Over the past 30 years, Pokémon has grown from a beloved Game Boy game into a global phenomenon, with TV shows, movies, toys, and even a theme park. Central to its success is the Pokémon Trading Card Game, which has seen over 85 billion cards printed. The demand for these cards is so high that new packs often sell out immediately, making them hard to find in stores. A thriving resale market has emerged, with some cards fetching prices as high as £12 million. This has attracted not only collectors but also individuals looking to make quick profits, leading to a rise in thefts targeting card shops and online sales. Recently, some small businesses have reported losses due to thefts involving Royal Mail packages. Ben Thyer, owner of Bath TCG, a specialist Pokémon card store in Bath, shared his experience with the Guardian. He said that while occasional parcels went missing, it was only after a customer sent him photos of a tampered envelope that he realized the problem was more serious. Over a short period, seven envelopes from the same batch were opened and the cards were stolen. The envelopes had been sealed with Sellotape, which Thyer noted was not his usual practice. “It was clear someone had done this deliberately,” he said. The tampering was consistent across all the affected envelopes, leading Thyer to conclude that the theft was targeted rather than random. Although the stolen cards weren’t of high value, he decided to stop online sales to avoid further risk to his business and reputation. This decision cost him an estimated £4,000–6,000 in lost revenue, a significant loss for a small business. He is not alone in facing these issues. Daniel Stack, director of Mana Rock Games, a specialist in Magic: The Gathering cards, also reported similar problems with Royal Mail packages. He noted that two customers sent him photos of opened packages with missing contents within minutes of each other, confirming that the theft was intentional. Royal Mail is currently investigating the incidents and has assured affected businesses that they take reports of theft seriously. Meanwhile, retailers are left with a difficult choice: continue online sales and risk theft or halt them and lose revenue. With the release of a new, highly sought-after 30th-anniversary Pokémon card set this month, the situation is expected to worsen, as scalpers and resellers are likely to increase their activity. The Pokémon Company has not yet responded to requests for comment on how they are addressing the growing demand and the rise in thefts.