Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Nintendo NES: PSA Pop Report + Loose / CIB / Sealed Prices
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PSA has graded 27 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Nintendo NES copies on record — 1 loose, 5 CIB, 21 sealed. PSA tracks 2 distinct production variants separately because they’re priced differently by collectors. Sealed copies trade in the $400 range. This page is the per-game pop + price + grading reference for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Nintendo NES — updated weekly from PSA’s official population data and PriceCharting’s market catalog.
Quick Facts
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Title: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
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Console: Nintendo NES
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Variants tracked by PSA: 2
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Total PSA-graded copies: 27 (Loose: 1 · CIB: 5 · Sealed: 21)
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PriceCharting market data: available
Variant Comparison
PSA recognizes 2 distinct production variants of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, each tracked on its own population row because collectors value them differently. The variants this game discriminates on: USA-region production code labeling.
| Variant | Loose Pop | CIB Pop | Sealed Pop | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Screw, USA Code | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Made in Japan | — | 5 | 21 | 26 |
PSA Pop by Condition
PSA tracks Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back populations independently for loose carts, complete-in-box (CIB), and factory-sealed copies — collectors price each condition separately because rarity and demand diverge sharply. Tables below show the grade-tier breakdown per condition, aggregated across 2 variants PSA recognizes for this title.
Loose Cartridge
Total graded: 1
| Variant | Pop | Grade Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Screw, USA Code | 1 | 9.2: 1 |
PSA has not graded the following variant in this condition: Made in Japan.
Complete in Box (CIB)
Total graded: 5
| Variant | Pop | Grade Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Made in Japan | 5 | 9.6: 1 · 9.4: 2 · 9.0: 1 · 8.5: 1 |
PSA has not graded the following variant in this condition: 3 Screw, USA Code.
Factory Sealed
Total graded: 21
Sealed summary by variant:
| Variant | Total Pop | Top Numeric Grade | Best Seal Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made in Japan | 21 | 9.6 | A++ |
Factory Sealed Grade × Seal Matrix
Rows show PSA numeric grades. Columns show seal grades. Cell values are PSA population counts. Aggregated across all variants. Top observed grade: 9.6 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A++ | A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.6 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 9.4 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 4 |
| 9.2 | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 9.0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| 8.5 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 |
| 8.0 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
| <6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 1 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 21 |
PSA has not graded the following variant in this condition: 3 Screw, USA Code.
Current Market Prices
All prices below are pulled directly from PriceCharting’s public catalog and refreshed each time this article regenerates (typically weekly). PriceCharting computes their values from active and recently-sold listings on eBay + their dealer network — independent of any data on this page. The Sealed column reflects PriceCharting’s “manual-only” / new tier — factory-sealed retail at average condition; specific graded-sealed prices vary sharply by numeric grade + seal letter (use the Sealed eBay browse link below for grade-specific comps).
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Loose cartridge: $31
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Complete in Box (CIB): $100
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Sealed: $400
All 2 PSA-tracked variants share the same PriceCharting prices because PriceCharting indexes at the title level, not the variant level. Variant-specific pricing surfaces on eBay sold-comp data — check the Sealed / CIB / Loose browse links below for variant-aware market signals.
Heritage Graded Sales
Heritage Auctions sold results below are real auction transactions for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Nintendo NES. They complement the PriceCharting loose / CIB / sealed benchmarks above; they are not estimates and they are not blended into PriceCharting’s ungraded market prices.
Summary rows are title-level Heritage sale signals, sorted by format, recency, and realized-price signal. PSA production variants can price differently, so the sale records keep Heritage’s own variant notes visible instead of pretending every auction lot maps cleanly to a PSA variant row.
High-grade games can trade years apart, so older auction records stay visible; treat the latest-sale date as part of the comp, not just the dollar amount.
| Format | Grade | Sale signal | Latest sale | Comps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factory sealed (Oval Soq R) | CGC 9.8 A+ | Last sale $3,000 | Feb 22, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Oval Soq R) | WATA 9.6 A++ | Last sale $2,250 | May 24, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Oval Soq R) | WATA 9.4 A+ | $1,440-$2,640 range | Nov 4, 2023 | 2 |
| Factory sealed | WATA 9.6 A | Last sale $1,440 | Mar 8, 2020 | 1 |
| Factory sealed | WATA 8.5 A | Last sale $1,020 | Jul 12, 2020 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Oval Soq R) | WATA 9.0 A | Last sale $840 | May 10, 2022 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Oval Soq R) | WATA 9.2 A | Median $750 | Aug 29, 2023 | 3 |
| Factory sealed (Oval Soq R) | WATA 8.5 B+ | Last sale $324 | May 9, 2023 | 1 |
| CIB (Oval Soq R) | WATA 9.4 | Last sale $408 | Sep 27, 2022 | 1 |
Sale records:
View all 12 Heritage sale records
| Date | Sold For | Grader / Grade | Format | Variant Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2025 | $2,250 | WATA 9.6 A++ | Factory sealed | Oval Soq R | Lot 7415-28215 |
| Feb 22, 2025 | $3,000 | CGC 9.8 A+ | Factory sealed | Oval Soq R | Lot 7411-28125 |
| Nov 4, 2023 | $1,440 | WATA 9.4 A+ | Factory sealed | Oval Soq R | Lot 7350-28236 |
| Aug 29, 2023 | $630 | WATA 9.2 A | Factory sealed | Oval Soq R | Lot 312335-70024 |
| May 9, 2023 | $324 | WATA 8.5 B+ | Factory sealed | Oval Soq R | Lot 312319-67042 |
| Sep 27, 2022 | $408 | WATA 9.4 | CIB | Oval Soq R | Lot 312239-69029 |
| Jul 26, 2022 | $750 | WATA 9.2 A | Factory sealed | Oval Soq R | Lot 312230-69038 |
| May 10, 2022 | $840 | WATA 9.0 A | Factory sealed | Oval Soq R | Lot 312219-67028 |
| Jun 8, 2021 | $960 | WATA 9.2 A | Factory sealed | Oval Soq R | Lot 312123-66039 |
| Jan 11, 2021 | $2,640 | WATA 9.4 A+ | Factory sealed | Oval Soq R | Lot 122102-13780 |
| Jul 12, 2020 | $1,020 | WATA 8.5 A | Factory sealed | — | Lot 7231-97113 |
| Mar 8, 2020 | $1,440 | WATA 9.6 A | Factory sealed | — | Lot 7224-97052 |
Listings
Each link below opens an eBay search filtered to that condition, scoped to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Nintendo NES. “Sold” pulls completed/sold listings (use this for price research). “Listings” pulls current active listings (use this to find a copy to buy).
Why Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Matters for Grading
With 27 PSA-graded copies on record, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back sits in the mid-rarity tier for Nintendo NES — graded copies surface periodically on eBay but command meaningful premiums over raw. The sealed condition dominates submissions (21 of 27, ~77%) — a strong signal that’s where most collector value sits for this title. The sealed-to-loose price ratio is roughly 12× — sealed copies trade at $400 while loose carts move around $31. That spread means a fresh sealed find is the move; raw cart flips have thinner margins after grading fees. Because PSA tracks 2 variants separately, production-code identification matters before submission. The pop-by-variant breakdown above tells you which variant is the rarer find.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Nintendo NES worth grading?
Mostly for sealed copies. The sealed-state population (21) outweighs CIB and loose for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, indicating sealed is where collector capital concentrates. CIB and loose grading is viable but margins are thinner after fees.
How rare is a graded sealed copy of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?
PSA tracks 21 graded sealed copies of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for Nintendo NES. The grade-tier breakdown above shows how those split across PSA’s numeric grades — top-grade copies (9.4+) are the scarcest and typically command the strongest premiums.
Should I buy a graded or raw copy of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?
Depends on your goal. Graded copies cost more upfront but come with PSA’s authenticity + condition guarantee — the right move for buy-and-hold collectors. Raw copies are cheaper but require condition assessment yourself, and the grading lottery means a $50 raw cart can come back as a $25 PSA 7 OR a $200 PSA 9.4. Use the per-condition pop and price data above to calculate expected value before you commit.
Why does PSA track multiple variants of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?
PSA recognizes 2 distinct production variants of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Nintendo NES. Variants reflect real production differences — different factories (Made in Japan vs Made in Mexico), packaging die changes, ESRB-rating retrofits added partway through the console’s life, or Players Choice reissues from later runs. Collectors price them differently because rarity diverges, and PSA tracks each on its own population row so the data reflects the real market structure.
Sources
Pop counts pulled weekly from PSA Video Games population data. Prices from PriceCharting. PSA acquired WATA in July 2021 and completed the rebrand to PSA Video Games on October 20, 2025. PSA Video Games population data is the continuation of WATA’s population history. Heritage graded-sale comps come from Heritage Auctions sold archive lot pages linked in the sale-record table.
Related Resources
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Nintendo NES Game Library — every variant PSA tracks for this console, with pop + price per condition tier (loose, CIB, sealed).
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Retro Video Game Collecting — pillar with broader strategy, market dynamics, and grading economics.
More Nintendo NES pop reports & prices: