Thanks to the popularity of card games like Pokémon, the trading card industry has become booming. multi-billion dollar industry – and the criminals want a piece of the action.
For example, collectors who sent their valuable trading cards to PSA, or Professional Sports Authenticator, to have their cards graded were shocked to learn. find an email in their inbox Monday to let them know their cards had been stolen during shipment. Images of the email went viral on social media, and a PSA spokesperson confirmed to Mashable that the thieves had targeted “a third-party shipping vehicle transporting PSA-classified items.”
“After leaving our PSA facility in Southern California, a FedEx vehicle transporting PSA orders was broken into and items were stolen,” reads a company email posted online by victims. “Unfortunately, this theft affected your order.”
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Mashable has reported on the intense market for Pokémon collectibles, one of the biggest draws of the collectible card game (TGC) community, where resellers are already making it difficult for ordinary players to get their hands on new releases. Sports cards are also in high demand and rare individual cards have sold for millions of dollars.
In the world of collectibles, grading a card means having it authenticated by a professional who also assesses the item’s condition, which could greatly increase its resale value on the secondary market. PSA is considered the industry leader in grading sports and leisure cards.
To give an example of what could have been stolen in the alleged FedEx truck heist, user claimed they had sent cards worth more than $100,000 to PSA to be graded – and they were all stolen.
Crushable speed of light
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According to PSA, the company took action as soon as it was informed of the incident. The company deactivated the certificates of the stolen items and notified its business partners of the serialized items so they could be traced.
PSA said it was working closely with FedEx and law enforcement to assist in the investigation.
In a statement provided to Mashable, PSA said its “facilities were not impacted.”
“A third-party transportation vehicle was broken into after leaving our facility; PSA did not have the affected items in its possession at the time,” the company said.
As for customers whose cards were stolen, PSA said it would compensate them for items stolen in the order based on their “fair market value up to the maximum insured value.”
A PSA spokesperson also provided a statement to Mashable:
We are aware of a theft involving a third party shipping vehicle transporting PSA classified items. We are working closely with law enforcement and the carrier as the investigation continues.
We’ve disabled certificates for stolen items and notified Marketplace partners so they can search for rare and serialized items. Our customer service team has contacted affected customers directly and is arranging compensation based on fair market value.
We understand the impact this has on affected collectors, many of whom view these cards as much more than a financial asset. Our team is focused on supporting them. We take this incident seriously and will continue to work with law enforcement to hold those responsible accountable.
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Topics
Pokémon Trading Cards
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