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Police have arrested and charged two people after a string of break-ins at multiple Calgary collectible stores, with over $80,000 worth of high-value trading cards stolen.
The break-ins happened on four occasions between July and September of last year, according to police.
Police said the suspects used pry bars and power tools to force their way into stores in the early hours, then escaped in stolen vehicles.
“The big thing to understand in all of this is that it’s not just a simple petty property crime … there are victims. And these victims are typically families that are trying to put food on their table,” said Calgary police Const. Garret Dawson.
“One of the stores, in particular, this brought on so much anxiety that the shop owners were sleeping at the shop to try to protect their assets.”
Dawson said the thefts included collectibles like Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering cards, which have soared in value in recent years.
Police said investigators spent several months canvassing the communities where the crimes occurred and collected hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, analyzing the similarities between the robberies.
Officers were able to retrieve many of the stolen cards, as well as locate the stolen vehicles used in the crimes, a news release said.
Dawson added that police still have a third suspect they are trying to identify.
A 48-year-old man is charged with one count of mischief to property under $5,000, three counts of disguise with intent, two counts of breaking and entering, and two counts of possession of stolen property.
A 63-year-old man is charged with one count of mischief to property under $5,000 and one count of disguise with intent.
Both Calgary men are scheduled to appear in court in June.
Calgary southeast stores hit
Eastridge Sports Cards and Games was the hardest hit location, where more than $72,000 worth of trading cards were stolen in a single break-in on Aug. 11, 2025. Police said three people used power tools to break into the store.
Others targets in southeast Calgary included:
- First Player, where police said three people pried open the door to a warehouse in a strip mall and once inside broke into the store, stealing more than $10,600 worth of trading cards.
- Celly Sports and Games, where two people stole more than $5,000 worth of collectible cards and caused approximately $2,000 in damage.
- Olympic Sports Cards and Games, where three people attempted to break into the store by sawing through a door. Police said they did not gain entry but did cause significant damage.