In the summer of 2021, a sealed copy of the video game The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Nes console was auctioned for $ 870mila, absolute record for a video game. Just two days away, an unopened and pristine copy of Super Mario 64, put up for sale by the auction house Heritage Auctions, was sold at the astonishing figure of 1.56 million dollars, breaking the previous record.
In Italy in the last two years the sales of collectibles, consoles and used video games have recorded on eBay double-digit growth, + 49% the increase in sales of collectibles compared to the previous two years and + 13% compared to last year. 44% of the most active buyers, broken down by geographical area, are at North, with Lombardy at 16% as leader; follows the Center, with 34%, driven by Lazio, a region that alone totals 11%; closes on South with 22%, with 11% of Campania and 8% of Sicily.
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In the face of Ps5 and Xbox
If the Italians look with interest the unobtainable new generation consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox X and S, these are not what stir the dreams of collectors. The top 3 most expensive consoles sold through eBay in our country are: Xbox 360 The Simpsons in Limited Edition a 8mila euro, Nintendo Game Boy Pocket Kiosk Shop Display Unit Screen (7600 euro) e Playstation 4 1TB pro Black + Voucher Fortnite Neo Versa Neo Phrenzy (7050 euro).
The ranking of first 3 video games rare, sold at the highest price, always sees the highly sought after Super Mario 64 Ntsc per la console Nintendo 64 – First Print Red Label a 7mila euro, Pokemon Red Version for Gameboy Usa in first print version, sold for 6 thousand euros and more Super Mario 64, always a first Red Label print at 5500 euros.
If consoles and video games are rare now collectibles bought and sold at very high prices, especially if the first editions are in perfect or almost perfect condition, the collectible cards have become a real fetish.
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The return of the cards
Over the past couple of years, collectible playing cards have marked a dizzying rise growth on eBay of + 120% compared to the previous two years and + 70% compared to last year. Among the most expensive we find the set Booster Mtg Old School Nt, sold for 10 thousand euros, Espeon Play Promo Sealed Japanese – Gold Star, a 9050 euro ed Mtg Black Lotus Unlimited – Original 1993, a 8750 euro.
The Black Lotus is a single, very rare card that appeared in 1993 in the first 3 editions of the game Magic: Alpha, released in August, Beta, released in October, and Unlimited, released in December. On eBay, requests for a Black Lotus Alpha vary, depending on conditions, from 120 thousand to 200 thousand euros.
Another interesting trend that has emerged in recent years is the search for promotional items and press kits, special editions of video games generally sent by manufacturers to journalists and professionals.
Requests for a promo of the former The Last of Us, a video game developed by Naughty Dog and published on Ps3 by Sony Interactive Entertainment, can reach 1000 euros, while a simple enameled metal mug that promoted the Rockstar video game Red Dead Redemption 2 it was sold in the UK for over € 290.
Given the trend, one wonders if we won’t soon see the glitter on eBay as well White crystal Master Chief helmet with gold colored visor, an object that is part of a very limited series (just 20 pieces) produced by Swarovski for a charity campaign in favor of Gamers Outreach. Because even in video games: the rarer it is, the more collectible it is. It is therefore expensive.
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