Video Games

Jeff Maza

Head of Video Games, Metropolis Collectibles, New York

Early Console Launches

The first games ever released on a given console— think Super Mario for the NES or Halo for Xbox—are pure nostalgia gold. Most are worth virtually nothing, but rare unopened copies, especially limited editions, can fetch over $100,000.

Rare Games

Games produced at the end of a system’s lifespan tend to flop commercially but become must-haves for hardcore collectors. Little Samson—an almost unknown 1992 NES release— recently sold for $18,000.

Hastily Released Atari Games

Atari pioneered video games but went on to flood the zone with rushed-to-market products that are aging like milk. Spider-Man for the Atari 2600 (from 1982) was $9,000 in May and just $1,560 in October.