Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Value of a sticker sealed Super Mario Bros.?

  1. #1
    Pac-Man (Level 10)
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    2,919
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    107
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    105
    Thanked in
    101 Posts

    Default Value of a sticker sealed Super Mario Bros.?

    A guy brought a WATA graded 9.5 copy to Pawn Stars and wanted 1 mil. An expert who came in said that some people have turned down offers of 300k. However... I dont feel that necessarily means the game is worth over 300k. Just that it may have sentimental value for them or they simply dont want to part with it. so i think that "expert" did a slight disservice by incorrectly confusing refusal to sell with perceived value.

    We know it is worth at least $100,100 as that is how much one of them went for. the guy on PS said there are something like ten of these or less in existence. so yes that is extraordinarily rare.

    it is not farfetched to say the thing is worth over a mil considering there are coins worth 8 figures or more

  2. #2
    Alex (Level 15) Custom rank graphic
    Gameguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Richmond Hill, Ontario (Canada)
    Posts
    7,918
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    78
    Thanked in
    70 Posts

    Default

    If he turned down an offer of 300K for it then it means someone offered to pay 300K.

    Of course if there's only 3 people willing to pay over 6 figures for a copy, what happens when they buy copies for themselves? What if everyone else would only pay 5 figures? Or less? The values on video games as expensive collectibles isn't all that stable.

  3. #3
    Pac-Man (Level 10)
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    2,919
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    107
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    105
    Thanked in
    101 Posts

    Default

    I think offers are one thing and sales are another. when push comes to shove, how many people will back out at the last minute and decide hmmm maybe I want to put my kids through college. or hey my wife was just diagnosed with cancer and its not a good idea to go through with the offer. to me its a decent estimation of value but still... until money exchanges hands, I''m going with 100k

  4. #4
    Pac-Man (Level 10) mailman187666's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    2,050
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    1
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    11
    Thanked in
    10 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gameguy View Post
    If he turned down an offer of 300K for it then it means someone offered to pay 300K.

    Of course if there's only 3 people willing to pay over 6 figures for a copy, what happens when they buy copies for themselves? What if everyone else would only pay 5 figures? Or less? The values on video games as expensive collectibles isn't all that stable.
    I think about video games holding their value in the future often because they could be unstable. I think the game collectors market is not unlike the coin collecting market. How many years does it usually take for collectible fads to die out? baseball cards and beanie babies were a couple years anyway right? I've been doing game collecting for 15 years or so, and have not seen a slow down or disinterest since. While you are talking expensive one like the sealed mario, yeah I could see those high dollar ones being extremely unstable. I think game collecting could very well be a long lasting appeal just like coin collecting (which has been a thing for centuries). At the same time, all it takes is a massive flood of the market and it could cause people to lose interest. That being said, I would not drop 100K on a sealed original mario, but I would drop a couple hundred on some rare games that I really want for my collection.

  5. #5
    Pac-Man (Level 10)
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    2,919
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    107
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    105
    Thanked in
    101 Posts

    Default

    I think this is basically the equivalent of an MS-65 1916 Double Eagle. sure there might be rarer pieces (Im thinking prototypes, erros, games that werent supposed to be released) but it is a game that 99% of people are familiar with and is basically the game that ended the home console crash

  6. #6
    Alex (Level 15) Custom rank graphic
    Gameguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Richmond Hill, Ontario (Canada)
    Posts
    7,918
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    78
    Thanked in
    70 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mailman187666 View Post
    I think about video games holding their value in the future often because they could be unstable. I think the game collectors market is not unlike the coin collecting market.
    There's a bit of a difference, coins are still used today and are pretty stable with long-term condition. People are familiar with coins and what they are, and many hold high value because of the material they're made from. Video games are basically electronics, and specifically focused on video. I would estimate most electronics could last functionally maybe 100 years with maintenance, and video becomes obsolete much quicker compared to audio formats. Proper display monitors in the correct resolution to play them on are already disappearing, and some games won't be playable at all like Duck Hunt or Lethal Enforcers as the equipment doesn't work on modern displays.

    Basically this would affect the number of collectors interested in video games, at least in terms of those caring about original hardware. Games are moving back to being considered disposable with everything being streaming or digital download only, in maybe 10-20 years I doubt most people would consider earlier games more than disposable too, as though original cartridges are equivalent to VHS releases compared to modern Bluray or 4K releases. Old games being rereleased on new platforms will lower demand for original releases. Demand will still be around but not to widespread levels.

    That's my opinion of it anyway. I saw a lot of previously highly valuable computer games become nearly worthless once PCs stopped coming with floppy drives and OSs stopped being natively DOS compatible.

  7. #7
    Pac-Man (Level 10)
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    2,919
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    107
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    105
    Thanked in
    101 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gameguy View Post
    There's a bit of a difference, coins are still used today and are pretty stable with long-term condition. People are familiar with coins and what they are, and many hold high value because of the material they're made from. Video games are basically electronics, and specifically focused on video. I would estimate most electronics could last functionally maybe 100 years with maintenance, and video becomes obsolete much quicker compared to audio formats. Proper display monitors in the correct resolution to play them on are already disappearing, and some games won't be playable at all like Duck Hunt or Lethal Enforcers as the equipment doesn't work on modern displays.

    Basically this would affect the number of collectors interested in video games, at least in terms of those caring about original hardware. Games are moving back to being considered disposable with everything being streaming or digital download only, in maybe 10-20 years I doubt most people would consider earlier games more than disposable too, as though original cartridges are equivalent to VHS releases compared to modern Bluray or 4K releases. Old games being rereleased on new platforms will lower demand for original releases. Demand will still be around but not to widespread levels.

    That's my opinion of it anyway. I saw a lot of previously highly valuable computer games become nearly worthless once PCs stopped coming with floppy drives and OSs stopped being natively DOS compatible.
    I agree with all of this. One problem with video games, controllers, and consoles is the issue of depletable parts. Batteries, capacitors, and springs are not meant to last forever. Thats similar with cars. You cant maintain an original Model T with 100% original parts. At the very least, the lubricants would have to be brand new.

    Coins and comic books, those can be 100% original and still be used to their full functionality well beyond our lifetimes

  8. #8
    Banana (Level 7) § Gideon §'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Mich
    Posts
    1,411
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    49
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    4
    Thanked in
    4 Posts

    Thumbs up

    Good points all around, but I can't help but notice we're ignoring a key point here: Video games are frickin' awesome.

    If decades from now you find yourself in a hospital on your deathbed, I hope the first thing that comes to mind as you reflect back on your life is the people who helped shape who you were. But if you're sitting on said deathbed for a week or so, I hope you at least start to wonder whether you get to run through the fields of Hyrule or finally have enough time to reach the last screen of Pacman when you make it to Heaven--not that you wish you had more coins in your pocket to jingle.

    ... unless of course those coins are for the Big Arcade in the Sky. Free pizza, by the way. All your friends are there.

    My point is that art has real value, because whether you realize it or not, you partake in an unending chain of human communication every time you experience art--whereas money offers nothing. Coins are historical artifacts and little more. Video games are historical artifacts and so much more.

    Let the people who don't understand this have their six-figure fun while it lasts.

  9. #9
    Strawberry (Level 2)
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    583
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    156
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    22
    Thanked in
    22 Posts

    Default

    I think it's ridiculous that any video game costs more than $36,100. That's the price of a brand-new, fully loaded Honda Accord. Some games are going to be expensive because they're rare and desirable. But expensive and six figures are totally different.
    Real collectors drive Hondas, Toyotas, Chevys, Fords, etc... not Rolls Royces.

  10. #10
    Pac-Man (Level 10)
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    2,919
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    107
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    105
    Thanked in
    101 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by WelcomeToTheNextLevel View Post
    I think it's ridiculous that any video game costs more than $36,100. That's the price of a brand-new, fully loaded Honda Accord. Some games are going to be expensive because they're rare and desirable. But expensive and six figures are totally different.
    Rich people with money to burn, man.

    I cant justify spending more than 1k on a video game but thats more due to my income level. if I made 100k a year, would I be buying games like Little Samson, Stadium Events, and Harmful Park? you bet your ass I would. But where I am at right now, I dont really buy anything besides CIB games I am actually going to play as well as cheap common titles

  11. #11
    Alex (Level 15) Custom rank graphic
    Gameguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Richmond Hill, Ontario (Canada)
    Posts
    7,918
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    78
    Thanked in
    70 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gbpxl View Post
    I agree with all of this. One problem with video games, controllers, and consoles is the issue of depletable parts. Batteries, capacitors, and springs are not meant to last forever. Thats similar with cars. You cant maintain an original Model T with 100% original parts. At the very least, the lubricants would have to be brand new.
    It's more that I doubt replacement parts will still be available in a few decades. Stuff like capacitors and generic batteries will probably be available in some way, just like with old tube radios those parts are still available and therefore still serviceable. But contacts in controllers will wear out, possibly right through the traces if used enough. Any type of disc based console will eventually have lasers wear out and replacements will be out of production. In general how long will the circuit boards last without chips dying, or traces corroding through. I had a Sonic 3 cart no longer save because the flash memory failed, and compatible memory replacements stopped being made in the early or mid 90's so it can't be repaired at this point(this game didn't use a save battery). I just don't see proprietary parts being manufactured decades from now for replacement, not in the same way that vintage vehicles still have parts available or obtainable.

    Quote Originally Posted by § Gideon § View Post
    Good points all around, but I can't help but notice we're ignoring a key point here: Video games are frickin' awesome.
    I still expect people to play the games, I just don't see people collecting them the same way. Would people still own an original NES and cartridges or play a modded NES Classic filled with every game they wanted? I personally want to play the original Metal Gear games but I would be satisfied playing the PS2 versions from the Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence release rather than track down an original MSX computer and original copies of the games. I even know that the PS2 versions have some alterations from the original versions, but I would still be happy enough.

    It's like people appreciating paintings, but the originals are left to museums and most people are satisfied with cheap poster copies.

    Quote Originally Posted by WelcomeToTheNextLevel View Post
    I think it's ridiculous that any video game costs more than $36,100. That's the price of a brand-new, fully loaded Honda Accord. Some games are going to be expensive because they're rare and desirable. But expensive and six figures are totally different.
    I agree. I wouldn't be willing to pay too much for any video game, I just can't justify it in my mind. Back when I started collecting I remember the rarest games being worth a few thousand dollars at the most. I see them staying valuable, but not 6 figures valuable.

  12. #12
    Strawberry (Level 2)
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    583
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    156
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    22
    Thanked in
    22 Posts

    Default

    When I started collecting in 2006 I don't really remember anything going for over about $15,000 or so. I know the value of NWC was several thousand dollars then.

    The way I see it is, "holy grail rare/desirable" video games that are less than the price of a brand new Honda Accord are something that relatively well-off, though not super-wealthy, people can aspire to, save up for, and own. Six figures gets into the icky world of "priceless art" and accessible only to the top fraction of a percent of people, out of the world of the die-hard collectors and into the billionaires' world of art. It seemed like video game collecting in the 2000s was largely a hobby enjoyed by the middle class. I feel like the super-rich with money to burn are harmful to the hobby as a whole, making it more unaccessible to the masses. That's why I say "real collectors drive Hondas, Toyotas, Chevys, Fords, etc... not Rolls Royces." A real collector probably has a five or low-six figure job, lives in a normal one or two, maybe three story house, doesn't drive an exotic car. They may be wealthy or poorer, but aren't super-rich.
    Last edited by WelcomeToTheNextLevel; 12-10-2019 at 10:22 PM.
    Real collectors drive Hondas, Toyotas, Chevys, Fords, etc... not Rolls Royces.

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to WelcomeToTheNextLevel For This Useful Post:

    § Gideon § (12-11-2019)

  14. #13
    Pac-Man (Level 10)
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    2,919
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    107
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    105
    Thanked in
    101 Posts

    Default

    I remember around 2006-2008 time frame there was a guy who paid $25k for an Atari game and I remember thinking he was nuts. well I still do I guess

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 79
    Last Post: 05-19-2022, 12:23 AM
  2. Sealed Super Mario Bros. 3, Treasure games, etc.
    By soloman in forum Buying and Selling
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 02-28-2011, 07:04 AM
  3. Sealed Super Mario Bros NES *Now with Pictures
    By The_Chosen_One in forum Buying and Selling
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 07-28-2010, 01:54 AM
  4. WTT - New Super Mario Bros. Wii Sealed
    By jdawg131 in forum Buying and Selling
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 05-16-2010, 02:06 PM
  5. For Sale : Super Mario Bros 2 -- NES -- Sealed BUT.....
    By jonjandran in forum Buying and Selling
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 07-07-2004, 09:41 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •