My interview with CBS about the PSA / FedEx Theft

A major theft occurred when two pallets of sports and Pokémon cards were stolen from a FedEx truck at Professional Sports Authenticator in Santa Ana, with a preliminary estimate of $963,000 in value. Police indicate a third pallet was disturbed but not taken. No arrests have been made as of the report date. Trading card influencer Nick Andrews, known online as Boston Card Hunter, organized an email chain for affected collectors and discovered that losses vary widely among victims—one dealer alone faces approximately $500,000 in declared value, while other collectors report losses ranging from $50,000 to $150,000. Some stolen cards are one-of-a-kind numbered items that can be tracked if they appear on the market. Keith Lewis from cargo theft tracking company Varys Cargoet explains that thieves follow market trends and target whatever consumers are buying, including trading cards which have reached valuations comparable to art and jewelry. Cargoet's data reveals that while the frequency of cargo thefts is declining, the total dollar amount stolen is increasing significantly—the company estimates $34 million in losses across the US and Canada in the second quarter alone, more than double the previous year. Lewis notes that thieves make rational economic decisions, targeting high-value items because the effort to steal expensive goods is equivalent to stealing inexpensive goods, yet penalties remain the same if caught. To address the vulnerability, experts suggest treating card shipments more like jewelry through armored transport or courier services, though this would increase grading expenses. Lewis advocates for industry-wide collaboration between manufacturers, shippers, and trucking companies to prevent future thefts. Andrews expresses optimism that some cards may be recovered and believes the incident will strengthen the collecting community's security practices.