The original "Call of Duty" game from over 23 years ago has recently made waves in an auction as the listing of a sealed copy of the game shows bids that go over $2,800.
The listing shows a VGA 9.4-rated sealed copy of the first-ever "Call of Duty" entry, an early production PC disc released by Activision in 2003. As of the latest bids, the copy has reached $2,875 with buyer's premium included.
Original 'Call of Duty' Sealed Copy Sold For Over $2800
The Heritage Auctions listing is part of the same Video Games Signature Auction that recently made headlines for another record-breaking sale. According to ComicBook Gaming, the copy being offered is a sealed CD-ROM version of the original "Call of Duty" from Activision, complete with its product code and original packaging in pristine condition. It holds a VGA 9.4 grade, which places it firmly in the near-mint range for graded sealed games.
The early production designation on the listing makes it a more notable find than a standard first-printing copy of the same game.
Early production runs for any collector item typically command a premium over later print runs, and that appears to be playing out at auction here. The bidding has already reached as much as $2,875 with buyer's premium via the auction house.
Vintage 'Call of Duty' Is Getting High in Value
For a game released 23 years ago, the price tag is a striking reminder of how quickly gaming history becomes collectible. Unlike vintage Nintendo cartridges from the 1980s, a sealed copy of the original "Call of Duty" is something many gamers could conceivably still own from their childhood without knowing its current market value.
The original "Call of Duty" was the title that laid the groundwork for one of the biggest gaming franchises in history. It became the template for modern military first-person shooters and launched what Activision would eventually build into a franchise generating billions of dollars annually.
That legacy clearly resonates with collectors who are willing to pay for a piece of it in pristine, untouched condition.
'Super Mario Bros.' with PSA 9.6 Grade Sold For Over $3M
The "Call of Duty" listing sits alongside another major lot from the same Heritage Auctions sale. A sealed copy of "Super Mario Bros." for the Nintendo Entertainment System, graded PSA 9.6 A++, sold for $3 million at the same auction event on June 12, setting a new all-time record for a video game sold at public auction.
The "Super Mario Bros." copy features a gloss sticker seal from the second production run, making it one of only three known sealed copies from that variant.
Its PSA 9.6 grade is the highest ever assigned to any sealed copy of the game submitted through PSA's grading service, and Heritage Auctions called it the "Honus Wagner of video game collecting," a comparison to the most coveted card in baseball card history.
