Pokémon card thefts in B.C. leave small business owners shaken

Still of a Pokémon card for sale in a New Westminster, B.C., shop for $3,400. (CTV News)

VANCOUVER -- Business owners in British Columbia say they are increasingly being targeted by thieves – not for cash, jewelry or electronics, but for valuable Pokémon cards.

In New Westminster, collectibles shop owner Jesse Gihon is still fuming after a January break-in involving four hooded thieves smashing their way into his store and stealing about $20,000 in merchandise in minutes.

“Even watching it back now is just infuriating,” Gihon said of the crime at Everything J&J caught on surveillance, describing the loss as “devastating” for his small business.

He is not alone.

In Abbotsford, thieves used a vehicle in the early hours of March 6 to rip security grates off a shop and make off with about $30,000 worth of Pokémon cards in under three minutes, according to House of Cards owner Brandon Chreptyk. “They were targeting us for Pokémon cards specifically, which seems to be a trend right now,” Chreptyk said.

Pokémon-related crime

The Pokémon problem isn’t limited to B.C., where one shop in Burnaby was also hit on March for the third time in six months. Similar smash-and-grabs have been reported in cities across Canada, from Halifax to Toronto.

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In Calgary, police said late last year they were investigating multiple Pokémon-related thefts, while RCMP in Fort McMurray made an arrest in a case involving $20,000 in stolen cards.

Pandemic boom

Once considered a children’s game, Pokémon cards have become highly sought-after collectibles since the COVID-19 pandemic, and thanks to influencers such as Logan Paul, with rare cards being sold off for thousands and in some cases millions of dollars.

The franchise, launched in Japan in 1996, has evolved into a global multimedia phenomenon across video games, television and film.

That surge in popularity and value has made the cards an appealing and relatively easy target for thieves.

“It’s very difficult to track that type of merchandise, certainly more difficult than something traditional like electronics,” said Sgt. Tige Pollock, a media relations officer with Surrey Police Service (SPS), where another card shop was broken into this month. SPS has made no arrests.

Fortifying shops

Police are recommending small business owners reach out to officers who can come by to sweep their store and make recommendations to increase security, even on a budget. “Something as simple as increased lighting, trimming back hedges,” said Pollock.

At his New Westminster shop, Gihon says he has spent thousands on additional security since the January heist, adding bars and 24/7 monitoring. Other stores tell CTV News they are now keeping their most expensive cards in safety deposit boxes.

“We’re definitely pretty confident now,” Gihon said, who is hopeful he can get back to focusing on what fuels card shop owners across the country – a passion for collectibles.

With files from The Canadian Press