Someone Just Spent $114K on a Sealed Copy of Super Mario Bros

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What is your Super Mario Bros?

(Image credit: Heritage Auctions)

We all have that one title that brings us back. For some of us, that's a Pokemon game, The Legend of Zelda, or GTA... I can go on. But possibly the most popular of all is Super Mario Bros, of which a factory-original, sealed NES cartridge just exchanged owners for a whopping $114,000 at Heritage Auctions.

Of course, we can't ignore the historic value of this game. As the all-time best-selling title for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), it set the standard for a long time to come, and is still being played today -- albeit almost exclusively in newer versions. This particular Super Mario Bros game was a limited-run cardboard-hangtab version that was only in production for a very brief period in 1985, and is in near-mint condition.

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(Image credit: Heritage Auctions)

Given this bigger-than-my-mortgage selling price and the novelty, it's easy to accuse the buyer of unreasonable fanboyism, but we wouldn't be so swift to jump to such a conclusion. This sale sets a new record for what anyone has ever paid for a sealed copy of any game, surpassing 2019's record of $100,000 for the exact same game that was in a similar state -- so you can rest assured that the new owner won't be losing money on this one in the long run... unless they tamper with the packaging, or worse, indulge.

Meanwhile, we, and the new owner of this copy of Super Mario Bros, are best off attempting to score one of the much-newer NES Classic consoles if we want to have a go at the classic Super Mario Bros -- that'll only set you back a much more palatable $60.

Niels Broekhuijsen
Niels Broekhuijsen

Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.

8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Math Geek
    Well considering i spent 250k on a new sealed original Nintendo, this seemed like something i needed to go with it.

    they look great collecting dust in my safety deposit box :)
    Reply
  • QwerkyPengwen
    Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.
    Must be nice to have that kind of money LOL.
    God knows, if it was me with that kind of money, I would've instead built the sickest gaming room, setup, and PC with the highest end VR with full body and a haptic suit.

    At least I would get to enjoy what I spent my money on then.
    I understand being a sort of collector, and reseller of collectible items, but damn, 114K for an NES game is just a tad bit too out there for me, but hey, if you got the bankroll, more power to you I guess :)
    Reply
  • BaRoMeTrIc
    I mean it's a sound investment, long yield, but still sound. But I still would love to see this person get home, rip it out of the packaging and throw it in for a $113,000 game of Mario
    Reply
  • dave_d
    Wait a sec. I remember reading a similar story a year or two ago.(Sealed early Mario release selling for a ridiculous price) Is this just the guy who bought it last time selling it this time? I wonder if he made a profit. Oh wait, they mention that in the article. Still I wonder if it's literally the same game.
    Reply
  • dave_d
    It's this one isn't it? Did the guy make a 14k profit?
    Reply
  • cryoburner
    This sale sets a new record for what anyone has ever paid for a sealed copy of any game, surpassing 2019's record of $100,000 for the exact same game that was in a similar state -- so you can rest assured that the new owner won't be losing money on this one in the long run...
    I'm not sure that's assured. What if someone comes across a case of these in a warehouse somewhere, perhaps in even better condition? There's also the possibility that it has hit its upper limit in terms of pricing. Maybe this is the same cartridge that sold for 100K last year, and that buyer decided to resell it quickly, as they may not have trusted it to retain its market value in the long-term. Or maybe a bunch of other people saw that prior sale, and have near-mint condition copies of their own that they are now trying to offload before it becomes apparent just how many might be floating around out there. There are lots of collectibles and antiques that lose value over time as trends change and they fall out of popularity. Ultimately, this is a mass-produced product that just happens to be in good condition in its original packaging. but it's not like a unique artwork of which there is only one original copy in existence, nor is it something that makes for a particularly attractive showpiece to hang on one's wall.

    ...unless they tamper with the packaging, or worse, indulge.
    Ew... >_>
    Reply
  • mdd1963
    It's only a wise decision in the sense of hoping a greater fool potentially exists in the future...

    Otherwise, it's $114K wasted on a game worth 50 cents..
    Reply
  • Mpablo87
    Super Mario Bros, of course it is a legend!!!
    But, such amount of Money!!! Beyond reason!!
    Reply