![Nintendo Power](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.timeextension.com/5901dddfad26d/nintendo-power.900x.jpg)
If you grew up in the United States playing Nintendo games, you're probably familiar with Nintendo Power. This was Nintendo of America's own video game publication, which featured news, tips, and tricks for the latest Nintendo titles for a low monthly cost of $3.50.
Well, recently, a copy of its first issue (with a score of 9.8) went under the hammer, as part of a Heritage Auctions' live event, with the magazine fetching a staggering $108,000 from an unknown bidder. That's quite the markup!
Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), the entity responsible for grading the magazine, celebrated the news on its website earlier this month. In the post, it claims this is the highest amount ever received for any issue of Nintendo Power at auction, with the previous record held by another CGC-certified Nintendo Power #1, which sold in November 2022 for $24,000 and had a lower grade of 9.4.
Grading of video game memorabilia has obviously become a bit of hot button topic over the last few years, with allegations of artificially inflated prices and other less-than-stellar business practices. We can imagine this latest bit of news won't necessarily warrant a universally positive reception from collectors, with many still concerned about how these high-profile auctions may impact the cost of the hobby for your average video game fan.
If you're interested, you can watch the full auction below. The final bid was $90,000, with 20% of that amount added as part of the buyer's premium:
[source cgcvideogames.com]
Comments 10
Wish I took care of all my gaming mags. Not so I could get them graded, just so I could still have them around and read 'em every now and again.
"That's a lot of money to spend for a free poster!", and you have to open up that box, blowing 99.99% of the value out the window too, that better be one heck of a good poster!
Seriously though, aren't those supposed values getting ridiculously out of hand lately?
Unknown bidder? I'm sure that wasn't an inside job at all.
These graded games ruin the hobby. Sellers of loose cartridges now see them, and the alleged value, and suddenly something which cost a fiver a couple years back now sits with a triple figure starting price and zero bids on eBay.
What a joke. I'm glad I don't collet NP because now every copy is gonna jump in price. I do collect Diehard Gamefan (stateside mag) and I can't find good past issues for less than 30 - 50 bucks sometimes. That's stupid. Once in a while I find a good issue for less than 20 and I usually pounce.
But this example is borderline abhorrent. Grading games (and magazines?!) is really not my bag, baby. But that's because I'm a poor middle-class and middle-age collector. Perhaps I'd feel different if I had tons of disposable income??
You can read most of the Nintendo Power magazines, including this issue, online at the internet Archive. Many other magz too.
https://archive.org/details/NintendoPower1988-2004
There just saved y'all $108,000
Heritage Auctions again. 😩 I read a fascinating forum thread detailing all the reasons an original Star Trek phaser prop they were selling was a fake (by the end it was blatantly obvious the prop was fake).
Despite bringing it to HA’s attention they sold it anyway to an undisclosed buyer. The speculation is that they sell things to themselves so they can establish a seemingly legitimate market price so they can make the same or more when they sell it for real. Apparently HA’s owner started doing it with collectible coins in the ‘80s and moves on to a new collectible market every so often.
Wata ridiculous price for a magazine
That's too much money to get the power, Nintendo Power! I'd rather not have that power if I have to pay that much.
“Someone just bought” is a huge leap of logic to make considering these guys fake auctions all the time. Playing along with these obvious farces showing 1000x increase in value out of nowhere is giving these jerks the power to manipulate the market.
We have to report on these things for what they are - rich people trying to destroy our hobby for their own monetary gain. If we play along and report on these things as if there’s any chance they’re real the prices will shoot through the roof everywhere.
@chefgon What evidence do you have that the auction is fake? I agree that the sell price is ridiculously high, but the market for early Nintendo games and memorabilia is genuinely skyrocketing. Fraudulent auctions do happen sometimes, but I see no reason to think that it did in this case.
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