1986 NES Deluxe Set Sells for $120,000, Becomes Most Valuable Commercial Console Ever at Auction

THE SEALED NES DELUXE SET TOPS AUCTION RECORDS DURING HERITAGE’S $1.8 MILLION VINTAGE GAMING EVENT
 

By Intelligent Collector Staff 

A never-opened 1986 Nintendo Entertainment System Deluxe Set, graded VGA 85 NM+ and including Robotic Operating Buddy (R.O.B.), Duck Hunt, Gyromite, Zapper, and original box and inserts, sold for $120,000 at Heritage Auctions on November 3, becoming the highest price ever paid at auction for a commercially released video game console.  

The console led the dedicated vintage system segment of Heritage’s Video Games Signature® Auction, which tallied over $1.8 million in total sales and helped firmly establish a separate, high-end market for console hardware.  

Unlike prototype models or press-only systems, the NES Deluxe Set was the console package sold to consumers at retail — the hardware that helped revive the home video game industry after the 1983 crash. Today, sealed examples are exceptionally rare, with nearly all examples opened or lost over time.  

The sale underscores the growing appeal of museum-quality, factory-sealed consoles, especially when tied to gaming’s most influential platforms. In a market driven by condition and provenance, the set’s completeness and VGA grading made it a standout.  

Every sealed console tells two stories: one of a device, and the other of its preservation across decades. This result confirms what elite collectors and consignors are increasingly asking: Where’s the best place to sell a truly rare video game console? For many video game collectors, the answer is Heritage Auctions.