Mama Mia! Super Mario Bros. 3 Certified by CGC Video Games Sells for Six Figures

The sealed Super Mario Bros. 3 graded CGC 9.4 A+ is now the second-highest-selling CGC-certified video game on the Heritage Auctions platform.

Posted on: 11/9/2023

Wahoo! A sealed Super Mario Bros. 3 graded by CGC Video Games™ double-jumped to the top of a recent Heritage Auctions sale, where it realized six figures. The popular Mario title was just one of dozens of CGC-certified video games in Heritage Auctions' Video Games Signature Auction, which ended on November 4, 2023.

The sealed Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1990) graded CGC 9.4 A+ (lot 28031) realized $108,000, becoming the second-highest-selling CGC-certified video game on the platform. The highest-selling CGC-certified video game sold through Heritage Auctions is a sealed The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1987) graded CGC 9.4 A+, and pedigreed as the First Game Graded by CGC Video Games, which sold for $120,000 in a Heritage Auctions sale in January 2023.

Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of the most coveted games in the series, loved for its revolutionary mechanics at the time of its release, many of which are still prevalent in the series to this day. The CGC-certified copy is a Left Bros. variant, where the “BROS.” text appears to the left of Mario, partially over his glove. This box art indicates that this particular Super Mario Bros. 3 is an earlier production of the game.

In addition, a sealed The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1987) graded CGC 9.4 A+ (lot 28013) realized $48,000. This special copy of The Legend of Zelda is a rarity in itself — a special sticker on the back of the game’s box indicates that it is an Employee Store Copy of the game. Employee store copies of games were given to video game stores as promotions to encourage customers to buy the game. They were to be inserted into store consoles so visitors could play a demo, and when the promotional period for a game ended, employees were supposed to return the game to Nintendo. However, instead of being returned, this copy made its way into someone’s personal collection and was eventually submitted to CGC Video Games.

Other CGC-certified highlights in the auction included:

  • a sealed Mario Kart 64 for the Nintendo 64 (1997) graded CGC 9.8 A++ (lot 28084) that realized $36,000
  • a Stadium Events cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1987) graded CGC 8.0 (lot 28026) that realized $19,800
  • a Nintendo Power #1, Nintendo of America, Inc. (1988) graded CGC 9.4 (lot 28038) that realized $16,800
  • a sealed The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1989) graded CGC 9.6 A+ (lot 28014) that realized $14,400
  • a sealed The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1989) graded CGC 9.4 A+ (lot 28015) that realized $9,600
  • a sealed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Collector’s Edition for the Nintendo 64 (1998) graded CGC 9.6 A++, with all pre-order bonuses (lot 28080) that realized $9,000
  • a sealed The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1992) graded CGC 9.6 A+ (lot 28043) that realized $8,400

All prices realized include a buyer’s premium.