A local game and card store in Forest Lake, Minnesota was robbed by a lone thief in the middle of the night on February 10. The man escaped with rare items worth $250,000 Pokemon cards and cash.
As reported by KARE 11, Punch Out Gaming is a self-proclaimed “corner shop” that buys and sells collectible cards and video games. Like most other places The store has seen a huge surge in demand for anything and everything Pokemon, especially cards.
This increased demand and the insane prices some cards can fetch online
At On February 10, the man broke through a side wall at the back of the store after gaining access to a store next door Punch Out Gaming
It is reported that no alarm was raised because the thief never opened any doors.
Jason Peterson, a co-owner of the store, narrates KARE 11 that he felt “numb” while watching the video of the burglar snatching cards and other Pokémon items.
“I just feel numb just watching someone walk in and take away everything you’ve worked so hard on over the years,” Peterson said.
Another store owner, Eric Johnson, shared the story fox 9 that he believed another person helped the thief since the stolen boxes were so many boxes that had to be moved in a short amount of time.
“I realized how much money, product and time we put into it and I just started crying… I can’t get this product back because our distributors don’t have one. So that doesn’t do us any good even with the insurance money,” Johnson explained.
A positive result from all of this is the great support owners have seen online. Johnson says he’s seen many online Pokémon fans offer support and others have vowed to keep an eye out for any possible stolen cards or merch being sold online and report it.
Local customers have also banded together to support Punch Out Gaming, which has been open in the region for almost a decade.
“We’re really going to move on, reinvent and come back,” Peterson said.
The surveillance video gives a pretty clear picture of the suspect who broke into the store through the hole. The owners don’t recognize the person, but are asking anyone to contact the store at (651) 464-9820. Or contact them Forest Lake Police.