywhere as the real deal report it as counterfeit. Notice the ridiculous use of Minish Cap art for a Phantom Hourglass bundle.


http://www.zeldacollectorsmuseum.com/2009/02/console-nintendo-ds-legend-of-zelda.html
http://www.yetanotherzelda.com/collection/item1
http://www.geekwill.com/nintendo-ds-lite-portable-entertainment-console-zelda-phantom-hourglass-refurbished_p1011.html

[Cosmic_Link]

I just wanted to say thanks to the guy's who have posted info about this bundle in this thread. As you have all said, there doesn't seem to be alot of info about this bundle anywhere online. I spotted what appeared to be one of these bundles whilst I was out and about yesterday, at an excellent price, and picked it up. I remember seeing it online not long after it was released, but was well out of my price range at the time. Unfortunately, I missed the release date for this. :( Had a gold one already, wanted the silver one for a set. Have seen loads of counterfeits around, but not seen enough images of a genuine one to be able to determine whether the one i had was real or not.

Anyway, after finding these forums (which are great may I add), I am now confident that what I purchased yesterday was in fact the real deal. It was second hand, boxed and bagged, not sealed, but in a very good condition, considering. There's some slight surface scratches on the lid, but nothing major and all the inserts and such appear to be there. :D

I took a couple more pics for you guys of the guts of the box and the back of the box sleeve. :D

Guts
http://i43.tinypic.com/122cg3o.jpg

Box Sleeve
http://i39.tinypic.com/53pq15.jpg

So yeah, thanks again for all the info in this thread. :D Also, good luck to OP finding one of these! :D

[Iwatasan]

Awesome find you lucky punk ;) What store was this in and how much did you pay? If you see one there again will you pick it up for me?

[Twisted]

i think that' sucks that it's just a "box sleeve"...instead of a full on box..btw, any idea how much or how limited the japan 7-11 mario 25th anniversary DSi is worth?..or how many produced?..lol..sorry to sorta hijack this thread.lol.

[Iwatasan]

i think that' sucks that it's just a "box sleeve"...instead of a full on box..btw, any idea how much or how limited the japan 7-11 mario 25th anniversary DSi is worth?..or how many produced?..lol..sorry to sorta hijack this thread.lol.
Wow this whole time I never realized it was just a sleeve until you said that. tcon can you confirm?

I dunno about that Mario DSi (http://www.1up.com/news/7-11-exclusive-super-mario-dsi) but in hopes that someone finds this thread looking to sell their Phantom Hourglass DS Lite let's keep it on topic ;)

[nipperkipper]

Wow this whole time I never realized it was just a sleeve until you said that. tcon can you confirm?

I dunno about that Mario DSi (http://www.1up.com/news/7-11-exclusive-super-mario-dsi) but in hopes that someone finds this thread looking to sell their Phantom Hourglass DS Lite let's keep it on topic ;)

I can confirm from my copy that it is just a sleeve around a standard silver DS lite box - a very valuable sleeve as its the only way to assure its genuine

[Cosmic_Link]

Awesome find you lucky punk ;) What store was this in and how much did you pay? If you see one there again will you pick it up for me?

It was in a small store near me that sells comic books, trading cards, Manga and all sorts of movie character figures. He's recently started buying preowned games and consoles and it was just by chance that I was in there to exchange a Mass Effect Normandy Alliance Ship model, that I spotted it. lol The ship I bought was damaged, but didn't realise til I got it home... :(

You're going to cry at the price. It only cost me £75. :P Had I not sold my Aqua Blue 3DS that day, I wouldn't have been able to afford it. My wallet is empty atm because of Christmas!! >.<

So yeah, just keep your eyes open, as you may find stuff in the most unlikely places. lol I will keep an eye out for another one! lol There's a retro games store not far from me too, and he's never had one in there. :(

[nipperkipper]

Absolute bargain that is £75

[Iwatasan]

:suicide: lol

Thanks for keeping an eye out for me. And think of me if you want to turn your £75 investment into a quick and tidy profit :D

[Cosmic_Link]

lol No worries. I wouldn't hold your hopes up though!! >.<

Unfortunately this one has been caught in a collector's iron grip, so this one won't ever be up for sale. The money doesn't tempt me in the slightest. lol I'm sure you can understand that being a collector yourself! :D

[Issa]

Hello guys
I bought this console for about £54 including postage.But the only drawback is that some of the artwork has faded.
Is this a good deal?
Here is the listing:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120883799413?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
thank you

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Hello guys
I bought this console for about £54 including postage.But the only drawback is that some of the artwork has faded.
Is this a good deal?
Here is the listing:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120883799413?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
thank you

The odd thing is, you don't accidentally buy something rare and collectible from an obscure independent retailer, that's limited to 1,000 units worldwide, and then give it to your child to play with, ony to then sell it on eBay for considerably less than you paid. Something is very strange about this listing...

As a buyer though, yes, you certainly got a steal there! The last time I checked on these they were making almost double their initial retail value for a used boxed copy, with sealed examples fetching between £450-£650... It could be that the value / interest in these has dropped significantly lately, or it could be that the faded artwork is what put other potential bidders off. I did notice that the words "Phantom Hourglass" weren't included in the listing title, so perhaps that's a contributing factor to the low low finishing price

[Cosmic_Link]

Hello guys
I bought this console for about £54 including postage.But the only drawback is that some of the artwork has faded.
Is this a good deal?
Here is the listing:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120883799413?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
thank you

Yep, it was definitely a good price. :D As said above, it amazes me that somebody would given such a rare console to a child in the first place considering they were advertised as only having a 1000pc production run... :S

Good find though, this one eluded me... >.< Lucky for you because I think I might have still bid on it at that price even considering it's condition... lol It is a shame to see such a nice console in such a sorry looking state though... :(

[Issa]

Yep, it was definitely a good price. :D As said above, it amazes me that somebody would given such a rare console to a child in the first place considering they were advertised as only having a 1000pc production run... :S

Good find though, this one eluded me... >.< Lucky for you because I think I might have still bid on it at that price even considering it's condition... lol It is a shame to see such a nice console in such a sorry looking state though... :(

You're right, the seller shouldn't give it to a child.It's a shame that such a priceless thing ended up like this. I think that she didn't even know that 1000 of these were created. I was stunned when I saw this listing as it was the only listing on ebay
. I thought that I would never find it.Anyway, I bought the gold zelda phantom hourglass metal case, a crystal case in order to protect the remaining artwork and a set of two styluses.I have the phantom hourglass game so the set is complete.

[nipperkipper]

The odd thing is, you don't accidentally buy something rare and collectible from an obscure independent retailer, that's limited to 1,000 units worldwide, and then give it to your child to play with, ony to then sell it on eBay for considerably less than you paid. Something is very strange about this listing...

As a buyer though, yes, you certainly got a steal there! The last time I checked on these they were making almost double their initial retail value for a used boxed copy, with sealed examples fetching between £450-£650... It could be that the value / interest in these has dropped significantly lately, or it could be that the faded artwork is what put other potential bidders off. I did notice that the words "Phantom Hourglass" weren't included in the listing title, so perhaps that's a contributing factor to the low low finishing price

These were available in gamestation at the time - saw with my own eyes - every chance therefore this was bought for a child

[Issa]

Yep, it was definitely a good price. :D As said above, it amazes me that somebody would given such a rare console to a child in the first place considering they were advertised as only having a 1000pc production run... :S

Good find though, this one eluded me... >.< Lucky for you because I think I might have still bid on it at that price even considering it's condition... lol It is a shame to see such a nice console in such a sorry looking state though... :(

The starting price was £29.99 and the buy it now price was £49.99. So I decided to choose the buy it now option.

[Iwatasan]

I have now been able to acquire this item. A very, very big thank you to the seller, and another to CEo for keeping my WTB thread alive for so long and (for some reason) so highly ranked on Google search results so that the seller was able to find me. THANK YOU!!!
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

EDIT: To anyone still filtering in through Google, check out this post (http://collectorsedition.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9832) for more photos and information and feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions.

[Cosmic_Link]

Congrats! ^^ It's because of your post that I found these forums in the first place. Glad to hear you finally managed to get one! ^^ May I ask how much it set you back? The overall condition of it looks great! ^^ I assume it is mint or V.Good condition? :D

Congrats again! ^^

[Iwatasan]

I never feel comfortable calling anything mint. The box and sleeve are in unbelievable condition, but I could point out a few little flaws. However, everything on the inside has been unpacked/handled easily less than a dozen times, perhaps less than half a dozen, and almost imperceptibly. On the article's history, the seller told me this:

I bought this DS on ebay just shortly after the release in 2007. Even then it was sold out everywhere (only 1000 pieces were released only in the UK), because Zelda Collectors considering these limited quantities not thought twice to get them.

I bought it from a Zelda collector, who had two of these DS Lite Silver Limited. It costed me around 300 ?, even then the prices were high. I would link you the auction, but is old and has now expired. The DS was sealed, I opened it to make sure everything was ok, and then i never used it.

So just this once I think I can go out on a limb and actually call the box's contents, including the DS Lite itself, mint. And since the person who sold it to me was the one who unsealed the box and then never used it, I can also say with certitude that I have an entirely complete and original set here, plastic bags and all.

...Price?

...Let's just say it was somewhere in the ballpark of :asplode:

[nipperkipper]

Thats great news. I am still looking for one (preferably sealed) but doubt this will be easy to find.

I have one but the outer sleeve on the box is a little scuffed

[Twisted]

now i want 1 too! :D

[EleZiuM]

I've had one one of these from brand new, which was bought from a Game Exchange in Lancashire (UK).
Though not a collector as such, as I like to use what I have, I do like to keep things in good nick & always keep my boxes. Though with this; my house was broken into & this & my Wii box were ripped apart :'( (luckily I had my DS with me :D & my Wii was at a friend's house).

It's pretty much been housed in a decent DS soft case for as long as I've had it, so aside from the usual light surface marks (& the clear plastic on the sticker on the back lifting slightly), it's still in very good condition.

Anywho, I didn't actually know it was so rare until recently & I was reluctantly thinking about listing it on ebay, as I was in need of some quick cash. I knew it had value (as it's Zelda), though some of these prices are crazy. Still,I'm certainly glad I didn't now :D