Thieves steal 850 NES games worth over $50k from Washington family
A Pierce County family lost a 40-year collection of 850 NES games and other valuables in a home invasion. The thieves appeared to know the house layout, entering through the front door and targeting the master bathroom. The owner said the collection was meant as an inheritance for grandchildren.
The stolen collection represents a 40-year investment that began in 1984, when Roger Holler first started acquiring Nintendo titles. He and his son spent countless weekends driving up to ten hours between game stores, hunting for cartridges and cleaning them for preservation. The family's dedication built an archive spanning the NES library's entire commercial life, from early releases like Ice Climber to later titles.
The theft occurred amid a booming retro gaming market where certain NES cartridges command extraordinary prices. A single gold Nintendo World Championships cartridge sold for $207,400 in 2024, and untouched copies of common titles like Duck Hunt have been valued at $10,000 each. The family's collection, valued at over $50,000, was intended to fund grandchildren's education or serve as inheritance, making the loss both financial and deeply personal.
This theft highlights how retro gaming collections have become significant financial assets, making collectors potential targets for organized burglary. Families who invested decades in preserving gaming history may need to reconsider security measures, insurance coverage, and documentation of their collections. The incident could also prompt broader conversations about how digital and physical media collections are valued and protected, particularly as nostalgia-driven markets continue to appreciate older gaming hardware and software.