With thieves after Pokemon cards, GTA collectables shops are ramping up security

Some Greater Toronto Area businesses carrying trading cards are increasing their security against robberies targeting the cards, some of which have become extremely valuable in recent years.

Security is the biggest business expense, John Amendola, founder and CEO of Mintink trading card shop, told CBC Toronto. 

He said he’s put in alarm systems and 24-hour security cameras at his collectable card stores in Ajax and Vaughan. The store’s staff have “vigorous” security training and customers have to buzz in at some entrances, Amendola said. 

“I treat it like a bank essentially,” he said. 

In the past five years, the company has had three break-ins, an armed robbery, and six figures worth of mail fraud and theft, Amendola said. He said the losses amounted to “hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars and emotional damage.”

The value in trading cards, Pokemon cards in particular, has risen significantly since the pandemic as interest has grown, according to some collection store owners, with some of the rarest cards selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“What a lot of people have to really understand is, it's become an asset class, like art,” Amendola said. 

Nostalgia and people returning to old interests during the pandemic could be factors contributing to the growth in the market, according to William Chong, owner of collectables store Dolly's Toys and Games.

“A card that might have been like $100 a year ago, is now like $1,000 or $1,500,” Chong said.

“It's extremely liquid,” Chong said. “If you're looking to sell cards, you could make a post online and you'll probably have a dozen people reach out to you to buy your cards.”

But the growing interest and value of collectable cards makes them a target for theft, the store owners said.

In October 2024, York Regional Police recovered stolen Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering trading cards in Aurora with an estimated value of $100,000.

Earlier that year, in February, Halton police recovered about $400,000 worth of stolen collectables, including Pokemon cards, sports cards, comic books and figurines. 

The Scarborough location of Dolly's Toys and Games was broken into twice in the last few years, Chong said. To mitigate the risks, Chong said he put in security cameras and keeps particularly valuable items somewhere other than the store.