Nearly $1 Million in Pokémon and Sports Cards Stolen From FedEx Truck
Thieves made off with nearly $1 million worth of Pokémon and sports trading cards after breaking into a FedEx truck parked outside a major card-grading company in Southern California.
Police in Santa Ana, California, are investigating the Oct. 13 theft, which happened while the truck was parked near the headquarters of Professional Sports Authenticator, better known as PSA, The Associated Press reported. PSA is one of the biggest names in authenticating and grading collectible cards. Collectors send their cards to the company to be checked and given a condition grade, which can add significant value.
The theft went public a week later, when police confirmed it to The Athletic on Oct. 20.
How the Theft Happened
According to police, the FedEx driver had left the truck unattended. How long the driver was away is part of the investigation.
The truck's lock was removed, and two pallets were taken. A third pallet was disturbed. More than 200 packages were on the two stolen pallets, about 100 on each, Dexerto reported. Many of the packages held graded cards that were on their way back to their owners.
"The estimated value of the stolen cards at the time of the incident was $963,000," police spokesperson Natalie Garcia said in a news release. Police noted that the exact value has not yet been determined.
No arrests have been reported, and the investigation is ongoing.
Collectors Say Losses Could Be Even Higher
Some collectors believe the true losses are much bigger than the police estimate.
Collector Nick Andrews said he had heard from at least two dozen people who were affected. One person who sent cards in for grading reported losing about $500,000 in declared value, according to the AP.
Trading card creator SKY-B said PSA contacted them about a missing order of 104 graded cards. "Over $100,000 in cards just gone," SKY-B posted on Oct. 17, Dexerto reported.
Other collectors have posted online about missing cards, including a Pikachu card, a serialized Yu-Gi-Oh card and a Magic: The Gathering card, though those claims have not been independently verified. One Reddit user said their stolen Magic card had been submitted in person at a card convention in Miami.
What PSA and FedEx Are Doing
Collectors, the parent company of PSA, said it has deactivated the certificates for the stolen cards. That means the cards can be flagged if someone tries to sell them. The company also alerted marketplace and auction partners to watch for "rare and serialized items."
"Our customer service team has contacted affected customers directly," the company said, adding that it is arranging compensation "based on fair market value." Customers were told payouts would be based on fair market value up to the maximum insured value they chose for each item.
Some collectors have raised concerns about how those values will be calculated, since prices for rare cards can swing widely.
FedEx spokesperson David Westrick said, "The security of our customers' shipments is a top priority." Both FedEx and Collectors said they are working with law enforcement.
Why Trading Cards Are Targets
The heist is the latest in a string of thefts aimed at collectible cards. As values have soared, thieves are targeting Pokémon cards around the world.
In February, thieves cut through a wall to break into a collectibles store in nearby Anaheim and stole about $180,000 in Pokémon cards in less than 10 minutes, Fox News reported.
The hobby has been booming, with Pokémon card collecting making a comeback as the franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Anyone with information about the FedEx truck theft is asked to contact the Santa Ana Police Department.
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