In an audacious string of early morning burglaries, two beloved Detroit-area card shops found themselves at the center of a crime wave that highlights just how valuable some collectors’ items have become. Welcome to the Wild West of Pokémon card trading, where the stakes are high, and the crooks are so brazen they accessorize their crime with a hammer.
Last Friday, before the sun could properly warm the streets of Livonia, Michigan, RIW Hobbies & Gaming fell victim to a smash-and-grab that would make even cartoon villains envious. The store’s owner, Pam Willoughby, unsuspectingly rewound her security footage to find a pair of masked individuals who seemed more interested in channeling their inner Viking than collecting vintage cards. With hammers in hand, they set about decorating the shop with shattered glass instead of confetti.
Where did the vengeance come from? For what purpose did they strike? If you guessed Pokémon cards, give yourself a gold star! These aren’t just any cards though — some rare beauties can fetch prices that leave wallets airing out from the shock. Amid a pandemic-induced nostalgia boom, these cards are hotter than hotcakes, rocketing from childhood mementos to investment assets quicker than you can say “Charizard.”
Market spikes for Pokémon cards are nothing new, but as Willoughby puts it, “Every couple years the market spikes, but right now it’s hotter than I’ve ever seen.” And while the burglary might have been at an ungodly hour, there’s no doubt the crooks had one eye open for business — not theirs, but the bustling market at Motor City Comic Con, which kicked off the very same day. Coincidence? Willoughby wagers otherwise — they knew the con meant crowds of both sellers and buyers.
Just when you think the city’s criminal activities couldn’t be more synchronized, a Tuesday morning encore arrived in Warren, Michigan, like the universe was on repeat. This time, it was Eternal Games, and the familiarity of the theft was far from comforting. Around 5 a.m., a solitary masked visitor bypassed the mess of shattered glass, striking a path straight behind the counter to pocket Pokémon plunder with the precision of a seasoned pro.
“As if they had a shopping list,” mused Dakota Olszewski, assistant manager. “No hesitation, no wasted movement. It was in, grab, and gone.” Humor aside, there’s a kind of nightmarish choreography to these crimes. One shop hits the decibels with smash-and-grab tactics; the other takes a stealthier approach straight to the point.
These are not isolated incidents, either. The ghost of crimes past haunts card shops around Detroit, where last December saw thieves masquerade as customers before absconding with treasures in Macomb County. Though those thieves got their comeuppance in court, the chilling reminder of their presence remains.
In response, both RIW Hobbies & Gaming and Eternal Games are treating their proverbial wounds with more than just plasters but reinforced doors, enhanced security cameras, and a message of collective vigilance to their fellow storekeepers. Beyond the heady value of the cardboard assets they keep, there’s a far more fundamental concern at play. As Willoughby asserts, “It’s not just the inventory. It’s the feeling of being safe in your own space. That’s what they took.”
The police may not have connected these recent crimes with crime-scene-style string just yet, but investigators suspect they’re dealing with a habitual offender or group. The parallelisms are telling: morning hours, hammers in hand, and those laser-focused agenda items—Pokémon cards with price tags that would make a Swiss bank account blush.
Interactive mysteries like these remind dealing card collectors that their hobby moonlighting as an investment can attract some unsavory attention. It’s a different brand of trading card war, where the battlefields are small, local shops, and the casualties are peace of mind.
As these stories unfold, shop owners within the trading card world clasp closer to their treasures, not sure if they’re sitting on a pile of potential cash, or the next unwitting target. It’s a reminder to us all: when your childhood hobby becomes Wall Street on cardboard, you might need a security plan to match your Pokémon master dreams.
Those who might possess the missing piece of this puzzle are urged to contact Detective Kranz at 586-574-4780 about the incident in Warren or the Livonia Police Department at 734-466-2470 if their intel concerns the Livonia heist.
