Video games are now firmly in the collectible category and rising in value as a big, flagship sale in Dallas will confirm next week.
Heritage Auctions’ Video Games Signature auction has just 27 items, but already the top lots have attracted pre-sale bids into the tens of thousands.
Currently topping the price charts is a Pokemon Crystal game from 2001. It’s a Nintendo Game Boy Color cartridge with a WATA score (a video game grading system) of 9.8. It’s sealed in its packaging, which features a misprint on the box that adds to its rarity.
Heritage say: “Crystal introduced a host of new features, including animated Pokémon battle sprites, a female playable character for the first time in the series, and the Battle Tower. Additional story elements and various gameplay refinements further enriched the experience. Critics lauded these enhancements, noting their lasting influence on future Pokémon titles.”
Condition and packaging are vital to making a game attractive to collectors. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
With around a week to go to the sale on February 21 to 22 the game has already attracted a bid of $19,000 (that would cost a buyer $23,750 with fees).
Expected to do even better is the sale’s top item a prototype Nintendo Ultra 65 controller.
It comes to the sale from Zac Gieg, the founder or the Just Press Play game shop chain. He said: “Only two or three are known to exist. People my age know what that controller is as soon as they look at it.”
A first generation PlayStation is also possibly unique. Heritage say it is: “Certified by VGA and the only one of this variant on the company’s January census, this console is in exceptional condition, unused and complete in its original packaging.”
The right games and consoles can be worth hundreds of thousands.
Heritage’s own sales include a $1.56 million copy of Super Mario 64, a copy of The Legend of Zelda that realised $870,000 in 2021, and a Super Mario Bros NES game that made $720,000 in November 2022.
“This auction highlights the enduring legacy of video games and the passion of those who collect them,” said Valarie Spiegel, Heritage’s Managing Director of Video Games.
