First VGA-graded games up for auction

by Scott Jon Siegel on Apr 10th 2008 2:57PM

What's VGA, you ask? No, it's not Spike's Video Game Awards. It's the Video Game Authority, a group that issues grades based on the condition of old video games, in a manner similar to action figures and trading cards. After paying a fee, gamers send in their beloved collectibles, which are graded and sealed in tamper-evident acrylic cases, marked with the official hologram of the organization. The first of these VGA-graded items are currently up for auction on eBay.

Currently available are near-mint copies of Super Mario Bros. 3, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear and others, all in the 75-85 grade range. Final Fantasy is notably already up over $200, and Super Mario Bros. 3 isn't far behind. If nothing else, those NES games look damn sexy in those plastic cases.

Read - First VGA Graded Games Hit eBay [GameSniped]
Read - BigHedToyz [eBay]

Tags: collection, ebay, final-fantasy, mario, metal-gear, nes, vga, video-game-authority

Reader Comments (50)

I'll bet Zeldo will get a high bid with that gold box.

I want metal gear. I would pay for that game.

Are collectors paying a premium for the box? or what? There are 3 copies of SMB3 for like 10 dollars each at my local mom and pop game store. Same game, same experience, but a vastly different price range.

If I could get 200 bucks for my copy of SMB3, or Zelda (the original), or Mario etc....hell yes I'd do it, but I don't think that is very likely to happen without the box (I do have the manuals though, woot, lol).

This is just nuts, though I did have a few baseball cards graded back in the day. Ph33r my mint rookie cards.

Why do collectors collect anything ?

I agree, this is ridiculous pricing. I mean game stores all over have been dying to offload these old carts. I can go down to GameCrazy right now and buy these for a fraction of that. Often they throw them all into a bin for a buck each or something, though usually the better titles go for a couple bucks. Sadly I tossed some of my originals, the save game batteries die after a few years and it was just cheaper to buy a new cart. Still have quite a few though with the original manuals and boxes, including the Power Glove. The Wizard made that thing seem so cool...

Good lord that's a waste.

Why? Some people like to collect things like this.

I can understand Action Figures and Comics, but Games? The content of a game isn't it's box art or even the cartridge, it's the game itself. They are meant to be played, plain and simple.

But how is that really any different than comics and action figures? Serious collecters don't play with their action figures or read their comics. It's the same thing. Personally, I don't collect things like this, but I really don't think it's a waste. Things like this (games, comics, etc...) were a mere hobby to begin with.. you're not really "wasting" some kind of precious resource.

So you're telling the all the creativity, technology, innovation, and man-hours spent by groups of dedicated developers on the game (not the packaging) is worthless to someone who collects games like this?

Sounds like a waste to me.

I think this is more like paying for reviving the past, kind like having a piece of history. I mean is different to have an original Egyptian piece than a replica.

He is right games are meant to be played but the originals are cool nonetheless especially if you never had the chance to play the originals. I don't know if I would pay for SMB3 since I have it on a GBA cartridge or FF since I'm not fan of the series but if I was crazy enough to trust ebay and to drop 200$ on a game I would buy Metal Gear.

I can't tell you how many times I lusted after the NES Metal Gear ad in the back of magazines before it came out. The one that listed all the weapons.

I have a scan of that advertisement at pretty good resolution if you want it.

I do! Post a link if you could or email it to oscarwinky@yahoo.com Thanks.

LOL I actually was going through piles of old magazines the other day and found that in a Toys r' Us ad.

ooh! email it to jodyanthony at gmail dot com too, please, if you have the time.

Anyone ever notice how much the cover version of Solid Snake looks like Michael Biehn from the first Terminator movie?

http://static.flickr.com/50/133374501_9f2e9ee958.jpg

Yes. Everyone has. It was intentional.

That comparison shot it cool. Did they get sued?

I'll be damned. Never knew that. Thought it was a coincidence.

Snap! That's awesome!

Not that I would spend that much on a game but thats a really good idea to protect collectors from getting fucked over. Definitely makes them more drool worthy.

It was copied almost directly. In fact, a couple sites have comparison shots of the two.

I loved that Metal Gear!

Same here! Never owned it, but I rented the hell out of it back in the day. I'd buy it in a heartbeat if it was on the Wii Virtual Console.

I think sealing them and officially grading them is a bit too much. I've got a bunch of old games that I look at from time to time and think "man even to this day these are still awesome". But looking at them only last for so long, it's much more fun to PLAY them.

R.I.P. Omar Little

argh spoiler... that's what I get for being so far behind... (not that it's suprising)

Yo it's boring being dead

SPOILAR! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

*cries*

son of a bitch. i hadn't seen it yet.

Games are meant to be enjoyed not cased up for viewing. I completely disagree with the grading process. Comics and Games are meant for use, grading is driving up prices and robbing normal people with less cash flow of ever being able to afford these things. I find it ridiculous and useless.

i hope everybody thinks like that, eventually i'll get top dollar for my sealed cd-rom talkie version of loom.

I prefer to play the games I buy.

I was going to agree with what a waste it is, but then I thought people hold on to tiny photos of roided out dudes swinging a stick at a ball so why not games too.

Plus, I remember going from store to store looking for Super Mario Bros 3 when it came out and finally seeing it in the 5th store I went to. Oh I was a happy boy that day...

Still waiting for a mint copy of Balloon Fight.

With stuff like baseball cards, this makes sense. You can still get just as much out of it as if it were loose.

With comics and games, it's a total waste and is only for the most gullible collector. Comics are meant to be read. Games are meant to be played.

...you'll probably still have to blow on that near-mint cartridge to get it to work on your old NES console though...

People are dumb. Let them waste their money. I'll be playing my copy of SMB3 when my RetroDuo arrives.

I'd never buy them, I'd never use them, so why do I still want them?

Yeah, I miss how games used to have ART on the cover.

Two things related to this...

First, there was a novel I read where the protagonist fell in with a group of "off the net" scam artists, and he convinces them to steal a bunch of comic book sealed proofs and to sell those with unauthentic comics inside. Anyone read this that can recall the name or author?

Second, has anyone seen a Dragon Warrior IV yet? That game is $60 even without the box or instructions, and I sure feel like an idiot for losing my copy.

What a waste! You're pretty much just paying for a cardboard box. If you're just going to keep it sealed, unopened, what's the difference if there's even a game in it/instructions or not?

On the flipside, I have a bunch of SNES games that I kept in mint condition, plastics and everything. I wonder how much I can get from them...

In a world, where nerds have stopped buying comics and collecting Pokemon cards... geeks turn their attention to their next adventure, here comes "OLD GAMES IN THEIR SHRINK WRAP!"...

and everyone says people should take Video Games seriously... ...

I can describe this with a few words.

Scam. Ripoff. Waste. Useless.

Whoever falls for these guys' grading system deserves to lose their money.

Grading GAMES now? wtf? This angers me.

This is why I stopped collecting baseball cards and comics. Everything became worthless unless you paid some official grader to grade your stuff.

EBAYERS UNITE AGANST THIS. I collect games and put them away - I buy something that looks perfect - but who are these guys tring to fool. They are creating a artificial price increse - as you have to pay them to grade your game - (they are the only authority, theres no second opinion) if you don't like the grade too bad.. and then it fucks over the people like me who put 100's of games away for years in a padded box hoping to double their value one day.

This needs to be stopped...

your gonna ruin selling video games, collecting video games - ect.... The point of ebay is - you take a bunch of pictures - and let the bidders decide HOW MINT your game is - and the final price reflect that.

UGH THIS MAKES ME SICK

I thought VGA-graded games were games that could handle the higher resolution of the VGA monitors that were used back then.

Did it ever occur to any of you that people LIKE to protect pieces of their past? The reason why you put cards/comics/games in sleeves or whatever kind of case is to keep them almost timeless. A box is very likely to get damaged from dust, moisture, dents, bends or rips or whatever else you can think of to do to cardboard. Hell, what if the house burns down or there's a leak in the roof? Good thing you protected your collector's item with a plastic case right? Okay, so maybe it wouldn't be fireproof... But if you're a real collector you would run out of the house carrying it XD

Collections take a lot of patience for the value to go up. You might not think that something is worth much now, but ten years from now someone is going to pay a lot of money because you were one of the few to keep something sealed/mint. You need to dedicate living space for the item(s). So not everyone can be a collector. It's even harder when you're moving.

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First VGA-graded games up for auction

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