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A Winnipeg store owner lost roughly 20,500 Pokemon cards in a September 8 theft, part of a wave of Pokemon card thefts across Canada and the United States amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
A Winnipeg store owner is done selling Pokemon cards after a thief crawled through a vent and smashed a hole in her store wall, fleeing with roughly 20,500 cards on the night of Sept. 8.
Pokemon Card Theft Costs Winnipeg Store Owner
The theft at Terri's Trinkets and Toys in Winnipeg's north end cost owner Settle $2,500, and she said she does not expect to recover the money because many victims do not insure their collections due to the cost. The incident is part of a string of Pokemon card thefts reported across Canada and the United States in recent years, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
The trouble at Settle's store began earlier when someone walked in, picked up a box full of Japanese cards and ran away. A worker caught up to the thief and got the cards back, and Settle then zip-tied the box to a shelf. Two weeks after that first attempt, the larger theft took place. Settle said she is now planning to stop selling the cards once the ones she has left are sold.
In a July 2024 robbery in Ontario, Durham Regional Police Service said a store worker was struck in the head by someone who was fleeing with three Pokemon cards worth roughly $5,000. Alberta RCMP Cpl. Mathew Howell said a central Alberta store owner lost a binder of cards worth roughly $18,000 in a theft last month. The costliest card in the deck showed the black-coloured, cat-like Umbreon ex monster.
Rare Pokemon Cards Command High Prices
Howell urged caution when buying cards online, especially the rarer ones. Facebook Marketplace and these kinds of things where people are selling cards, especially the more rare cards, just try to be vigilant, he said. There is no easy identifier for each specific card, Howell said, though some of the rarer cards have an identification number. The thefts come as Pokemon cards have become highly coveted collectibles.
Earlier this year, social media personality Logan Paul sold a card called the Pikachu Illustrator for a record US $16.5 million. Guinness World Record said on its website the card was designed by the original creator of Pikachu. Following this sale, it now becomes the overall most expensive trading card sold at auction, Guinness said. The Pikachu Illustrator was never produced to sell to the public, unlike the regular Pikachu card.
It was handed out as a prize during an illustration contest organized by a Japanese magazine in 1998. Companies such as the U.S.-based Professional Sports Authenticator rate trading cards on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being pristine mint condition. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must have four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss, according to its website.
Grading and Nostalgia Fuel Collectible Demand
The grading company says a Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection if it does not impair the overall appeal of the card. Nostalgia is one reason the cards remain so popular. There is a nostalgic appeal for some people, said Akkoc, who teaches in a university business department. Even as a kid, I had Pokemon cards.
I used to watch the original Pokemon show with my siblings, so for people above a certain age, it reminds them of those good old days, he said. Research shows that when people feel nostalgic, they also spend or would like to spend money, Akkoc said.
In the roughly 30 years since Japanese video game developer Game Freak Inc. debuted two Pokemon games on Nintendo Game Boy, the franchise has taken over the globe with its animated shows, mobile games, highly coveted trading cards and other merchandise. The video and card games see players assuming the role of trainer of a series of monsters called Pokemon. The monsters battle other monsters in the card and video games, and each monster has its strengths and weaknesses.
Small Sellers Face Growing Card Thefts
The iconic yellow-coloured, mouse-like Pikachu monster, for example, is a fast flyer but not good at defending itself against attacks on the ground. Settle's experience reflects the risks facing small card sellers, who may carry valuable inventory without the protections available to larger retailers. Her store was targeted twice in two weeks before the major theft. Police continue to investigate thefts in multiple jurisdictions.
The Durham Regional Police Service case in Ontario involved a worker struck in the head by a fleeing thief, showing the violence that can accompany card robberies. With rare cards fetching millions at auction and graded cards commanding premium prices, collectors and retailers are being urged to stay alert when buying and selling online. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026.
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CTVToronto:Nostalgia and seven-figure sales fuel wave of Pokemon card thefts across CanadaThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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