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97 Super Mario Bros NES cartridges set to be “melted down” turn out to be a lot more valuable than the gold they contain
A batch of 97 original NES Super Mario Bros cartridges earmarked for recycling was found to be worth considerably more as retro-game collectibles than for the small amount of gold recoverable from their components. The discovery highlights how common-looking older games can retain significant value when sold intact, especially as demand for vintage Nintendo items persists.
The cartridges’ metal contacts contain gold, prompting the initial plan to melt them down for scrap. However, their combined resale value as functioning, collectible games exceeded the likely value of the recovered metal, so preserving them became the more profitable option.
In short
- Retro-game value outweighed the cartridges’ scrap-gold value.
- The batch contained 97 NES Super Mario Bros cartridges.
- Collectors can value intact games more than their materials.
Explained simply
The Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, was a home video-game console released in the 1980s. Super Mario Bros, one of its best-known games, was sold on small cartridges that players inserted into the console.
The cartridges have metal contacts containing a small amount of gold, which can be recovered for scrap. But original games that still work can also be sought after by collectors, so their value intact may be higher than the materials they contain.
That difference matters when deciding whether old electronics should be dismantled or kept for reuse. It also reflects continuing demand for vintage Nintendo games and other gaming memorabilia.
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