The Wisconsin Collection

The Wisconsin Collection

In a small Wisconsin town, something big happened: The Wisconsin Collection. A late collector’s family was left with the collection he left behind. So what happened to the collection? The video games began appearing on eBay in the early 2010s, attracting the attention of many sealed video game collectors.

Collectors were enthralled as the games popped up on eBay—the title selection of primarily NES games was exceptional. Even though the photos were often blurry and left a lot to be desired, the games appeared to be in excellent condition. Several brave collectors took a chance and purchased games—and were thrilled by what they received.

The sudden appearance of these games had collectors reaching out to the seller directly, often outside of eBay, to acquire more or potentially all of the collection. Whenever a new title was listed, interest spiked and prices shot up—with some listings nearly eclipsing $10,000 for a single game.

These collectors knew there was no time to waste and they began reaching out to the seller sometimes within days of receiving their eBay orders. They were impressed with the condition and authenticity of the games and knew they had no time to wait. For buyers who were fortunate enough to get in touch with the seller, the conversations left them wanting more information. With scant details and sometimes postage stamp-sized photos, many collectors thought twice about going all in. Notably, this collection and several of the photos feature the historic Super Mario Bros. gloss sticker 9.4 A++ (573019-009). This copy is the earliest known, still sealed copy for Super Mario Bros.—and given its incredible condition, it will likely always be the highest graded example.

Eventually, several collectors were able to learn more about the collection and its history. The seller’s late father had an impressive habit of acquiring games, often purchasing them on release day to ensure he didn’t miss out on titles that might not be reprinted. While his Atari games were well-loved and showed signs of use, many of the other titles, such as those for the NES, remained sealed—a testament to his foresight and dedication to preserving his collection. While it’s unclear if he lost interest in playing video games or had greater ambitions for the collection, other collectors have reaped the benefits of his careful curating.

With the information we have, it appears that the father acquired the games from routine sources and not from any one specific source. Many of the games featured stickers from typical late ‘80s and early ‘90s retailers such as Target, Sears, and Kay-Bee Toys. Knowing that likely all of these games were acquired at retail, it makes their condition decades later even more impressive.

Many collectors who purchased games from this collection quickly sent them in for authentication and grading. Over time, many of these games were crossed over to WATA, and we are proud to be the grading institution of choice for such a historic find.

After several months, the collectors who built relationships with the seller completed their third and final batch of purchased games, ending what was a monumental effort to safely and logistically acquire them.

As a testament to their unbelievable rarity, this pedigree features many sticker sealed NES black box titles. Not only are these games in phenomenal shape given their lack of a traditional seal type, they are all population 1 — not just for their grade, but for their entire variant with no earlier print WATA graded examples.

For these collectors, they felt little need or desire to sell their newly acquired games quickly. The variant and conditional rarities were simply too good to let go of. While many of these games are no longer owned by the courageous collectors who originally procured the games from the estate, they are now in the hands of collectors who cherish and recognize the magnitude of what stemmed from a few eBay listings.

The Wisconsin Collection offers a glimpse into the incredible efforts and passion that drive this unique hobby. Each game is a chapter in a larger story, a narrative that continues to unfold as new discoveries are made and history is preserved. At WATA Games, we are honored to play a role in grading and preserving these valuable pieces of gaming history.