Police Say $963,000 in Trading Cards Was Stolen From a FedEx Truck
California police say thieves walked off with two pallets of trading cards from a FedEx truck, with an estimated value of about $963,000 at the time.
According to the Santa Ana Police Department, as reported by CBS Los Angeles, the theft happened on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the 1600 block of E. St. Andrew. Officers were called to the headquarters of Professional Sports Authenticator, or PSA, a company that authenticates and grades collectibles and trading cards.
Police said two pallets were stolen and a third was "disrupted." Each pallet held a mix of trading cards, including sports cards and Pokemon cards.
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"The estimated value at the time was $963,000; however, the exact value of what was stolen could not be determined until the remaining boxes were scanned," the police department's statement said.
Collectors wait for answers
One collector affected by the theft is a YouTuber known as SKY-B Cards, who goes by Skyler. He told CBS Los Angeles he was waiting for a package of graded cards when he got an alert that no shipment was coming. He said his order held 104 cards, which he valued at more than $100,000.
"There were cards in that order that you can't replace," he told the station.
PSA said it is working closely with law enforcement. "We have deactivated the certificates for the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items," the company said. PSA also said its customer service team has contacted affected customers and is arranging compensation based on fair market value. Skyler told CBS Los Angeles he is worried those offers will not match what his cards were worth.
A FedEx spokesperson told the station that "the security of our customers' shipments is a top priority" and that the company is working with law enforcement.
Where the case stands
As of CBS Los Angeles' Oct. 19 update, police said no arrests had been reported and none of the stolen cards had been recovered. Police have not said who took the pallets.
A question for readers
Should shippers treat a pallet of graded trading cards like any other high-value load, with extra security from pickup to delivery?
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Sources
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