97 Sealed NES Games Found in a Wisconsin Storage Unit, Some Valued Near $9,000

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.