Authorities say thieves stole trading cards, including Pokémon cards, worth nearly $1 million in Southern California.
In early October, an officer responded to a report to Professional Sports Authenticator about trading cards stolen from a FedEx truck, Santa Ana Police Department spokesperson Natalie Garcia told the USA TODAY Network in a statement. The incident occurred on Oct. 13 at 1610 E. St. Andrew Place, home to Collectors, the company behind the PSA brand.
PSA describes itself as an industry leader in third-party authentication and grading of cards and collectibles.
Approximately two pallets were stolen, and a third pallet “was disturbed,” according to Garcia. These pallets contained various trading cards, including sports cards and Pokémon
cards.
Garcia did not respond to a question about whether authorities believe that suspects knew what goods the vehicle contained. CNBC captured just how pricey select Pokémon cards or sports cards can go for in a report published earlier in October — content creator and wrestler Logan Paul reportedly sold a rare Pokémon card for $16.5 million, for instance.
At the time of the incident, the stolen cards’ value was estimated at $963,000. However, the exact value of the stolen items hasn’t been determined, Garcia said.
A spokesperson for Collectors told the USA TODAY Network that they won’t expand further on the incident “at this point in the investigation” when asked about the exact value of items and the number of parties impacted by the theft.
In a statement, the company said it has “deactivated the certificates for the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items.”
Collectors said it has contacted affected customers directly and is “arranging compensation based on fair market value.”
“We understand the impact this has on collectors involved, many of whom see these cards as far more than a financial asset,” Collectors said. “Our team is focused on supporting them. We take this incident seriously, and we will continue working with law enforcement to hold those responsible accountable.”
No arrests have been made, and Garcia said the stolen property hasn’t been recovered. Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nearly $1M in trading cards, Pokémon cards, stolen in SoCal
