Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Special Edition)

Two of gaming's biggest mascots competing in Olympic events set in London, bundled with a money tin. The Special Edition of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games on Wii is exactly the kind of delightfully odd collector's piece that makes this hobby unpredictable.

Released in the UK in November 2011, this Special Edition pairs the standard game with a branded money tin and, for those who pre-ordered, a child-sized themed t-shirt. It's a package that leans hard into the London 2012 Olympic branding, creating a time capsule of a specific cultural moment when Mario and Sonic were doing the 100-meter dash in a virtual recreation of London's Olympic venues.

The distribution model is what makes this interesting from a collector's standpoint. A single retailer in each European country was selected as the exclusive seller. In the UK, that was Amazon. This one-per-country retail strategy meant the Special Edition was simultaneously available across Europe yet restricted to a narrow purchase path in each market. You had to know which store had it in your country, and you had to go there and nowhere else.

The money tin is a charming oddity. It's not an artbook. It's not a statue. It's a tin you can put coins in, branded with Mario, Sonic, and the Olympic rings. Sometimes the best collector's items are the ones that make you smile at their sheer randomness. For Wii collectors who appreciate the weird, wonderful corners of gaming merchandise, this Special Edition is a conversation starter that also happens to be a functional piggy bank.