The Foundation of Modern Gaming

While loose copies of Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt are incredibly common, the standalone retail release of Super Mario Bros. in its original "Black Box" format is an entirely different beast for high-end collectors.

Current Collector Market Data (2024-2026 Estimates)

  • Loose Cartridge (5-screw): $20 - $50 USD
  • Complete in Box (Late Print): $300 - $800 USD
  • Sealed Matte Sticker (1st Print): $100,000 - $2,000,000+ USD (Subject to auction dynamics)

The Matte Sticker Phenomenon

The highest echelons of game collecting are defined by minute details. When Nintendo first test-launched the NES in New York and LA in 1985, they did not use shrink wrap for their games. Instead, they sealed the black cardboard boxes with a small, circular matte foil sticker.

Only a handful of these matte sticker sealed copies are known to exist today. A high-grade copy (Wata 9.8 A+) sold for $2 million in 2021, shifting the paradigm of video game collecting into the realm of fine art and rare coin markets.

Official Mario History