Most Expensive Video Games Sold at Auction (All Time)

About This Dataset

Sealed or graded vintage video games ranked by sale price at auction in thousands of USD. A sealed copy of The Legend of Zelda for NES sold for $870,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2021, making it the most expensive video game ever sold at the time — a record that reflected both the extraordinary condition of a Wata 9.8-graded sealed copy and an explosive surge in collector interest in vintage Nintendo titles driven by nostalgia and pandemic-era spending.

✨ AI Insight

The data reveals a striking disparity between the top-tier vintage video games and the rest. 'Super Mario 64' stands out as the highest auction price at $1,560,000, significantly overshadowing 'The Legend of Zelda' at $870,000. This gap suggests a unique collector interest in 3D platformers, possibly due to nostalgia and their cultural impact. The surge in auction prices during 2021 can be attributed to increased collector activity fueled by pandemic-related spending habits, as evidenced by the high prices of other titles like 'Super Mario Bros' and 'Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!'. The overall trend indicates a growing market for vintage video games, driven by both nostalgia and investment potential.

Source: Wikipedia

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

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Super Mario 64 N64 (1996, sealed) leads with 1,560 in 2021.

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Average value in 2021: 573 · median: 312.

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2021 recorded the highest combined total across all categories.

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Gap in 2021: Super Mario 64 N64 (1996, sealed) is 10.4× larger than Contra NES (1988, sealed).

Most Expensive Video Games Sold at Auction (All Time)

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Data Insights Below

Data Insights

Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart

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Data Points

8 categories · 2 years

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Top Value

1,560

Super Mario 64 N64 (1996, sealed)

Auction Price (Thousand USD) · 2021

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Metrics

Auction Price (Thousand USD)

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Period

2020 – 2021

2 years of data

Rankings & Full Data

8 records · Auction Price (Thousand USD) · ranked by 2021

✓ 8 sourced

#	Category	2020	2021	Change
🥇	Super Mario 64 N64 (1996, sealed)	—	1,560	—
🥈	The Legend of Zelda NES (1987, sealed)	—	870	—
🥉	Super Mario Bros NES (1986, sealed)	—	660	—
4	Mike Tyson Punch-Out NES (1987, sealed)	—	312	—
5	Stadium Events NES (1987, sealed)	—	270	—
6	Mega Man NES (1987, sealed)	—	192	—
7	Contra NES (1988, sealed)	—	150	—
8	Donkey Kong Arcade (1981, cabinet)	90	—	—