More than 6,400 graded sports and Pokémon cards stolen from a FedEx truck outside a Santa Ana grading facility remain unrecovered, according to Professional Sports Authenticator, which released a full list of the missing items on Friday.
PSA said the theft occurred Oct. 13 after a carrier truck picked up customer orders from the company’s Santa Ana headquarters. In total, 6,451 graded collectibles were taken. The company said it has deactivated the certification numbers tied to the stolen cards to make them harder to resell, and has shared the complete list, including certification and serial numbers, with marketplaces, auction houses and other digital commerce platforms so they can watch for the items.
“Recovering every stolen item and returning it to its owner is our top priority,” PSA said in a statement.
The company said it is working closely with the FBI and the Santa Ana Police Department, providing surveillance footage, shipping manifests and item-level records. PSA said it remains in daily contact with investigators, though no arrests have been announced.
Authorities previously said the theft involved nearly 250 packages worth an estimated $963,000. According to police, the FedEx truck was left unattended for 60 to 90 minutes outside PSA’s Santa Ana headquarters while the driver was away, and the vehicle’s lock had been broken.
“The pallets contained various trading cards, including, but not limited to, sports cards and Pokémon cards,” the Santa Ana Police Department previously told The California Post.
Collectors left reeling
The theft has hit hard among collectors who had entrusted years of work to PSA’s grading process. YouTuber and collector Sky-B Cards said he paid $8,468 in grading fees for a 104-card order insured for up to $156,000.
“These were 104 cards that I’ve accumulated over two years. There are many irreplaceable cards in here that I will never see again,” Sky-B said in a video update.
Compensation underway
PSA said it has begun contacting affected customers and has refunded grading fees tied to the stolen shipments. Customers who used PSA’s own return labels can now begin the compensation process, with payments already going out, the company said.
Compensation will be based on each item’s fair market value, up to its declared maximum insured value, PSA said. Customers who accept compensation will still be able to reclaim their cards if they are later recovered.
PSA apologized to affected collectors, noting that its security measures allowed it to safely process and return-ship more than 99.9% of items it handled over the past year.
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