Pokémon Cards Are Now a Target in Houston Crime Wave

If you thought Pokémon was just a game for kids, you’ve got it all wrong. Collectors search high and low for rare, expensive Pokémon cards, and now, thieves have their eyes on these playing cards too.

Houston has seen a rise in crime, all targeting their rare, highly sought-after Pokémon cards. In just the span of a few weeks, 4 Houston businesses have been robbed as the thieves stole some of the most sought-after Pokémon cards.

One of the most recent businesses to be hit is SJ Cards out of Richmond, Texas. The store had only been open for 2 weeks when it was robbed. The suspects first broke into the business next to SJ Cards, then desperately cut a hole in the wall and made their way to the collectible cards.

Another store in the area, Rev Collectibles, was hit not just once but twice! "It’s very scary," one owner said, noting the overall losses across all stores are estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Now, more business owners are considering more forms of security to prevent robberies. Some have hired overnight security and are installing steel walls. It’s crazy to think this all stems from Pokémon cards.

Investigators are looking into the robberies and are unsure if they are all connected.

For now, I guess I’ll lock up my own Pokémon cards, or maybe start listing on eBay, I don’t know which option would be better.