Thieves steal up to $40,000 in Pokémon merchandise smash and grab burglary from Rochelle Park hobby shop
The break-in happened around 3 a.m. at Big Pack Hobby Shop, where the owner says thieves broke through the front and were gone in minutes.
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A smash-and-grab burglary targeted a hobby store overnight in Rochelle Park, leaving thousands of dollars in merchandise stolen.
The break-in happened around 3 a.m. at Big Pack Hobby Shop, where the owner says thieves broke through the front and were gone in minutes.
Surveillance video shows three masked men entering the store and grabbing high-value Pokémon cards before fleeing.
Surveillance video
“They were gone in about two minutes,” said owner Pablo Rancien, who rushed to the store after getting an alert.
Rancien estimates the thieves took between $30,000 and $40,000 worth of merchandise, including rare and graded cards that can be valued in the thousands.
One card alone is believed to be worth about $3,500 to $4,000.
The store, which has been open for about three years, was also robbed before, though the owner says this incident is much worse.
Rancien says the popularity and rising value of Pokémon cards may be a factor.
“It’s gotten really expensive. The last two years extremely popular,” he said.
The owner is now cleaning up damage and assessing losses, while police review surveillance video.
Rancien says he's going to upgrade security and basically treat his store like a jewelry store. But he plans on getting back open for all the kids and collectors that come in.
