Sealed Copy Of Super Mario Bros. Sells For A Record-Breaking $100,150

[0078265317]

https://kotaku.com/sealed-copy-of-super-mario-bros-sells-for-a-record-bre-1832635737/amp

 

WTF

[Keatah]

Not sure if I should be impressed.. it's just a paper sticker making the cost soar - and some brain getting fixated on that. And there's only a couple people out of billions that would pay a moderate amount for such an item. It's an "in" thing among a small group that doesn't affect the world in any way.

 

Gotta feel sorry for that bunch - their brains squirming in circles from the fact most collections will never be properly completed.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Keatah

[0078265317]

Yes but that is very first run and limited supply to begin with. Not sure I would go 100,150 but it is rare.

[Keatah]

A bag of potato chips dated 9/77 is likely just as rare, if it exists to begin with. I wonder what it'd be worth?

[Blazing Lazers]

Strange. A thread over in the NintendoAge Collectors Corner about this got locked before any responses could be posted. That's the same place that recently started promoting the WATA grading system.

 

There's a lot more to this story. Stsy tuned.

[Blazing Lazers]

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/02/how-this-ultra-rare-copy-of-super-mario-bros-sold-for-100000/

 

 

So the buyer was actually 3 collectors who pooled their resources, meaning the price per buyer is "only" around 33K, which is not a record. Even with that, the only reason this one copy went for so much is because it is supposedly the or one of the only known unopened mint condition copies from the original 1985 test run.

[CatPix]

If I was rich, I'd buy that game to immediately open it...

[0078265317]

Well as the article said even few years back a sealed copy sold for 30 thousand. So sealed seems to be worth something.

[masschamber]

If I was rich, I'd buy that game to immediately open it...

I wonder if th views from opening it and posting the video on youtube would cover the cost of the game

[CatPix]

Hopefully it would...but I mean just to teach something to those rabid useless collectards.

If you want a box, I can print you one and shrinkwrap it, but leave the game for players.

Edited February 16, 2019 by CatPix

[spacecadet]

So the buyer was actually 3 collectors who pooled their resources, meaning the price per buyer is "only" around 33K, which is not a record.

 

That's the part that makes even less sense to me. What are they going to do, each take it two days a week, and every third Sunday?

 

Why would you pay $33,000 for something you don't even own, unless your only reason for doing it is as an investment, expecting to resell and make more money on it later? And that's the one kind of "collecting" I don't respect at all.

[0078265317]

If you want a box, I can print you one and shrinkwrap it, but leave the game for players.

 

But that is a repro and this is legit.

[Blazing Lazers]

Technically, this game isn't even sealed. It's more accurately unopened. Apparently not all the first run NES titles had shrinkwrapping.

[high voltage]

So that tops Ar Raid as the most expensive video game

[schuwalker]

 

That's the part that makes even less sense to me. What are they going to do, each take it two days a week, and every third Sunday?

 

Why would you pay $33,000 for something you don't even own, unless your only reason for doing it is as an investment, expecting to resell and make more money on it later? And that's the one kind of "collecting" I don't respect at all.

 

I posed the same question on another forum, and the overwhelming responses were as an "investment". I found it interesting that one of the owners of the auction site was actually part of the winning group of bidders. I wasn't aware owners can partake in auctions within your own company??? Seems kinda scheezy too me.

 

 

Technically, this game isn't even sealed. It's more accurately unopened. Apparently not all the first run NES titles had shrinkwrapping.

 

I'm curious on this too. I have the majority of the black box series of games. Good chunk of these came from Kmart and Walmart in '86. I'm pretty sure none of these came shrink wrapped at all. So, was this shrink wrapping process contingent on the store you bought them from?

[Keatah]

But that is a repro and this is legit.

 

Who cares? As long as it's a good repro.

[TheCoolDave]

 

That's the part that makes even less sense to me. What are they going to do, each take it two days a week, and every third Sunday?

 

Why would you pay $33,000 for something you don't even own, unless your only reason for doing it is as an investment, expecting to resell and make more money on it later? And that's the one kind of "collecting" I don't respect at all.

 

It's an investment. Just like you can get mutable investors in a business. For sure you will see this up for sale later. As classic video games are getting harder and harder to find, the really rare ones in flawless shape will go for some big money. This one just falls as a ultra rare one that not many are known to exist.

 

It makes you think....all the games I paid for back in the day...if I just got 2 of each and kept one sealed...maybe one day it would be my retirement.

 

This does show that people not in the know, should see video games are not just a toy...

[MrMaddog]

 

Even with that, the only reason this one copy went for so much is because it is supposedly the or one of the only known unopened mint condition copies from the original 1985 test run.

 

It's interesting that SMB was included during the Oct. 1985 test run, cause I couldn't rememeber it being available for sale till later in 1986 after the other Black Box games came out nationally. My first exposure to SMB was the arcade version.

 

Anyone else seen this game come out in 1985? I couldn't find the exact date it was released in the US anywhere online...

[+wongojack]

Is it really an investment though? I usually do a lot of research before spending even a few hundred bucks on an investment. Is there any reliable way to research how many games have sold for more than say . . . $50,000 and returned a profit? Seriously asking, I don't know. I also don't know how this type of things works for say, rare artwork, but I'm not the type of person able to invest in luxury items like that.

 

 

 

I'm making a few assumptions here, but here are a few things that would raise red flags for me:

 

1) The grading system is cited for raising the value.

 

If you told me there are 3 companies making the same product (or service), but one company is worth 3x [example] as much because of their marketing (or packaging), I would consider that more of a short term gamble than a solid investment. The other companies will likely balance the market eventually.

 

2) My own anecdotal observations of the NES market are that, beyond the grading system(s), there is an organized effort to fix prices through price charting. I don't know if this is common for things like rare art, but for a standard investment this feels more like investing in currency trading than it does buying something with permanent tangible value.

 

If you told me I could buy English Pounds at a low price to sell later, I would believe you as they are likely to eventually increase in value, but I probably wouldn't do it because I just don't have the time to truly understand the intricacies of the currency exchange market.

 

3) Never bet on your favorite team.

 

Sure you should buy an overpriced ticket to the stadium, but don't bet your house. You may believe you have special knowledge about your favorite things, but in reality, your judgement is clouded. In this transaction, I probably trust the guy hosting the auction the most. While it seems like shifty behavior to host the auction and bid on the item, at least I can understand his motivation. He wants to simultaneously legitimize his site with big news and a big sale. It seems like he's likely less influenced by his love for SMB.

 

 

Also, how would anyone actually verify the authenticity of this item in its sealed state?

[high voltage]

Ah ok, I missed that bit, three buyers, so it didnt top Air Raid (good)

[CatPix]

 

This does show that people not in the know, should see video games are not just a toy...

Well, to me, it's exactly the same.

Except that the game here isn't the video games, but the rare item.

I think those people bid on sealed video games like they bid on Picasso paintings.

As long as it's rare and people desire it, it's worth bidding on it. It doesn't even need to have much demand. As long as there is one sucker to bid more on it, then it's a good investment.

 

It reminds me a discussion I got with a comics collector. He didn't understand why there wasn't an organized market for old video games like there was for comics, with grades, organized conventions with renowed shops and seller, etc.

And it took him a very long while to understand that most retrogaming collectors like to use their items; unlike most comics, old video games are no longer in print so if you want to play a NES game, the physical game on the physical console, then you can only buy the old item. You can't walk to the supermarket and buy a reprint.

And so, unlike comics where most of the time, anything that isn't brand new or near mint is basically worthless, a loose cart with a sunfaded label still have value because it's still an useable item.

 

But when the collectars step into the video game universe, there is obviously a clash because there is that "item VS game" mentality that obviously clash.

There is the same thing going in the world of collectible cars, with car enthusiasts that despise car collectors that raise price markets.

Edited February 17, 2019 by CatPix

[Blazing Lazers]

Ah ok, I missed that bit, three buyers, so it didnt top Air Raid (good)

Well, yes and no. This might be the highest videogame sale price for a single copy of a game, though rumors of higher sums being paid for other rarities (protos, unreleased, etc) are not unheard of. This is not the highest price that any one buyer has ever paid for an item, though. Complete Air Raid, Stadium Events, Neo Geo items, 2600 rarities, etc have all gone higher to individual buyers.

[thetick1]

A bag of potato chips dated 9/77 is likely just as rare, if it exists to begin with. I wonder what it'd be worth?

 

It's worth whatever some stupid moron is willing to pay.

[thetick1]

Wow this made me lookup what my mom's Witchiepoo doll has sold for recently ....

 

She bought this doll in the 70's and has brought it out every year for a Halloween decoration. It's is still great condition and I'm sure my mom would like to know one recently sold for $425. It was in much morse condition than my mothers.

https://picclick.com/1970-HR-Pufnstuf-Old-Vintage-Witchiepoo-Doll-MyToy-372441719013.html

Edited February 17, 2019 by thetick1

[0078265317]

It makes you think....all the games I paid for back in the day...if I just got 2 of each and kept one sealed...maybe one day it would be my retirement.

 

Good idea. Too bad the same cannot be said for todays games.