Latest news with #WilliamGilmour
Observer
15-07-2025
- Observer
Rare Pokémon Cards Worth More Than $100,000 Stolen From Shop
More than $100,000 worth of rare, high-end Pokémon cards and box sets were stolen from a Massachusetts shop that specializes in trading cards and collectibles, an owner of the store said. A burglar used a hammer to smash open the door of the shop, 1st Edition Collectibles in New Bedford, Massachusetts, around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. Once inside, the thief dashed to a display case and stashed the Pokémon collectibles in a bag before taking off, according to William Gilmour, one of the store's three owners. He said that the stolen items, which included five rare cards and some vintage box sets, were valued at $100,000 to $113,000. 'They were in and out of our store within 30 seconds,' Gilmour said Sunday about the burglar. 'They went straight to these high-value items.' The stolen cards included a BGS 8.5 First Edition Shadowless Charizard and a BGS 7.5 First Edition Shadowless Blastoise. (BGS stands for Beckett Grading Services, a company that grades collectibles and trading cards.) The sealed boxes included a Pokémon base set Unlimited Green Wing Booster Box. Gilmour said that a booster box contains 36 packs of original cards. 'They are really rare because how many sealed boxes are still there from 1999 to 2000?' Gilmour said. The shop, which sells Pokémon items, sports trading cards and vintage video games, is in downtown New Bedford, about 60 miles south of Boston. 'We are small but mighty,' Gilmour said of the store, adding that he opened the shop with his childhood buddies 'for the love of the city and the love of the hobby.' Holly Huntoon, a spokesperson for the New Bedford Police Department, said that the break-in remained under investigation and that no arrests had been made. On Facebook, the store's owners posted a surveillance video image of the burglary and a list highlighting the stolen items to raise public awareness. Pokémon, short for pocket monsters, first became popular in the 1990s, when they were rolled out in Japan as a video game and then as trading cards that introduced a collection of creatures who live in a fantasy world alongside humans. The monsters, who are more cute than scary — think of the yellow, mouselike Pikachu, which has a lightning-bolt shaped tail and can discharge electricity from its red cheeks when angered — have cultivated a fierce following among fans and collectors. Pokémon have appeared over the years in many commercial forms, including as figurines and in animated series, films and video and smartphone games. Followers enjoy collecting the characters through various games. 'They hit the marketing nail on the head with the 'Gotta catch 'em all' catch line,' Gilmour said, explaining Pokemon's enduring popularity. —NYT
Metro
14-07-2025
- Metro
Burglar hammers his way into shop and nabs $100,000 in rare Pokémon cards
The bandit had to 'catch 'em all!' A burglar used a hammer to break into a collectibles ship in Massachusetts and made off with more than $100,000 worth of rare Pokémon cards. The thief entered 1st Edition Collectible in New Bedford around 2.30am last Tuesday, took the trading cards from a display case and stuffed them in a bag and fled, according to one of the storeowners. 'They were in and out of our store within 30 seconds,' William Gilmour told The New York Times on Sunday. 'They went straight to these high-value items.' A CCTV image posted by the shop on Facebook shows a person wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a facemask kneeling in front of a glass display case full of cards. In another post, the shop shared a list of stolen items along with some photos of them, and asked the public to be on the lookout for them. 'The overwhelming support that we've received from you all this week has been amazing and a reminder as to why we love this hobby and the community involved so much,' the shop wrote. Among the stolen items are a BGS 8.5 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard, a BGS 8.5 Skyridge Crystal Charizard, a PSA 9 Gold Star Charizard, a Pokémon Base Set Unlimited Green Wings Booster Box, and a Pokémon Neo Revelation Unlimited Booster Box. 'They are really rare because how many sealed boxes are still there from 1999 to 2000?' Gilmour said. The burglar took five rare cards and vintage box sets that totaled $100,000 to $113,000 in value, according to Gilmour. As of Sunday, no arrests had been made and the crime remained under investigation, according to New Bedford Police Department spokeswoman Holly Huntoon. The shop is located about 60 miles south of Boston. More Trending 'Seriously, thank you all for bringing some comfort to us during this crazy time,' stated the shop on social media. 'This incident was devastating but we will bounce back, grow, and come back better than ever.' Pokémon, meaning pocket monsters, were created in Japan and became wildly popular in the 1990s worldwide as people collected the trading cards and played the video games. It happened about nine months after burglars broke into a store in Cincinnati, Ohio, and weirdly stole more than 100 right-footed shoes. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Urgent recall for mushrooms over fears they can cause 'fatal infections' MORE: Manchester fan, 20, admits slapping Jack Grealish after three word jab MORE: Teddy bear 'made of human skin' sparks police investigation
New York Post
14-07-2025
- New York Post
Pokémon thief catches them all as he swipes $100K worth of rare cards from Massachusetts shop during break-in
More than $100,000 worth of rare Pokémon trading cards were swiped by a seemingly savvy collector from a small shop in Massachusetts, according to reports. The brazen bandit used a hammer to smash open the door of 1st Edition Collectibles in New Bedford, Mass., around 2:30 a.m. last Tuesday, according to the New York Times. The masked burglar made a beeline for a display case that held high-end collectibles and tossed them in a bag before running away, according to William Gilmour, one of the store's owners. 3 Surveillance image of a masked figure stealing rare trading cards. 1st Edition Collectibles 'They were in and out of our store within 30 seconds,' Gilmour told the Times. 'They went straight to these high-value items.' The thief made off with five rare Pokémon trading cards and some vintage box sets – which combined are worth an estimated $100,000 to $113,000, Gilmour said. The stolen Pokémon cards, which have boomed in popularity with kids, included a BGS 8.5 First Edition Shadowless Charizard – a small, yellow dragon-like creature that shoots flames. Also snatched was a BGS 7.5 First Edition Shadowless Blastoise, a chunky Pokémon that looks like a turtle and has the power of 'rain dance.' 3 1st Edition Collectibles shared an image of the stolen items online. 1st Edition Collectibles BGS stands for Beckett Grading Services, which rates sports and trading cards. The stolen sealed boxes included a Pokémon base set Unlimited Green Wing Booster Box, which contains 36 packs of original cards. 'They are really rare because how many sealed boxes are still there from 1999 to 2000?' Gilmour told the Times. The shop in downtown New Bedford, about 60 miles south of Boston, sells Pokémon collectibles, sports cards and vintage video games 'We're literally just three guys. This is our passion. This is what we have loved since we were children,' Felipe Andre, another store owner, told NBC Boston. 3 A First Edition Shadowless Charizard was stolen from the shop. 1st Edition Collectibles The owners said they planned to reopen on Tuesday. As of Monday, law enforcement officials said the robbery remained under investigation and that no arrests had been made. The New Bedford Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. Pokémon – short for pocket monsters – skyrocketed in popularity in the 1990s, after its launch as a Japanese video game. The tiny monsters later became available as trading cards, and have since appeared in animated series and movies, as well as figurines – especially its most famous character, Pikachu, the yellow mouse-like figure with red cheeks that can shoot lightning when angry.
New York Times
13-07-2025
- New York Times
Rare Pokémon Cards Worth More Than $100,000 Stolen From Shop
More than $100,000 worth of rare, high-end Pokémon cards and box sets were stolen from a Massachusetts shop that specializes in trading cards and collectibles, an owner of the store said. A burglar used a hammer to smash open the door of the shop, 1st Edition Collectibles in New Bedford, Mass., around 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Once inside, the thief dashed to a display case and stashed the Pokémon collectibles in a bag before taking off, according to William Gilmour, one of the store's three owners. He said that the stolen items, which included five rare cards and some vintage box sets, were valued at $100,000 to $113,000. 'They were in and out of our store within 30 seconds,' Mr. Gilmour said on Sunday about the burglar. 'They went straight to these high-value items.' The stolen cards included a BGS 8.5 First Edition Shadowless Charizard and a BGS 7.5 First Edition Shadowless Blastoise. (BGS stands for Beckett Grading Services, a company that grades collectibles and trading cards.) The sealed boxes included a Pokémon base set Unlimited Green Wing Booster Box. Mr. Gilmour said that a booster box contains 36 packs of original cards. 'They are really rare because how many sealed boxes are still there from 1999 to 2000?' Mr. Gilmour said. The shop, which sells Pokémon items, sports trading cards and vintage video games, is in downtown New Bedford, about 60 miles south of Boston. 'We are small but mighty,' Mr. Gilmour said of the store, adding that he opened the shop with his childhood buddies 'for the love of the city and the love of the hobby.' Holly Huntoon, a spokeswoman for the New Bedford Police Department, said that the break-in remained under investigation and that no arrests had been made. On Facebook, the store's owners posted a surveillance video image of the burglary and a list highlighting the stolen items to raise public awareness. Pokémon, short for pocket monsters, first became popular in the 1990s, when they were rolled out in Japan as a video game and then as trading cards that introduced a collection of creatures who live in a fantasy world alongside humans. The monsters, who are more cute than scary — think of the yellow, mouse-like Pikachu, which has a lightning-bolt shaped tail and can discharge electricity from its red cheeks when angered — have cultivated a fierce following among fans and collectors. Pokémon have appeared over the years in many commercial forms, including as figurines and in animated series, films, and video and smartphone games. Followers enjoy collecting the characters through various games. 'They hit the marketing nail on the head with the 'gotta catch em all' catch line,' Mr. Gilmour said, explaining Pokemon's enduring popularity.
