A wave of armed robberies targets high-value Pokemon card collections, with recent heists in New York and California netting thieves over $280,000.
NEW YORK: A quiet meetup of Pokemon enthusiasts turned into an armed robbery earlier this year. Masked men held the group at gunpoint to steal more than $100,000 in trading cards.
The January heist is the latest in a string of thefts targeting collectors. The Japanese media franchise marks its 30th anniversary this week.
Pokemon cards have soared in value in recent years. US influencer Logan Paul this month set a new world record by banking $16.5 million from the sale of a rare Pikachu card.
High prices have attracted criminals keen to cash in. Pokemon cards “are high value in a small footprint, demand is broad and consistent, and the resale ecosystem is large,” said Nick Jarman, founder of the Certified Trading Card Association.
He told AFP that stolen product can move quickly through online marketplaces and informal networks.
The New York robbery, which police are yet to solve, was not an isolated incident. Thieves in California made off this month with about $180,000 worth of Pokemon cards after drilling through a store wall.
“We got a big target on our back in this trading card, collectible world now,” owner Duy Pham told CBS News. It was the second time in less than a year that his shop was robbed.
Similar thefts have also been reported in Japan, Britain, Canada and Australia. Jarman noted that many shops operate on thin margins, so boosting security can be a financial burden.
For some, the surge in prices has yanked the joy from a casual hobby. US-based Pokemon influencer Grace Klich told AFP she had pulled back from collecting after becoming “fatigued.”
“When it gets to the point where local card stores are being broken into and people are getting a gun shoved in their face over cards, it is not all fun and cute anymore,” she said.
