Michigan Comic Shops Are Being Targeted For Newest Theft Trend

Recently, we have been talking a lot about the latest craze and demand for card games like Magic the Gathering in Pokémon.

Because of the high demand, there is a boom in the value of new sets that are coming out. The boom is so much so that demand for the product has caused the pre-sale and value of their card game products to go far beyond marketplace value.

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So what happens is that comic book shops and trading card shops receive the product they have an obligation to their customers to sell it at market price, even though what it’s going online is at times 10 times more than what they’re selling it for.

This has led to a string of thefts plaguing the state, with the newest victims being Rocket Comics in Kalamazoo. Over the weekend of January 19, thieves broke in, smashed the front door, and loaded up on thousands of dollars of sealed products of Magic the Gathering and Pokémon.

The idea behind this is that these thieves will then go to streaming apps like Whatnot and resell them for a massive profit. Rocket is just one of many Michigan shops that have had break-ins in recent months, including rookies in Lowell and Super Hideaway Gaming in Holland, where $15,000 in merchandise was stolen.

Luckily a warrant is out for the arrest of the suspect Eric Joseph Cody. A similar break-in strategy was performed at Rocket Comics, so this may be the same culprit. Anybody with information is prompted to reach out to law enforcement. People have expressed their support for Rocket, after they posted a photo of their now-wooden temp door:

First Rookies in Lowell and now you guys. I'm so sorry to hear. There are desperate folks out there these days. I'm going to stop in sometime soon to look for some old treasures. You guys rock, keep up the good work!