The plumber from Mushroom Kingdom recently broke his own record, with an anonymous buyer coughing up USD$2 million (AUD$2.72 million) for a never-before-opened copy of Super Marios Bros. from 1985. The previous record was only set last month when a sealed copy of Super Mario 64 was purchased for a cool USD$1.56 million (AUD$2.12 million) at auction.
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Image: Heritage Auctions
A burning demand for nostalgic video games has seen the market boom, with records shattered repeatedly in the last year. Last July, a copy of Super Marios Bros. went for USD$114,000 (AUD$155,000) at an online auction, followed by a copy of Super Marios Bros. 3, selling for USD$156,000 (AUD$212,100) in November. Then, in April this year, another copy of Super Marios Bros. went for $660,000 (AUD$987,465) at auction, which was eventually dethroned by a copy of The Legend of Zelda selling for USD$870,000 (AUD$1.2 million). As seen from this incredible timeline, the prices have exponentially rose – making the recent Super Marios Bros. USD$2 million (AUD$2.72 million) figure slightly more palatable.
With most of the aforementioned vintage games selling via auction, the latest record-breaking transaction took a different path. Collectibles website, Rally, accumulates items such as comics or games and allows people to invest as they would in a company. If an individual makes an offer to buy an item, those investors can vote whether to sell it not. Last April, Rally bought the Super Marios Bros. game for USD$140,000 and shareholders approved the sale to the anonymous individual.
We only hope the buyer made sure the cartridge still works. If not, a good old-fashioned blow should do the trick.
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