Will Seippel | January 10, 2026

At WorthPoint, we consistently see new record prices in the sales of collectibles and cards. Whether they are Pokémon cards, sports cards, or other merchandise, this line of collectibles is becoming a hot commodity. In some places, it’s a little too hot.

Between December 2025 and early January 2026, a rash of robberies and break-ins occurred, during which thieves stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit cards, merchandise, and collectibles. The thefts were all in the Greater Los Angeles area at popular card stores. In one frightening example, at a card store in Sawtelle, armed suspects appeared to follow a customer out of the store, to a nearby parking garage, and rob him of over $300,000 worth of Pokémon cards.

Another store had a near miss when security cameras showed footage of a person scoping out a store in San Dimas. That store, A&N Collectibles, was not robbed, but law enforcement believes the footage shows the same person who had robbed a store an hour earlier in nearby La Verne, CA.

As cards and sports memorabilia move into the high-dollar range of collectibles, store owners and fans will have to consider increased security measures. Cards are not always traceable and are often easily sold for cash or traded for higher-value cards, so it will be essential to safeguard stores and collections. In a Simi Valley store robbery, thieves stole about $50,000 worth of inventory, leaving the store with empty shelves and nothing to offer customers.

Let’s be careful out there, and hope that law enforcement can “Catch ’em all.”