Rare Super Mario cartridges to go up for sale in auction

Key Points:

• Jason Ganos, a prominent Nintendo game collector, discovered an ultrarare collection of 97 pristine Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt cartridges from 1993, a production date later than the game's official discontinuation in 1991.
• The cartridges, found in storage by Wisconsin store owner Kevin Braun, are believed to be either warranty replacements or part of an unfulfilled retailer bundle, and five of them received a perfect 10 rating from the Professional Sports Authenticator.
• The collection is set for an online auction starting Friday and running until September 9, with three perfect 10 cartridges up for sale, while Ganos and Braun retain some copies including ones with top ratings.
• The rarity, condition, and unique production history of these cartridges could place their value in the six- to seven-figure range, though Ganos refrains from estimating their exact worth due to their unprecedented nature.
• Ganos and Braun plan to follow the current auction with a charity auction, and Ganos expressed a personal connection to the game, emphasizing the excitement of finding uncirculated, pristine video game collectibles.