A shipment of professionally graded trading cards was supposed to make its way back to collectors. Instead, packages disappeared from a delivery truck near one of the industry’s best-known grading facilities, leaving owners facing questions about missing collections, insurance limits and whether their cards could ever be recovered.
The theft in Santa Ana, California, has drawn attention to the risks surrounding valuable collectibles. As investigators work to establish exactly what was taken, the case has also raised concerns about how stolen cards might be identified if they appear on resale marketplaces.
How the FedEx Truck Theft Happened Near PSA in Santa Ana
The incident occurred on October 13, 2026, near Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)’s shipping and receiving facility at 1610 East St. Andrew Place in Santa Ana, California.
PSA reported the theft to the Santa Ana Police Department after a FedEx vehicle carrying graded trading cards was burglarised. According to police, the truck’s lock had been broken while the driver was away from the vehicle.
Two pallets containing packages of trading cards were stolen, while a third pallet was disturbed. The Los Angeles Times reported that each stolen pallet contained approximately 100 packages, with around 50 additional packages taken from the third pallet.
The exact number of missing packages and individual cards had not been conclusively established in the available reports.
The shipment contained Pokémon cards, sports cards and other collectibles that PSA had authenticated and graded before preparing them for return to their owners. These were not simply unprocessed cards: they had already passed through the company’s grading process and were being shipped back to collectors.
The theft is now the subject of an ongoing police investigation. Authorities have not publicly established who carried it out or how the shipment was selected.
A Separate High-Value Theft Case
The California trading-card theft is one example of how stolen property can leave owners facing substantial losses. Another case involved thousands of wine bottles taken from a Tuscan estate, detailed in our Italy Antinori wine heist report.
Why the Stolen Trading Cards Were Initially Valued at $963,000
The Santa Ana Police Department initially estimated the value of the two stolen pallets at approximately $963,000. However, that figure is not necessarily the final value of the entire loss.
The estimate covers the two pallets initially valued by authorities. The additional packages reportedly taken from the third pallet had not been fully assessed in the available reporting as of October 20, 2026.
Police said the precise value could not be determined until the remaining boxes were scanned and the missing contents identified. The eventual total could therefore exceed the initial estimate, although a final valuation has not been established.
Nick Andrews, a trading-card collector known online as Boston Card Hunter, told The Associated Press that the broader losses reported by collectors could be substantially higher.
Andrews said he had heard from at least two dozen people affected by the incident and was tracking information about missing cards. Discussing the potential scale of the losses, he told the AP:
“Thousands of cards, most likely, and millions of dollars, most likely.”
The statement reflects Andrews’ assessment of the possible wider losses, not an official police valuation. The confirmed initial estimate remains $963,000 for the two pallets, while the total value of all missing items remains undetermined.
Collectors have also been sharing information about missing cards online in an effort to help identify them if they appear in the resale market.
Collector SKY-B Says 104 Rare Cards Were Stolen
Among the affected customers is YouTuber and trading-card collector SKY-B Cards, who reported that 104 cards from his collection were included in the stolen shipment.
According to the Los Angeles Times and other outlets, the cards had been submitted to PSA for grading and were being shipped back to him in Michigan when he learned about the theft.
SKY-B said he had spent approximately two years collecting the cards. Many were particularly rare, including case hits and one-of-one cards.
Explaining what was missing from his shipment, he said:
“A hundred four cards which were either case hits, which are ultra rare, or they’re 1-of-1s, meaning they’re the only one in the world,”
He also described some of the missing cards as irreplaceable.
SKY-B reported paying approximately $8,000 in grading fees for his 104-card submission. He said he had selected insurance coverage of up to $156,000 for the shipment, which he believed was below the cards’ market value.
These figures concern his individual submission, rather than the entire shipment stolen from the FedEx truck.
His experience highlights a key issue for collectors submitting high-value items for professional grading: a rare card’s market value may exceed the insurance limit selected for it. If compensation is capped at that limit, the payout may not match what the owner believes the card could have sold for.
The final compensation for SKY-B and other affected customers depends on the applicable coverage terms and the valuation of their individual items.
What PSA and Collectors Are Doing About the Stolen Cards
Collectors, PSA’s parent company, has confirmed that it is cooperating with law enforcement and the shipping carrier.
In a statement, the company said:
“We are aware of a theft involving a third-party shipping vehicle carrying PSA-graded items. We are working closely with law enforcement and the carrier as the investigation continues.”
Collectors has also taken steps to help prevent identified stolen items from circulating through ordinary collectibles marketplaces.
The company stated:
“We have deactivated the certificates for the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items.”
PSA’s grading records help identify individual collectibles and document their authentication and assigned condition grades. Deactivating the certification records associated with identified stolen items can help flag those cards when buyers, sellers or marketplace partners check their credentials.
Collectors has alerted marketplace partners, including those involved in digital sales and auctions, so they can look for identifiable items offered for sale. Manufacturer-assigned serial numbers on some cards may also help distinguish specific copies.
However, deactivating certification records does not recover stolen cards or establish where they are. The effectiveness of these measures depends on whether the items can be identified and whether relevant information reaches people who encounter them.
Collectors said its customer service team had contacted affected customers directly and was arranging compensation based on fair market value.
The company added:
“Our customer service team has contacted affected customers directly and is arranging compensation based on fair market value.”
It also acknowledged the personal significance of the collections:
“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.”
NBC Los Angeles reported that a company spokesperson said affected customers would also receive refunds for their grading fees. The specific compensation amounts for individual customers had not been publicly established in the reporting available by October 20.
Why Insurance Limits Could Affect Compensation
The difference between a collectible’s market value and its selected insurance limit has become an important part of the story.
Cardboard Police, a specialist publication, examined screenshots of a customer notification shared by SKY-B. According to its report, PSA’s notice described compensation as being based on fair market value but capped at the Maximum Insured Value (MIV) selected for each item.
This reported wording provides additional context beyond Collectors’ public statement, which refers to fair-market-value compensation without specifying the cap.
If a card’s assessed market value exceeds its applicable MIV, the limit may restrict the amount paid for that item. SKY-B’s reported $156,000 coverage illustrates why the distinction matters, but it does not establish the coverage selected by other affected customers.
Each customer’s final compensation will depend on the applicable terms and assessment of their items. The available reporting does not establish the final amounts all customers will receive.
FedEx Confirms Cooperation With Police
FedEx has also confirmed that it is cooperating with law enforcement.
A company spokesperson told news outlets:
“The security of our customers’ shipments is a top priority,”
FedEx said it was working with local law enforcement as the investigation continued.
Questions remain about the circumstances surrounding the truck’s security. Police have said its lock was broken while the driver was away, but available reporting does not establish who was responsible or whether the shipment was specifically targeted because of its contents.
There is also a difference between reports about how long the driver was away. The Los Angeles Times reported an absence of approximately 60 to 90 minutes. However, The Associated Press reported on October 20 that police said the duration remained part of the investigation. The precise length of time should not be treated as conclusively established.
No publicly confirmed evidence in the available reports identifies a suspect or establishes how the perpetrators knew about the shipment.
Latest Update: No Arrests or Card Recoveries Reported
As of October 20, 2026, the Santa Ana Police Department’s investigation remained open. According to the latest reporting from the AP and the Los Angeles Times, no arrests had been reported and none of the stolen cards had been recovered.
The key developments are summarised below.
| Detail | Reported information |
| Date of theft | October 13, 2026 |
| Location | Near PSA, 1610 East St. Andrew Place, Santa Ana, California |
| Carrier | FedEx |
| Initial estimated value | $963,000 for two pallets |
| Shipment contents | Pokémon cards, sports cards and other collectibles |
| Packages reportedly taken | Approximately 100 from each of two pallets, plus around 50 from a third pallet |
| Individual collector’s reported loss | SKY-B Cards said 104 cards were stolen |
| Initial investigation status | No arrests or recoveries reported as of October 20, 2026 |
Collectors has contacted affected customers, deactivated certification records associated with identified stolen items and notified marketplace partners. The company and FedEx are cooperating with law enforcement.
The total financial loss remains uncertain because the initial estimate does not account for a final valuation of all additional missing packages.
Another Theft With Long-Term Consequences
Recovering stolen property can be difficult when a large quantity is involved and its whereabouts remain unknown. Our NSW oyster theft and farmer recovery report covers a separate case involving a major reported loss.
Conclusion
The theft near PSA’s Santa Ana facility has left trading-card collectors facing both financial uncertainty and the possible loss of rare, personally significant items. While police initially valued the two stolen pallets at approximately $963,000, the full scale of the missing shipment has yet to be established.
PSA’s parent company, Collectors, has taken steps to flag identified stolen cards, notify marketplaces and arrange customer compensation. However, the whereabouts of the collectibles, the identities of those responsible and the final compensation amounts remain unresolved.
As of October 20, 2026, no arrests or recoveries had been reported. The investigation continues, with the final value of the loss still to be determined.
Source and research disclaimer: This article has been prepared based on research of the sources provided below, including reporting from The Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, NBC Los Angeles, OutKick and Cardboard Police. It reflects information available in those sources as of October 20, 2026, and does not imply independent verification beyond the material provided. Details concerning the investigation, missing items, valuations and compensation may change as further verified information becomes available.
Sources
- The Associated Press: At least $963K in trading cards were stolen from a FedEx truck in California
- Los Angeles Times: Almost $1 million in rare sports and Pokémon cards stolen from FedEx truck in Santa Ana
- NBC Los Angeles: Trading cards worth nearly $1 million stolen from FedEx truck
- OutKick: Nearly $1M in graded trading cards stolen from FedEx truck outside PSA facility in Santa Ana
- Cardboard Police: A FedEx Truck Carrying PSA Orders Was Burglarized. PSA’s Email Caps Payouts at the Insured Value
Featured Image Credit: Abhishek Navlakha / Pexels
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