The Video Games Signature auction took place on May 24 and 25, 2024 at Heritage Auctions. According to the organizers, they managed to collect “an eclectic and amazing assortment of treasures that span the history of gaming from the early days of computers to iconic console games of the 90s and beyond.”
In particular, the auction featured Game Boy and PlayStation 4 Pro game consoles, as well as classic games for the NES and SNES, Nintendo 64, Sega, TurboGrafx-16, and Master System.
In total, 314 lots worth $214,3969 were sold in two days.
The most expensive item on offer was one of the first copies of the cult game Super Mario World with a Wata 9.4 A Sealed grade. A cartridge for the 1991 Super Nintendo Entertainment System went under the hammer for $125,000.
Super Mario World, which introduced gamers to Mario's dinosaur companion Yoshi, is a legend in the world of gaming culture and the best-selling SNES game with over 20.6 million copies sold.
Collectors estimated the sealed copy of the famous 1987 Mega Man platformer with a 9.4 A+ Sealed grade at $106250. The game was developed by Capcom for the NES. According to Wata Game Grading, there are only 18 sealed copies in the world.
The third most expensive lot with a final bid of $100,000 was a copy of the Castlevania game released in 1987 in the United States. Wata rated its state of preservation as 9.2 A+ Sealed. Currently, experts are aware of the existence of three sealed copies. “Castlevania is a cultural phenomenon that unites generations of gamers,” Heritage Auctions said.
Also among the top five record holders was a copy of the crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc. and published by Nintendo in 1999. The perfectly preserved cartridge in its original packaging with a grade of 9.8 A++ was sold for $93750.
By the way, the auction featured a competition for the Q1, the world's first microcomputer. In February 2024, it was accidentally found among the trash by cleaners at Kingston University in London. Thus, a rare copy of the Q1, manufactured in 1972, with a built-in keyboard, screen, and printer, was put up for auction in May with a starting price of $32,000, and the lot eventually brought $47,500.
Source: HA.com/7372
