Pokémon trading cards are a hot item for Metro Detroit thieves
The Brief
Pokémon cards are making a comeback and even leading to some criminal activities.
Novelty shops had them swiped from their shelves, with thieves using hammers to get at some
Warren police and investigators in Livonia are on the case.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A popular trading card from the 90s, Pokémon, is making a comeback, especially for thieves.
What they're saying
Everyone remembers Pokémon cards, a huge thing in the 90s, and now in 2025, they are a hot ticket item for thieves.
Novelty shops had them swiped from their shelves, with thieves using hammers to get at some high-dollar cards, and they hit not one but two stores in Metro Detroit.
The duo used a brick from the shop's own lot to bust in last week, making a beeline for the Pokémon cards tucked into glass cabinets bludgeoned open at RWI Hobbies in Livonia.
Pam Willoughby is the owner of the shop.
"I think it's going to settle in somewhere between $10-$12,000," Willoughby said.
Willoughby says Pokémon cards are hot this year, making them hard to come by with resales being 3 to 4 times what you pay, especially the coveted Charizard card.
"He can be anywhere from $5-$12/$1,300. They did drop a Charizard on the way out the door," Willoughby said.
In 27 years, this is only the second time they've been targeted at RWI.
"There was no need, they could have filled out an application, they could have gotten a job," she said.
Willoughby says there is only a matter of time before they're caught.
"I certainly don't want to ruin anyone's life, and I've already given the detective basically my restitution and all I'm asking for is my insurance deductible back," she said.
Dig deeper
The same duo showed up days later with a hammer in hand at another shop, Eternal Games in Warren.
Dakota Olszewski is the assistant manager of the shop, and she tells FOX 2 they stole $3,500 worth of singles.
Insurance is expected to cover the losses at both places, but Pokémon cards are almost impossible to restock.
"I don't think we are going to find the cards specifically, which is a bummer because they're pretty cool," Olszewski said.
What you can do
Warren police and investigators in Livonia are on the case.
If you can help, give them a call.
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