A pristine copy of Super Mario. Bros sold for $660,000 at auction

This story about video games as collector's items, boiled down, in 1:09 minutes.

What's the fuss?

The original Super Mario Bros., released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, is a pretty cheap buy regularly nowadays. But for classic games that have been unopened and are still in almost-perfect condition, they can go for much more.

The situation

Just like fine wine and vintage baseball cards, games can certainly go up in value over time. As long as they're in mint condition, rare games from the 80's can be valued upwards of tens of thousands. 

A sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. just broke the record for the highest-priced video game collectible of all time. Selling for $660,000 at auction, the price soars past the previous record held by 1988's Super Mario Bros. 3 that sold for $156,000 months earlier. 

Drivers of the exorbitant price tag included that the game was still sealed in plastic wrap and that the specific "black box" the game came in was part of a limited production run.

Boiling it down

Games aren't just for playing, they're for collecting. Video game collectors have been able to quickly flip these coveted games for impressive multiples.

Despite the fact that Super Mario Bros. cartridges can be found almost anywhere, it is the rarity of unique traits the drive up the price (i.e. spelling errors on the box, limited editions, etc.). It may be worthwhile to check that attic of yours for a potential treasure trove from the past.

Already checked to no avail? No worries, there are services now that let you "invest" in shares of rare video games. These apps give customers access to the nostalgia-fueled collectibles market and the chance to earn a return from these classic games when they are sold at auction, potentially for six figures!

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