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[jshackles]

Most expensive video game ever: Rare copy of 'Super Mario 3' sold at auction

A sealed copy of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. 3 has become the most expensive video game ever sold, selling for a whopping $156,000 at auction on Friday.

www.foxbusiness.com

While the condition of the game is remarkable, what makes this copy even more singular is the layout of the packaging itself: Exceedingly rare are sealed copies with the word 'Bros.' formatted to the left, covering one of Mario's signature white gloves," the statement added. "Collectors have spent years looking for such a version — the earliest in the Super Mario Bros. 3 production history – and usually come up empty-handed.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

That’s How Mario Do.

 

[Evangelion Unit-01]

And to think that people would complain about Switch Online for $20. Think about how much money you're saving!

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

I remember having a copy of this game as a kid, but then Lionel Richie crossed the border and stole it from me.

 

[Lionel Richie]

I remember having a copy of this game as a kid, but then Lionel Richie crossed the border and stole it from me.

Sounds like you should have BUILT A WALL

 

[Futaleufu]

How dumb do you have to be to spend that much money on a very common game.

 

[WalterSobchak]

Anyone know if some of these ebay bids on sealed nes games are legit ? Like this listing for example ? https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Simpso...-vs-The-space-mutants-sealed-nes/303776500105

These games were going for about about $100 to $200 sealed a few years back . Now their value has seemingly skyrocketed, but I can't tell if it's legit bids or not . Thoughts ?

 

[partime]

So his white glove is fondling his bros, 'Michael Jackson joined the chat'

 

[johntown]

I wonder how much it would go for if it was not sealed?

 

[jshackles]

Anyone know if some of these ebay bids on sealed nes games are legit ? Like this listing for example ? https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Simpso...-vs-The-space-mutants-sealed-nes/303776500105

These games were going for about about $100 to $200 sealed a few years back . Now their value has seemingly skyrocketed, but I can't tell if it's legit bids or not . Thoughts ?

I can say from experience that the price on retro games has been going through the ever-loving roof in the last year. Complete copies of these games (not sealed) go for about $200 each now, so yeah this auction with both sealed and in protectors is probably legit.

 

[N1tr0sOx1d3]

Meanwhile on the opposite end of the spectrum.....

This isn’t selling at all!?!?

 

[jshackles]

I wonder how much it would go for if it was not sealed?

The fact that it's sealed is only part of the story. This is a rare box variant that Nintendo corrected early in the game's run. It's basically a sealed "launch" copy of the game.

 

[WalterSobchak]

I can say from experience that the price on retro games has been going through the ever-loving roof in the last year. Complete copies of these games (not sealed) go for about $200 each now, so yeah this auction with both sealed and in protectors is probably legit.

Hmm, hope it's true. I have all 4 different nes Simpsons games sealed . Including the very hard to find Krustys Funhouse and hard to find Bart meets Radioactive Man. Reckon I could get about $5000 or $6000 if I sold them as one lot. May have to look into listing these bad boys...

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

Nothing like WATA and those damn comic book nerds turning vintage collecting into this garbage. There were always CIB or sealed collectors, but now there’s this comic book like market. What a waste of money.

 

[jshackles]

Hmm, hope it's true. I have all 4 different nes Simpsons games sealed . Including the very hard to find Krustys Funhouse and hard to find Bart meets Radioactive Man. Reckon I could get about $5000 or $6000 if I sold them as one lot. May have to look into listing these bad boys...

For what it's worth, I sold a bunch of stuff earlier this year that wasn't even close to that rare - and made enough money to put a down payment on a house.

Good luck!

 

[GloveSlap]

I used to have big collection of sealed NES and other retro games including a near mint Super Mario Bros 3 (and 2). I sold them like an idiot about 13 years or so back. I don't think I even want to go see if i can find a picture of my Super Bros 3 to see if the text was formatted like this copy.

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

I used to have big collection of sealed NES and other retro games including a near mint Super Mario Bros 3 (and 2). I sold them like an idiot about 13 years or so back. I don't think I even want to go see if i can find a picture of my Super Bros 3 to see if the text was formatted like this copy.

Yeah, old games really started to grow dramatically around 2013. However, the last two years have been crazy. COVID has really made sagging NES game values increase.

 

[diffusionx]

I used to have big collection of sealed NES and other retro games including a near mint Super Mario Bros 3 (and 2). I sold them like an idiot about 13 years or so back. I don't think I even want to go see if i can find a picture of my Super Bros 3 to see if the text was formatted like this copy.

I certainly didn't have some amazing or rare collection (mostly Saturn and DC stuff, some uncommon PS1/N64 games) but I avoid looking at how much the games cost that I sold over the years. I know why I sold them and don't regret it, but yea, they've gone up in price. A lot.

 

[Impotaku]

God damn scalpers at it again.

 

[WalterSobchak]

For what it's worth, I sold a bunch of stuff earlier this year that wasn't even close to that rare - and made enough money to put a down payment on a house.

Good luck!

Thanks ! I got into retro collecting in 2009 and went pretty hard at it till about 2018 . Prices were still fairly reasonable for a lot of stuff back then. Got most of what I wanted by then and was frankly running out of room to store it.
Using the profits to put towards a house was always in the back of my mind. Looks like values have finally come up on a lot of my stuff to maybe think about selling some. I dont have a sealed Mario 3 launch copy though haha.

 

[sid2vicious]

Imagine opening that game up and finding out the cartridge no longer works, worth less than a rom.

 

[Solarstrike]

Imagine opening that game up and finding out the cartridge no longer works, worth less than a rom.

Or the title screen said "Xenophobe". Those that know, know!

 

[Neff]

How dumb do you have to be to spend that much money on a very common game.

There are many very wealthy collectors who build their own personal video game museums that we never see or hear of.

 

[Futaleufu]

There are many very wealthy collectors who build their own personal video game museums that we never see or hear of.

All I see is people spending vast sums of money on things with no intrinsic value.

 

[RoadHazard]

There is no game called "Super Mario 3".

But yes, that's quite a lot of money for a video game.

 

[UnNamed]

WATA grading is a scam. They have a bad reputation among true collectors and retrogamers, especially when they gave high value to piece of software turned out to be fake.

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

WATA grading is a scam. They have a bad reputation among true collectors and retrogamers, especially when they gave high value to piece of software turned out to be fake.

I’d say their reputation is divided amongst the collecting community. It’s a joke that they are grading repros. People who buy need to understand what they’re buying though. A serious collector knows the difference. They are a big reason why the wolves from comic collecting have joined the hobby though. You see good products like GVN being bought by the joke that is GoCollect. They destroyed the usefulness of Nintendo Age. It’s now hard to go find the wealth of information that site had.

 

[namekuseijin]

How dumb do you have to be to spend that much money on a very common game.

it's worse than that: it's not for the game nor for the code, it's for the silicon, plastic and cardboard

 

[Birdo]

Some old fart will put this in a sealed case on a shelf, when it should be put in an NES and enjoyed.

 

[Battlesmurf]

I’d say their reputation is divided amongst the collecting community. It’s a joke that they are grading repros. People who buy need to understand what they’re buying though. A serious collector knows the difference. They are a big reason why the wolves from comic collecting have joined the hobby though. You see good products like GVN being bought by the joke that is GoCollect. They destroyed the usefulness of Nintendo Age. It’s now hard to go find the wealth of information that site had.

NintendoAge shutting down as it was- huge blow to the knowledge base that was collected there over the years.

 

[jaysius]

The dumbest shit, people that are pretentious fucks about video games and put them on pedestals thinking they need to be recorded in history are hilarious.

Buying a thing that is MEANT to be played and never opening the box is pretty funny.

This isn't ART, it has no good other than PLAYING the game.

 

[MilkyJoe]

I got this for free on my Raspberry Pie, Who's the cunt?