Authorities Friday looked for a group of thieves who stole thousands of dollars worth of Pokémon cards from a Burbank business.
Police said the overnight burglary happened at around 2 a.m. Friday as a security camera captured several people breaking into the front door of LA Sports Cards, a trading card shop on Olive Avenue.
The shop owner suspected the thieves knew what they were looking for and where they should go to find the valuables.
“They started with the Pokémon side,” said Kit Nguyen, the owner of LA Sports Cards, adding two people were seen combing through where the collectables are located.
The burglars also found rare Kobe Bryant and Cristiano Ronaldo trading cards, Nguyen said.
The Japanese franchise has been around since the mid-90s, and it also created a large fan base with its trading cards, Nguyen described.
“I think Pokémon has been so easy to move and collect. It’s beloved by all age categories,” the store owner said. “It’s been the most popular product in all (trading card games.)”
Some trading cards range from a few cents to millions of dollars, depending on the unique features, edition, popularity, condition and rarity, according to Nguyen. And some even have serial numbers and are certified.
“It’s really hard to identify one person’s ownership versus another’s. It’s in the population now,” Nguyen said. “It’s easy, and no questions asked so I think that’s why they targeted that.”
Police estimated that over $100,000 worth of trading cards were stolen.
Nguyen said he’s stepping up security to hopefully prevent this from happening again.
Allison Craig is a passionate sports writer and analyst with a deep love for game strategies, player performances, and the latest trends in the sports world. With years of experience covering football, basketball, tennis, and more, she delivers insightful analysis and engaging content for sports enthusiasts.
No responses yet