Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis): PSA Pop Report & Prices
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PSA has graded 201 Sonic the Hedgehog Sega Genesis copies on record — 137 CIB, 64 sealed. PSA tracks 12 distinct production variants separately because they’re priced differently by collectors. Sealed copies trade in the $140 range. This page is the per-game pop + price + grading reference for Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis — updated weekly from PSA’s official population data and PriceCharting’s market catalog.
Quick Facts
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Title: Sonic the Hedgehog
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Console: Sega Genesis
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Variants tracked by PSA: 12
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Total PSA-graded copies: 201 (Loose: 0 · CIB: 137 · Sealed: 64)
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PriceCharting market data: available
Variant Comparison
PSA recognizes 12 distinct production variants of Sonic the Hedgehog, each tracked on its own population row because collectors value them differently. The variants this game discriminates on: ESRB-rating retrofit packaging; Canadian-market edition.
| Variant | Loose Pop | CIB Pop | Sealed Pop | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made in Japan, Canadian Version | — | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Made in Japan, Redwood City Address | — | 22 | 21 | 43 |
| Made in Japan, Sega Classic - GA Rating - Printed in Japan | — | — | 6 | 6 |
| Made in Japan, Sega Classic - GA Rating - Printed in USA | — | — | 5 | 5 |
| Made in Japan, South San Francisco Address | — | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| Made in Taiwan, Canadian Version | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Made in Taiwan, NFR - Redwood City Address | — | 8 | — | 8 |
| Made in Taiwan, NFR - South San Francisco Address | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Made in USA, K-A Rating | — | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| Made in USA, Sega Classic - K-A Rating | — | 1 | 16 | 17 |
| Printed in Japan, South San Francisco Address | — | 78 | 8 | 86 |
| Printed in USA, NFR - Hayward Address | — | 1 | — | 1 |
PSA Pop by Condition
PSA tracks Sonic the Hedgehog 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 12 variants PSA recognizes for this title.
Loose Cartridge
PSA hasn’t graded any loose copies of Sonic the Hedgehog for Sega Genesis yet.
Complete in Box (CIB)
Total graded: 137
| Variant | Pop | Grade Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Made in Japan, Canadian Version | 1 | 7.5: 1 |
| Made in Japan, Redwood City Address | 22 | 9.2: 1 · 9.0: 3 · 8.5: 3 · 8.0: 4 · 7.5: 6 · 7.0: 2 · 6.5: 1 · <6.5: 2 |
| Made in Japan, South San Francisco Address | 12 | 9.4: 1 · 9.0: 2 · 8.5: 2 · 8.0: 2 · 7.5: 1 · 7.0: 2 · 6.5: 2 |
| Made in Taiwan, NFR - Redwood City Address | 8 | 9.2: 1 · 9.0: 2 · 8.5: 2 · 8.0: 1 · 7.5: 1 · 7.0: 1 |
| Made in Taiwan, NFR - South San Francisco Address | 1 | 8.5: 1 |
| Made in USA, K-A Rating | 13 | 9.2: 1 · 9.0: 2 · 8.5: 3 · 8.0: 2 · 7.5: 3 · <6.5: 2 |
| Made in USA, Sega Classic - K-A Rating | 1 | 9.0: 1 |
| Printed in Japan, South San Francisco Address | 78 | 9.6: 3 · 9.4: 7 · 9.2: 8 · 9.0: 15 · 8.5: 16 · 8.0: 9 · 7.5: 7 · 7.0: 4 · 6.5: 6 · <6.5: 3 |
| Printed in USA, NFR - Hayward Address | 1 | 8.5: 1 |
PSA has not graded the following variants in this condition: Made in Japan, Sega Classic - GA Rating - Printed in Japan · Made in Japan, Sega Classic - GA Rating - Printed in USA · Made in Taiwan, Canadian Version.
Factory Sealed
Total graded: 64
Sealed summary by variant:
| Variant | Total Pop | Top Numeric Grade | Best Seal Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made in Japan, Canadian Version | 1 | 9.8 | A+ |
| Made in Japan, Redwood City Address | 21 | 9.8 | A++ |
| Made in Japan, Sega Classic - GA Rating - Printed in Japan | 6 | 9.6 | A++ |
| Made in Japan, Sega Classic - GA Rating - Printed in USA | 5 | 9.6 | A++ |
| Made in Japan, South San Francisco Address | 4 | 9.8 | A |
| Made in Taiwan, Canadian Version | 1 | 9.8 | B+ |
| Made in USA, K-A Rating | 2 | 9.4 | B |
| Made in USA, Sega Classic - K-A Rating | 16 | 10 | A++ |
| Printed in Japan, South San Francisco Address | 8 | 9.8 | 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: 10 (PSA ceiling).
| Grade | A++ | A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 9.8 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 14 |
| 9.6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | 24 |
| 9.4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 13 |
| 9.2 | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 9.0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 |
| 8.5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| 7.5 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 7.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 6.5 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 |
| <6.5 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Total | 13 | 15 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 64 |
Per-variant grade × seal matrices
Click any variant to expand its full grade × seal breakdown.
Made in Japan, Canadian Version (1 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.8 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A+ | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 9.8 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 |
Made in Japan, Redwood City Address (21 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.8 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A++ | A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.8 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
| 9.6 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 6 |
| 9.4 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 9.2 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 9.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| 7.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 6.5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| <6.5 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 21 |
Made in Japan, Sega Classic - GA Rating - Printed in Japan (6 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.6 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A++ | A+ | A | C+ | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 9.0 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| 7.5 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Made in Japan, Sega Classic - GA Rating - Printed in USA (5 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.6 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A++ | A+ | B+ | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.6 | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 9.4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 9.2 | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Made in Japan, South San Francisco Address (4 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.8 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 9.8 | 1 | 1 |
| 9.6 | 1 | 1 |
| 9.4 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 4 | 4 |
Made in Taiwan, Canadian Version (1 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.8 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | B+ | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 9.8 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 |
Made in USA, K-A Rating (2 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.4 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | B | C+ | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.4 | — | 1 | 1 |
| 8.5 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Made in USA, Sega Classic - K-A Rating (16 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 10 (PSA ceiling).
| Grade | A++ | A+ | A | B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 9.8 | 4 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 9.6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 7 |
| 9.4 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 3 |
| 6.5 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Total | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 16 |
Printed in Japan, South San Francisco Address (8 sealed pop)
Top observed grade: 9.8 (PSA scale extends to 10).
| Grade | A++ | A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 9.6 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Total | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
PSA has not graded the following variants in this condition: Made in Taiwan, NFR - Redwood City Address · Made in Taiwan, NFR - South San Francisco Address · Printed in USA, NFR - Hayward Address.
Current Market Prices
All prices below come from PriceCharting’s public catalog as of this page’s last update. PriceCharting calculates its values from completed sales on eBay and its own marketplace — 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: $14
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Complete in Box (CIB): $28
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Sealed: $140
All 12 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.
Auction House Graded Sales
Heritage Auctions and Goldin sold results below are real auction transactions for Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis. 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 auction sale signals, sorted by format, recency, and realized-price signal. PSA production variants can price differently, so the sale records keep each auction house’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 (Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production) | PSA 9.8 A++ | Last sale $60,000 | Aug 29, 2026 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Made in Japan, Redwood City Address) | PSA 9.8 A+ | Last sale $48,800 | Sep 10, 2026 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Printed in Japan South San Francisco Address Early Production) | PSA 9.8 A+ | Last sale $45,000 | Nov 22, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production) | WATA 9.8 A+ | Last sale $38,750 | May 24, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production) | WATA 9.4 A+ | Last sale $27,500 | Aug 23, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Made in Japan South San Francisco Address Early Production) | CGC 9.2 A+ | Last sale $26,250 | Feb 22, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Not For Resale Hayward Address) | VGA 85+ | Last sale $6,875 | May 24, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Canadian Version) | WATA 9.8 A+ | Last sale $4,625 | Nov 23, 2024 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Sega Classic K-A Rating) | WATA 9.8 A++ | Last sale $1,000 | Mar 31, 2026 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Sega Classic K-A Rating Later Production With Cib Sonic Spinball) | CGC 9.9 A++ | Last sale $781 | Sep 18, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Made in USA, Sega Classic, K A Rating) | WATA 9.6 A+ | Last sale $498 | Oct 19, 2025 | 1 |
| Factory sealed (Made in Japan Early Production) | WATA 9.8 A+ | Last sale $360,000 | Apr 22, 2022 | 1 |
Showing the top 12 auction sale signals; the sale-record table below includes every auction auction sale used on this page.
Sale records:
View all 60 auction sale records
| Date | Sold For | Grader / Grade | Format | Variant Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2026 | $48,800 | PSA 9.8 A+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan, Redwood City Address | Goldin lot 202607-1615-3317-5c425524-01ba-4c72-8dc7-df3ba6b4edb1 |
| Aug 29, 2026 | $60,000 | PSA 9.8 A++ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production | Lot 7454-28087 |
| Jun 19, 2026 | $59 | CGC | CIB | No Manual/incorrect Cartridge; Cib Video Game | Goldin lot 202605-1913-5456-c9c00e43-f6f2-44ab-9180-c525579e6cab |
| Jun 18, 2026 | $2,013 | CGC 9.2 | CIB | Sega Clamshell, Printed in Japan, 2167 Address | Goldin lot 202605-1913-5456-a20e28cc-237f-4ca9-86b3-e7033ff98d53 |
| Jun 18, 2026 | $195 | CGC 9.2 | CIB | Sega Clamshell, Made in Japan, 130 Redwood City Address; Cib Video Game | Goldin lot 202605-1913-5456-d639d1c7-dfd1-4302-a68b-11ac011f08f9 |
| Jun 12, 2026 | $87 | CGC | CIB | Incorrect Manual; Cib Video Game | Goldin lot 202605-1913-5456-1ac74e87-4a58-4a24-8894-f85092bb26a5 |
| Jun 12, 2026 | $34 | CGC 7.0 | CIB | South San Francisco Address; Cib Video Game | Goldin lot 202605-1913-5456-5a63a261-b414-403b-a623-c71b65bd9842 |
| Jun 5, 2026 | $85 | CGC 7.5 | CIB | — | Goldin lot 202605-2020-3618-18755079-eb42-44f6-9f3d-3df17d101a65 |
| May 19, 2026 | $575 | PSA 9.0 | CIB | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production | Lot 312620-68042 |
| Mar 31, 2026 | $1,000 | WATA 9.8 A++ | Factory sealed | Sega Classic K-A Rating | Lot 312613-70048 |
| Jan 2, 2026 | $214 | CGC | CIB | Sega Clamshell, Made/printed in Japan, 2167 Address, Incorrect Manual (130 Address), No Rating | Goldin lot 202506-1115-1505-882d58a4-8cc8-414a-8c31-4fb32aa16aac |
| Nov 22, 2025 | $45,000 | PSA 9.8 A+ | Factory sealed | Printed in Japan South San Francisco Address Early Production | Lot 7428-28095 |
| Oct 19, 2025 | $498 | WATA 9.6 A+ | Factory sealed | Made in USA, Sega Classic, K A Rating | Goldin lot 202506-2316-1438-a4b7b2dc-fc18-4b43-8b67-40239df49b2c |
| Oct 14, 2025 | $181 | WATA 9.0 | CIB | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production | Lot 312541-67059 |
| Sep 18, 2025 | $1,750 | WATA 9.6 | CIB | Printed in Japan South San Francisco Address Early Production | Lot 44325-79035 |
| Sep 18, 2025 | $781 | CGC 9.9 A++ | Factory sealed | Sega Classic K-A Rating Later Production With Cib Sonic Spinball | Lot 44325-79036 |
| Sep 9, 2025 | $84 | WATA 8.0 | CIB | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production | Lot 312536-67061 |
| Aug 23, 2025 | $27,500 | WATA 9.4 A+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production | Lot 7416-28105 |
| Aug 23, 2025 | $2,250 | VGA 85+ | Qualified / no seal | Not For Resale Redwood City Address | Lot 7416-28242 |
| Jul 15, 2025 | $325 | WATA 9.0 | CIB | Made in Japan South San Francisco Address Early Production | Lot 312528-68069 |
| Jul 1, 2025 | $275 | CGC 8.5 | CIB | Printed in Japan South San Francisco Address Early Production | Lot 312526-66064 |
| Jun 3, 2025 | $79 | CGC 7.5 | CIB | Sega Classics Ga Rating Later Production | Lot 312522-66058 |
| May 24, 2025 | $38,750 | WATA 9.8 A+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production | Lot 7415-28139 |
| May 24, 2025 | $6,875 | VGA 85+ | Factory sealed | Not For Resale Hayward Address | Lot 7415-28140 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | $3,500 | VGA 85+ | Qualified / no seal | Not For Resale | Lot 44302-80049 |
| Mar 2, 2025 | $98 | CGC 8.5 | CIB | Made in Japan, 130 Address | Goldin lot 202411-2118-4509-579dd3bf-bc15-43f2-992b-ddae5a9407b9 |
| Feb 22, 2025 | $26,250 | CGC 9.2 A+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan South San Francisco Address Early Production | Lot 7411-28088 |
| Nov 23, 2024 | $4,625 | WATA 9.8 A+ | Factory sealed | Canadian Version | Lot 7382-28108 |
| May 28, 2024 | $275 | CGC 8.5 | CIB | Printed in Japan South San Francisco Address First Production | Lot 312422-69059 |
| May 25, 2024 | $20,000 | WATA 9.6 A | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Second Production | Lot 7372-28105 |
| May 25, 2024 | $13,125 | WATA 9.2 A+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Second Production | Lot 7372-28270 |
| May 25, 2024 | $7,500 | CGC 9.8 B+ | Factory sealed | K-A Rating Later Production | Lot 7372-28106 |
| Apr 30, 2024 | $105 | WATA 7.5 | CIB | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Second Production | Lot 312418-70035 |
| Feb 24, 2024 | $21,600 | WATA 9.6 A | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Redwood City Address Mid Production | Lot 7359-28116 |
| Feb 24, 2024 | $1,680 | WATA 9.4 | CIB | Printed in Japan South San Francisco Address Early Production | Lot 7359-28270 |
| Dec 12, 2023 | $129 | WATA 8.0 | CIB | Printed in Japan South San Francisco Address Early Production | Lot 312350-67075 |
| Jul 28, 2023 | $28,800 | CGC 9.4 A+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan South San Francisco Early Production | Lot 7349-28121 |
| Jul 28, 2023 | $1,080 | WATA 9.6 A++ | Factory sealed | Sega Classic K-A Rating Later Production | Lot 7349-28322 |
| Apr 27, 2023 | $21,600 | CGC 9.2 A | Factory sealed | Made in Japan South San Francisco Early Production | Lot 44192-80093 |
| Apr 27, 2023 | $660 | CGC 9.2 | CIB | Made in Japan South San Francisco Early Production | Lot 44192-80094 |
| Apr 22, 2023 | $2,040 | WATA 9.4 | CIB | Printed in Japan Early Production | Lot 7307-28309 |
| Jan 20, 2023 | $50,400 | CGC 9.6 A | Factory sealed | Made in Japan South San Francisco Early Production | Lot 7348-28095 |
| Jan 20, 2023 | $11,400 | WATA 9.6 B | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Redwood City Early Production | Lot 7348-28096 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | $38,400 | WATA 9.6 A | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Early Production | Lot 7290-28150 |
| Oct 13, 2022 | $96,000 | WATA 9.8 A | Factory sealed | Printed in Japan Early Production | Lot 44169-79133 |
| Sep 6, 2022 | $2,160 | WATA 6.5 C+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Early Production | Lot 312236-66107 |
| Sep 6, 2022 | $2,040 | WATA 4.0 B+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Early Production Indiana Collection | Lot 312236-66108 |
| Aug 30, 2022 | $432 | WATA 7.0 | CIB | Printed in Japan Early Production | Lot 312235-70118 |
| Aug 16, 2022 | $360 | WATA 6.5 A | Factory sealed | Sega Classics K-A Rating | Lot 312233-68139 |
| Aug 7, 2022 | $102,000 | WATA 9.6 A | Factory sealed | Printed in Japan Early Production | Lot 7288-28162 |
| Aug 2, 2022 | $504 | WATA 8.0 | CIB | Printed in Japan Early Production | Lot 312231-66119 |
| Jun 21, 2022 | $384 | WATA 7.5 | CIB | Printed in Japan Early Production | Lot 312225-68102 |
| Apr 23, 2022 | $18,000 | WATA 9.0 C+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Early Production | Lot 7286-29172 |
| Apr 22, 2022 | $360,000 | WATA 9.8 A+ | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Early Production | Lot 7286-28162 |
| Jan 28, 2022 | $240,000 | WATA 9.6 B+ | Factory sealed | Printed in Japan Early Production | Lot 7284-28113 |
| Oct 29, 2021 | $312,000 | WATA 9.6 A | Factory sealed | Made in Japan Early Production | Lot 7263-28197 |
| Oct 29, 2021 | $45,600 | WATA 8.5 B | Factory sealed | K-A Rating Later Production | Lot 7263-28198 |
| Oct 19, 2021 | $1,320 | WATA 8.5 | CIB | Printed in Japan Early Production | Lot 312142-68088 |
| Oct 27, 2019 | $186 | WATA 8.0 | CIB | — | Lot 121943-17310 |
| Oct 24, 2019 | $132 | WATA 6.5 | CIB | — | Lot 121942-15399 |
Listings
Each link below opens an eBay search filtered to that condition, scoped to Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis. “Sold” pulls completed/sold listings (use this for price research). “Listings” pulls current active listings (use this to find a copy to buy).
Why Sonic the Hedgehog Matters for Grading
Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the more heavily-graded Sega Genesis titles, with 201 PSA-graded copies on record (137 CIB, 64 sealed). Strong submission volume signals collector demand — and grade premiums are the market’s vote on which copies are scarce. The sealed-to-loose price ratio is roughly 10× — sealed copies trade at $140 while loose carts move around $14. That spread means a fresh sealed find is the move; raw cart flips have thinner margins after grading fees. Because PSA tracks 12 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 Sonic the Hedgehog Sega Genesis worth grading?
Yes for clean, top-condition copies. Sonic the Hedgehog has a healthy 201-copy graded population, and the higher-tier grades (9.4+) consistently command meaningful premiums over raw. Mid-tier grades (7-8) often net break-even after grading fees, so submission strategy matters.
How rare is a graded CIB copy of Sonic the Hedgehog?
PSA tracks 137 graded CIB copies of Sonic the Hedgehog for Sega Genesis. 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 Sonic the Hedgehog?
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 Sonic the Hedgehog?
PSA recognizes 12 distinct production variants of Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis. 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. Goldin graded-sale comps come from Goldin (goldin.co) sold lot pages linked in the sale-record table; Goldin prices are the lot’s final price as Goldin reports it. Rankings, medians and summaries are What The Slab analysis — How we get our numbers.
Related Resources
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Sega Genesis 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 Sega Genesis pop reports & prices: