SAN ANTONIO – Big-time value, easy to sell, hard to trace -- the hobby of collecting sports cards has made a huge comeback, but it is also catching thieves’ eyes.
Burglars stole merchandise worth $20,000 or more from two local card shops.
Most recently, Charlie Dipietro, owner of Sports Cards Plus, said his store was broken into early Monday morning. He said suspects tried cutting through a metal door but couldn’t get in last week.
Victor John Nava, owner of Boomtown Sports cards and Collectibles, said his shop was broken into in April.
“It’s not good for our hobby. It’s not good for our communities. It’s just not good at all, and it’s really scary,” Nava said.
“Cards that I bought a year ago for like $15,000 are now ($80,000 to) $90,000,” Dipietro said.
Both shop owners said the sports cards could be sold practically anywhere and on numerous social media platforms. Tracing them is nearly impossible.
The business owners said the items rarely come with a serial number. If they have one, it usually refers to the manufacturer, not the individual product.
“There’s no way to prove it. It’s like stealing anything at Walmart. It’s like stealing a shirt, stealing pants. There’s no way to trace it,” Nava said.
For consumers, there is a little more hope to protect their cards.
“If you grade a card, the card is serial numbered, and it becomes identifiable, so if we’re talking single cards, you can protect yourself that way by getting it graded,” Dipietro said.
No arrests have been made in either of the break-ins.
“It was a pretty stiff kick to our gut. They went directly for the high-end stuff. The hobby boxes that are ($300 to $600). Some boxes out on the market are $2,000,” said Nava.
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