Why Thieves Are Targeting Pokémon Cards Around the World
In the early hours of March 7, two thieves smashed through a window at Next Level the Gamers Den in Graham, Washington. Alarms blared. Within two minutes, they were gone — taking nearly $10,000 worth of Pokémon cards with them. It was not the first time the shop had been hit. It will likely not be the last.
Owner Andrew Engelbeck has watched the pattern develop in real time since he opened in 2018. For the first three years, there were no problems. Then the collectibles market surged, and so did the break-ins.
A Global Crime Wave With a Familiar Target
The Graham robbery is one chapter in a much larger story. In 2026 alone, Pokémon card thefts have been reported at collectible shops in Las Vegas, New York City, Vancouver, and Nottingham, England. The total value of stolen cards this year has surpassed $500,000.
In Abbotsford, British Columbia, Sergeant Paul Walker is investigating a March robbery that resulted in $25,000 in stolen cards and an estimated $10,000 in property damage. The thieves remain at large. Walker said crime analysts are now monitoring online resale marketplaces for signs of the stolen inventory.
"Targeting card stores for these cards is kind of popping up," Walker said. "It's a concern when we start to see a trend in something like this."
In Chicago, 23-year-old Anthony Garcia was arrested in April after allegedly committing five armed robberies in a single month, each time using Facebook Marketplace to arrange in-person meetings with Pokémon card sellers and then robbing them at gunpoint upon arrival.
Why Pokémon Cards Make the Perfect Target
The appeal to thieves is straightforward. Pokémon cards are small, lightweight, valuable, and nearly impossible to trace. They have no serial numbers. They can be sold quickly on platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and other resale sites, often within hours of a theft.
"The robbers can take a handful of cards, which can represent thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, and literally fit it right in their pocket," said Nick Jarman, CEO of the Certified Trading Card Association. "The resale is extremely fast. It's high liquidity."
The problem extends beyond storefronts. In February, a Pokémon content creator known as PokeDean returned home after a few days away to find his collection had been cleaned out. His laptop and gaming consoles were untouched. Only his most valuable Pokémon cards were taken.
The Numbers Behind the Frenzy
The theft wave is being driven by a dramatic and sustained rise in card values. According to trading card analytics website Card Ladder, the value of Pokémon cards has risen more than 145% over the past year. Buyers spent $450 million on Pokémon cards in January 2026 alone. The Pokémon franchise is now the highest-grossing media franchise of all time.
Celebrity involvement has amplified the frenzy. In February, influencer and wrestler Logan Paul sold a single Pokémon card for a record $16.5 million. That kind of headline has a way of attracting attention from people well beyond the collector community.
The CEO of trading card marketplace Goldin told CNN in December that Pokémon cards have outpaced sports cards and beaten the S&P 500 by 3,000% over the past 20 years. Collector Greg Smith bought six booster boxes of the "Evolving Skies" set for $900 in 2021. Today, a single sealed box from that set is valued at up to $2,500.
The franchise's multi-generational appeal keeps demand constantly refreshing. Pokémon was developed in Japan by Satoshi Tajiri, inspired by his childhood hobby of bug collecting. The video games launched in 1996, the trading card game debuted the same year, and the cards arrived in the United States in 1999. Now, the same adults who collected as children are buying again — alongside a new generation of younger fans.
"It's a multi-generational demand," Jarman said. "It's not only kids, but it's the adults that also grew up with it, so the demand just keeps refreshing instead of aging out."
When Theft Becomes a Felony
Some Pokémon card thieves have faced serious legal consequences. In Tallahassee, Florida, Keith Wallis was arrested for 75 separate thefts at various Target stores between July 2025 and February 2026. His method was inventive and brazen: he concealed trading cards inside taco seasoning packets and paid only for the packets at checkout before reselling the cards on eBay. He faces up to 90 years in prison on charges of felony retail theft, dealing stolen property, and money laundering.
In many states, theft of items exceeding $1,000 in value constitutes a felony — a threshold that Pokémon card heists frequently clear. Despite the legal risks, catching thieves remains difficult. Without serial numbers, stolen cards are nearly untraceable once they enter the resale market.
Small Businesses Are Paying the Price
For shop owners like Engelbeck, the consequences go beyond individual losses. He estimates someone attempts to break into his store roughly once per quarter. He has responded by installing his own security cameras, sirens, and strobe lights designed to mimic police lights — measures he says have scared off multiple would-be thieves.
The broader impact on small businesses has extended to insurance. The rise in card shop robberies has made insurers increasingly reluctant to cover collectible stores. Engelbeck said he was able to find only one company willing to insure his merchandise.
"Thefts are really hitting small businesses," he said. "It's hitting actual people. It's not a victimless crime in any way."
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