Nostalgia Sells

+++ title = “07” date = 2019 +++

A copy of Mario Brothers, in its original sealed packaging recently sold for $100,000. This is apparently pretty rare, more rare than finding a copy of the game that has been lightly used.

The idea of value fascinates me. What value do people find in buying the original packaging of a game that can be emulated easily for free by a web browser?

We are willing to pay to feel a piece of the past. It’s the same thing I pay for when I visit a theme park these days. I’m not thrilled by the rides or the overpriced sodas – it’s the feeling of being in the park that gets me, the way it reminds me of the past. Some would call that nostalgia, but people have created negative associations with the word.

It’s what every collector knows: time is slipping through our hands at an alarming rate. Is it worth it to pay for the chance to hold on just a moment longer?