In the antiques and collectibles trade, magazine collecting has never really been considered a top tier collecting category. Even with the advent of third-party grading for magazines, very few iconic magazines have garnered a cult-like following. One exception to this rule is vintage Nintendo Power magazines. First published in 1988, with a cover date of July/August 1988, there were over 3.6 million copies of the first issue of Nintendo Power produced. The majority of these magazines were given out by Nintendo free of charge to drum up interest in their new magazine. By the time the publication went into print, Nintendo mania was in full swing. But, before we talk about the power of Nintendo Power, we have to talk about why this even matters at all. The original Nintendo Entertainment System (also known as the NES) was launched in 1985, and after successfully completing a test market run in New York City and Los Angeles simultaneously, the system took North America by storm in 1986. By 1987, almost every kid in America would want to own a Nintendo. Nintendo capitalized on this by releasing brilliant television advertising that graced consumers living rooms with taglines such as, Now youre playing with power! Given that there was no internet or social media formats during this time, Nintendo also knew that in order to successfully launch their new brand in the United States, they would need an effective print advertising campaign. The first attempt to do this was a simple newsletter-like publication that was given free of charge to anyone who registered their original Nintendo Entertainment System upon purchase. Nintendo Fun Club, as it was called, was a simple, several-page newsprint-like publication that was sent free of charge via mail. The publication would last only seven issues before being discontinued and replaced with a bigger and better option. Nintendo Power was seen as the answer, and issue one would feature an iconic cover that showcased Nintendos new blockbuster game, Super Mario Bros. 2, which every Nintendo enthusiast wanted to own. I was one of the lucky enthusiasts who was sent a copy of this publication, and I fondly remember what it was like to have this come in the mail. Most of the Nintendo enthusiasts who received this first issue back in 1988 read and abused their copies. I remember taking mine everywhere with me, from school to my bedroom and the dining room table. My parents were forced to order me a full subscription to the publication in hopes I would stop talking about it. Very few of these first issues were saved and preserved in near-mint condition, even though the magazine was originally well packed and came in a plain manila envelope. Nintendo Power would prove to be a massive success for the company and would be discontinued with issue 285 in December 2012. In December 2017, Nintendo decided to name a Podcast after the publication as a tribute to the power (pun intended) of the brand. Looking through old issues of Nintendo Power today is like recovering your lost youth if you were lucky enough to grow up in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The magazine just drips with nostalgia. Until the past few years, most vintage issues of Nintendo Power magazine, even early ones, did not have a lot of monetary value on the secondary market. There are, however, several reports of the first issue selling for amounts of $1,000 or less over the last decade or so, even in what was perceived to be near-mint condition. However, with the advent of third-party grading coming to vintage video games, it was only a matter of time before interest in all early Nintendo video game merchandise started to become en vogue. When third-party grading started being offered for magazines, interest in early Nintendo Power magazines took off, with issue one being the most desired. Warnings about the perceived rarity of Nintendo Power issue one in near-mint condition started to prove true back in 2022. On Nov. 4, 2022, Heritage Auctions auctioned off a Nintendo Power issue one graded by CGC in 9.4 (near mint) condition. The book fetched a respectable $24,000 at auction and cemented itself as a top tier Nintendo collectible. Enthusiasts and critics alike took to various collecting forums to tout or criticize the sale. There are only a handful of these issues known to be in near-mint or better condition and, in all honesty, given what certain high-grade comic books sell for, the $24,000 amount does not seem that ridiculous. Very few collectors would be able to predict at that time what a copy in 9.8 condition would sell for, but make no mistake, that question would be answered soon! Then on April 23, 2023, Heritage Auctions sold a 9.8 copy for a record price of $108,000. To put this in perspective, another first issue of Nintendo Power in this same auction yet graded in 7.5 condition (very fine minus) sold for only $1,020, which shows just how condition-sensitive collectors are when looking for collectibles like this. According to the CGC census that lists how many copies they graded and in what grade, there is only one copy of Nintendo Power issue one in 9.8 condition, none in 9.6 condition (the next grade under) and four total in 9.4 condition. This proves this magazine is quite scarce. I want to make sure readers understand the price difference between a 7.5 versus a 9.4 versus a 9.8 conditioned copy because when I write an article like this, I occasionally get contacted by someone who claims to have the item in question. Almost always the item is nowhere in near mint condition, so while almost any copy of Nintendo Power issue one does most certainly have some value on the secondary market, very few would be worth grading, let alone have the value of a 9.4 or 9.8 copy specified above. Regular readers will note that I have been especially harsh on the price points that certain vintage video game collectibles have obtained over these past few years, as the market was in a speculative euphoria for quite some time. This, however, is actually one sale that I agree with due to the definite rarity of locating this item in near-mint or better condition. The name Nintendo Power sure seems to fit. Until next time, thanks for reading. Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.