More than 200 packages of trading cards were stolen on October 13 from a FedEx truck outside the headquarters of Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) in Santa Ana, California, in a theft reportedly worth nearly $1 million that has prompted the company to deactivate certificates and arrange compensation for affected customers.
Impact of the theft has been felt by collectors whose submissions were in transit. Among them is creator SKY-B, who estimated a total 104-card submission was lost.
“PSA just emailed me letting me know that FedEx STOLE my 104 card submission. Over $100,000 in cards just gone….” SKY-B wrote In a post on X.
According to PSA, the said FedEx vehicle carrying PSA orders was burglarized after leaving a facility in Southern California, and has argued that the items were not in its possession at the time, but that it would work with customers to resolve the matter “as best we can.”
Compensation would be determined under its terms and conditions, the company said, based on fair market value up to the Maximum Insured Value selected for each item at submission.
Contained on the stolen pallet were sports cards and Pokémon cards. Santa Ana police put nearly $1 million as the reported estimate of the items’ worth.
Certificates associated with the stolen cards were deactivated following the theft, in an attempt to make the stolen cards harder to sell, although PSA said serialized items may still be traceable if removed from their grading holders.
“We understand the impact this has on collectors involved, many of whom see these cards as far more than a financial asset. Our team is focused on supporting them. We take this incident seriously, and we will continue working with law enforcement to hold those responsible accountable,” Collectors, PSA’s parent company said.
The company has noted that it is alerting digital marketplaces, auction houses and other commerce partners to watch for rare and serialized items.
The terms have become a central concern for affected collectors. SKY-B posted the compensation language and wrote:
“@natsturner, I pray you handle this and take care of everyone affected in the most professional manner possible. I have an awful feeling PSA is going to be extremely unfair on what the values of these cards are,” SKY-B wrote additionally on X.
No reimbursement outcome has been established. As investigation is still underway.
Santa Ana police said the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone with information to contact the department. No recovery of the cards and no identification of a suspect has been reported, and no listing has been reported flagged.
Police have not assigned an official value, saying the worth of the haul remains to be determined as the investigation continues.
