DALLAS, TX.- Who says Tom Brady could never be traded for fair value?

Heritage Auctions' first standalone Video Games Auction July 9-10 may prove that the opening statement, a long-standing theory in the world of professional football, might not be as true as many assume.

Among the prized lots featured in the event will be Nintendo World Championships 1990 Grey - Wata 8.0 Cart [#0273], NES Nintendo 1990 USA, by far the highest-graded copy of the game ever offered by the world's largest video games auctioneer. It wasn't too long ago that this copy of this extraordinary game was traded for a PSA Gem Mint 10 Tom Brady 2000 Contenders Rookie Autograph #144 — a card that sold earlier this year for nearly $556,000.

"That trade, and the eventual sale of the Tom Brady card, speaks volumes about the demand for this extraordinary cartridge," Heritage Auctions Video Games Director Valarie McLeckie said. "The sports card and video game markets have enjoyed a major surge in popularity, and in a way, this game reflects both."

The Wata 8.0 grade means this copy stands alone above all others for this game; the second-highest grade on a copy offered by Heritage Auctions was a 5.5.

Part of what drives the demand for this game is that it was created without the intention of consumer release. Instead, it was meant to be used for one competition — the Nintendo World Championships — in 1990, after which it was assumed that the cartridges would be discarded or recycled. It is believed that fewer than 100 of these cartridges remain in existence, very few — if any — of which have been preserved in such condition, making this a timeless historical relic in esports history.