Waukesha Storage Unit Yields Rare Uncirculated Nintendo Cartridges

Rare Nintendo Cartridges Found in Storage Unit

Braun originally acquired the cartridges years ago from a seller whose grandfather owned a business that recovered precious metals from circuit boards. According to the seller’s account, Nintendo had wanted the cartridges destroyed or scrapped for precious metal in the early 1990s and sent a box of 100 cartridges to Wisconsin, but they ultimately ended up in the hands of the recovery service instead of being recycled. Braun purchased the box and stored it away, later forgetting about the purchase until his friend Jason Ganos, editor-in-chief of Nintendowire, assisted him in sorting through items to sell online.

Unusual Origins and Historical Significance

When the box was opened, Ganos and Braun found 97 individually wrapped copies of Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt, complete with pristine manuals tucked behind each cartridge. A rectangular box outfitted with three stickers—including English and Japanese text—showed a shipping date of December 1, 1995, and indicated it originally held 100 pieces of the game. Because Duck Hunt was traditionally a widely distributed pack-in game for the NES, the find initially appeared to hold only face-value utility, with plans to sell individual copies in the shop for $10 to $15 each.

However, after Ganos posted about the find online, two different directors from major grading companies reached out, warning that something unusual about the cartridges warranted closer inspection. Detailed examination revealed a different back label, distinct dates and text on the back of the manual—such as the phrase maintenance or service instead of previous known versions reading maintenance or repair—and a completely different motherboard with unique text.

Authentication and Grading Grades

Following the tip to inspect the internal circuit boards, Ganos flew to Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) in California to have the cartridges authenticated. Inspection revealed that the units were some of the last produced, manufactured during the 40th week of 1993. In the history of PSA grading for collectibles, an NES cartridge had never previously received a grade of 10. The Waukesha discovery achieved five perfect 10 scores, alongside 60 copies graded at 9.8, 31 copies at 9.6, and one copy at 9.4.

Upcoming Auctions and Estimated Value

While the exact financial value remains unclear, three copies are scheduled to be put up for auction at Goldin Auctions starting August 12. Industry expectations place the value of the uncirculated cartridges at least in the four-digit range, with the perfect-10 units potentially reaching five digits. Collectors tracking the auction have been advised of high potential market interest, drawing comparisons to rare historic NES items like the Gold Nintendo World Championships cartridge.