Thieves Make Off With Nearly $1 Million in Pokemon Cards From FedEx Truck

Another high-dollar card theft has hit Southern California. On October 13, thieves broke into a FedEx truck parked near the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) in Santa Ana, a company that authenticates and grades trading cards for collectors and resellers. Police say the crew took two full pallets and tore into a third, and they estimate the haul at about $963,000. The Santa Ana Police Department says hundreds of cards were stolen, including sports cards and Pokemon cards, though the exact value has not been determined.

The cards belonged to collectors from across the country who had sent them to PSA for grading. The company's parent, Collectors, says it has deactivated the certificates tied to the missing cards and alerted its other businesses to watch for them. Because graded cards are typically verified by certificate number, that step could make the stolen cards much harder to resell. Collectors also said its customer service team is contacting affected customers directly and arranging compensation based on fair market value. FedEx says it is cooperating with police and referred further questions to local investigators.

The robbery fits a worrying pattern. Pokemon card thefts have become more frequent and, in some cases, more violent, with reports of robberies at gunpoint involving tens of thousands of dollars in product. As prices for vintage and graded cards have climbed, shipments and card shops have become appealing targets. A hobby that once revolved around trading with friends now involves cards that many owners treat as serious financial assets, and that shift has raised the stakes for everyone involved.

The reporting so far does not mention any arrests or suspects. For collectors who ship valuable cards, the case is a reminder that grading and insurance do not remove the risk of transit, and that the window between handing off a package and getting it back can be a vulnerable one.