An unexpected box of 97 pristine Super Mario Bros. Duck Hunt cartridges discovered in storage by Waukesha store owner Kevin Braun has yielded five perfect-score 10 ratings from the Professional Sports Authenticator, according to Nintendo game collector Jason Ganos. The rare 1993-produced cartridges, which survived uncirculated after the bundle was officially discontinued, are heading to an online auction hosted by Golden Pop’s Culture Auction running through Sept. 9, standing in stark contrast to Heritage Auctions’ June 12th sale of a sealed 1985 Super Mario Bros. copy with a gloss sticker seal for $3 million, a market surge that previously fueled a class-action lawsuit against Wata Games over alleged grading inflation.
Uncovering the Waukesha Super Mario Storage Find
The discovery began when Kevin Braun, owner of One Stop Wonders in Waukesha outside Milwaukee, asked Jason Ganos to help sell common items and Pokémon cards. Braun mentioned a box of Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt games sitting in storage, which he bought from a customer whose family kept them for metal scraps thinking they lacked value, according to Ganos. Realizing the significance, Ganos flew to California with 97 cartridges in his carry-on luggage to have video game experts verify and grade them.
Did you know? Ganos carried all 97 uncirculated Nintendo circuit boards through airport security in his carry-on luggage, nervously answering TSA questions about the unusual cargo.
Grading Standards and Auction Expectations for the 1993 Cartridges
Out of the 97 cartridges produced in 1993—long after the company discontinued the bundle in 1991—five received a perfect 10 score from the Professional Sports Authenticator, a rating never previously achieved by an NES cartridge, according to Ganos. Braun and Ganos are auctioning three of the perfect-score cartridges through Golden Pop’s Culture Auction while keeping one 10-score copy each and a few rated in the high 9s. While the gaming collectible market has been an absolute circus since COVID, Ganos stated he would not guess the exact final worth of the unique find due to its lack of direct market comparisons.
Market Parallels: Million-Dollar Nintendo Sales and Grading Scrutiny
The high-stakes collectible market has seen massive figures, highlighted by Heritage Auctions selling an early 1985 Super Mario Bros. copy featuring a coveted gloss sticker seal for a mind-boggling $3 million, according to Kotaku. That sale did circles around the ever infamous Nintendo PlayStation and outpaced the previous $1.5 million sale of a Super Mario 64 copy in 2021. However, the booming valuation environment has drawn legal challenges. Following the 2021 auction, a group of collectors filed a class-action lawsuit against grading firm Wata Games, accusing the company of propping up million-dollar values to juice their own reputation and drum up business, a legal battle that continues to move through the courts, as reported by Kotaku.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are these Super Mario Bros. Duck Hunt cartridges considered unusual?
According to Ganos, the 97 cartridges were manufactured in 1993, long after the company discontinued the bundle in 1991, and feature an uncirculated pristine condition that earned five rare perfect-10 grades from the Professional Sports Authenticator.
Where are the newly discovered cartridges being sold?
Three of the perfect-score cartridges are being auctioned through Golden Pop’s Culture Auction in an online event running through Sept. 9, according to Ganos.
What previous sales set records in the retro video game market?
According to Kotaku, Heritage Auctions sold a rare 1985 sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. with a gloss sticker seal for $3 million, which would be the most money ever made by the sale of a single video game, eclipsing the $1.5 million sale of a Super Mario 64 copy in 2021.
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