Disney/Pixar Cars 2 (SteelBook Edition)

Lightning McQueen in a metal case is a sentence that shouldn't make collectors perk up, but here we are. The Disney/Pixar Cars 2 SteelBook Edition on PlayStation 3 packages the standard game with an unsealed Cars 2 themed SteelBook, and it was a Best Buy exclusive in the United States. It's one of those editions that proves collectibility has nothing to do with critical acclaim.

Here's the detail that makes this one genuinely interesting. Pre-order sales were so low that Best Buy eventually sold the SteelBook separately for a fraction of the original bundle. That means the surviving population splits into two camps: those bundled with the game at launch and those purchased solo by SteelBook completionists. Either way, the total number in circulation is small because demand was minimal at retail.

Low initial demand is a collector's long game. The things nobody wanted on release day become the things everyone needs fifteen years later when they're trying to complete a PS3 SteelBook set or a Disney gaming collection. Cars 2 on PS3 was a licensed tie-in that most serious gamers ignored, which is exactly why the SteelBook variant is harder to find in good condition than you'd expect. Nobody was treating these carefully. Nobody was thinking about preservation. That carelessness is your opportunity. For SteelBook collectors and Disney completionists, this unassuming Best Buy exclusive is the kind of quiet rarity that rewards patience.