In Wisconsin, a box of old Nintendo games were found in a retro game store called OneStop Wonders, in downtown Waukesha. Initially, they were thought to be worth nothing more than around $10 to $15 each. However, as Jason Ganos, Nintendo collector and Editor-in-Chief, Nintendo Wire, noted, these could be worth potentially millions because of certain details that Ganos noticed.
A box of Nintendo games could be worth millions. It had nearly 100 copies of a previously unknown version of Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. https://t.co/ubu1vsgmMk
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) August 10, 2026
Ganos saw that these particular cartridges have differences that set them apart from previously documented versions, such as their back stickers, screws, manuals, and internal motherboards. According to Ganos, the original owners of the cartridges said that his grandfather operated a precious-metal recovery business that processed electronics. The cartridges were reportedly sent there to be dismantled so the gold on their contacts could be recovered.
“These were printed about two years after the last known printing of these games,” Ganos told WISN-TV. “No one understands fully why Nintendo made a box of 100 of these.”
The cartridges reportedly sat in a garage for more than 20 years before eventually making its way to the owner’s store. The box was labeled for 100 cartridges but 97 were found inside. They were individually wrapped and accompanied by pristine manuals. The shipping label read December 19, 1995.
“This is one of the most-documented games in the history of video game preservation, and nobody has seen these specific carts before,” Ganos told WISN.
Five of the cartridges received perfect PSA 10 grades, marking the first PSA 10 grades for this specific NES variant. Three of the cartridges are scheduled to go up for auction through Goldin Auctions beginning Wednesday, including one PSA copy.