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LOT #28025 |
Current Bid: $637,500
Super Mario Bros. - PSA 9.6 A++ Sealed [Gloss Sticker, Second Production], with Control Deck, NES Nintendo 1985 USA.....
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Description
The Holy Grail of Video Game Collecting - The Finest Known Copy
Super Mario Bros. - PSA 9.6 A++ Sealed [Gloss Sticker, Second
Production], with Control Deck, NES Nintendo 1985 USA.
Representing the absolute pinnacle of video game collecting, this
newly discovered copy of Super Mario Bros., presented in a
breathtaking PSA 9.6 A++ grade, doubles as the most significant
video game ever offered at auction. It bears the coveted gloss
sticker seal affixed to the top lid, identifying it as a
second-production example.The gloss sticker format was adopted in early 1986 after the short-lived matte sticker (exclusively featured on launch copies from Nintendo's October 1985 test market). With no known first-production examples in sealed condition, this is the earliest confirmed sealed copy of the groundbreaking game. Even within that razor-thin tier, it rises to the top: only three sealed gloss sticker second-production copies are known worldwide, and this is the highest-graded of the trio, with the others being Wata 9.4 A++ and VGA 80. Manufactured before Nintendo began shrink-wrapping their games in plastic, these sticker-sealed games are notoriously difficult to acquire in high grade 40 years on, due to their exposed cardboard surfaces and black covers.
This specific variant has never appeared in a public auction in sealed condition, underscoring just how elusive it is. 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. That moment didn't create the scarcity-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.
As the game that reignited the North American home video game industry and popularized Nintendo's enduring mascot to the point of being more well-known than Mickey Mouse, Super Mario Bros. is a defining artifact of the modern entertainment era. In the collecting landscape, its stature parallels Action Comics #1 for comic books, the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card for sports, or the Pikachu Illustrator for trading card games: an essential, foundational piece that sits at the center of its hobby. This lot is not merely a spectacular sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. but also the finest known example from the earliest sealed production confirmed to exist. In many ways, it represents the closest a collector can come to owning the very moment Super Mario Bros. transformed console video games from a struggling novelty into a permanent part of cultural history.
Also included is a launch edition NES Control Deck console from the Los Angeles test market era, complete in box and unused. It retains all the original inner packaging, and the console and components are in gorgeous condition, having never been removed from the plastic. This is the very example with which this copy of Super Mario Bros. was originally bundled. The game itself remained untouched inside this console box for four decades, helping preserve the exceptional condition of both pieces.
View the certification for PSA Certification ID 613134-001, including grader's notes if available.
*All information listed is intended to be as accurate as possible, but errors are possible. No item may be returned or refused based on this information, which is provided as a service to our clients. Feel free to contact each data source directly to determine the accuracy of this information.
Auction Info
2026 June 12 - 13 Video Games Signature® Auction #7453 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
June
12th
Friday
3:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
June
12th-13th
Friday-Saturday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
5 Days
20h 22m 21s
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 58
Lot Tracking Activity: 287
Page Views: 7,202
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% of the successful bid (minimum $49) per lot.
This lot is in: 1 -
Signature® Floor Session - Floor (Live Floor, Live Phone, Mail, Fax, Internet, and Heritage Live):
(Lots 28001-28068) - 4:00 PM Central Time, Friday, June 12, 2026.
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
Exhibition Viewing Times, Title Page, Floor Session and License Information
Additional Location Info:
Heritage Auctions - Dallas
2801 W. Airport Freeway
Dallas, TX 75261
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