Over the last couple of years we’ve seen various video game-related auctions take place. These have included everything from the rare Nintendo PlayStation collaboration console to a $100,000 sale of Super Mario Bros. Similarly, a $140,000 private sale recently took place for a sealed edition of the same title, which is astronomically higher than what a similar version in used condition fetches on Amazon. Instead of selling to one individual person, an investment company called Rally will split ownership between 3,000 buyable shares, making it fairly affordable to get in on the ground floor. Continue reading to learn more.
Super Mario Bros. ownership to be divvied up
Having treated collectibles like a symbol on the stock market since 2016, this is far from Rally’s first endeavor. Since its inception, the company has made ownership of rare items more accessible to average people. While unlikely that shareholders will get to touch or see these items for themselves, it’s a novel and fun idea nonetheless.
This specific Super Mario Bros. cartridge is a sealed, 1987 version with a condition rating of 9.8 A+. Rally touts that this version was sourced from a seller that “had it stored for many years in a safe deposit box.” Wata Games is who verified its current condition and has found it to be one of just 14 factory-sealed copies of this title.
“This is the 1-of-1 highest graded copy of Super Mario Bros. in existence, considered by many collectors to be the ‘Holy Grail’ of the hobby. It’s the Action Comics #1 of video games,” said Deniz Kahn, Wata Games President.
Pricing
With an initial valuation of $150,000, investors can buy a stake in this game for as little as $50. This is made possible by having a total of 3,000 shares, but who knows how many people will spend much more than $50 to double-down on their investment while also limiting overall ownership. The Rally app is available for both iOS and Android.
9to5Toys’ Take
On its face, buying stake in this game may seem like a great idea, but like any investment, it doesn’t come without some amount of risk. Items like this may achieve a great valuation to have no buyer in sight. In the event that one turns up, there’s no guarantee they will be willing to pay full price. For this reason, it’s great to see that shareholders can always sell their stake on the Rally marketplace at whatever price demand dictates in that moment.
For those of you who would actually like to play the game instead of invest in it, Amazon has Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt cartridges readily available for $24.
Source: Ars Technica
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