An international trend involving high-value Pokémon card thefts has officially reached Arizona after a Tempe trading card shop was targeted in a smash-and-grab burglary that left thousands of dollars in merchandise stolen and extensive property damage behind. Police are now searching for the suspect responsible for the break-in.
According to FOX 10 Phoenix, the burglary happened at Bussin’ or Bustin’ Trading Card Lounge, which operates inside Skyluxx Grinds, Eats, and Suites near Mill Avenue and Southern Avenue in Tempe. Surveillance video captured a masked suspect using a sledgehammer to smash through the front entrance before breaking through another interior glass door leading directly into the trading card shop.
Video footage showed the suspect quickly entering the store and filling a storage bin with Pokémon card packs and other merchandise taken directly from the shelves. Store owner Phi Cao said the burglary unfolded in less than two minutes.
Investigators said the suspect stole more than $7,000 worth of merchandise during the burglary. In addition to the stolen cards and collectibles, the suspect caused more than $10,000 in damage to the business because of the smashed doors, shattered windows, broken display cases, and destruction left behind during the break-in.
Chuck Shakta, owner of Skyluxx Grinds, Eats, and Suites, said he realized something was wrong when he arrived and saw the broken windows. He described still finding glass scattered throughout the business after the burglary.
Shakta expressed frustration over the damage caused to a small business and criticized the suspect for committing what he described as a petty crime that could still carry serious legal consequences.
Phi Cao, who recently opened Bussin’ or Bustin’ Trading Card Lounge only a few months ago, said other card shop owners had previously warned him that thefts like this are becoming increasingly common because of the skyrocketing popularity and resale value of Pokémon cards.
Cao explained that the trading card industry currently involves massive amounts of money, with some rare Pokémon cards and professionally graded “slab” cards worth tens of thousands of dollars individually. He said collectors and dealers sometimes transport inventories valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The FOX 10 report explained that this type of burglary is now part of a much larger international trend. Similar Pokémon card thefts and smash-and-grab robberies have recently been reported in cities including Las Vegas, New York, parts of Canada, and England as demand for rare trading cards continues growing worldwide.
During a recent trading card show in Mesa, event organizers told FOX 10 that Pokémon cards can range in value from as little as 25 cents to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on rarity, condition, demand, and grading scores.
One organizer at the Mesa trading event said his own trading card shop had previously been robbed as well. He criticized the growing trend of targeting small businesses within the hobby community.
Customers and collectors also reacted strongly to the burglary. Regular customer Kenji Ellison said thefts like this hurt the entire trading card community because Pokémon cards are already difficult to obtain due to limited supply and high demand.
Ellison said people stealing cards to profit from collectors and resellers creates additional frustration within the hobby community and negatively impacts honest buyers and business owners.
Cao said he has started taking extra precautions by removing the store’s most valuable cards and inventory from the business every night in an effort to reduce the chances of future thefts.
He also expressed hope that whoever committed the burglary is eventually caught and prosecuted, saying he hopes the case serves as a warning to others considering similar crimes.
Tempe police confirmed the case has been assigned to a detective and remains under active investigation. Authorities said Pokémon cards and other trading cards are increasingly targeted because they are valuable, portable, difficult to trace, and easy to resell online or through collector communities.
Police added that, at this point, investigators do not believe the burglary reflects a broader organized trend specifically within Tempe itself, though officials acknowledged that card thefts have become increasingly common in other areas because of the cards’ resale value and secondary market demand.
Anyone with information regarding the burglary or the suspect involved is encouraged to contact Tempe police.
Source: Fox10 Phoenix
