Armed Men Rob Pokemon Card Store

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In mid-January 2026, a Pokemon card store in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District was robbed by a group of armed men during a community event. The thieves got away with Pokemon merchandise worth an estimated six figures, and many customers were left upset and shaken.

Poke Court, a store specializing in valuable Pokemon trading cards, opened in November 2025. They offer a variety of cards in English, Japanese, and Chinese, as well as accessories and toys for card players. On January 14th, the store hosted a popular event called Top Loader Decorating Night, where fans could personalize their card sleeves with provided materials.

Armed Robbers Steal Over $100,000 Worth of Pokemon Cards

As a huge Pokémon card collector, I was shocked to hear about the armed robbery at Poke Court! Apparently, a group of robbers stormed the store during an arts and crafts event, holding around 40 people at gunpoint. The surveillance footage is crazy – one of them just systematically smashed the display cases with a hammer, specifically targeting the most valuable Pokémon cards. Another robber helped load up the stolen goods. The whole thing only took about three minutes, and the owner, Courtney Chin, estimates they got away with over $100,000 worth of merchandise. Thankfully, nobody was physically hurt, but it’s still a devastating loss for the store and the collecting community.

Pokemon Cards Confirmed Stolen from Poke Court

Card No. Set Grade Est. Value
Treecko Holo [Gold Star] 109 Ex Team Rocket Returns PSA 8 $3,600
Mudkip Holo [Gold Star] 107 Ex Team Rocket Returns PSA 8 $4,500
Charizard Holo 4 1st Edition Base Set PSA 5 $7,200
Pikachu Holo [Gold Star] 104 EX Holon Phantoms PSA 6 $3,300
Charizard Holo 89 Mysterious Mountains [Japanese] PSA 10 $23,000
Ho-Oh 149 Skyridge PSA 9 $4,000
M Charizard EX Holo 12 Pokemon Generations PSA 10 $2,200

The value estimates are based on recently realized eBay prices of cards with matching grades.

On January 15th, Poke Court revealed some of the cards stolen in a recent theft. The most valuable card was a pristine, highly-graded (PSA 10) Charizard, a rare Japanese card from the Mysterious Mountains set (similar to the Skyridge expansion released in English in the early 2000s). Experts estimate its worth at $23,000. The thieves also stole a 1st Edition Charizard graded PSA 5, valued at over $7,000. The total estimated value of the stolen Charizard cards exceeds $30,000.

Image via The Pokemon Company

Among the stolen items were two rare Pokémon trading card game booster packs. The first was a Groudon edition from the Double Crisis expansion, released in early 2015. While it’s hard to put an exact price on this specific pack due to its rarity, a similar pack (Kyogre and Shelly variant) in perfect condition (PSA 10) sold for $636.01 in November 2025. Since the stolen pack was graded an 8, it would likely be worth less. Another stolen item was an EX Legend Maker pack with Arcanine artwork, also graded an 8. This pack is traded more often, but there haven’t been any recent sales of an 8-graded version. However, similar packs in lower (PSA 6 – $287.03) and higher (PSA 10 – $679.99) condition have sold since early 2025, offering a general price range.

Originally, police believed three people were involved in the theft, but new security footage shows four suspects. The thieves stole valuable trading cards, many of which were protected in special, traceable holders. This suggests they might try to open the holders, either to get the cards regraded or to sell them without the protection. Even if they can only get a low grade on the cards again – especially for valuable cards like certain Charizard versions – they could still significantly increase the price they get when reselling them. As of Thursday, January 15th, Poke Court has reopened, but all four suspects remain at large.

Sources: PriceCharting, PSA Card

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2026-01-16 04:35