Pokémon cards worth $25,000 stolen from Eagan arcade part of growing trend

Thieves stole $25,000 worth of rare Pokémon cards after breaking into an Eagan, Minnesota, claw machine arcade last weekend, employees said.

Surveillance video captured two suspects smashing a window and targeting locked display cases containing the high-value cards at Duck! early Saturday morning.

The theft has left manager Mona Lin shaken, having never expected something like this to happen in Eagan.

The crime mirrors similar thefts reported this year in states like Indiana, Illinois, California and Oklahoma.

According to CNN, the value of Pokémon cards has risen more than 145% over the past year. That soaring demand for the trading cards has made them increasingly attractive targets for thieves.

"It's mind-boggling. It does happen quite often that break-ins do happen," said Ben Calcutt, an employee at Triple Diamond Sports Cards & Collectibles.

Pokémon cards now account for about 40% of Triple Diamond's business, Calcutt said.

"After COVID kind of started, Pokémon started to go crazy because of the popularity and demand of it," Calcutt said. "It's just hard to find the product as well, which kind of increases all the prices."

Triple Diamond has rare Pikachu cards that sell for $14,000, while the most sought-after Pokémon cards are priced even higher. 

Duck! has posted a list of the 20 stolen cards on their Facebook page, including serial numbers that could help identify them if they surface at card shops, online marketplaces or card shows.

Lin is asking collectors and vendors to be on the lookout and to let the arcade or police know if the cards are spotted.

Eagan police continue to investigate and have not announced any arrests in the case.