Thieves have stolen nearly one million dollars worth of trading cards from a FedEx truck in Southern California, in what collectors are calling potentially one of the largest heists in the hobby’s history.
Santa Ana police responded to a report filed Tuesday by Professional Sports Authenticator, a third-party authentication and grading service located approximately 33 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The company reported that an estimated $963,000 worth of sports cards, Pokémon cards, and other collectibles had been taken from a FedEx truck. According to police spokesperson Natalie Garcia, the theft involved two complete pallets of cards and a third that was disrupted during the crime.
The scope of the theft continues to grow as victims come forward. Nick Andrews, a trading card dealer known in collecting circles as the Boston Card Hunter, indicated that multiple collectors have been affected, with one individual losing approximately $500,000 worth of cards. A running tally of stolen items had reached 383 cards by Monday evening.
Among the missing items are pieces of significant value to collectors. A 1995 Upper Deck 23K Gold Michael Jordan card and a 2024 One Piece Simplified Chinese 1st Anniversary Set Nami card number among the stolen goods.
One victim, a card trader who requested identification only as Sky-B, described the personal impact of the theft. The Michigan-based collector said he had accumulated 104 cards over two years, many of which he considers irreplaceable beyond their monetary value. He had sent the cards to Professional Sports Authenticator for certification and grading before they were to be returned to him. Sky-B said he paid $8,000 in grading fees and had insured the cards for $156,000, though he believes their actual market value after grading would have exceeded that amount.
Professional Sports Authenticator has taken steps to prevent the stolen items from being sold through legitimate channels. The company has deactivated the certificates for all stolen cards and notified marketplace partners to watch for rare and serialized items. In a statement, a company spokesperson confirmed that grading fees would be returned to affected customers along with the fair market value of the involved cards. The company stated it is cooperating fully with investigators.
FedEx issued a statement emphasizing the seriousness with which it views the matter. The shipping company said the security of customer shipments remains a top priority and confirmed it is working with local law enforcement on the investigation.
Garcia noted that the estimated value of the stolen goods may increase as more victims report losses. The case remains open with no arrests announced at this time.
The theft underscores the growing value of the trading card market, which has seen explosive growth in recent years as collectors and investors have driven prices for rare cards into six and seven figures at auction.
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