Collection perfectly preserved for 23 years causes a stir by revealing its potential value at auction
When Mark Odorisio decided to close his Nebraska video game store in 1998, he faced a decision regarding the leftover inventory. With hundreds of games that never made it to the shelves, he had two options – organize a sale or store them for the future.
Mark chose to invest in the future by packing over 300 sealed games into boxes and moving them to a warehouse in Omaha, where they remained undisturbed for 23 years. In 2021, his brother Tim stumbled upon the collection and decided to inquire about their potential value.
What they discovered was that about 170 of the video games were not only rare but also in excellent condition. This revelation led them to seek out an Omaha video game store, where the employees were surprised at the value of the collection.
Subsequently, the Odoricio family had the games appraised and found that their value far exceeded what they had anticipated. Mark now expects to sell the games for nearly a million dollars, a remarkable figure considering he initially expected them to be worth nothing in his lifetime.
The collection includes iconic games from the ’90s such as Chrono Trigger, Mortal Kombat, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, all in near-perfect condition. Mark’s decision to preserve these games for over two decades has proven to be a potentially lucrative investment.
Currently, the family is working with a video game store to sell the collection, which has generated significant interest. Gameroom owner Chris Thompson has been approached by numerous potential buyers, some of whom have expressed a strong desire to purchase the entire collection at once.
The most valuable game in the collection is Chrono Trigger, of which only 26 copies have been graded by a video game grading company called Wata. This rarity drives up the game’s potential value, with estimates ranging from tens of thousands to over $50,000 for a single copy.
The Odoricio brothers have yet to decide whether they will sell the collection immediately, wait for its value to increase further, or keep some of the games as prized possessions. With the potential for the games to appreciate over time, they have the difficult choice of deciding the best course of action for their newfound treasure.
Regardless of their decision, the collection’s discovery has sparked interest and offers from potential buyers, affirming the enduring value of classic video games and the potential financial rewards of preserving and protecting them.