Games: Unopened Classic Super Mario game goes for over US$100,000

An unopened 1985 copy of the iconic “Super Mario Bros.” video game has been sold for $100,150.

The sale set a new world record for a graded video game, according to Heritage Auctions, which participated in the purchase. The classic Nintendo title was graded by experts at Wata Games and received a “Near Mint” grade of 9.4 and a “Seal Rating” of A++, it said.

“Beyond the artistic and historical significance of this game is its supreme state of preservation,” said Kenneth Thrower, co-founder and chief grader of Wata Games, in a statement.

Thanks to its wild popularity, 11 different box variations of “Super Mario Bros.” were printed between 1985 and 1994, according to Heritage Auctions. “The first two variations are ‘sticker sealed’ copies that were only available in the New York and L.A. test market launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985 and 1986,” explained the auction house. “Of all the sealed copies of Super Mario Bros., this is the only known ‘sticker sealed’ copy.”

The game was purchased by a group of collectors on Feb. 6. The group includes Heritage Auctions Co-Chairman Jim Halperin, Zac Gieg, owner of Just Press Play Video Games and coin dealer and video game collector Rich Lecce, the owner of Robert B. Lecce Numismatist Inc.

“We all knew how hard it is to find an open copy of this version in nice condition, but to find one still sealed is truly something I thought I would never see, even after selling vintage video games for over 20 years,” said Gieg in the statement.