Empty Super Mario box sells for £8,450 as retro games surge in value - here's what to buy now

An empty box that once held a copy of Super Mario 64 has sold for £8,450 at auction, proving collectors are willing to pay thousands for the rarest pieces of gaming history.

The cardboard box, which originally contained the iconic Nintendo 64 game released in 1996, was signed by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, widely regarded as the father of modern gaming. It was one of the standout lots in a retro gaming and trading card sale held by Ewbank's Auctioneers in Surrey, which raised around £200,000 overall.

The signature dates back to February 21, 2003, when Miyamoto made his first and only public signing appearance in Europe at the former Virgin Megastore on London's Oxford Street.

Pokémon memorabilia also proved hugely popular with bidders. A collection of five Pokémon trading cards inspired by Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream sold for £12,350, making it one of the highest-priced lots in the sale.

Collectors also snapped up factory-sealed video games. A first-print European copy of Pokémon Emerald for the Game Boy Advance sold for £4,940, while a sealed copy of Pokémon Yellow for the original Game Boy fetched £3,640. The auction house said the top 10 trading card lots alone generated a combined £43,940.

James Spooner, a specialist at Ewbank's, said Pokémon remains the world's most sought-after trading card franchise, with collectors across the globe continuing to push prices higher.

He said: "Pokémon are the most collectable of all gaming cards of this type, with a massive global following and collecting base worth tens of billions of dollars. The majority of lots in this sale sold over estimate, some way over estimate, demonstrating the powerful attraction for both Pokémon, as well as other trading card series. However, it is the boost in demand and prices for retro video games that has been most noticeable."

If you’d like to buy some of today’s Nintendo consoles and games in the hope of making some money on them one day, there are several options available via Amazon. There’s the Nintendo Switch in Neon Red and Neon blue (£248), the Nintendo Switch Lite which is available in grey, blue, pink and yellow (prices starting from £114.99 depending on colour chosen) or the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) (£299.99).

Auctioneers believe interest in physical gaming collectibles has been boosted by the industry's shift towards digital downloads. Earlier this month, PlayStation maker Sony announced it would end production of physical game discs, meaning future titles will increasingly be available digitally.

Auctioneer Andrew Ewbank said the move away from physical media had helped drive demand for classic games and consoles. He said: "A key factor has been PlayStation's decision to stop selling physical product, so fans have been clamouring to get their hands on historic games and consoles that are now sought-after collectables."

If the upcoming loss of physical games has you feeling nostalgic, there’s still time to buy some. These may also increase in value in time, especially when they can no longer be bought. You can get two great bundles; Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World (£503.95) and Nintendo Switch & Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (£285.99 in the sale).

For people who would like to make an investment, but don’t want to splash quite so much cash upfront, there is an option to buy the games separately. Mario Kart World is £59.95, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is £48.85.

• Amazon Prime members get free delivery on eligible items. Non-Prime customers may pay delivery charges depending on the order.