Three suspects broke into an Anaheim Pokémon card shop early Wednesday morning, smashing display cases and fleeing with an estimated $20,000 worth of cards.
In the latest of a seemingly growing crime trend, the burglars first broke into the business next door to Do-We Collectibles on Harbor Boulevard, then tore through the drywall to reach the shop, triggering a security alert that woke owner Duy Pham at home around 3 a.m.
Pham called 911and told police the suspects were armed with a sledgehammer. He said he then rushed to the scene, but the display cases were empty by the time he arrived.
It was his second break-in since opening the shop in 2023. Thieves hit Do-We Collectibles last June, when the shop was still fairly new. Pham responded by investing in additional security cameras, alarms and vaults.
“Being in this business, we have a pretty big target on our back,” Pham said. “You never know if you’ll get hit again or not.”
The Anaheim burglary is the latest in a wave of Pokémon card thefts sweeping Southern California. Shops in Gardena, Simi Valley and Huntington Beach have all been hit by burglars bypassing cash registers and going straight for the cards. Losses across the region have topped $500,000 in just two months, according to authorities.
“The card collecting world is not the same anymore because of attention that it got from big folks who put their money into the hobby and see it as a big investment,” Pham said.
Individual Pokémon cards can sell for thousands of dollars. Social media personality Logan Paul recently sold a rare card for $16.5 million. In 2024, Professional Sports Authenticator, an organization that describes itself as the “world’s largest third-party sports card authentication service,” authenticated 11 million Pokémon cards, surpassing the volume it processed for football, basketball and baseball cards combined.
Shop owners across Southern California have started self-organizing in response. Pham said he belongs to a regional dealer network in which members alert one another when burglaries happen nearby, sharing suspect descriptions and stolen inventory lists.
He’s also warning neighboring businesses and urging collectors not to work alone.
“Make sure you look out for the people you work with because these guys are watching,” he said. “Make sure you are never alone, always have someone with you.”
Pham said he plans to upgrade security again. But he knows the risk won’t go away as cards become increasingly valuable commodities.
Anaheim police are still searching for the three suspects, who fled in a dark-colored sedan. Anyone with information is urged to contact police at (714) 756-1900.
