Key Takeaways
- Thor Jensen found 97 sealed NES games, with PSA grading several above 9.6.
- PSA gave 1 game a perfect 10, while rare titles could fetch nearly $9,000 each.
- Jensen plans to auction the NES haul, with part of the proceeds going to charity.
While clearing his grandfather’s storage in Waukesha, Wisconsin, store owner Thor Jensen came across a stash most collectors only see in auction catalogs: 97 unopened NES games. PSA authenticated and graded the lot, turning what could have been nostalgia into a documented cache that includes rare production variants. A few copies earned a perfect 10, and individual games are being priced near $9,000. Jensen plans to auction the collection, with part of the proceeds set aside for charity.
An unexpected find in Wisconsin
Some tech stories start in a lab. This one started in a storage room in Waukesha, Wisconsin. While clearing out his late grandfather’s old reserve space, a local shop owner ended up carrying a sealed cardboard box into his store and realizing it was more than clutter. Inside were 97 unopened NES games, still in their original shrink wrap, preserved for more than 30 years.
The account was shared by Kevin Braun, manager of Waukesha Video Games, who said the family connection mattered: the grandfather had worked in local deliveries, the kind of job that could leave unsold retail inventory behind. The surprising part is not that the box existed, it is that it avoided the usual enemies of paper and plastic: moisture, sunlight, and time.
Grading turns nostalgia into a measurable asset
Braun said the full lot was sent to PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) for verification and grading, the same machinery that fuels today’s card and collectibles boom. A sealed game is one thing. A sealed game with a trusted grade becomes something closer to a financial instrument, because condition stops being a debate and becomes a number.
Per the grading results described, 12 games scored above 9.6/10, and one received the rare perfect PSA 10. The collection also includes unusual manufacturing variants, including “Glossy Sticker Seal” and “Oval SOQ,” the kind of details that matter because they can radically change scarcity, and therefore price.
What the auction market might pay
Collectors are already circulating estimates that some individual titles could sell for about $9,000 each at auction, depending on the specific variant and grade. That is not a guarantee, but it tracks with how the top end of sealed, graded collectibles has behaved: thin supply, global demand, and price discovery that often happens in public.
If you are wondering why this keeps happening now, it is partly infrastructure. Online marketplaces, specialist auction houses, and third-party graders make it easier to turn a “found item” into a liquid asset, with comps, population reports, and a buyer base that extends far beyond Wisconsin.
Why this matters beyond one dusty box
This episode doubles as a snapshot of a broader US tech-business theme: alternative assets getting standardized. PSA’s role looks a lot like what credit bureaus did for lending, or what app stores did for software distribution. Standardization attracts capital, and capital attracts more standardization.
Part of the proceeds will go to charity, according to Braun’s account, while some items may be displayed rather than sold. And it leaves you with one small question that feels very American right now: how many “inventory time capsules” are still sitting in garages, warehouses, and forgotten back rooms, waiting for a barcode scan and a grade?
