Summary
A hobby store in Osaka, known for its dedication to thePokemonTCG, was robbed on September 9. The employees working at the time of the crime reported being tied up by the thieves, who then demandedPokemon TCGcards. Allegedly, the thieves didn’t even understand which cards were valuable, as they needed to ask the store employees first.
In the nearly 30 years since thePokemoncard game debuted, more and more players have invested their time and money in collecting and playing it. In the game’s lifetime, many cards have increased in value in a way that hardly seemed fathomable to some. For context, one ofthe most expensivePokemoncardsto be sold was the Illustrator Pikachu, purchased by YouTuber Logan Paul for $5,275,000. It’s almost no wonder that thieves are targeting individual cards from the popular game.
The Osaka thieves allegedly stole over 100 cards. The stolen cards amassed up to $70,000, or ten million yen, in total sales. To make matters worse,the reported $70,000was only what was stolen inPokemoncards. An additional 250,000 yen and the employees' cell phones were also taken during the robbery. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time thieves havestolen thousands of dollars worth ofPokemoncards.
There’s a Rise in Pokemon Card-Related Crime
One case reported in 2023 involved a man in Okinawa whoattempted to steal 1,500Pokemoncards. He was later arrested and found to be working for a third-party organization that had hired him to rob the cards on their behalf in exchange for money. Another case reported in March of that same year involved thieves stealing $1 million worth ofPokemon-related collectibles from a hobby store based in California.
Despite the franchise’s nearly 30-year history, thePokemon TCGis still as popular as ever. Whether it’s fans flocking to their nearest store that sells cards to get their hands on the latest booster packs or seasoned players looking to create their nextPokemon TCGWorld Championdeck, the game is showing no signs of slowing down. Hopefully, the robbers will be apprehended, and both the Osaka hobby store and its employees can recuperate some of their missing property.
Pokemon TCG
Pokemon TCG (Trading Card Game) is a collectible and strategy based card game based on Nintendo’s Pokemon franchise. Two players face off against one another, battling one Pokemon at a time and attempting to knock them out to claim one of six prize cards. The cards have also become highly collectible with some in particular selling for thousands of dollars.
