A Set of First Print Pokemon Games Just Sold For $2 Million & 2 of Them Are Gem Mint 10s
The Pokemon collectibles market features a wide array of products, from Pokemon cards to plushies and McDonald’s toys and beyond. But increasingly, some of the most high-ticket sales are going to graded, sealed physical copies of early Pokemon games. In fact, someone just bought a trio of the original Pokemon games for a whopping $2 million USD. Though not the highest price ever paid on the video game collectible market, the sale comes in a close second. It’s fitting timing as the franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary, but it may not just be Pokemon nostalgia at play here.
According to IGN, who spoke with the service that facilitated the sale, these Pokemon games now mark the second-largest sum ever paid for graded video games. The honor of the most expensive graded games ever sold goes to a PSA 9.6 NES copy of Super Mario Bros., which sold for $3 million in June. By contrast, the Pokemon games are an even higher quality, with two of them sitting at a PSA 10 Gem Mint rating that’s nearly unheard of for video games of this age. Now, the games will join one of the biggest collections of graded video games and cards in the world, the famous Dubai Collection.
Original Pokemon Games Make History with Second-Largest Graded Video Game Sale Ever
The trio of games that are now making their way into the Dubai Collection consists of first-edition copies of Pokemon Blue, Pokemon Red, and Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition. These are some of the first copies ever made, making them a rare piece of Pokemon history. What’s even more surprising is that, despite their age, the games have been maintained in pristine condition. Both Pokemon Red and Pokemon Yellow are certified in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition, making them the highest-graded first edition Pokemon games in existence. Pokemon Blue isn’t far behind with a near-perfect 9.8. With that kind of quality, it’s not surprising the retro collectibles made such an impressive sale.
PSA rarely gives out perfect 10 scores for video games, even sealed copies like these. That means this trio may well remain the only PSA 10 copies of the original Pokemon games on the market. Their high value is no doubt partly due to this rare level of quality. However, it’s likely that nostalgia for two specific bits of gaming history are also at play here. First, Pokemon itself is a huge presence in the gaming and collectibles space. The franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and the value of retro collectibles shows no signs of slowing down. But the same can’t be said for the future of physical video game copies.
This sale highlights a sad reality for the future of video game collecting as a hobby. Physical copies like these are becoming increasingly rare in the modern digital landscape. Whereas the only way to play Pokemon Red and Blue was with a physical cartridge, the same can’t be said for recent releases like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Physical copies of these games do exist, but that may soon be a thing of the past.
Nintendo has shifted to the use of game-key cards, which don’t actually have the full game on the cartridge. So, even if Pokemon Winds and Waves does get a physical release next year, the full game likely won’t be stored on its key card. That means that if collectors choose to seal up the box, they won’t truly be able to preserve the full game in its original form. And of course, PlayStation will stop printing physical games altogether come 2028. That means that collecting graded video games will eventually only be possible for a certain era of gaming. Newer games, however historic, won’t have the same fate, including the upcoming GTA 6.
As such, the rising popularity of physical games on the collectible market isn’t surprising. Physical media like this is becoming more rare and therefore more precious. And these games in particular are part of one of the biggest gaming franchises in recent history. Hopefully, they will be preserved for years to come as they settle into their new home.