Plattsburgh Collection of NES, Genesis and Master System games headlines Heritage event, along with top-graded Sealed Hangtab Super Mario Bros.

When a major, previously unknown cache of covetable treasures surfaces, savvy collectors rejoice. Lovers of vintage video games have reason to celebrate a recent windfall offered by a family that gathered the most popular and desirable games of the genre’s golden era.

The Plattsburgh Collection, created when an upstate New York family had dreams of opening a video game and movie rental store, is packed with the most beloved titles of the late ’80s and early ’90s. When the family moved to Ohio, their plans for the shop fell by the wayside though they took the games with them. Their decision to keep the games in perfect condition in the ensuing years is a boon to specialty collectors as Heritage presents the Plattsburgh Collection, along with more than 300 other sought-after titles in its Nov. 4 and 5 Video Games Signature^® Auction.

“The Plattsburgh Collection is unlike anything we have had the pleasure of offering before,” says Valarie Spiegel, Managing Director of Video Games at Heritage Auctions. “It presents an opportunity of a lifetime for both seasoned and new collectors of the era’s favorite NES, Genesis and Master System games.”

Included in the Plattsburgh Collection are such gems as a Mega Man – Wata 9.6 A Sealed [“Dr. Wily” text, No Sticker, Mid-Production] NES Capcom from 1987, which is the single highest graded copy of Mega Man on the August 2022 population report across all variants;  a Popeye – Wata 9.8 A+ Sealed [Rev-A, Round SOQ, Last Production] NES Nintendo from 1986, which is the only 9.8 copy of Popeye on Wata’s August 2022 population report; and a Donkey Kong 3 – Wata 9.6 A+ Sealed [Rev-A, Round SOQ, Last Production] NES Nintendo 1986. The latter has a very clean A+ seal rating. There are 43 other lots in the Plattsburgh Collection in this auction, each and every one on the short list of collector favorites. 

“This auction features some of the biggest highlights among the collection of nearly 400 beautifully conserved games,” says Spiegel. “This is unequivocally one of the most impressive selections of fresh-to-market sealed games by condition, volume, variety, and rarity we have had the opportunity to offer since our category was founded at Heritage.”

But the Plattsburgh Collection makes up only part of the November auction. A real standout in this auction is a Sealed Hangtab Super Mario Bros. The Wata 9.6 A Sealed, 3 Code, Mid-Production NES Nintendo 1985 is the pivotal first game in the Super Mario Bros. series and a special find for collectors who are passionate about packaging variants. “Coming across a sealed hangtab copy of any NES game in the wild is incredibly rare,” says Spiegel. “A photo of this game, no matter how excellent the quality of the image, would never do justice to how beautifully this copy presents in person. Given the game’s rarity combined with the historical appeal of its variant and phenomenal condition, it would easily be the centerpiece of virtually any gamer’s collection.”

Other highlights in this auction include:

The Legend of Zelda – Wata 9.8 A Sealed [Oval SOQ R, Last Production], NES Nintendo 1987 USA: Not only is it the highest graded copy of this variant of The Legend of Zelda on Wata’s August 2022 population report, there are only two other 9.8 copies across all variants, and both of those are the Classic Series release without the nifty die-cut box with a window showing the gold cartridge.

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! – Wata 9.8 A Sealed [Oval SOQ TM, Later Production], NES Nintendo 1987 USA: This particular example has been awarded a stunning 9.8 A grade from Wata making this one of just five copies to hold the 9.8 distinction. 

Tecmo Bowl – Wata 9.6 A Sealed [Rev-A, Round SOQ, Early Production] (The Plattsburgh Collection), NES Tecmo 1989 USA: This early-production copy scores big as the highest-rated example of this sought-after variant on Wata’s August 2022 population report out of just six total graded.

Nintendo Power #1 (Nintendo of America, Inc., 1988) CGC 9.4 White Pages: Out of 228 CGC-certified copies of this issue, only four have been certified Near Mint 9.4 with none graded higher.

Super Mario Land – Wata 9.6 A+ Sealed [Green Screenshots, First Production] Game Boy Nintendo 1989 USA: This is the highest-graded copy of this First Production variant on Wata’s August 2022 pop report.

Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition – Wata 9.8 A++ Sealed [No Rating, Second Production], Game Boy Nintendo 1999 USA: A 9.8 A++? Yes, you’re reading that right! This copy has been immaculately preserved, making this nearly perfect example a true survivor.

Sonic the Hedgehog – Wata 9.6 A Sealed [Made in Japan, Early Production], Genesis Sega 1991 USA: We rarely see factory-sealed early production examples in excellent condition like this one.

Resident Evil – Wata 9.6 A Sealed [Ridged Longbox, First Production], PS1 Capcom 1996 USA: One of gaming’s most successful franchises and not just in Racoon City. Just five total sealed copies of the game’s original release have been graded by Wata. That’s a minuscule amount for such a groundbreaking game. This example is one of four copies to be awarded a 9.6 box grade.

Game on! Images and information about all lots in the auction can be found at HA.com/7290.

 

Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Brussels, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

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