Reading the words “Pokémon Booster Box” and “AK-47-style rifle” in the same police press release seems almost silly. Things are, in fact, just like that in California right now. One small group of people were worried about collectors getting ripped off during sketchy online meetups. Now, this problem has grown so big that law enforcement agencies across the state can’t ignore it any longer.
The most talked-about event happened on June 22 in Santa Clara, when police were called to Rivermark Plaza for a robbery. A single, unopened box worth about $13,000, called a Pokémon Booster Box Sun & Moon: Team Up, was stolen. An item like this was listed on eBay for almost $17,000. After three weeks, detectives found Joshua Olson, the main suspect, in Newark. They found cash, a Glock pistol, and a rifle that looked like an AK-47 in his car when they arrested him. He also had warrants out for his arrest in Louisiana, Nevada, and Arizona for robbery, theft, and escaping police. It wasn’t a bored teen grabbing something cool. It looked more like a business was running this.
Take a moment to think about that. Crossing state lines, carrying weapons, and specifically going after valuable collectibles are all signs that at least some of these crimes aren’t done on the spur of the moment. Some people seem to have studied the market, know which cards are really worth something on the secondary market, and are treating this like any other theft business. Random shoplifting is not the same as that, and it probably needs a different kind of response.
It wasn’t just the Santa Clara case. A month ago, a suspect pepper-sprayed the seller of a collection of cards in San Francisco’s Bayview District after setting up the sale through an online marketplace. The suspect then ran away with the collection. Two suspects were caught and arrested within 24 hours with the help of surveillance footage, drones, and automatic license plate readers. There were charges of robbery and conspiracy against both of them. That resolution worked very quickly, which was cool. But the fact that drones and a coordinated effort of investigators were needed to solve what seemed like a trading card theft shows how bad things have become.
In another case in Northern California, thieves stole about $15,000 worth of Pokémon cards from a store in less than 40 seconds. In a different case in the Santa Cruz area, a suspect said he had to “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” mentality, which led him to break into multiple Target stores and steal more than $3,400 in cards before he was caught. Because these cases involve different cities, laws, and methods, it makes sense to use a coordinated task force. When different departments are looking into the same case, they will always be behind someone working across county lines.
It’s still not clear how formal the task force structure is or how many agencies are fully behind the project. California police have had trouble talking to each other about this. It’s clear, though, that departments are working together—they’re sharing information, pooling surveillance resources, and arresting people in other states. The practical effect is the same whether it gets a formal name and funding or stays unofficial for now: there are detectives in California whose main job, at least part-time, is to catch people who steal Pokémon cards.
Ten years ago, none of this would have been possible. Most people who haven’t been paying attention would be shocked at how big the collectible card market has become. Some old cards can fetch tens of thousands of dollars. Premiums for unopened boxes from print runs that are no longer being made are as high as those for sports memorabilia. Crime is more likely to happen where there is a lot of money. It’s not new. It’s just strange to see it happen during a hobby that most people think of as middle school.
For collectors, the message is clear but a little sad: the things you’re carrying are worth more than most people think, and the people in the parking lot where you planned to sell them quickly might not be on your side. It looks like the message to California police is also clear: this isn’t going away on its own.
