Two Cape Cod trading card shops burglarized, rare Pokémon cards stolen
Two Cape Cod trading card stores are reeling after back-to-back break-ins that owners say have shaken their tight-knit gaming communities.
Vanguard Tabletop Gaming in Hyannis, a hub for players of games like Pokémon, was hit by a thief late Monday night.
Hyannis trading card theft
Surveillance video shows a person smashing through a glass door, wearing a face covering and beanie, and rummaging quickly through Star Wars and Magic: The Gathering cards.
"They grabbed things quickly. And because the alarm was going off so badly, they were out literally under two minutes," Manager Rob Zeida said.
Zeida who began working at the store as a way to connect with his children after his wife died, said the burglary has left his family shaken.
"She's scared coming back. So that's hard," Zeida said of his 9-year-old daughter.
He believes replacing the broken door may be the most significant financial hit. They were still calculating inventory Tuesday afternoon. But the emotional toll is far greater. "When something like this happens, it's frustrating," he said.
$40,000 of merchandise stolen in Mashpee
The break-in shares notable similarities to another burglary just days earlier about 20 minutes away at Darkwater Games in Mashpee.
"Someone just comes in and just rips it all away from you. It's just like ripping out your heart," owner Robert Drexler said.
Late Thanksgiving night, someone smashed through a door at his shop. Video shows a suspect wearing goggles, a similar beanie and a face covering loading up a duffle bag with rare, graded Pokémon cards.
When Drexler arrived on Black Friday, he found holes in the walls, shattered glass and empty shelves. "Now that we've done a full inventory, it's turning out to be right at about $40,000," Drexler said.
Hyannis and Mashpee Police are investigating both burglaries, though no arrests have been made.
Drexler is hoping the surveillance photos, and serialized numbers on the graded items, could help lead police to the suspect.
Despite the losses, both owners say the outpouring of support from loyal customers has been overwhelming.
"It shows you all around that there are good people in the world, not just the bad actors who come in and try to ruin a holiday," Drexler said.
As the value of Pokémon and other trading cards have boomed in recent years, similar card shops have been more frequently targeted for burglaries. WBZ has reported on recent incidents at card shops in Worcester and New Bedford.