Terri Settle isn’t selling Pokémon cards to make a quick buck. Her Winnipeg store, Terri’s Trinkets and Toys, only has a small inventory of the popular trading cards. “The cards bring in families, and I enjoy watching the children choose the cards that excite them”, she tells me. “I intentionally do not keep any high-value individual cards in the store. I sell the cards at the same price as I did 15 years ago.”
That hasn’t stopped the store being targeted by thieves. The soaring popularity of Pokémon – and the subsequent soar in its value – has caused a spike in Poké-crimes. The hobby’s greediest have stalked trucks via GPS and smashed through store walls to grab what amounts to thousands of dollars in product.
Settle opened her store in 2020 after several years selling toys at local flea markets. “Pokémon cards have always been the most frequently shoplifted item from my store”, she explains. There have been two major break-ins in the past six years. “Both times”, Settle says, “the largest loss came from Pokémon and other types of cards”. “It felt evident that the cards were the target, and the rest of the items were stolen simply because they were available.”
After the first theft in 2023, Settle invested in video cameras to try and protect her small stock of Pokémon. “My video cameras face from the restroom wall toward the front of the store”, she tells me. “It never occurred to me that someone would come through the outside brick wall.”
A second theft on September 8, 2026, saw thieves smash through an outside wall, entering the store through drywall access in the bathroom. “From there, the culprit must have crawled into the store and unplugged both my cameras”, Settle says.
Settle had around 20,000 Pokémon cards at the time of the theft, 1,000 of which were holographics. All were stolen, along with thousands of MTG, Yugioh, and sports cards. The thief also took packaged Lego sets, toys, jewelery, and videogames, plus Settle’s debit machine, personal laptop, and vacuum cleaner.
She estimates she lost $6,000 in lost revenue – $2,000 of which is just Pokémon cards. “I absolutely believe the theft would not have occurred without the Pokémon cards”, she adds.
Settle describes the ordeal as “incredibly frustrating”, especially given how little value each individual card actually has. “My initial reaction after the September 8th break-in was that it might be time to close my doors, and retire.”
Settle’s approach to Pokémon is changing because of the theft, but she’s not giving up on the game entirely. That’s all because of her community. “I have had many incredibly moving things happen in the weeks following”, she says.
Though she originally bought all her own stock, Settle says “many people have reached out to me asking if I would accept donations as a result of the recent media coverage.” “I have accepted some donations and it has allowed me to restock my shelves without incurring a great deal of expense.”
“I have had a very positive response from the community, with people making first visits to my little toy store”, she adds. According to the Facebook page, Terri’s Trinkets and Toys had one of its best weeks ever following the theft.
Settle is no longer displaying large boxes of Pokémon cards, and she plans to sell reserve stock in blind bags to “keep the cards on the shelves valued under $100”. The reason for this goes beyond just trying to deter thieves.
“I have decided that I still want to see Pokémon cards put happy faces on little children”, she says, “so I will continue to have a small selection of low value cards available for them”. “My own children (now in their thirties) loved Pokémon cards when they were younger.” “I think it is remarkable that Pokémon cards have stayed strong in the market despite many other TCGs going by the wayside.”
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Source: Wargamer
