Collector Mania will find its way to any industry, and in a way, I quite enjoy the fact that in something that can offer as much joyful exacerbation as video games, there’s an element of obsession that persists long past childhood and stays with us long into our adult years and finds a safe home in our souls and psyches.
With the recent Heritage Auction landing some big numbers from their video game range, we’ve rounded up some of the most financially lucrative video game deals to go down.
The Legend of Zelda (NES) - $870,000
One of the series that could easily adorn the Mount Rushmore of video games, the first Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System lies at the foundation of one of the strongest video game series in the history of the art form.
Such a prestigious status garners items in and around the Zelda franchise really beauty in their beholders’ eyes, evidently seen in the recent Heritage Auction where a sealed copy of the NES classic was described by Heritage themselves with the following :
"Of all of the games we've offered in our auctions, this sealed early production copy of the first game in the groundbreaking Legend of Zelda series is no doubt the apotheosis of rarity, cultural significance, and collection centerpieces."
The final and winning bid for the artifact landed at $870,000 and has since become the second most expensive video game collectible ever.
“Mint Condition” Skyrim - $600
Heritage Auctions is a mecca for rare and limited edition video games, but like many other trends that when coupled with the adrenaline of the activity and the pandemonium of the environment, can get out of hand.
This is showcased by the purchase of a “Wata 9.2” copy of Skyrim for the Xbox 360 which ended up being sold for $600.
Wata scores are the scale used for the condition of collectibles, and the rating is out of 10, so a 9.2 is a very high score indeed.
Even though Skyrim is a great game that I myself have plowed hundreds of hours into, a $600 price tag for a game with no real history or lineage (I’m not discounting the credibility or quality of the Elder Scrolls series just for clarification, where a fair amount of ESO Gold can be costly too) seems like overkill.
Sealed Super Mario 64 - $1.5 Million
On the same day that the two above games were sold, another video game gem came along and somehow surpassed the selling price of the sealed Legend of Zelda cartridge.
Earning a Wata rating of 9.8 A++, this sealed copy of Mario’s painting exploring, power star grabbing, and Bowser throwing adventure eventually succumbed in ownership to an audacious bid of $1.5 Million.
This price cements it (so far) as the most expensive video game item ever sold.
Teddy Bear Yarn Yoshi Plush Amiibo - $350
Nintendo hit a gold mine when they thought of amiibo. Collectible figurines that enhance your gameplay are great, but it's the collector mania that ensues when the printing and manufacture of these collectibles ceases is where the real money lies.
With all amiibo having limited runs, it makes sense to try and get your hands on ones that have some unique quality to them or only come bundled with specific games, types of consoles, or special editions.
This was the case with the Toys R Us exclusive amiibo for Mega Yarn Yoshi, something that differed from its amiibo siblings in that it was much bigger (almost 11 inches compared to around the 4-inch mark).
Tough enough to acquire even when it was first released along with the Wii U title Yoshi’s Wooly World, that difficulty has increased tenfold since the company has faded away into wispy memories.
Read more: Best Gaming Consoles for Gamers
Pikachu Illustrator Pocket Monsters Card - $195,000
Pokemon cards have always had an air of sentimental madness to them, but it's built into their DNA by default. However, in the last year or so, we’ve seen their value skyrocket thanks to influencers (and sometimes less than reputable) jumping on the bandwagon of the latest craze.
Being the de facto mascot of the entire series, Pikachu cards earn themselves more value than the average card just from the fact that it's the yellow electric mouse on the front and not any other Pokemon.
This card however was given out to winners of the CoroCoro Comic Illustration contest in Japan, with a mere 39 only ever making it into existence. The art on the card itself was drawn by Pikachu creator himself, Atsuko Nishida, giving it a titanic boost in value along with its PSA 9 score, a grading similar to that of Wata but for autographs and memorabilia.
The writing on the card reads: "This unique card was created specifically for the contest. In the January 1998 issue, three first-place winners won a copy of the card, as did another 20-second place winners, with cards awarded in two more contests that year."
Sealed Super Mario Brothers - $660,000
Back in April 2021, Heritage Auctions was again home to more video game economic madness as a sealed copy of the original Super Mario Brothers traded hands for $660,000, in part thanks to a Wata rating of 9.6.
The box art is missing the “™” print next to the “Nintendo Entertainment System” which denotes that it was from the game’s fourth printing run, and also, therefore, lacks the “Game-Pak NES-GP” code which Nintendo started printing on its boxes in late 1986 onwards.
The fact that it's a sealed copy also contributes largely to its value, as the likelihood of finding an unopened copy of the game that is both so old and popular is almost zero.
Conclusion
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