Armed Men Rob Pokemon Card Store in New York City

A group of armed men robbed a Pokemon TCG store in Manhattan's Meatpacking District during a mid-January 2026 community event. The smash-and-grab is estimated to have resulted in six figures' worth of stolen Pokemon merchandise and dozens of shaken customers.

The target of the robbery was Poke Court, which opened its doors to the public in November 2025. The store specializes in valuable Pokemon TCG cards, with its inventory including a rotating selection of English, Japanese, and Chinese cards. It also sells general-purpose TCG accessories and toys. On Wednesday, January 14, Poke Court held an event called Top Loader Decorating Night, inviting fans to come customize their hard card sleeves with materials provided on site.

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By  Bruna Telles

Armed Robbers Steal Over $100,000 Worth of Pokemon Cards

The arts and crafts activity was cut short when multiple armed robbers crashed the event, brandished weapons, and emptied the store of its high-value merchandise while holding approximately 40 people at gunpoint. Surveillance footage shows one of the robbers using a hammer to systemically smash the display windows where Poke Court's most valuable Pokemon cards were held, while another helps with the looting. The entire robbery lasted about three minutes, with Poke Court owner Courtney Chin estimating the thieves made off with more than $100,000 worth of merchandise, having said as much in a statement to ABC. No customers were physically hurt in the process.

Pokemon Cards Confirmed Stolen from Poke Court

Poke Court took to social media on January 15 to share details of some of the cards stolen during the heist. The most valuable among them is a PSA 10-graded Charizard holo from Mysterious Mountains, a Japanese-exclusive set that partially corresponds to the English-language Skyridge expansion from the game's e-Card era in the early 2000s. This particular variant in mint condition is estimated to be worth $23,000. The robbers also got away with a PSA 5-graded Pokemon TCG 1st Edition Charizard with a PSA 5 grade, valued at over $7,000. Their Charizard haul alone is estimated to be worth over $30,000.

Image via The Pokemon Company

The list of stolen merchandise also includes the Groudon edition of a booster pack from Double Crisis, a special Pokemon TCG expansion released in early 2015. While this item is too niche and infrequently traded to provide a reliable market estimate, The Best War Games discovered one auction record for a Kyogre and Shelly variant of the same pack with a PSA 10 grade, which sold for $636.01 in November 2025. The stolen pack was graded PSA 8, suggesting it would likely be valued below that amount. Poke Court also reported the theft of a PSA 8-graded EX Legend Maker pack featuring Arcanine artwork. While this pack is traded more frequently than the Double Crisis one, its specific grade lacks a recent direct comparison based on a realized sale in recent history. The two closest reference points are PSA 6 and PSA 10 EX Legend Maker packs, which sold for $287.03 and $679.99, respectively, since early 2025.

While initial reports indicated that three individuals were involved, newly released surveillance footage shows four perpetrators. Although the most valuable stolen cards were encased in graded holders that can be tracked and verified as stolen, their theft suggests the suspects may attempt to crack the cases, possibly to resubmit them for grading or sell them ungraded. In the case of high-value cards such as the aforementioned Charizard variants, even a low-grade resubmission could substantially increase their resale value. Poke Court reopened on Thursday, January 15, with all suspects still at large.

Sources: PriceCharting, PSA Card