Trading cards have been a popular pastime for decades, but multiple recent incidents of robberies and thefts in the Greater Toronto Area targeting high-end cards are sparking renewed calls for increased safety precautions.
Peel Regional Police officers said they’re looking into two separate incidents that happened within 24 hours.
The first involved a robbery at a convenience store at the corner of Bovaird Drive and Worthington Avenue, west of Chinguacousy Road, on Thursday. A police spokesperson told CityNews in a statement that “a significant quantity of high-value Pokémon cards” were stolen from the business.
At around 1:50 a.m. on Friday, officers said three suspects were seen on surveillance video “forcibly entering” a sports and collectibles store on Derry Road West near McLaughlin Road in Mississauga.
“A full inventory of stolen property has not yet been completed. However, high-value Pokémon trading cards were among the items taken,” Const. Tyler Bell-Morena wrote.
“Due to active investigative efforts, suspect information cannot be released at this time. Investigators believe the suspects may be connected to other break-and-enter incidents.”
He noted investigations are still open, and it hasn’t been confirmed that the incidents are linked.
Meanwhile, in North York on Thursday, Toronto police officers said they responded to a robbery call involving a private seller.
Investigators said they were called to the area of Bathurst Street and Cedarcroft Boulevard, north of Finch Avenue West, at around 7 p.m. after a victim met someone through an online marketplace, claiming they wanted to buy an undisclosed type of card.
“When the buyer and the victim met up, the buyer approached the victim from behind, sprayed him with a noxious substance, and then stole the high-value trading card,” Const. Ashley Visser said.
Suspect descriptions weren’t immediately available, but surveillance photos later released by investigators appeared to show a dark-coloured vehicle leaving the scene.
High level of robberies, thefts involving trading cards happening: game store manager
Randy Ngo is the manager of Cloud Games Trading Card Game Shop, which has a small retail office in York Region. He said he’s hearing about robberies involving various types of trading cards (Pokémon, Walt Disney, various sports) either locally or elsewhere in North America “almost every week” currently.
“It’s very traumatic. Not only do the homeowners or the shop owners get affected by this, but everybody else that lives with them,” he said, adding he’s heard of instances where people have been followed home or have experienced break-ins.
Ngo showcased cards at various price points, including one that was estimated to be around $2,500 to $3,000. He noted some, depending on condition and grading, can get into the tens of thousands of dollars. He said that type of potential value can make businesses a prime target for criminals.
“They’re like Nicholas Cage. They’re gone in 60 seconds. Even if you call the police and you have security systems, they probably won’t get there in time,” Ngo said.
As for his business, he said a majority of the sales they do are online in part to reduce the chance of being a target. Their retail location is a small, subletted office without signage.
“Absolutely, because we don’t want to attract people. We’ve been doing business out of here for like, a year, but … we actually cancelled the (sign) order due to seeing the increased robberies,” Ngo said when asked about the entry door and exterior.
The product display shelves are full of empty boxes with the original products stored off-site. Whenever they are in the shop, Ngo said it’s primarily to meet with people who make arrangements for pick-ups. He said it can take up to an hour to get ready because they transport a locked box with various cards and products that need to be put in display cases.
“It’s something we do not feel comfortable leaving overnight,” Ngo said.
Calls for caution and action
On the back of the incidents in Mississauga and Brampton, Bell-Morena and officers urged business operators to take precautions even though robberies and thefts involving trading “are not common” in Peel region.
“Police are reminding business owners, particularly those dealing in high-value or collectible items, to ensure appropriate security measures are in place. This includes maintaining functional alarm systems, high-quality surveillance cameras, and secure storage for valuable merchandise, especially outside of business hours,” he wrote.
“Owners are also encouraged to keep detailed inventory records, including photos and serial numbers where applicable, to assist investigators in the event of theft.”
When it comes to private sellers making arrangements with prospective buyers, Visser encouraged people to consider meeting in front of a police station or at a well-lit public area.
“A lot of people are trustworthy and can be trusted for those meetups, but once in a while people do fall victim to robberies and thefts and we really want to try to prevent that,” she said.
Visser also encouraged people to avoid fighting back during a robbery.
“Losing property is not worth your life,” she said.
Meanwhile, for operators who want to protect their staff and their business, there are feelings of frustration.
“Some of these robberies are not simple. They are violent … and I think it’s time that we have some ways to protect ourselves, right, further than just calling the police,” Ngo said.
“People think you give them a call and they’re there in 30 seconds. It’s not the case. They’re busy men or women. They’re running around the city protecting other people from other things as well, so I really do think the government should start hearing us out.
“Why do we have to run our business in fear?”
