Pokémon Cards Become Targets for Thieves
Forget about diamonds or fancy cars—thieves are increasingly targeting Pokémon cards, and some insiders suggest it’s becoming the perfect crime.
According to collector Charlie Herlocker, who has a staggering 10 million cards valued at “millions of dollars,” the biggest draw is that the cards are fungible and unregistered. He remarked that stolen cards are easy for thieves to sell off. “We don’t even need a black market,” he pointed out.
Just earlier this month, armed robbers stormed a PokéCourt event in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. They destroyed display cases and made off with $110,000 in cards, including a rare first-edition Charizard valued at around $15,000.
Robberies like this have surged across the country recently. In Wilmington, North Carolina, a game store employee was assaulted during a $20,000 card heist. Atlanta saw $100,000 worth of Pokémon products stolen on Christmas Eve, and in Gardena, California, a thief infamously fell from the ceiling while attempting a break-in.
In Houston, three stores were recently targeted, with thieves breaking in through shared walls with neighboring businesses. One collector ended up losing $55,000 in a related burglary.
“If you operate a collectibles store, treat it like a jewelry store,” advised Goldin. “Good security is a must, and securing valuables overnight is crucial.”
Violence isn’t uncommon either. In one instance, a man in Los Angeles was held at gunpoint while trying to retrieve a briefcase containing a staggering $300,000 in Pokémon cards.
It’s no wonder that Logan Paul travels with a bodyguard these days.
When the influencer decided to auction a unique PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card, he understood the stakes. “We have to hire a security team to escort us,” he mentioned to Ken Goldin, the auction house director.
Paul originally purchased the card for $5,275,000, and Goldin believes it could fetch even more at auction, possibly up to double that amount when bids close on February 15.
Goldin has also emphasized to other card sellers the importance of safety measures to prevent thefts.
Interestingly, some collectors, like Herlocker, choose not to keep their enormous collections at home for security reasons.
It seems that a lot of people are quite serious about Pokémon’s motto, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All.”
Extremely rare cards are often evaluated by reputable agencies, which seal them in durable cases featuring serial numbers and barcodes. These measures should deter some theft, as scanned codes can reveal if a card is stolen. But, as one store owner who was robbed noted, specialized security might not be foolproof. If enough force is used, “it’s like having a dollar bill that can’t be traced.”
Herlocker explained that while it’s easy for thieves to sell stolen cards online or at shows, recovery is often near impossible, mainly due to the decentralized nature of the buyers.
Ken Goldin reiterated the correlation between a card’s value and its susceptibility to theft. The illustrator card that Paul owns is frequently considered the “holy grail” among collectors.
Now, Pokémon cards have evolved from simply being a child’s game to an asset of significant value. Herlocker reminisced about trading cards at the playground, saying, “I didn’t have the money for my own packs but traded whatever I could get.” Nostalgia is fueling the current demand, with many wanting to acquire cards they couldn’t afford as kids.
Finally, Goldin noted that Pokémon characters, unlike human sports figures, are always in demand because they can’t experience failure, making them even more collectible.
