The Legend of Zelda franchise is one of the most iconic and influential in the video game industry. Since the release of the first game in 1986, the series has consistently set new standards for game design and storytelling, pushing the limits of what video games can achieve. Zelda's influence can be seen in countless games that followed, from the use of non-linear exploration to the incorporation of puzzles into gameplay mechanics, cementing its place as a true classic and a cornerstone of the industry.

 Since HBO's The Last of Us and Nintendo’s own Super Mario Brothers Movie, rumors of Link and Zelda getting their turn on the big screen have been circulating for months. This, paired with the upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, on May 12th 2023, has a lot of eyes on the franchise.

The recent surge in popularity has had an immediate impact on the collectibles market in games and comics. While the price hikes are not quite what they were during the boom in 2022, now may be the time to buy into some of these collectibles at a high grade

Record Sales since The The Super Mario Bros Movie:

The massive jump in price will likely be attributed to the success of the movie, but even this sale pales in comparison to the 2020 sale of Super Mario 64–arguably the plumber's most famous outing on the Nintendo 64 console–which came out in the late 90s.

The sale of the game in 2020 saw a 9.8 sealed copy (the highest graded copy) that sold for an unbelievable 1.56 million–a year and a half after the announcement of the movie and a few months before the announced cast. Subsequently, in the last two years, 9.6 graded copies have sold in the $20,000-$30,000 range.

Mario & Zelda Set Records: Is it Time to Grade Your Video Games? - GoCollect

And less than a month after the April 5th release of The Super Mario Brothers Movie, we started to see the immediate impact on the collectibles market, after a record-breaking sale of a 9.6 graded copy of Super Mario Bros for the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System.) It sold for a whopping $660,000. This is a 300% leap in price compared to the previous high sale of $156,000 less than a year ago.

Record-Breaking Super Mario Bros & Action #1 Sale: Investor Collector Perspective - GoCollect

How Does Zelda Compare to Mario?


So what exactly could this mean for fans of the princess of Hyrule and the hero of time? Most likely significant price raises for these collectibles. Back in 2021, the rarest known copy of the NES version of The Legend of Zelda sold for a record $870,000.

While this was an unopened 9.0 graded copy, which is extremely difficult to find, it may hold some insight into what we can expect to see from collectibles, a part of the franchise, in the coming years. The titles listed below were the highest sold from the Zelda franchise in 2022:

-Legend of Zelda NES Sealed 9.9 $57,600 (November 5th 2022) Heritage Auctions
-Legend of Zelda : A Link to the Past 9.8 $182,400 (February 24th 2022) Goldin Auction
-Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 9.8 $168,000 (January 29th 2022) Heritage Auctions
-Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 9.8 $8,400 (November 17th 2022) Heritage Auctions

If the recent sales of Mario-related content are any indicator, the announcement of a Legend of Zelda movie has the potential to cause the prices of 9.8 graded products to skyrocket, similar to the record-breaking sale and 323% price jump for the NES Super Mario Brothers’ game.

Now may be the perfect time to start your hunt for Zelda collectibles, because as soon as Nintendo decides to announce the Legend of Zelda for the big screen, the window for opportunity will be shut.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.