Balloon Kid (Game Boy): PSA Pop Report & Prices
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PSA has graded 6 Balloon Kid Game Boy copies on record — 1 CIB, 5 sealed. PSA tracks 3 distinct production variants separately because they’re priced differently by collectors. Sealed copies trade in the $249 range. This page is the per-game pop + price + grading reference for Balloon Kid on Game Boy — updated weekly from PSA’s official population data and PriceCharting’s market catalog.
Quick Facts
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Title: Balloon Kid
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Console: Game Boy
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Variants tracked by PSA: 3
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Total PSA-graded copies: 6 (Loose: 0 · CIB: 1 · Sealed: 5)
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PriceCharting market data: available
Variant Comparison
PSA recognizes 3 distinct production variants of Balloon Kid, each tracked on its own population row because collectors value them differently. The variants this game discriminates on: warranty-box layout changes (line count / SNS-USA back / etc.).
| Variant | Loose Pop | CIB Pop | Sealed Pop | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made in Japan, “USA and Canada” Text | — | — | — | — |
| Made in Japan, “USA, Canada and Mexico” Text | — | — | 4 | 4 |
| Made in Japan, 4 Line Warranty Box | — | 1 | 1 | 2 |
PSA Pop by Condition
PSA tracks Balloon Kid populations independently for loose carts, complete-in-box (CIB), and factory-sealed copies — collectors price each condition separately because rarity and demand diverge sharply. Tables below show the grade-tier breakdown per condition, aggregated across 3 variants PSA recognizes for this title.
Loose Cartridge
PSA hasn’t graded any loose copies of Balloon Kid for Game Boy yet.
Complete in Box (CIB)
Total graded: 1
| Variant | Pop | Grade Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Made in Japan, 4 Line Warranty Box | 1 | 9.0: 1 |
PSA has not graded the following variants in this condition: Made in Japan, “USA and Canada” Text · Made in Japan, “USA, Canada and Mexico” Text.
Factory Sealed
Total graded: 5
Sealed summary by variant:
| Variant | Total Pop | Top Numeric Grade | Best Seal Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made in Japan, “USA, Canada and Mexico” Text | 4 | 9.6 | A+ |
| Made in Japan, 4 Line Warranty Box | 1 | 9.6 | A+ |
Factory Sealed Grade × Seal Matrix
Rows show PSA numeric grades. Columns show seal grades. Cell values are PSA population counts. Aggregated across all variants. Top observed grade: 9.6 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A+ | A | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.6 | 2 | — | 2 |
| 9.4 | 1 | — | 1 |
| 9.2 | — | 1 | 1 |
| 7.5 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Total | 4 | 1 | 5 |
Per-variant grade × seal matrices
Click any variant to expand its full grade × seal breakdown.
Made in Japan, "USA, Canada and Mexico" Text (4 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.6 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A+ | A | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.6 | 1 | — | 1 |
| 9.4 | 1 | — | 1 |
| 9.2 | — | 1 | 1 |
| 7.5 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Made in Japan, 4 Line Warranty Box (1 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.6 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A+ | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 9.6 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 |
PSA has not graded the following variant in this condition: Made in Japan, “USA and Canada” Text.
Current Market Prices
All prices below are pulled directly from PriceCharting’s public catalog and refreshed each time this article regenerates (typically weekly). PriceCharting computes their values from active and recently-sold listings on eBay + their dealer network — independent of any data on this page. The Sealed column reflects PriceCharting’s “manual-only” / new tier — factory-sealed retail at average condition; specific graded-sealed prices vary sharply by numeric grade + seal letter (use the Sealed eBay browse link below for grade-specific comps).
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Loose cartridge: $18
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Complete in Box (CIB): $72
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Sealed: $249
All 3 PSA-tracked variants share the same PriceCharting prices because PriceCharting indexes at the title level, not the variant level. Variant-specific pricing surfaces on eBay sold-comp data — check the Sealed / CIB / Loose browse links below for variant-aware market signals.
Heritage Graded Sales
Heritage Auctions sold results below are real auction transactions for Balloon Kid on Game Boy. They complement the PriceCharting loose / CIB / sealed benchmarks above; they are not estimates and they are not blended into PriceCharting’s ungraded market prices.
Summary rows are title-level Heritage sale signals, sorted by format, recency, and realized-price signal. PSA production variants can price differently, so the sale records keep Heritage’s own variant notes visible instead of pretending every auction lot maps cleanly to a PSA variant row.
High-grade games can trade years apart, so older auction records stay visible; treat the latest-sale date as part of the comp, not just the dollar amount.
| Format | Grade | Sale signal | Latest sale | Comps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factory sealed (USA Canada and Mexico Text Mid Production) | WATA 9.4 A+ | Last sale $3,500 | Aug 24, 2024 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (USA Canada and Mexico Text Mid Production) | WATA 9.6 A+ | Last sale $2,750 | Nov 22, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed | WATA 9.2 A | Last sale $4,800 | Jan 21, 2023 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Gb R 4 Line Warranty Later Production) | WATA 9.6 A+ | Last sale $4,320 | Oct 29, 2021 | 1 |
Sale records:
| Date | Sold For | Grader / Grade | Format | Variant Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 2025 | $2,750 | WATA 9.6 A+ | Factory sealed | USA Canada and Mexico Text Mid Production | Lot 7428-28060 |
| Aug 24, 2024 | $3,500 | WATA 9.4 A+ | Factory sealed | USA Canada and Mexico Text Mid Production | Lot 7378-28175 |
| Jan 21, 2023 | $4,800 | WATA 9.2 A | Factory sealed | — | Lot 7348-29050 |
| Oct 29, 2021 | $4,320 | WATA 9.6 A+ | Factory sealed | Gb R 4 Line Warranty Later Production | Lot 7263-28121 |
Listings
Each link below opens an eBay search filtered to that condition, scoped to Balloon Kid on Game Boy. “Sold” pulls completed/sold listings (use this for price research). “Listings” pulls current active listings (use this to find a copy to buy).
Why Balloon Kid Matters for Grading
PSA has graded only 6 copies of Balloon Kid for Game Boy across all conditions — a tiny population that puts collectors who own a graded copy in a roster of fewer than 11 known holders. The sealed condition dominates submissions (5 of 6, ~83%) — a strong signal that’s where most collector value sits for this title. The sealed-to-loose price ratio is roughly 14× — sealed copies trade at $249 while loose carts move around $18. That spread means a fresh sealed find is the move; raw cart flips have thinner margins after grading fees. Because PSA tracks 3 variants separately, production-code identification matters before submission. The pop-by-variant breakdown above tells you which variant is the rarer find.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Balloon Kid Game Boy worth grading?
Strong yes for clean copies. With only 6 graded copies on record, Balloon Kid is squarely in the rare-population tier for Game Boy — and PSA grading adds meaningful provenance on titles with this little supply. Grade-and-hold is the play; flipping mid-grade copies thins margins fast.
How rare is a graded sealed copy of Balloon Kid?
PSA tracks 5 graded sealed copies of Balloon Kid for Game Boy. The grade-tier breakdown above shows how those split across PSA’s numeric grades — top-grade copies (9.4+) are the scarcest and typically command the strongest premiums.
Should I buy a graded or raw copy of Balloon Kid?
Depends on your goal. Graded copies cost more upfront but come with PSA’s authenticity + condition guarantee — the right move for buy-and-hold collectors. Raw copies are cheaper but require condition assessment yourself, and the grading lottery means a $50 raw cart can come back as a $25 PSA 7 OR a $200 PSA 9.4. Use the per-condition pop and price data above to calculate expected value before you commit.
Why does PSA track multiple variants of Balloon Kid?
PSA recognizes 3 distinct production variants of Balloon Kid on Game Boy. Variants reflect real production differences — different factories (Made in Japan vs Made in Mexico), packaging die changes, ESRB-rating retrofits added partway through the console’s life, or Players Choice reissues from later runs. Collectors price them differently because rarity diverges, and PSA tracks each on its own population row so the data reflects the real market structure.
Sources
Pop counts pulled weekly from PSA Video Games population data. Prices from PriceCharting. PSA acquired WATA in July 2021 and completed the rebrand to PSA Video Games on October 20, 2025. PSA Video Games population data is the continuation of WATA’s population history. Heritage graded-sale comps come from Heritage Auctions sold archive lot pages linked in the sale-record table.
Related Resources
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Game Boy Game Library — every variant PSA tracks for this console, with pop + price per condition tier (loose, CIB, sealed).
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Retro Video Game Collecting — pillar with broader strategy, market dynamics, and grading economics.