CGC-graded Nintendo Power #1 Sells for Record $108,000
Posted on 4/21/2023
The highest-graded example of the debut issue of Nintendo Power magazine, which is certified by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®), just set a new high score in a Heritage Auctions sale! The Nintendo Power #1 graded CGC 9.8 realized a record-shattering price of $108,000 on April 20, 2023, making it the most expensive Nintendo magazine ever sold.
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Like finding a mushroom in a Super Mario Bros. game, this sale was a big deal. In fact, it more than quadrupled the price realized for a CGC 9.4 copy of Nintendo Power #1 that was sold for $24,000 in a Heritage Auctions sale in December 2022.
Nintendo Power was published from 1998 until 2012. The magazine replaced an early Nintendo newsletter known as the Nintendo Fun Club News and offered video game news, features on upcoming Nintendo titles, strategy guides, outside advertising and more. The cover of Nintendo Power typically displayed artwork from the issue’s featured game — usually fan-favorite Nintendo characters — while the back showed the Nintendo Official Seal of Quality and a small blurb about a feature.
Since Nintendo Power debuted before resources such as YouTube and online strategy guide sites were available, the publication was an invaluable resource to video game players and fans alike. Because of its popularity and nostalgia, video game collectors look for past issues of Nintendo Power magazine to accompany their collections, leading to high prices realized for CGC-certified issues.
In 2009, CGC introduced grading and encapsulation services for magazines, starting with Sports Illustrated and Playboy. Today, CGC Magazines certifies most of the industry’s best-known titles, including Newsweek, Time and TV Guide, as well as comic magazines such as Wizard, Marvel magazines and Vampirella. CGC Magazines added Nintendo Power to its list of eligible titles in November 2021.
Click here to submit your magazine collection to CGC Magazines today!
CGC Video Games Results
Several video games certified by CGC Video Games™ also impressed in the sale, including a sealed Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1992) graded CGC 9.4 A (lot 28099) that realized a cool $43,200. Super Mario World was originally included as a pack-in with the Super Nintendo, so boxed copies weren’t widely distributed in stores. Finding one sealed and in such a high grade is a rare opportunity, which is reflected in the high price realized in this auction. Learn more about the CGC Video Games results here.
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