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Crime & Justice

A Pokémon card thief stole nearly $10K worth of items from a store in Montgomery County

Pennsylvania State Police investigators say the thief ran out of a store in Trappe earlier this month after asking employees there to show him the high-value items.

Pokémon cards have soared in value in recent months, and have become the target of thieves in multiple cities, according to investigators.
Pokémon cards have soared in value in recent months, and have become the target of thieves in multiple cities, according to investigators.Read moreCHARLES KRUPA / AP

Pennsylvania State Police are searching for a man who they say stole nearly $10,000 worth of Pokémon cards from a store in Montgomery County earlier this month.

The suspect, whom police have not identified, asked employees at Nashcards in Trappe to show him high-value cards while he was shopping at the store on May 4, according to investigators.

The man then grabbed the cards, ran out of the store and fled the scene in a tan SUV that was waiting outside. Investigators were unsure of the vehicle’s make or model, or whether he acted alone.

Police said the thief stole a 2021 Pokémon JPN Gengar VMAX card valued at $2,500, a 2005 Pokémon Gold Star Metagross Delta Species card valued at $2,850, and a sealed Pokémon Base Set XY Booster Box valued at $4,200.

Nashcards’ manager, Brennan Hess, told reporters that Pokémon cards have become popular targets for thieves as their value has spiked.

Stores across the country have reported break-ins targeting Pokémon cards, including retailers in New York and Las Vegas. The trend has spread overseas, with similar thefts occurring in recent months in Nottingham, England.

The day after the theft in Trappe, a store in Raleigh, N.C. was broken into, and $45,000 worth of cards were taken, according to news reports.

Anyone with information is asked to call the state police’s Skippack barracks at 610-584-1250.

    Vinny Vella
    I write about how law enforcement investigates crime in Philly's collar counties — Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery — and tell the stories of the people affected by it.