A Pokémon card collector has his $200,000 collection stolen

Famous Pokémon card collector Yves Bruynen offers €10,000 reward after group of sophisticated thieves steal objects in his store in Belgium.

In 2021, Yves Bruynen made headlines after opening a Charizard PSA 10 card worth half a million dollars and even opened a store dedicated to Pokémon.

Unfortunately, with Pokémon cards selling for big money, many stores have been targeted by thieves – and Bruynen’s was no exception.

Earlier in January, burglars broke into his store in Hoogstraten and made off with rare items worth more than $200,000, making it one of the biggest Pokémon thefts we’ve seen so far. ‘now.

Pokémon collector offers big reward after $200,000 collection stolen

According to reports from Voice of Europe, these thieves entered with a bold strategy, far beyond what Team Rocket could hope to achieve.

The thieves reportedly used Wi-Fi jammers and headsets, while a team member kept watch outside the store.

“They entered the store with large bags. They mainly targeted the most expensive and exclusive products. They left out the new products, which are worth a little less,” explained Bruynen. “They knew very well where to go, we see them heading straight to the cabinets where the exclusive products were.”

Fortunately, the owner believes the rarity of the cards will make them difficult to sell, but he is offering 10,000 euros to anyone who can provide clues to catch the thieves.

“I’m really devastated, I cried,” the collector said. “It’s a life’s work that I’ve built over the last ten years. All of this disappeared in one fell swoop. As far as I’m concerned, it’s going to be a real manhunt. I have to get them back, because unfortunately the insurance won’t cover everything.”

Bruynen is far from the first victim of Pokémon card theft. Perhaps most infamously, in 2022, a 62-year-old man’s insane $500,000 Pokémon card collection was stolen from his beachfront home.