Ultra-rare 1993 Super Mario & Duck Hunt cartridges unearthed in Wisconsin

A Wisconsin pop-culture shop owner revealed to collector Jason Ganos that he had stored a box of 97 Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt cartridges, a variant released in 1988 but manufactured in 1993. Ganos, a longtime Nintendo enthusiast, verified the items and had five receive a flawless 10 rating from Professional Sports Authenticator, a first for NES cartridges. The collection will be offered in an online auction beginning Friday and ending on Sept. 9, with three perfect-score carts listed for sale now while the others are retained for a later charity auction.

The cartridges are noted for their immaculate condition, which can drive collector prices into six- or seven-figure ranges. Ganos and Braun, who bought the boxes from a customer who thought they were scrap metal, plan to keep one perfect-10 copy for themselves and preserve the rest in pristine state.