Roger Holler, a Nintendo fan from Puyallup, Washington, suffered a burglary while away from home. Over 860 NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) game cartridges, collected over nearly 40 years, were stolen, with an estimated value of $50,000 to $100,000. Even more regrettable is that he was just three titles short of completing the full US release library for the NES.
According to local media outlet KING5, the theft occurred last week while Holler and his family were out. When they returned home on Sunday evening, they discovered a forced entry and found the shelves where Holler stored his cartridges completely ransacked. These cartridges had been accumulated over decades, starting from when his mother gave him his first NES console at age 11, through trips to stores, gaming conventions, and various locations across Washington state.
Holler estimates the collection is worth between $50,000 and $100,000. But for him, the sentimental value of these cartridges far exceeds their market price. During his collecting journey, he passed on this passion to his family, especially his son, Chris Sterling. Sterling recalls growing up searching for games with his father and says watching his father's lifelong work being stolen is "heartbreaking." Holler had originally planned to pass the collection down to his grandchildren, hoping to one day sell it to help fund their college tuition.
It has been over 40 years since the NES console was released, and the market for classic games remains hot. This June, at a Heritage Auctions event, a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for a record-breaking $3 million. Classic NES titles dominated the top auction prices—The Legend of Zelda cartridge sold for $375,000, with the entire auction exceeding $5 million in total sales.
For players who want to revisit Nintendo classics without paying high prices for physical cartridges, the Nintendo Switch Online service offers libraries of NES and SNES games, including titles like Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario World.