As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment magazine in the UK“, are you having a new years clean out? Are you looking to make a bit of extra cash? We check out the top ten most valuable vintage video games you might have stashed in a drawer.
The air is crisp with New Year’s resolutions, the scent of fresh starts clinging to the very curtains. And what better way to usher in a new chapter than by exorcising the ghosts of clutter past?
Amidst the carnage of old books and mismatched Tupperware, there might just be buried treasure; vintage video games. Those pixelated relics of a simpler time are just waiting to be unearthed and given a second life.
Remember the clunky cartridges, the satisfying click as they slotted into the console? Remember the grainy graphics that somehow painted worlds more vivid than any high-definition screen could ever hope to achieve? Remember the heart-pounding battles, the mind-bending puzzles, the sheer joy of losing yourself in a digital wonderland?
It’s time to dig them out of the old cardboard box in your attic and see if you have something valuable hidden away that you could make some money with in 2024!
A study conducted by video game platform Cribbage-Online.net analyzed the results of over 32,000 auctions on Heritage Auctions to determine which video game or memorabilia has been sold for the largest amount from 2019 onwards.
First on the list is a sealed copy of ‘Super Mario 64 – Wata 9.8 A++’ produced in 1996 by Nintendo and sold in 2021 for a whopping $1,560,000. The game was awarded to a US buyer after being contended among 16 bidders for three days.
As the game was released for the first time in 1996 and produced exclusively for the platform Nintendo 64, this might be one of the very first copies ever sold at the time.
The game’s synopsis sees Mario travelling to Princess Peach’s castle to receive a gift, only to find the Princess and her servants imprisoned by Bowser, who has taken over the castle. To free the Princess and defeat Bowser, Mario must collect a minimum of 70 stars out of 120 from different worlds where he can travel to through paintings that are scattered around the castle.
A sealed copy of Nintendo’s ‘The Legend of Zelda – Wata 9.0 A’ from 1987 comes in second, sold in 2021 for $870,000. The copy’s specifics include an early production certificate, making this one also one of the first ever copies of the adventure game available. The copy was sold two days prior to ‘Super Mario 64’, first on the list, holding the record for the most expensive vintage video game for 48 hours only.
In third comes a sealed 1985 copy of ‘Super Mario Bros. – Wata 9.6’ which sold in 2022 for $720,000. The game was first released in that same year by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and since then it has sold 40 million copies on the platform. Thanks to ‘Super Mario Bros.’, the titular character gained huge popularity regardless of this not being the first time he appeared in a game.
Further down on the list, a second sealed copy of ‘The Legend of Zelda’ comes in fourth. This copy of the game is a first production one from 1987 and it was sold in 2021 for $705,000.
Moreover, a second copy of ‘Super Mario Bros.’ from 1985 closes the top five after being sold in 2021, for $660,000.
| Top 10 most profitable vintage video games and memorabilia | |||
| Video game/memorabilia name | Date sold | Sold for ($) | |
| 1 | Super Mario 64 – Wata 9.8 A++ Sealed, N64 Nintendo 1996, USA. | Jul 11, 2021 | 1,560,000 |
| 2 | The Legend of Zelda – Wata 9.0 A Sealed [No Rev-A, Round SOQ, Early Production], NES Nintendo 1987, USA. | Jul 9, 2021 | 870,000 |
| 3 | Super Mario Bros. – Wata 9.6 A Sealed [Hangtab, 3 Code, Mid-Production], NES Nintendo 1985, USA. | Nov 4, 2022 | 720,000 |
| 4 | The Legend of Zelda – Wata 8.0 A Sealed [NES TM, No Rev-A, First Production], NES Nintendo 1987, USA. | Oct 29, 2021 | 705,000 |
| 5 | Super Mario Bros. – Wata 9.6 A+ Sealed [Hangtab, 1 Code, Mid-Production], NES Nintendo 1985, USA. | Apr 2, 2021 | 660,000 |
| 6 | Super Mario Bros. – Wata 9.4 A Sealed [Hangtab, 2 Code, Mid-Production], NES Nintendo 1985, USA. | Oct 29, 2021 | 492,000 |
| 7 | John Madden Football – Wata 9.2 A+ Sealed [Cardboard Box], Genesis Electronic Arts 1990, USA. | Jan 28, 2022 | 480,000 |
| 8 | The Legend of Zelda – Wata 9.6 A+ Sealed [Rev-A, Round SOQ, Mid-Production], NES Nintendo 1987, USA. | Aug 5, 2022 | 384,000 |
| =9 | Nintendo Play Station Super NES CD-ROM Prototype – Sony and Nintendo c. 1992. | Mar 6, 2020 | 360,000 |
| =9 | Sonic the Hedgehog – Wata 9.8 A+ Sealed [Made in Japan, Early Production], Genesis Sega 1991, USA. | Apr 22, 2022 | 360,000 |
| =9 | Super Mario World – Wata 9.4 A+ Sealed [Made in Japan], SNES Nintendo 1991 USA. | Jul 9, 2021 | 360,000 |
| 10 | Super Mario Bros. 2 – Wata 9.8 A+ Sealed [Rev-A, Round SOQ, First Production], NES Nintendo 1988 USA. | Oct 29, 2021 | 324,000 |
It is incredible to discover how much your old games might be worth, and even more surprising to know that there’s an entire world out there which values vintage memorabilia such as these as more than simple hobbies. It’s not just about pixels anymore; it’s a glimpse into the history and passion that gaming enthusiasts hold dear.
-A spokesperson for Cribbage-Online.net
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", David Parker's memoir, Confessions…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", Mike Smallman's "Chocolate-Coated Piranha"…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", Dr. Macie Smith's A…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", Apollon Sower, the demigod,…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", in A Twist Of…
On The Table Read Magazine, "the best entertainment eBook magazine UK", Hugo Woolley's The Wasp…