Nearly $1 million in rare trading cards, including highly valued Pokémon cards, were stolen from a FedEx truck parked near a Southern California business that authenticates and grades collectibles, police said. The theft happened October 13 outside Professional Sports Authenticator’s (PSA) office in Santa Ana. Police said about two pallets of cards were stolen and a third was disturbed, with an estimated value of $963,000. The cards belonged to collectors across the country who had sent them in to be graded. Thieves steal nearly $1 million worth of Pokémon cards in SoCal FedEx truck break in – ABC News +3
The impact on collectors
YouTuber Skyler Bennett, known as “SKY-B CARDS,” said 104 of his cards, insured for $156,000, were stolen. PSA said it deactivated the certificates of the stolen items, notified marketplace partners, and is taking steps to compensate owners for the fair market value of their cards. As of the latest police update, no arrests had been made and nothing had been recovered. Trading cards worth $1 million stolen from FedEx truck in Pokémon heist +2
Why cards are a target
The theft is the latest in a string of heists involving Pokémon cards, which have exponentially increased in value in recent years. Pokémon cards have risen 3,261% in value over 20 years, more than any other card category. abcnewsFortune
Quebec’s maple syrup reserve
Now to the syrup. Quebec’s strategic maple syrup reserve is expected to be completely depleted by the end of February 2027, according to the industry association PPAQ. The association’s president said the strategic reserve “has been reduced to zero.” bluewinyahoo
Where did it go?
A spokesperson said the remaining inventory had already been sold and would be delivered to buyers by then, and buyers’ inventories had grown by more than 35 million pounds. U.S. customers stockpiled last year because of the trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada, and exports to the U.S. rose 17% between 2024 and 2025. bluewinbluewin
Why it matters
Canada accounted for 75% of global maple syrup production in 2025, and Quebec for 90% of that. An empty reserve is a real problem because maple harvests depend on the right weather, though the 2026 harvest came in at 229.5 million pounds. Whether prices will rise in 2027 is not yet clear. bluewinyahoo
A famous history
The reserve has been in the news before. In 2011 and 2012, thieves stole nearly 3,000 tonnes of maple syrup worth C$18.7 million from a Quebec storage facility, in the “Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.” Wikipedia
Bottom line
Trading cards and syrup are both valuable, and both have been targets. In each case, the value depends on supply, demand, and keeping the goods safe.
