A rare collection of 97 absolutely pristine
Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt cartridges, discovered in a Wisconsin storage unit, is set to auction, with some pieces potentially worth millions, according to reports.
A pop culture store owner in Waukesha, Wisconsin, stumbled upon a box of 97 absolutely pristine
Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt cartridges, a discovery that has sent shockwaves through the video game collector community. The cartridges, which were stored for years, are now set to auction, with some experts predicting they could fetch six- to seven-figure prices due to their rarity and condition.
The Discovery and the Collector
The find came to light when Kevin Braun, owner of One Stop Wonders in Waukesha, asked Jason Ganos, a Nintendo game collector and operator of Nintendo Wire, to help sell some items. Braun mentioned a box of Mario cartridges that had been in storage for years, which he had purchased from a customer who had kept them for metal scraps. Ganos immediately recognized their significance.
It’s like pulling out like a Holy Grail,
Ganos said, describing the moment he laid eyes on the cartridges. The games, released in 1988, were made in 1993, long after Nintendo discontinued the bundle in 1991. Ganos and Braun are still unsure why the copies were produced, but they speculate they were either warranty replacements or part of an unfulfilled retail bundle.
Ganos, a lifelong Nintendo enthusiast with tattoos of the company’s logos, flew to California with the 97 cartridges in his carry-on luggage, nervously navigating TSA security. I flew down to California with 97 carts in my carry-on luggage, sweating bullets going through TSA, like why do you have 97 little circuit boards in your carry-on?
he recalled.
Auction Details and Market Value
The cartridges, which include five rated a perfect 10 by the Professional Sports Authenticator, will be auctioned starting Friday, with the sale running until September 9. Ganos and Braun are auctioning three of the perfect 10-rated cartridges through Golden Pop’s Culture Auction, while keeping one for themselves and others rated in the high 9s.
I think there’s going to be historic significance to the tens,
Ganos said, emphasizing the uniqueness of the collection. Like number one, it’s so many people’s childhoods, and number two, there’s never been a 10 in an NES cart before.
The cartridges’ pristine condition, akin to comic books or sports cards, further boosts their value, with Ganos estimating they could sell for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars.
The discovery has already drawn comparisons to a previous auction of a Super Mario game, though Ganos noted that this collection is unprecedented. Finding uncirculated stuff for me is just like super exciting,
he said, adding that the game was the first video game he ever played.
Charity Plans and Uncertainties
Braun and Ganos plan to do a charity auction after they are finished with the current one. However, the exact value of the collection remains uncertain, as Ganos admits it is incomparable to other video game collectibles he has encountered. They could be worth hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands,
he said, acknowledging the lack of precedent.
Braun claimed the games were sent to a metal recovery service to be melted down for gold but were never destroyed. Some of the cartridges are in perfect condition, with unique labels, screws, and manuals that set them apart from standard releases.
The story highlights the intersection of nostalgia, rarity, and market value in the world of video game collecting.
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