This is a great question! Not just how big is my Mario collection, but how complete is it. I have been collecting Mario for a very long time and I am thankful I started when I did, as I couldn't afford to start now! But anyone can collect Mario, it just takes patience. I take pride and responsibility for my collection, but I am also humbled by the items I have amassed, some of which I couldn't have even dreamed of owning.
I separate my Mario collection into six main categories: GAMES, MUSIC, MOVIES, BOOKS, MERCH, and MISC. As detailed in a previous post, due to spacial and financial reasons, I am cutting back on Mario merchandise collecting, becoming a very selective collector of the merch I love most. I probably only own about 20% of all Mario merch, though it is virtually impossible to collect it all. However, for media it is not. I have always, first and foremost, been a Mario media collector. And in terms of media (game, book, film, OST), not to brag, but I have the biggest Mario collection in the entire world!
I will go through each of the six categories and assess them in terms of complete-ness. I will only note what I am missing, so if it isn't listed, assume that I already have it. These categories are current as of the time of this post, and I assume will be current for many years as the items currently lacking in my collection are incredibly rare. If you own anything located in Missing, please let me know right away! Let's begin!
GAMES:
I have every single American, PAL and Japanese Mario game (NTSC is the default region for non-exclusives), with only a few exceptions, that I will list below. All of my Mario games are in like-new condition and have at least the manual, while FDS games and GameCube onward are all complete. Mario games mean a game where Mario himself makes an appearance in an integral role. (i.e. Donkey Kong Country would not be a Mario game, but Punch-Out!! would be, as though it is a cameo, Mario's role is integral.) Here is a link to my virtual game library: https://backloggery.com/tumf
Missing:
Donkey Kong Circus (G&W) This is so rare, and getting it with the manual causes prices to rise astronomically. I will get it, it's just a matter of when.
Super Mario Bros. Crystal Screen (G&W)
Super Mario Bros. F1 Race Limited Edition (G&W)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong e-Reader cards (GBA)
Golf: Japan Course (Gold) (FDS)
Golf: US Course (Gold) (FDS)
BS Super Mario USA (SFC)
Dr. Mario BS Version (SFC)
Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium (SFC)
Mario Paint BS Ban (SFC)
Mario Paint Yuushou Naizou Ban (SFC)
Yoshi no Cookie: Kuruppon Oven de Cookie (SFC)
Other than a handful of Game & Watches, Famicom Disk games, and Satellaview Memory cartridges, I have ALL the Mario games. I own all the Nelsonic watches, PC-8801 titles, and anything else rare that comes to mind.
MUSIC:
I have all NTSC Mario soundtracks and almost all soundtracks released in Japan and worldwide. These days you have to watch out for bootlegs. I have a few soundtracks that are so rare they are unlisted in databases. I am still missing some Japanese Mario soundtracks. Here is a website that tracks all the CDs I own: https://vgmdb.net/db/collection.php?do=view&userid=16282
Missing:
Mario Kart 64 on Club Circuit (biggest omission)
3D Hot Rally (cassette and CD version)
Famicom Graffiti: Nintendo Disk Card Edition
Game Music Graffiti
Fantasic World of Super Mario Bros. 3 (cassette version)
Super Mario Bros. 3 G.S.M. (vinyl version)
Tanoshii Beyer Heiyou Super Mario World Complete Music Collection
Super Mario World (cassette version)
Mario & Luigi (Danish cassette version)
Other than that, I have all the Mario music. It blows my mind how much money and time it took, but the fact that I only don't own eight Mario OSTs, some of them alternate versions of what I already own, is pretty amazing. I also may not own the CD/cassette version of Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen, but that is so rare that it is debatable whether it exists.
MOVIES:
I did my movie collecting fairly early on, with some major Japanese additions later. I own the only sealed copy of Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen in the entire world. I also own all the Mario movies and Japanese movies, with only a few ultra-rare exceptions, listed below. (Note: I do not count "guide" videos toward this total as the video must be an original work, not simply a gameplay video with walkthrough dialogue superimposed over it.)
Missing:
The Bird! The Bird! VHS tape (SMBSS)
Pirates of the Koopa VHS tape (SMBSS)
Fire is Hot! Super Mario Fire Brigade 16mm/VHS tape
Super Mario Traffic Safety 16 mm/VHS Tape
Super Mario - ABC no Utau VHS tape (biggest omission)
Pjerrots Jul VHS tape
Honestly, just a handful of tapes here, but they are the rarest of the rare. I fully expect to wait and search another ten years before I get them all.
BOOKS:
This is by far the biggest category of Mario media, and the hardest to collect for. Seriously, collecting all the games is a walk in the park compared to this. At first I started by collecting all the Mario comics, then the manga, then strategy guides, and worked my way up. I own all of Mario's licensed North American strategy guides, but not all the Japanese ones, which I don't plan to. I do intend to own all Mario books that are original works, however. Here are some of the books I'm still missing.
Missing:
Nintendo Club Magazine -two volumes (I own almost them all but there are a few Mario comics I still don't own)
Hello Mario! Let's Play in English (Japanese English-learning book)
The full set of Super Mario-kun (it's not rare but I don't have space at the moment and there are always new ones coming out)
The full set of Super Mario Kodansha manga
A few of the Super Mario World picture books
There are also a few miscellaneous Mario mangas too obscure to list, but other than that, the Mario book category is complete. I have spent the MOST time on compiling my Mario book collection and I have no doubt it's the largest in America and beyond.
MERCH:
This is a category I no longer collect for completion. Thus, while I do own some very rare Mario merch that I will keep, I am not a completionist here and have (painfully) sold off substantial parts of it. There are still a few things I would like in this category though:
Dr. Mario tie
Fiorentina Super Mario Game Boy
All the Mario Kellogg's cards
Mario ceramic clock
Mario ceramic coin bank
Mario Hi-C juice box
Mario furikake
Mario Kart DS Demo
Mario Mania mobile sign
Super Mario RPG plush
Super Mario 64 Squeezie
Super Mario Bros. 3 wristbands
1989 Super Mario fruit snacks
Super Mario AM radio
Mario Bros. Arcade Cabinet
Super Mario Nail Polish
Super Mario Sunshine Mineral Water Bottle
Super Mario 64 Amada trading cards
Unlike the preceding categories, these are low-priority. My Game and Music categories still need the most work!
MISC.
This is for promo material and various other things that don't fit in the other categories. Things like this include my Mario production material, my television scripts for Mario shows, animation cels, autographs, promo materials, happy meal toy displays--anything that was never for sale. As such, nothing is "missing" per se, as these are generally one-of-a-kind NFS items.
Missing?
And there you have it! Thanks for sticking around until the end. Given the small number of missing items on those lists, you can imagine how huge my ALREADY OWN lists are! I will see about cataloging and posting my gallery on here in the coming days, but I don't want to crash the site. Thanks for stopping by! Ciao~
