Super Mario Bros. Record: $3 Million at Heritage

Background: Market Test in Los Angeles

According to Heritage, the game was discovered in a factory-sealed "Control Deck NES" console bundle originating from a market test phase in Los Angeles. "Die faszinierende Hintergrundgeschichte macht das Ganze noch beeindruckender: Das Spiel wurde erst vor wenigen Monaten in einem fabrikneuen 'Control Deck NES'-Konsolenbundle entdeckt. Das bedeutet, dass es fast 40 Jahre lang von niemandem berührt wurde," explains Evan Masingill, the auction house's expert for video games. The purchase price of $3 million included, in addition to the cartridge, the unopened console along with its accessories.

In the auction description, Heritage promotes the piece as the "holy grail" of video game collecting. The auction house itself also speaks of the "holy grail" of any video game collection. The highest-grade rating from PSA — the service that acquired former market leader Wata Games — added further prestige to the piece. Heritage co-founder Jim Halperin sees this as evidence of the growing maturity of the market for classic video games.

Price Rally for Classic Video Games

Shortly after the winning bid, a sealed "Super Mario 64" also changed hands for $1.56 million. Together, both sales underscore the ongoing price rally for unopened classics from the pre-millennium era. As recently as 2020, an originally packaged copy of "Super Mario Bros." fetching $114,000 was considered the most expensive video game ever sold, as reported by The Verge. The current top price is roughly 26 times higher.

Criticism of Graders and Auction Houses

The price development is not without controversy, however. A class-action lawsuit has been pending against Wata Games since 2022, accusing the grading company of artificially inflating prices through the design of its fees. Video Games Chronicle also points out that Wata sets its grading fees as a percentage of a game's market value, and Heritage collects high auction premiums. Both sides are said to have profited massively from a price explosion that drove the value of rare games into the millions during the pandemic.

Critics accuse grading companies and auction houses of artificially driving prices up. The companies involved reject the allegations. PSA acquired Wata Games in 2022 and has since operated on the market under its own name. A judge must now determine whether pricing in the market for sealed games has been systematically distorted.

Regardless of the ongoing proceedings, the auction documents a new high point in a collecting passion that has long since reached professional dimensions. While most classic cartridges in well-preserved but opened boxes trade for a few hundred dollars, collectors are now paying sums for unopened rarities that are reminiscent more of art than consumer electronics.