Thieves Steal $180K in Pokémon Cards After Cutting Through Wall at California Collectibles Store

The suspects broke into the Anaheim store by first smashing the glass door of a neighboring business and cutting through a shared wall.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Thieves stole roughly $180,000 worth of Pokémon cards from an Anaheim, California collectibles store in an early-morning break-in. The suspects broke into the store by first smashing the glass door of a neighboring insurance office and cutting through a shared wall to gain entry. Once inside, they shattered display cases and targeted high-value trading cards, including at least one card valued at $10,000. The business has been broken into twice in the past six months.

Why it matters

The theft highlights the growing value and demand for rare Pokémon cards, which have become a lucrative target for organized retail crime. It also raises concerns about the security measures needed to protect valuable collectibles in small businesses.

The details

According to reports, four suspects broke into Do-We Collectibles on Harbor Boulevard around 3 a.m. on February 18. The thieves appeared to have scouted the location beforehand, as one of the suspects dropped an unlocked cellphone inside the store that investigators were able to use as evidence. The suspects escaped in a dark-colored sedan and were able to grab hundreds of trading cards in less than 10 minutes.

  • The break-in occurred around 3 a.m. on February 18, 2026.
  • The business has been broken into twice in the past six months.

The players

Do-We Collectibles

An Anaheim, California collectibles store that was targeted in the break-in.

Duy Pham

The owner of Do-We Collectibles, who stated that the store did have surveillance cameras and other security measures but that they "cannot sleep well at night because sooner or later, we're going to get a break-in."

Vincent Bui

A worker at Do-We Collectibles who said the suspects appeared to have scouted the location beforehand.

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What they’re saying

“They had come in during the daytime and scouted the area, knew where the display cases are, knew where to go, knew what our weaknesses are.”

— Vincent Bui, Worker, Do-We Collectibles (Fox 11 Los Angeles)

“They took a lot of smaller, single cards, and we have a lot of those so it does add up to a lot … big amount of merchandise was stolen here. All of our display cases were empty.”

— Duy Pham, Owner, Do-We Collectibles (ABC 7)

“We expected that something was going to happen sooner or later. In this business, we have a target on our back where … we cannot sleep well at night because sooner or later, we're going to get a break-in.”

— Duy Pham, Owner, Do-We Collectibles (ABC 7)

What’s next

Investigators are using the suspect's dropped cellphone as evidence to try to identify and apprehend the thieves.

The takeaway

This theft highlights the growing value and vulnerability of rare Pokémon cards, which have become a lucrative target for organized retail crime. It underscores the need for small businesses that deal in valuable collectibles to invest in robust security measures to protect their inventory.