Record-breaking Auction: Super Mario Bros. Fetches $3 Million

WHO:

Eurogamer - Heritage Auctions sold the copy of Super Mario Bros.

IGN - Evan Masingill is the consignment director for video games at Heritage Auctions.

WHAT:

Eurogamer - This copy of Super Mario Bros. is the oldest known sealed copy from the game's second production run, featuring a special glossy sticker and a cardboard hang tab that was discontinued in 1987.

IGN - The $3 million sale is nearly double the price of a sealed copy of Super Mario 64 sold in the same year.

Polygon.com - The new record sale surpasses a previous Super Mario Bros. cartridge sold for $660,000 earlier in the same year.

Hackaday - This specific variant of Super Mario Bros. was distributed to test markets in the United States ahead of the game’s official 1985 release.

Eurogamer - A rare copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for $3 million at auction.

Eurogamer - The previous auction record for Super Mario Bros. was $2 million, set in 2021.

IGN - The sold copy is rated 9.6 A++ by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).

IGN - This copy is described as the "holy grail of video game collecting."

IGN - The auction winner also received a Control Deck NES console bundle.

WHERE:

Eurogamer - The auction was conducted by Heritage Auctions.

WHEN:

Eurogamer - The auction took place last Friday.

Eurogamer - The copy of Super Mario Bros. was manufactured as part of the second production run in early 1986.

WHY:

Eurogamer - Heritage Auctions noted that the scarcity of this specific variant was revealed by the previous high-profile sale of a WATA 9.4 A++ second-production copy in 2019, which became the first six-figure video game sale.

Eurogamer - The copy is considered extremely rare due to its pristine condition and the fact that it has not been touched for nearly 40 years.

IGN - The sale reflects the significant value of historically important video games.

HOW:

Eurogamer - The copy was discovered in a Control Deck NES Bundle.

Eurogamer - PSA took over video game ratings from WATA last year.

(UPDATED June 15, 2026 18:31 UTC)

A sealed copy of Super Mario Bros., the oldest known from the game's second production run, has just sold for a staggering $3 million, nearly doubling the price of a sealed Super Mario 64 sold earlier this year. This particular variant, featuring a glossy sticker and a cardboard hang tab that was discontinued in 1987, was originally distributed to test markets in the U.S. prior to the game's official release in 1985. The sale sets a new record, surpassing the previous high of $660,000 for another Super Mario Bros. cartridge sold earlier this year, highlighting the rarity of this specific version.

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(UPDATED June 15, 2026 15:08 UTC)

A rare copy of Super Mario Bros. has sold for an astonishing $3 million at a Heritage Auctions event, breaking the previous record of $2 million set in 2021. Rated 9.6 A++ by the Professional Sports Authenticator, this particular copy is hailed as the "holy grail of video game collecting" and was found in a Control Deck NES bundle, untouched for nearly 40 years. The auction winner also received a Control Deck NES console bundle, highlighting the growing significance and value of historically important video games.