Trading Card Heist: $1 Million in Collectibles Stolen from FedEx Truck
Police are investigating the theft of valuable trading cards, including potential Pokémon and sports cards, from a FedEx truck outside a major authentication facility.
Police in Santa Ana, California, are investigating a brazen heist that resulted in the theft of an estimated $1 million worth of trading cards from a FedEx truck. The incident occurred on October 13 outside the offices of Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), a leading company for grading and authenticating collectibles.
Two pallets of trading cards were stolen, and a third was disturbed. The exact contents of the stolen packages have not been publicly identified, but are believed to include sports trading cards and Pokémon cards. The Santa Ana Police Department stated the estimated value at the time of the report was $963,000, with the final value to be determined after the remaining boxes are scanned. No arrests have been made, and the merchandise has not been recovered.
The FedEx driver reportedly left the locked truck parked at PSA’s shipping and receiving location for between 60 and 90 minutes. During this time, the truck’s lock was broken, and the packages were stolen. The driver was away from the vehicle when the theft took place.
PSA has pledged full cooperation with the ongoing police investigation and is utilizing its own technology to track the missing items. The company has deactivated the certificates for the stolen goods and notified marketplace partners to be vigilant for rare and serialized items. PSA also stated that affected customers will be compensated based on fair market value.
However, some collectors are concerned that the offered compensation may not reflect the potential auction or private sale value of their cards. Skyler, a YouTuber known online as SKY-B Cards, told CBS LA that the offers from PSA were "insultingly low." He described some of the stolen cards as "irreplaceable," including case hits and 1-of-1 cards, which are extremely rare.
FedEx has also committed to cooperating with law enforcement, emphasizing that the security of customer shipments is a high priority for the company. PSA is recognized as a primary authenticator in the collectibles industry, setting a standard for evaluating trading cards.