Stealing Pokémon
The Pokémon card game was invented in Japan and has spread to computers, toys and a vast array of playing cards that imbue the player with various powers and defenses. The cards and the strategy of the players determine winners and losers. Some Pokemen cards have values in the hundreds of dollars.
Groups of thieves are specifically targeting Pokémon cards. In the past few months, several high-profile thefts have rocked the card-collecting scene across the country. The first case happened in late October 2025 at a CardVault branch in Soho, New York City. The Soho store opened its doors in early October. 12 days later an unidentified man walked into the CardVault store and picked up several boxes of Pokémon and baseball cards. He then marched to the counter and used a credit card to pay for the items. However, the credit card wasn’t valid, and the card reader declined the transaction. Somehow, before the cashier could notice, the man reportedly started entering manual prompts into the payment terminal to bypass the “CARD DECLINED” notices. By the time the staff realized what had happened, the man was long gone — taking roughly $9,700 worth of Pokémon cards with him.
In Burbank, California three burglars broke into the LA Sports Cards store. Surveillance footage showed that the masked trio used a crowbar to pry open the store’s front door. They then sawed through the metal security gate with surprising ease. Once inside the store, they began stuffing boxes of Pokémon into large plastic bags. The whole robbery, from breaking the front door to when the burglars disappeared from security footage, took only a few minutes. In this case, the burglars made away with more than $100,000 in merchandise. The third crime took place at a Poke Court store in New York City. A group of three masked men in black hoodies suddenly burst into the store, one of the men reportedly pulled out a handgun and began threatening the crowd to keep them under control. The third man started smashing displays and pulling apart shelves, filling several backpacks with Pokémon cards and collectibles. Within three minutes, it was all over, they stole more than $100,000 in Pokémon goods.
You might think it’s weird that criminals are targeting what are, in essence, kids’ toys. Pokémon cards make for an attractive target for thieves. First, stolen Pokémon cards are extremely easy to flip. They don’t have any serial numbers or other identifying markings, so it’s impossible to prove where the cards came from. The criminals don’t need a fence, and can simply list the cards for sale on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or some other online platform. Pokémon cards can be ridiculously expensive. Good cards can sell for several hundred dollars, and then there are some ultra-rare cards, such as vintage first-edition ones, that can carry price tags up to a million dollars.
Card games
Now the US can’t lose in a Card Game Because…
They have the Trump card.
What playing cards are the best dancers.
The king and queen of clubs.
I got locked in a room with nothing but a deck of cards.
I was in solitaire confinement.
Who’s the dictator who loves playing card games?
Kim Jong Uno.
January 21st Birthdays
1957 – Geena Davis, 1996 – Dymond Goods, 1995 – Marny Kennedy, 1976 – Emma Bunton
1941 – Placido Domingo, 1964 – Hakeem Olajuwom, 1998 – Booboo Stewart, 1986 – Nick Gehlfuss