Thieves smashed into Next Level The Gamers Den in Graham Saturday morning and stole 25 boxes of pre-ordered Pokémon and Star Wars Unlimited cards worth around $10,000.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office believes the thieves involved in the Saturday incident may be connected to previous break-ins at the same location.
The burglary follows a series of similar crimes targeting card and gaming shops across the region.
Andrew Engelbeck, owner of Next Level The Gamers Den, explained that these items have significant market value because of their collectability.
“Cardboard is like stocks,” Engelbeck said. “And if you buy the right amount of cardboard, you are able to turn around, hold on to it, and sell it for later.”
Engelbeck noted that the demand is often driven by customers who “like nostalgia.”
This trend of targeting gaming shops has been seen throughout the Puget Sound region.
Carly Cappetto with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office noted that the high demand for these cards motivates criminals to seek them out.
“And there are thieves that want to catch them all as well,” Cappetto said.
While the monetary loss in this specific case is high, the legal classification of such crimes often limits the severity of the charges.
The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office stated that some of these break-ins do not rise to the level of a felony offense and are instead processed as misdemeanors.
Cappetto explained that this reflects current state law regarding property crimes.
“It’s just how our state processes theft,” Cappetto said. “In general, theft is considered a property crime.”
Engelbeck expressed frustration with the recurring nature of these incidents, stating that he and his staff are aware of at least one repeat offender who continues to target the business.
He argued that the legal system is failing small business owners who bear the brunt of the financial loss.
“It’s just a broken system,” Engelbeck said. “And yet the small businesses are the ones that get hurt.”
The owner warned that a lack of meaningful consequences for theft could lead to more frequent and larger crimes.
“Problems start with small actions, and they grow as people learn that there is no reaction,” Engelbeck said.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who has information about the break-in to call the department.
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