Nostalgia and high-dollar sales fuel wave of Pokémon card thefts across Canada
From Winnipeg smash-and-grabs to Alberta burglaries, thieves are targeting rare cards worth thousands, with one Ontario victim struck for three cards valued at $5,000.
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A wave of Pokémon card thefts is sweeping across Canada and the United States, costing retailers and collectors hundreds of thousands of dollars as nostalgia and seven-figure market sales fuel demand for rare cards.
In Winnipeg, Terri Settle, owner of Terri's Trinkets and Toys, experienced the pattern firsthand. In August, someone entered her store, grabbed a box of Japanese Pokémon cards, and ran. Her worker caught the thief and recovered the cards. Settle zip-tied the box to a shelf after that theft. On September 8, someone crawled through a vent, smashed a hole in the store wall, and fled with roughly 20,500 cards—a loss of $2,500. "It's just not worth the risk," Settle said, planning to stop selling Pokémon cards once her current inventory sells.
The thefts extend across the continent. In July 2024, Ontario police reported a store worker struck in the head by someone fleeing with three Pokémon cards worth roughly $5,000. In central Alberta last month, a store owner lost a binder of cards valued at roughly $18,000. The rarest card in that stolen collection was a black-coloured, cat-like Umbreon ex. Alberta RCMP Cpl. Mathew Howell urged Albertans to watch online storefronts for stolen cards: "Facebook Marketplace and these kinds of things where people are selling cards, especially the more rare cards, just try to be vigilant. There's no easy identifier for each specific card. Some of the more rarer cards have an identification number."
Utku Akkoc, a professor in the University of Alberta's business department, attributes the surge to nostalgia. "There's a nostalgic appeal for some people," Akkoc said. "Even as a kid, I had Pokémon cards. I used to watch the original Pokémon show with my siblings, so for people above a certain age, it reminds them of those good old days. Research shows that when people feel nostalgic, they also spend or would like to spend money."
The Pokémon franchise, which debuted roughly 30 years ago with two Game Boy games from Japanese developer Game Freak Inc., now spans animated shows, mobile games, trading cards, and merchandise. In the card and video games, players assume the role of trainers commanding monsters called Pokémon that battle each other. Each monster has strengths and weaknesses—Pikachu, the yellow mouse-like creature, is a fast flyer but vulnerable to ground attacks.
"If there's a limited supply of some cards, naturally the price of the monster will go up," Akkoc said.
By the numbers
How much did the Winnipeg store owner lose in the September 8 theft?
Terri Settle, owner of Terri's Trinkets and Toys in Winnipeg, lost roughly 20,500 cards valued at $2,500 when someone crawled through a vent and smashed a hole in the store wall on September 8.
How much were three Pokémon cards worth in the Ontario incident?
In July 2024, Ontario police reported a store worker struck in the head during a theft of three Pokémon cards worth roughly $5,000.
