ExplodedHamster

Looking more, it looks like the artwork was actually cut, so I lean fake over re-seal. It looks like the fakes that dude in Georgia was selling a couple years ago on Ebay.

I'm late to the party here, but I believe this is a re-seal or fake. Most Sonic 3 I have seen are overlaps seals on the back and there appears to be some fraying along the edges of the artwork. How's the cut? Is it straight along the edges, or are there any points where it looks like someone actually cut the artwork?

3 minutes ago, OptOut said:

There's ZERO honour amongst thieves, brother.

They got a bigger check, that's all WATA have EVER cared about...

Well, it's definitely been a crazy ass month in collectibles. So much has happened it's hard to keep up tbh lol

34 minutes ago, OptOut said:

Oh yeah...

Also, this is EVEN WORSE...

According to that article PSA ALSO BOUGHT GOLDIN AUCTIONS!!!

So, we thought the collusion between HA and WATA was bad? WE AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET!!!

 

Well, doesn't the fact that WATA sold to Heritage's competition kind of make clear there was no large undue influence by Heritage over WATA? At least in terms of major company decision-making?

I will say it is going to be an issue that one company legitimately owns and controls a number of major grading companies as well as a major auction house. That is going to be a very difficult needle to thread from a PR perspective.

1 hour ago, GPX said:

Congrats on the sales! And thanks for sharing these details. This puts things in better perspective.

Though I still have an issue ie. what is causing the current hype go 10 times more within a few months from your alledged offers? I don't think there is anyone of us here can argue that video games aren't the biggest thing in collectibles right now. It's just the jump in values at rapid rates does not feel organic at all. The values are just pumped up at a pattern that is too hard to accept if you're a regular collector/investor/speculator for the past 10 years. Not to mention values of a million dollars is usually reserved for genuine rare items that have been known to be rare for a significant amount of time. A sealed Mario 64 9.8A++ is definitely a nice item, but I don't think it's rarity has been a significant talking point in any of the recent years gone by. No reason whatsoever to think there won't be much more still to be found. Time has not proven yet either way.

 

Well, a few things:

1. If three big time collectors are offering 150k plus privately, it probably woulda hit at least 250k at open auction just between those three alone at that point in time. That’s just how it goes lol. And I had like 400 followers on IG at the time, not like the general public knew much about it, so who really knows where it could have gone then, though no way it woulda hit 1.5 mil in February. 

2. There was the massive SMB sale for the 700k or so three months ago that attracted a lot of attention and very likely brought in a lot of new money and “legitimacy” to some of the whales in the medium.

3. This auction was the most stacked ever and also the first ever Video Game only auction Heritage has run. There was a lot of momentum going into it. 

I’m not saying any of this means I expected to get anywhere near this, but I did truly believe it had potential to break a million. After the Zelda sale Friday, I def thought it had a real shot. But I also would not have been surprised had both finished under half a million. When you get to this level, it usually just comes down to how badly 2-3 people want something, and you really just never know. I think there is a very real chance none of those 2-3 people who bid owned a single graded video game back in February. The rapid snowball effect in collectibles is very real, and that Mario sale in April is probably what caused the dam to break this auction.

1 minute ago, broncofantd793 said:

I can't help myself, but I know there are so many people grinding their teeth that a Nintendo 64 game is now the highest sale of all time. My beloved N64.

THE NINTENDO 64 HAS ASSUMED IS RIGHTFUL PLACE ATOP THE VIDEO GAME PYRAMID!!! 

Just wait for Ocarina of Time! 

4 minutes ago, Shmup said:

Congrats on the sale. This thread isn't as exciting now without the conspiracy theories

There are still some being floated around, for example that Mario 64 isn’t the greatest game ever. 

That’s the true grocery checkout magazine shelf crazy talk right there

16 minutes ago, Frost271 said:

This is 100% accurate. I have a similar report for Mario 3s. Now is a great time to sell out. Guarantee you, just like the Mario 3s, nothing but high grade Mario 64s for the next 2-3 years on Heritage Auctions.  Mario 64 is very much common in high grade just like Mario 3s. There is a shit ton of them in collectors’ hands.  

People are going to flip all their Mario 64 VGA titles to WATA after what just happened. 

I personally don’t believe this million dollar sale. Thats just stupid. You could put up a ‘want’ ad in these forums or on Instagram and get a gem mint copy for a fraction of that.   Anyone would have taken a crazy offer like $100k. Not anymore though. 

VGA N64 games below 90+ generally do not cross over well to WATA (many N64 games have manufacturer’s flaws near the opening flap that VGA does not dock but WATA does), so I would not assume too much. A bunch of those probably already have been crossed, as well. In the end, you MIGHT get 10-12 9.8/A++ total. That is far from common in the collectibles world, and anyone describing that as common is not putting it in proper context imo.

I’m sure you won’t believe me, but I got 3 150k plus offers in February on this game from well known collectors within probably 10-15 minutes of posting it on IG. I made it known clearly I wasn’t gonna sell it outside of auction.

Did I envision anything remotely like this at that time? Hell no. But I did get those offers and turn them down.

1 minute ago, Dumars2001 said:

Thanks bro for being so understanding. I genuinely am so happy for you and your family. You must be on cloud nine.

I also want to say thank you so much for coming on here and ending all the speculation, falsehoods, innuendos, rumors, conspiracy theories, etc.

It took a lot of guts to come out of the woodworks (and safety of you and your family with people possibly finding out about your new found riches) and take on the Lynch mob (myself included) because you certainly didn't have (I don't think I would have had the courage to go public) to and could have stayed completely anonymous and laughed all the way to the bank with your money in your hand. I am sure I speak for others also. Thank you so much. I think the hobby has/will gain(ed) back the credibility it had lost since that record breaking sale. 

I don’t keep much of anything nice in my house and am pretty well known in the sealed community anyway, so not much hiding I could do if I wanted to. I honestly don’t even think I can personally do much to change that many minds, it will take the buyer coming forth or other buyers in the future. 

9 minutes ago, Dumars2001 said:

Well then, first and foremost a big congratulations to you and your family on this unreal transaction. I do remember you being a member on NA and being a stand up guy.

I guess, I look pretty darn silly now with my conspiracy theories and have to eat crow. My sincere apologies to you and I will be the first one to say sorry to HA and WATA, if this is indeed true.  Coming from you, I do believe it.

On a side note, I just have to say wow! I am completely stunned that these sales are legit sales. I feel like a fool for being so wishy washy (back and forth with my thinking), so my sincere apologies to everybody for that. I really was just baffled by the sale.

Please do not apologize, what is happening right now in collectibles is objectively insane lol. Trust me, I pinch myself and I don’t understand the extent of my good fortune either. 

I will say, given how crazy collectibles have gotten, I am glad to see video games putting up a fight. They are probably more culturally significant than almost all of the others.

(I also understand collectors not liking the attention for games, but I fall on the side I appreciate it from a collector’s standpoint)

Just now, WalterWhiteJr. said:

Not accusing you of anything or making any claims. I made an observation that of course someone wouldn’t openly admit to shilling. What claims? I don’t think it is unreasonable for people to ask questions when something like this happens. It’s actually healthy. There’s nothing personal. You openly volunteered questions and I asked questions lol. 

Ah ok, I misjudged how you were making the points lol. My answers content-wise remain the same. I understand the skepticism and wish I could do more to address it, but there’s really not much I can. Like I said, I truly hope the buyer reveals himself at some point. I have no clue who it is.

1 minute ago, inasuma said:

Hi ExplodedHamster. I'm sure you're a well enough guy but you don't need to try and convince anyone of the sale's legitimacy. It actually looks more suspicious when you do that. lol

Anywho, congrats on the new mini-yacht.

I understand, but there are people accusing me of some serious shit. I should ignore it, I know, but find it difficult at times to do so.

8 minutes ago, MrWunderful said:

I would think it was too if I sold it for 1.5m . 

just disagree that its that much MORE important than the test market mario, or Zelda. 
 

Now Im curious how much the auction fees and taxes end up being.

 

Oh , no way is it more important than the test market Mario or, say, a TM Zelda. But if either of those sold at auction now, I think they’d go Mike Trout-level bonkers. 

11 minutes ago, WalterWhiteJr. said:

Some feedback to your points above in brackets. Hey, all the power to you. I don't think it is unreasonable for folks to question the sales. It is nothing personal against you. I actually appreciate you chiming in.

Nothing against me, you are just accusing me of multiple felonies lol. I got no issues with people questioning the sales, but there’s not much I can do to combat these baseless claims, so all I can do is say believe what you will. 

You realize there are massive buyer and seller fees on Heritage, right? So I’m paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to shill auctions that garner crazy media attention and make me a target? 

Well, again, I’m sorry you believe that, but it is what it is. There were also plenty of other games that went nuts that were not mine, but  again that won’t prove anything to you or anyone else. My hope is that the buyer, whoever it is, comes out and says something, but I cannot control that. 
 

I’ve been a member here a decade and member of forums other places for a long time as well and generally tried my best to treat people with respect and courtesy. The pervasive negativity and speculation has made it difficult to continue, but I have made a number of good friends along the way and enjoyed the ride nonetheless. 

I am sorry you think I have set up some underground shill bidding cabal with Heritage or whomever, but I hope very much you have a pleasant day.

11 minutes ago, MrWunderful said:

Ive actually dealt with you years ago on NA. I have no reason to doubt you, nonetheless It still seems like a scam to me. 
 

Mario 64 is barely culturally significant, other than being a decent 3d game. It has far less actual game collector value than a first print mario or zelda, yet went for a million dollars more?

 

but who cares what I think? Let all that money in your account help you sleep at night. 

Barely culturally significant? Boy, would I disagree. It’s the first mainstream 3d game of all time, and some consider it the best Mario game ever. It’s a very popular Twitch game for speed runs, as well, so it stays fresh in the mind of many. It’s very, very popular in the bitcoin generation.

Anyway, I can’t control what you or others think, and trust me I understand your skepticism, but I only know what I know from my end. I have been told the buyer is iron clad, was vetted, and payment is incoming. If that changes, obviously I will say something. It would really suck lol.

1 minute ago, doner24 said:

Congrats man, I don’t understand the hate at all, towards you, the buyer, Wata, Heritage or anyone else involved in the transaction. I think it’s pretty damn cool to see the hobby that I love take off to crazy new price heights. I’m not into sealed collecting, so it really doesn’t affect what I’m looking for. I also think it’s crazy that you only started collecting sealed stuff 2 years ago, after being in the scene a decade plus just like me. Makes me wish I would’ve had the foresight to jump in, even after I said I was too late 8 years ago!

Part of the reason I stopped coming to NA and here is so many threads devolved into class warfare crap. The first six years I was a member of NA, I did not collect sealed games, but I never ever understood why so many people who did not went out of their way to shit on people who did. I mean who cares? Focus on the positivity of doing what you love, not the negativity of bashing others who do it differently.

Thanks very much for your kind words btw!

1 minute ago, MrWunderful said:

Im just here to say Mario 64 isnt even close to the best game ever, and this whole thing is stupid. 
 

Good for you for taking a rube for 1.5 though, or whatever you get after taxes and heritage fee ( if this is true, you offered no actual proof)

Feel free to look me up on IG, same name. The game, amongst others, is on my page. I’ve also been a member here a decade, dating back to NA, and have not really been known to weave tales about selling games for millions of dollars, but I understand your skepticism.

In terms of HA being 

5 hours ago, Aatos said:

Was gonna come post the same thing. Heritage Auctions having been actually sued for shill bidding in the past doesn’t really increase my trust in this sale being legit..

As I recall, they were sued for it by someone who owed Heritage over half a million dollars from a joint venture gone wrong and the court threw out the guy’s lawsuit because he had no actual evidence. Leaving that information out of the video and letting the “Heritage was sued” hang out there is kinda gross.

Some fun…theories in this thread, but the sale is real and being paid for. How do I know? I am the seller. No, I did not shill it up or have anyone else do so. The Zelda was also mine and is being paid for. I didn’t shill that either. 
 

Given where collectibles are, and have been, for the past 24 months, I don’t think it’s terribly shocking Mario 64 could hit a million, though I admit the Mario still went beyond all expectations hitting 1.5. I thought it COULD be the first million dollar game if two people wanted it enough, but 1.5 was beyond my wildest dreams. 
 

In terms of price, just for perspective, PSA 10 Charizards and Jordan rookies go for between 200k and 300k at the moment. There are I believe 122 PSA 10 Charizards and like 325 PSA 10 Jordans. Right now, there are only a few WATA graded 9.8/A++ Mario 64s and maybe you could hit another 6-8 from VGA crosses if they hit perfectly (WATA is harsher on N64 boxes than VGA). So maybe you could get to 10ish with known commodities? That’s nothing in the world of collectibles. 
 

Mario 64 is also arguably the greatest game ever and hits the nostalgia period perfectly for bitcoin-aged folks and many celebs. 
 

Given timing on the market (where it is in growth) and these factors, I am not surprised it was the one to break the million barrier, though again I did not at all think it was a certainty and I never would have anticipated 1.5. 
 

Happy to answer any questions I can :).

1 minute ago, jonebone said:

I have a 90+ and was getting 75k offers unsolicited in January. I agree the price may seem crazy but I've been saying for years nostalgia drives prices. The N64 is too new argument is no longer valid. 

N64 is the perfect age group for the bitcoin generation, which is driving a lot of the surge in collectibles. I am hardly surprised it was an N64 game, though obviously the speed at which it has happened is incredible and I would not have predicted topping 1.5.

N64 library as a whole is blah, but man the top 5 games on the system can compete with any ever.

18 hours ago, SealedWholesale said:

i was doing a shameless plug for a zelda 1 vga 90

Wow, amazing! Rev or no rev?

Random other stuff:

Part 1 of the runthrough is up! I'll be uploading them as I go along. For anyone interested, you can Subscribe and get notifications when I put up each corresponding part.

Thanks!

Hi All!

Been a bit as I've been slammed with a million different things, but as many of you recall my most absolute favoritest thing to collect are prototypes and my favorite game series ever is Shining Force, with the second installment being my favorite.

Many years ago, DreamTR put one up for sale in the old NA sales forum and I was fortunate enough to grab it, but alas it was a final version even though it had some quirks, namely that the save file was corrupted and the physical version was glitched to hell and crashed when it started up, though the rom was complete and playable just fine. As I recall, the main character turned into a boat after the first step and then couldn't move anymore lol.

I was contented with owning any SF II proto and considered myself fortunate, but then last year, across my IG feed the following beauty appeared and changed my everything.

What we have here is not just a giant tank of a proto, but the earliest known (very, very early) prototype of the game. In fact, I think it's the only other physical copy known. All I did was start up the game and run the approximately 8 minute opening cut scene and, well...I'll let the results speak for themselves. Anyone familiar with this game will understand things even more (the rat's name in the released US version is "Slade," not "Jippo"), but on its face some stuff is pretty obvious lol...

This particular proto has been held by various collectors throughout the years and never released, but I'm doing so. If you are interested, please just send me a message and it's yours. I never plan to move or sell it anyway, and to me the value is always in the physical copy and I'd like everyone to have the chance to experience it.

As I have chunks of time, I'll be recording my playthrough via a framemeister and Gato and uploading the videos to YouTube on the same account as above. How long this will take I do not know, but hopefully not terribly long...

Any questions, please do let me know! I'd love to see comments for anyone familiar with the game who notices stuff that isn't completely obvious (of which there is quite a bit).

Thanks!