Different unique skins of the Nintendo Switch console have led to a lot of people hunting for them online, with some of the best examples in recent memory being the Animal Crossing: New Horizons console, or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom version. And today, one of the rarest has finally been nabbed by an avid collector.
After the team at Consolevariations spent five years searching, and one year negotiating with the original owner, they acquired the Nintendo Labo Switch console, which was originally given to only 10 people around the world, on July 29.
The unique design of the console looks like it was made entirely out of cardboard, fitting the game it was inspired by.
The rarity of this console is nothing to scoff at, even if the design seems basic. For context, Nintendo Labo is a toys-to-life game that includes cardboard players can connect to the Switch console to make their own games. So, the cardboard design for the console originated out of a worldwide contest where Nintendo Labo fans would try and make the most creative cardboard creations they could. The victors made some great fan-made Labo games, and Nintendo rewarded them with either Labo-themed Joycons or an entirely Labo-themed console.
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Nintendo sent these consoles to Canada, the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Consolevariations got their Labo console from a European contest winner that held it for over five years.
On their site, they rank the rarity of unique Switch items, and this Labo console is a 98/100 on their rarity scale. It stands alongside a lot of other contest-specific Switch consoles as the rarest ones in the world.
Fans on their site confirmed their enjoyment of the design too, adding to its mystique and rarity. One great comment noted their enthusiasm: “Tired: Wii made of gold. Wired: Nintendo Switch made of cardboard.” It’s almost both the antithesis and culmination of a rare Switch console design, perfectly matching the game, but also something where if you found it in a friend’s house, you wouldn’t expect it to be as rare as it is.
Considering how long it took for consolevariations to get the Switch, one replier to their tweet quickly wanted to check if this acquisition made this hard-to-acquire console available to buy. Even for a potentially steep price, the new owners replied with a simple “not for sale.”
While the new owners could make a good deal, the goal is to exhibit it alongside others. Considering only 10 exist, and it took many years to even find one to start a deal, it must’ve been worth it to see that cardboard Switch in their possession.
