In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros, Converse released four different pairs of Super Mario shoes. Sadly, the shoes were released only in Japan. This of course doesn’t stop a hardcore collector from grabbing up a pair on eBay. The only question is… which pair would you want most? Or can you afford to buy one of each for your collection? It’s a tough choice and they are getting more rare by the day. Even now, about 7 months since their release in Japan, the prices have gone crazy and they are still selling. I’ve listed the cheapest auctions I could find that are still put up by sellers with %100 positive feedback. You don’t want to end up with a $20 pair of shoes with some Mario doodles on them, right?

Mario Sprite Pattern (Black) - This simple looking pattern nails the quiet cool that game related gear can sometimes have. At first glance for many, it’s nothing special. If a gamer takes a glance, it catches their eye before they know why!

Mario Sprite Pattern (White) - Same as the pair above except these have a white back. Something to note about all four pairs is the starman Converse star. Awesome…

World 1-1 Pattern - Nothing in the Super Mario series is more recognizable than world 1-1. If you flip down the back, you see Luigi grabbing some coins.

Bowser’s Castle Pattern - This is my favorite of the four. It works on so many levels color-wise, it puts Mario up against Bowser, and if you flip down the back of the shoe you see Princess Peach with Mario. It’s also up for the lowest price compared to the other three auctions here today.

Good morning VGA readers. Today’s post is a little special as there are some really nice goodies for you collectors out there like a signed Earthbound game(famicom). But I will begin by discussing the benefits of computer/gaming glasses. I recently had serious symptoms of what could be related to excessive computer use. Let me explain…

For about 4 weeks I had a massive headache, equilibrium issues(balance), and huge pain behind my eyes which made me fatigue and only want to lay down and not do anything. I am very much receptive to pain but this was something new I never felt, it was extremely painful from morning to night, even when I closed my eyes, even if I got good sleep. So researching on google for medical issues is like shooting yourself in the foot, you can find so much stuff that isn’t related. I went to several doctors and they couldn’t find anything. Then I realized after doing some research that being on a computer for 10+ hrs a day can definitely do some damage. That added with stress is what happened. So now I actually plan my time around a computer. But now I found a solution to my problem, and everyone elses problem.

If you wake up in the morning with a massive headache and eye pain after a long day of gaming or computer use, well think about getting computer glasses. Not reading glasses, glasses specifically designed for long hours in front of a computer or a TV. There are companies that produce these kinds of glasses for an affordable price, but one company imparticular caught my eye. That is GUNNAR Digital Performance Eye Wear. More specifically they actually have designed limited edition Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 glasses. It is estimated that 70% of the American population suffer from CVS which is Computer Vision Syndrome. I think personally that anyone who stays in front of a computer or TV for a long period will pretty much get a headache or eye pain, it’s a no brainer. We’re already in the digital age and more time is spent on computers and screens then ever before. You could use eye drops, walk away from a screen every hour for 20 minutes, or get a good pain of computer glasses at GUNNAR which is a technical eyewear solution that protects, enhances, and optimizes visual performance for anyone who spends long hours viewing computers or digital screens. GUNNAR Advanced Computer Eyewear helps minimize eye fatigue and visual stress, while improving contrast, comfort, and focus for anyone who spends long hours viewing digital screens. I am going to get a pair, and I think every gamer should have this next to his controller… will you get a pair?

Other Video Game Auctions:

-Extremely RARE Mother 1+2 Set Signed by Shigesato Itoi – The Creator of EarthBound signed this famicom game in 2003. This auction was recently on YAJ(hehe yes I see everything my friends), and I won’t say how much the seller actually won it for because I don’t think it’s fair to do that, but it is clearly for reselling purposes which is fine. I use to think it’s an evil thing but that’s how business works. A lucky fan will win this for his/her awesome collection. It’s the real deal so don’t miss out on a gem.

- Dead Space Ultra Limited Edition (Xbox 360) -  There are apparently 1000 copies for the PS made of this. It is pretty rare indeed and easily sells over $800, in fact some copies have sold for $1500+. This one is mint and unopened.

- Final Fantasy III (JP) signed by Nobuo Uematsu - All proceeds go to charity. From closer observations and comparisons I can say this is a legit Uematsu signature. The seller does have some references but compare them yourself and you can see it is legit. Low starting bid I might even give this one a shot.

- Call of Duty Black Ops Signed Poster - I don’t know if this is a print or an original hand signing. The seller says he/she interviewed a programmer and received this poster. It would be logical to say it’s signed because what programmer would give a printed signed poster? It’s like having an interview with the president and receiving a letter with his signature but printed… doesn’t make sense but you never know, better to ask the seller.

- Castlevania Koji Igarashi Autographed Dracula X – A REALLY nice signed Koji Igarashi paper. It’s on a Dracula X fact sheet, something that will have value over time. The auction is very low.

- Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Limited Edition Collection – Submitted by VGA friend Casey (Thanks!), this collector’s edition includes:

• The Collectors Edition game for PS3 (sealed)
• Marvel Vs Capcom 3 poster (slightly damaged from carrying around)*
• Marvel Vs Capcom comic book cover art (not an actual comic)*
• Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Shirt (large)*
• And a Marvel Vs Capcom 3 branded plastic bag*

- Videopac G7000 Boxed + 27 Games + Game Case – Submitted by VGA friend Hendrik (Thanks!), this is the Magnavox Odyssey² but in Europe it was called the Videopac G7000 and it’s boxed and in great shape and comes with 27 games. A console collector should not miss this!

Today you will find some very high end expensive items. Most people simply cannot afford  many of these things (myself included), but there are the few collectors and business owners who may consider throwing down some cash to get their hands on this stuff. First up is, I believe, physically the largest “item” VGA has ever listed. This would be a major investment for a business and would require plenty of maintenance. Still, how many places have a shooting gallery this big?

Disney Shooting Gallery (1977) - Like I said; a big investment. It’s unfortunate that the seller doesn’t have an option up to take offers. I’m guessing they don’t want to sort through them for a serious one. I could see this working for a new classic arcade opening. People would start talking… saying things like, “Ya, they have the classic games from the 80′s but they also have this huge shooting gallery in the back!”.

Next up is a prototype arcade cabinet for a game called The Act. Some of you may know of it, but for those who don’t… there are only 10 of these which were released to the public.

The Act Prototype - The game plays like Dragon’s Lair (mostly) while you watch the animation on screen. The company that made it (Cecropia) closed up before this game was released commercially and only 10 kits were sold to cover expenses. This is a game very few people will ever see. Check out this video for more info and to see the game in action.

Here’s an Atari 2600 game considered by some as the “holy grail” for the 2600. There are rarer games, but I think it’s the story behind this one that gets the collectors lined up.

Pepsi Invaders (Atari 2600) - Only 125 of these unlabelled carts were given out to Coke executives. The game plays like Space Invaders except you’re shooting at “P E P S I” with an invader at the end. It’s a pretty bold statement to have a custom game made where you shoot up your competition lol. Several offers have been made so feel free to make yours. Anything under $1,000 will likely be quickly passed. (Credit to Troy for submitting this auction)

Something now for pinball collectors and/or someone looking to buy a machine that has never been played…

Stern Rolling Stones Limited Edition (New in Box) - Something I love about pinball games is when you get a jackpot and everything goes nuts. I’ve never played this Rolling Stones game, but I bet it’s a blast just for the sound. This machine is still in it’s shipping box and have never been touched.

Gottlieb Home Run Pinball - Only 580 of these made and it was made in 1971. Look through the pictures for yourself, but this looks like a very clean machine to me.

Now, I’m sure everyone was hoping for some more affordable items, so here are a few more of interest.

ColecoVision Expansion Module with 48 Games - The module lets you play Atari 2600 games on your ColecoVision. Included in the auction are 48 games (Atari 2600 and ColecoVision mix).

Lot of 42 NES Games (Loose) - The first bid (which unfortunately has already been made) is only $20. As soon as you see each game is going for less than a dollar, you feel the need to look through the titles I’m sure. There are a few doubles but you’ve also got Donkey Kong Jr and Kid Icaris in there so $20-$30 isn’t bad. Wait it out until the end though; no need to bid yet.

Sega Game Gear TV Tuner - This is something sometimes overlooked in Sega collections. First bid is $0.77 and there’s a bit more than a day left on the auction.

The posters and banners listed here today vary from uncommon to very rare. Every one of them is in great shape too. We also have a bunch of figures listed and most of the auctions are complete sets. If you’re a figure collector, you will find some great sets here you can check off your list. First, let’s start with some limited print posters…

Silent Hill “I’m Alone There Now…” Poster (Limited 300) - The complete title for this piece is “I’m Alone There Now, In Our Special Place, Waiting for You” and I’m sure every Silent Hill fan remembers those haunting words. A few offers have already been made.

Final Fantasy VII Store Poster - This poster showing the release date for Final Fantasy VII is in great condition. It’s double sided and the color is a deep as it was day one.

Space Channel 5 Figures, Complete Set - Unless you’re a fan of the games, you probably wouldn’t think of Space Channel 5 when thinking of figures based on video games. This auction is for the complete set of figures and the resin statue as well. All figures are sealed.

Resident Evil 1 Figures, Complete Set - The complete set, sealed of course, comes in 5 packs but there are actually 9 figures total.  The Tyrant figure was made so huge that it needed a blister pack unique from the rest.

Resident Evil 2 Figures, Complete Set - Another sealed complete set. This time, 7 packs containing 12 figures. Very cool stuff from my favorite in the series.

Metal Gear Solid Snake & Meryl Figures - Fairly common, but the price is decent. The box is still factory sealed.

Super Mario RPG Vinyl Banner - Vinyl banners sometimes be made in a cheap run which leaves them open to easy damage. If you make the winning bid, try not to roll and unroll the banner too often.

Mario Kart 64 Vinyl Banner - Another banner that is taking bids. This one comes with the shipping box and hanging instructions.

Before we get to today’s auctions, I would just like to mention that one lucky VGA reader has made a video about their recent buy! On January 12, Kenji listed a Starfox Competition cart which was selling with the score card. The final bid of $450 was made by TheJuice401 and he posted a comment which showed how ecstatic he was about the buy. You can view his video showing off the rare cart here on his YouTube channel. It’s always nice to see an item like that go to a true collector.

Here are today’s auctions…

Prototype Pokemon Hat - Any Pokemon fan will recognize this hat instantly. This hat was not meant for sale however. There’s a tog on the inside showing that it’s only a sample version of the hat. Only one day left on the auction and the current bid is very low.

Shigesato Itoi Autograph Board - For those who don’t know, Shigesato Itoi is the creator of the Mother (Earthbound) series. This autograph board appears to be dated 1985 which would mean he signed it for being known in something other than video games. This doesn’t come as a shock since Itoi is known for a large variety of work including writing and voice acting.

Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask E3 Promo Pin - A simple pin that would be difficult to find if you were targeting it for a pin collection. There’s a mini bid war started on this auction.

Front Mission Pin Set - This set of pins was limited to 10,000 but, unfortunately, there’s a very clear crack in the front display of this set. Still, the price isn’t terrible.

Metroid Prime 2 Store Kiosk Display - You may have seen this in game stores back in 2004 framing the screen on Gamecube kiosks. The price is simply ridiculous and it may be tough to talk the seller down to something reasonable. Maybe offer a trade for a different item of similar value.

Sega Saturn Launch Promo Pin - This is a cool pin. I remember the early days of the Sega Saturn, the console’s ads were very mysterious. This pin captures that mood perfectly.

Twin Galaxies 1999 Poster - Here’s a poster that’s also a cool read. There are several dollar prizes for playing well at various games back in 1999. The seller has two of these.

Twin Galaxies 2001 Poster - Another Twin Galaxies poster but this one is from a festival in 2001. Same seller and once again, they have two.

After watching the Earthbound anthology book end for a staggering price of $810 I thought I’d do a quick search to see if there’s anything else to post for Earthbound. Little did I know this Earthbound Sealed Gold Grade of 85+ is currently running. If you think $800 for a book is expensive, wait till you see the price tag on this baby. Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Earthbound. I’ve seen a ruler go for $700+, a ripped poster go for $500+, and now this anthology book for $800+. Although these don’t compare really with the current price for the Gold sealed, it’s still a very competitive group of collectors. A word of advise; if you tend to enter the Earthbound collectible market, be sure to work those extra long shifts at work just to pay for some of the Earthbound items that pop up. For those who never played the game and are wondering what’s the whole deal behind expensive Earthbound collectibles; all I can say is play the game and you’ll understand what the hype is about. They don’t make games like that anymore (but I can really say about most SNES RPG games). My opinion is also biased since I was raised up with these type of games myself, but the charm will always be strong with old SNES RPG titles.

Seller says:

“This opportunity rarely comes around. This is your chance to get a VGA Gold Level copy of EarthBound for the Super Nintendo. This is THE game for this system. This game has a massive following that speaks for itself. This game has NEVER been on eBay for a No Reserve auction on a VGA Qualified Gold Level grade. This game never came Factory Sealed however it has been authenticated and verified by VGA that it was never played and received their incredibly exclusive Gold Level Grade which can be looked up and verified through their website at www.vggrader.com using serial number 73590267. Please feel free to ask questions. I have been selling games for more than 10 years on eBay. This may never happen again. The last Gold Level EarthBound went for SEVERAL thousand dollars. I have 100% positive feedback, am PayPal and ID Verified so bid with confidence.”

By the way, check out the bidders list!

Other Video Game Auctions:

Video Arcade Game 7-11 Slurpee Cup Collection – This is a really cool auction, but nevertheless very pricey. Seller says: “The first set ( 1982 ) comes in a original cardboard box made just for these cups! The second set ( 1983 ) never had a box and was just sent to the stores the following year with all its paperwork for Point Of Sale! The second set does have a plastic bag over each cup to protect it from damage. Again thats how they where shipped.”

Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Limited Edition Alduin Dragon 12″ Statue – Alduin Statue. Created in conjunction with the IP Factory, this collector’s only statue stands 12″ tall and is made of high quality PVC. Modeled from actual in-game 3D digital files, it showcases Alduin, the World Eater. He stands perched atop one the game’s many dragon walls that teach the player the lethal language of dragons
PANZER DRAGOON Sega Saturn Moebius POSTER – Quite rare to see a Panzer Dragoon poster. A copy of the game is quite exepensive and was fetching $400+ a few years back.
PANZER DRAGOON Sega Saturn POSTER – same as above
Gameline Master Module Atari 2600 – This was a cool idea back in the day. Imagine, you could download Atari games via the phone line. Seller says: “This module was intended to be used to download games to a Atari 2600 via a phone line. The games were available for a fee and were limited to only a few uses per download. There is not a whole lot of information available regarding these units.”

Also:
Gameboy Advance SP GBASP Donkey Kong Yellow Japan Complete
Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess RARE Promo Metal Commemorative Coin SDCC 2005
Pac-Man Bell Alarm Battery Clock
Autographed Minecraft Mousepad – wow.

Good luck!

You’ll find that a large portion of the auctions found below are related to action figures. I’ve always appreciated the world of collectible figures and the most valuable finds in that corner of collecting are almost always prototypes. We’ve got a few of those listed as well as some other figures of value. Most of what is listed here is quite expensive, but it’s worth the money if you simply must have it. Also, I’ve added some more affordable auctions which are pretty cool buys.

Halo 3 The Rookie Sculpt Prototype - A very rough sculpt from early development. Possibly only three is the world.

Halo 2 White Spartan Green Stripes Prototype - An unreleased version of the White Spartan Halo 2 figure.

Halo 1 Gold Elite Prototype - The seller seems to confirm that there were only three of these made.

Halo 2 Mini White Grunt Prototype - This prototype is more affordable because more were made than the above figures. They were never officially released, but the seller has three of them.

Gears of War Marcus Fenix Figure Gold Lancer Vaniant - Many collectors want to get their hands on this figure and this may be your moment to buy. The reason being that %25 of buy will go to American Red Cross.

Gears of War 3 Trashball Cole Statue - Only 100 of these out there people. This auction has been around for some time and we have actually featured it before… maybe the seller should take a hint and go down to maybe $250.

M. Bison and Dimitri Figures - Not terribly valuable, but they are up for a very nice price. Good buy for fans.

Zelda Twilight Princess Link & Epona Club Nintendo Gold Statue - This statue has sold for several times more than the current bid in the past. Keep your eye on this one guys…

Blizzard 5 Years of Service Sword - Blizzard is known for giving employees gifts for the number of years of service. This sword was given for 5 years of work.

There’s a nice variety of collectibles here today from very different gaming eras and platforms. One item stands out from the rest because it’s a promo of such quality that it raises an eyebrow when you see what game it’s promoting! Check it out…

Capcom Plasma Sword Letter Opener - Plasma Sword was a quiet release in the U.S. and not that big in Japan. It was actually a sequel to Star Gladiator (which is why it’s called Star Gladiator 2 in Japan) but the graphics were pretty sad for a Dreamcast release. Knowing how very average this game is, it’s an amazing surprise to see this top quality promo. Leave it “Capcom” side up on display is my advice… unless you really like Plasma Sword of course.

Suikoden IV Promo Coin - 100 Potch coin up for $15. Not a bad deal really.

Pac-Man Pillow - This pillow appears to be in great shape, the color hasn’t faded, and no creepy stains! lol. Honestly though, it’s a nice bit of gaming merchandise from 30 years ago. I suggest making an offer of $25, then move to $34 if turned down. After that, it’s your call because over $30 is pretty high.

Gears of War 3 Gamestop Prize Watch - The seller mentions that 25 of these were given out as prizes from Gamestop. While limited collectibles are always in the spotlight, something from a game distributor rather than a developer is drastically lower in value. Even so, there aren’t that many out there.

Nintendo Tech Support Hat - I’m sure many Nintendo collections out there are missing this interesting item.

Pac-Man 1982 Sealed Figures - Wow, no bids yet. Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man figures both still sealed in their blister packs. It’s a nice grab for the classic gamers out there.

Nintendo Wii Sports Jacket - The tag shows the size as medium. The starting bid is very nice too.

Metal Gear Solid Postcards - I almost didn’t list this auction because the price is just way too high and there’s no option to make an offer. I suggest contacting the seller direct if you want to change their mind.

Diablo T-Shirt - With the nearing release of Diablo III, this promo t-shirt from the first game really holds some value and yet… it hasn’t sold yet.