Summary
APokemonfan had a valuablePokemon TCGcard stolen from them, but they’ve been lucky enough to get it back. ThePokemon TCGthief was tracked down pretty quickly by the police due to their method of trying to unload the card.
Pokemon TCGcrimes have become unfortunately frequent. RarePokemoncards or packs that potentially contain them can often go for high prices, and as they lack serial numbers of other methods of identification, it can be incredibly difficult to get them back once they’re stolen. Criminals have broken into businesses and evenstolenPokemon TCGcards in broad daylightfrom storefronts. While the perps are sometimes caught, the cards are often already long gone, making this a rare feel-good story.
TheBBChas reported that in Heathfield in East Sussex, England, aCharizardPokemoncardwith a value of up to £30,000, or roughly $39,000 USD, was stolen sometime between September 2-5. The card was discovered being sold on Facebook by the police, who tracked down the sale to a nearby town about 12 miles away from the card’s original owner. Police located the seller, a 23-year-old male, who apparently admitted to stealing the card. The card was confiscated, valued, and returned to the original owner.
Surprisingly, the thief was only given a warning in the form of a caution, rather than charged with any crimes. It’s not clear if this is due to the card not being particularly valuable, or the owner deciding not to press charges. It’s possible that this was the thief’s first offense, potentially leading the police to feel that a warning was appropriate.
Pokemon Cards are a Valuable Target for Theft
Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky as to get their valuable or meaningful cards back. Awarehouse storing tons ofPokemon TCGcards was previously broken intoand stolen from on more than one occasion, with the target largely beingPokemon TCG. Collectors have no way of knowing if the cards they’re purchasing from individuals are stolen goods or not, further complicating matters.Pokemoncard collectors can largely avoid this by only purchasing their cards from licensed retailers, but that generally means having to rely upon randomized packs and highly marked-up singles.
Unfortunately, there’s no quick solution to prevent thieves from seekingPokemon TCGcards to steal, so owners should take care to protect what they have. In addition to keeping the cards at home, potentially under lock and key, it’s a good idea to not openly advertise what one has online, as it could make a person a target.
Pokemon TCG
Pokemon TCG (Trading Card Game) is a collectible and strategy based card game based on Nintendo’s Pokemon franchise. Two players face off against one another, battling one Pokemon at a time and attempting to knock them out to claim one of six prize cards. The cards have also become highly collectible with some in particular selling for thousands of dollars.
