They are just simple pieces of plasticized cardboard. In the eyes of collectors, however, some of these cards have inestimable value. Created in 1996 by the Japanese Satoshi Tajiri, the Pokémon phenomenon has become a veritable empire in just over twenty-five years. In addition to the very popular video games, the franchise is known worldwide for its role-playing game cards that children love to exchange. More or less rare, these cards can sometimes fetch several tens of thousands of euros in the hands of specialists. Enthusiasts know it, and so do thieves.
In June 2023, a collector residing in the Rennes area (Ille-et-Vilaine) was attacked and beaten up in the middle of the night at his home. According to West Francemore than 200,000 cards were allegedly stolen and placed in trash bags.
The investigation opened by the gendarmes was able to move forward thanks to the discovery of traces of DNA on pieces of torn garbage bags found near the victim’s home. Arrested in January, three men will be tried in February. According to West Francethe 200,000 cards could not be found and only 500 of them could be sold.
A huge breakage in a store in Belgium
On December 31, a specialized store located in Hoogstraten, Belgium, was robbed. The Flash-Cards brand was relieved of thousands of Pokémon objects, for an amount estimated at more than 200,000 euros. “It’s a life’s work that I’ve built over the last ten years. I’m really devastated, I cried,” said the store owner to our colleagues at 7sur7.be. The latter is offering a reward of 10,000 euros to anyone who can help him find his treasure.
Did you know ? The term Pokémon comes from the contraction of the words “Pocket monsters”, which means “pocket monsters” in French.