Saved From Being Melted Down: Nearly 100 Rare Super Mario Bros NES Cartridges Found in Storage
In a discovery that sounds more like a Hollywood script than reality, a Wisconsin video game shop owner has uncovered a treasure trove of nearly 100 never-before-seen copies of a rare Super Mario Bros NES cartridge, as first reported by ABC News. The box of dual-game cartridges—which also features Duck Hunt—was originally destined to be melted down for gold at a metal recovery service decades ago, making their sudden emergence one of the most stunning retro gaming discoveries in modern history.
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Hidden Behind Halloween Decorations for Decades
Kevin Braun, owner of Onestopwonders in Waukesha, Wisconsin, bought the box two to three years ago from a seller who had left it untouched in a garage for nearly 30 years, he told ABC News. Forgotten behind Halloween decorations in a storage unit, the crate sat gathering dust until a conversation with Jason Ganos, owner of media outlet Nintendo Wire, prompted Braun to finally crack it open.
What they found inside defied retro gaming logic:
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Unprecedented Hardware: The cartridges featured unique screws, labels, internal motherboards, and manuals distinct from any previously known variant.
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An Impossible Date: The box was stamped with a 1993 production date—a full two years after the last known official copy of the dual-game was produced, according to Ganos.
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Preserved History: While the gameplay itself remains identical, Ganos believes these cartridges may have been manufactured as replacement stock for warranty repairs or an unreleased bundle.
Ganos expressed total disbelief over the find, emphasizing that discovering a new physical variation for what is arguably the most documented video game in history is practically unheard of.
Flawless Gem-Mint Grades Head to Auction
The find isn’t just historically significant—it’s potentially worth millions. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) evaluated several of the physical cartridges and awarded them a perfect Grade 10 score, marking an unprecedented first for Nintendo Entertainment System releases.
With retro video game collecting exploding—highlighted by a record-breaking $3 million sale of an early sealed Super Mario Bros. copy at Heritage Auctions—the vintage gaming market is hotter than ever. Gaming historians and collectors won’t have to wait long to own a piece of this secret hoard: three of the perfect-grade cartridges are tentatively scheduled to hit the block via Goldin Auctions this Friday.
