{"id":1991069,"date":"2026-06-15T11:20:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T08:20:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1991069"},"modified":"2026-06-15T11:20:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T08:20:38","slug":"a-holy-grail-copy-of-super-mario-bros-has-sold-for-3m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1991069","title":{"rendered":"A &#8220;holy grail&#8221; copy of Super Mario Bros. has sold for $3m"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/super-mario-bros\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Super Mario Bros.<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">A &#8220;holy grail&#8221; copy of Super Mario Bros. has sold for $3m<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Gold coin.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/super-mario-bros-nes.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Super Mario Bros NES title screen.\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"super-mario-bros-nes.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"321\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Nintendo<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Connor Makar avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/tAtwiaBo_400x400.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"374\" height=\"374\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Connor Makar avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"tAtwiaBo_400x400.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"374\" height=\"374\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/connor-makar\">Connor Makar<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Staff Writer<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-06-15T11:20:38+00:00\">June 15, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">\n      <a class=\"comments__link comments-bubble\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/super-mario-bros-3-million-auction?view=comments\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n          16 comments<br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"12661ce5-4287-4037-81d6-dd7a0dcb4f57\" data-name=\"Super Mario Bros.\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Super Mario Bros.\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Super Mario Bros.\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Super Mario Bros.\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Super Mario Bros.\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Super Mario Bros.\" title=\"Follow Super Mario Bros.\"><br \/>\n  Follow Super Mario Bros.<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>A rare copy of Super Mario Bros. has been sold at auction for a record-breaking $3m USD.<\/p>\n<p>Sold by Heritage Auctions last Friday, this particular version of Super Mario Bros. was rated 9.6 A++ by grading company PSA and beat a prior Super Mario Bros. auction <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/another-record-breaking-video-game-auction-sees-a-rare-copy-of-super-mario-bros-sell-for-usd2m\">record of $2m established back in 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Official Teaser Trailer\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QrY7VDEuoWQ?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/QrY7VDEuoWQ\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Super Mario Bros. Wonder &#8211; Official Teaser Trailer<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Check out a trailer for Super Mario Bros Wonder here.<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QrY7VDEuoWQ\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Why is it so expensive? Well, this copy of Super Mario Bros. is something of a &#8220;holy grail&#8221; for video game collectors, according to the Heritage Foundation&#8217;s description. It was discovered in a Control Deck NES Bundle, and had been untouched for around 40 years. The auction winner also takes home the Control Deck NES bundle it was found in &#8211; a nice little bonus for the wealthy anonymous collector.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, this copy of Super Mario Bros. is itself a special variant of the retro classic. It was manufactured as part of the game&#8217;s second production run, which means a very specific gloss sticker is present on the box.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This specific variant has never appeared in a public auction in sealed condition, underscoring just how elusive it is,&#8221; Heritage Foundation explained in its auction description. &#8220;The closest parallel is the widely publicized 2019 private sale of the WATA 9.4 A++ second-production copy, a landmark transaction that became the first six-figure video game sale and permanently shifted perceptions of what historically important games could command.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That moment didn&#8217;t create the scarcity &#8211; it revealed it, bringing mainstream attention to how few early sealed copies truly exist, and how extraordinarily seldom a certified gloss sticker second-production example surfaces at all. With just three confirmed, chances to acquire one are extremely rare.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>PSA, the rating company that assigned this copy of Super Mario Bros its 9.6 A++, took over video game ratings from subsidiary WATA last year. WATA&#8217;s founder was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/wata-co-founder-accused-of-breaking-companys-rules-on-selling-graded-stock\">accused of breaking company rules by selling graded stock in 2022<\/a>, and the company has been criticised  over the years as Wata-rated games have sold via its auction partner, Heritage Auctions, for increasingly large amounts.<\/p>\n<p>The two companies&#8217; histories are intertwined. Heritage Auctions co-founder James Halperin &#8211; who was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/forbes\/2004\/1227\/156.html?sh=315fa14b2e07\">fined $1.2m for fraud back in 2004<\/a> &#8211; was a previous WATA investor and advisory board member, and Haspel has known Halperin for a number of years.<\/p>\n<p>A string of increasingly expensive auctioned games have been sold by Heritage Auctions over the years. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/sealed-copy-of-super-mario-bros-sells-for-usd114k-becomes-most-expensive-video-game-ever\">sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. rated 9.4 by WATA sold for $114k<\/a> in 2020, then in 2022 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/unopened-super-mario-bros-sells-for-usd660-000-smashing-world-record\">sealed 9.6 WATA-rated copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for an eyebrow-raising $660k<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>A rare copy of Super Mario Bros. has been sold at auction for a record-breaking $3m USD.<\/p>\n<p>Sold by Heritage Auctions last Friday, this particular version of Super Mario Bros. was rated 9.6 A++ by grading company PSA and beat a prior Super Mario Bros. auction <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/another-record-breaking-video-game-auction-sees-a-rare-copy-of-super-mario-bros-sell-for-usd2m\">record of $2m established back in 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Official Teaser Trailer\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QrY7VDEuoWQ?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/QrY7VDEuoWQ\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Super Mario Bros. Wonder &#8211; Official Teaser Trailer<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Check out a trailer for Super Mario Bros Wonder here.<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QrY7VDEuoWQ\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Why is it so expensive? Well, this copy of Super Mario Bros. is something of a &#8220;holy grail&#8221; for video game collectors, according to the Heritage Foundation&#8217;s description. It was discovered in a Control Deck NES Bundle, and had been untouched for around 40 years. The auction winner also takes home the Control Deck NES bundle it was found in &#8211; a nice little bonus for the wealthy anonymous collector.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, this copy of Super Mario Bros. is itself a special variant of the retro classic. It was manufactured as part of the game&#8217;s second production run, which means a very specific gloss sticker is present on the box.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This specific variant has never appeared in a public auction in sealed condition, underscoring just how elusive it is,&#8221; Heritage Foundation explained in its auction description. &#8220;The closest parallel is the widely publicized 2019 private sale of the WATA 9.4 A++ second-production copy, a landmark transaction that became the first six-figure video game sale and permanently shifted perceptions of what historically important games could command.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That moment didn&#8217;t create the scarcity &#8211; it revealed it, bringing mainstream attention to how few early sealed copies truly exist, and how extraordinarily seldom a certified gloss sticker second-production example surfaces at all. With just three confirmed, chances to acquire one are extremely rare.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>PSA, the rating company that assigned this copy of Super Mario Bros its 9.6 A++, took over video game ratings from subsidiary WATA last year. WATA&#8217;s founder was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/wata-co-founder-accused-of-breaking-companys-rules-on-selling-graded-stock\">accused of breaking company rules by selling graded stock in 2022<\/a>, and the company has been criticised  over the years as Wata-rated games have sold via its auction partner, Heritage Auctions, for increasingly large amounts.<\/p>\n<p>The two companies&#8217; histories are intertwined. Heritage Auctions co-founder James Halperin &#8211; who was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/forbes\/2004\/1227\/156.html?sh=315fa14b2e07\">fined $1.2m for fraud back in 2004<\/a> &#8211; was a previous WATA investor and advisory board member, and Haspel has known Halperin for a number of years.<\/p>\n<p>A string of increasingly expensive auctioned games have been sold by Heritage Auctions over the years. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/sealed-copy-of-super-mario-bros-sells-for-usd114k-becomes-most-expensive-video-game-ever\">sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. rated 9.4 by WATA sold for $114k<\/a> in 2020, then in 2022 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/unopened-super-mario-bros-sells-for-usd660-000-smashing-world-record\">sealed 9.6 WATA-rated copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for an eyebrow-raising $660k<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Super Mario Bros. A &#8220;holy grail&#8221; copy of Super Mario Bros. has sold for $3m Gold coin. Image credit: Nintendo News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on June 15, 2026 16 comments Follow Super Mario Bros. A rare copy of Super Mario Bros. has been sold at auction for a record-breaking $3m [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1991069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1991069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991069\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1991069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1991069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1991069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}