Thieves stole nearly $1 million worth of trading cards from a FedEx truck in Orange County, Calif., in a heist last week that shows collectibles have become a fresh robbery target.
Hundreds of sports and Pokémon cards valued at around $963,000 were taken from the FedEx truck in Santa Ana, Calif., local police said. Bennett said in a video on YouTube that 104 of his trading cards, which he had insured for $156,000, were stolen. In July, he had dropped off the cards at a company called Professional Sports Authenticator and paid it $8,000 to authenticate and grade them. Rare cards can be worth as much as $16 million.
The truck was taking the trading cards from a firm that helps owners value their collections, and was going to ship the cards back. After finishing, the firm was shipping them back to Bennett in Michigan. Once a kids’ hobby, trading cards have become a lucrative investment. Live shopping streams online buzz with people buying up unopened packs in search of a prized card that can make them wealthy. Key to the burgeoning market are firms like Professional Sports Authenticator, of Santa Ana, which authenticates and appraises cards.
“This is by far the most valuable shipment of cards I would’ve ever had,” said Skyler Bennett, a card trader who goes by “SKY-B CARDS” online. Santa Ana police said two pallets of trading cards were taken from the FedEx truck, while a third pallet showed signs of being disturbed. The lock on the truck was also taken, the police said. FedEx said “the security of our customers’ shipments is top priority, and we are working with local law enforcement in their investigation. PSA said the items weren’t in its possession at the time of the burglary, and it had learned of the theft from the shipping carrier. The firm said it has deactivated the certificates of the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items. It said it is also taking steps to compensate owners for the fair market value of their stolen cards.
Burglars have targeted trading-card shops in Chicago and New York this year. The thieves also pointed guns at customers, who were at the store for a community arts-and-crafts event to decorate covers for their favorite cards. Write to Esther Fung at [email protected]
“We understand the impact this has on collectors involved, many of whom see these cards as far more than a financial asset,” PSA said. In January, three armed robbers smashed display cases at a Pokémon card store in New York City’s Meatpacking District and grabbed merchandise, the store’s owner said on Instagram. The owner of the store said that all the customers and employees were unharmed.
