The owner of a northern suburb store has been hit by thieves twice in two weeks, with Pokémon trading cards taken both times.
The simple but valuable items are now a common target globally — including thefts in New Zealand — and prompted some businesses to increase their security as a result.
CCTV from Blakeview newsagency in Adelaide showed a man with three young boys in tow enter the shop and begin to look for an attendant, before swiping the valuable cards from the front desk.
Newsagency owner Siva Kumar said watching the theft on video was "the hardest thing in my life".
More than AU$100 worth of Pokémon cards were taken, while the alleged offender could be seen outside the store afterwards boasting to the children about the steal.
"He is showing off what he took from the counter and the kid's laughing… what message are you giving that kid?" Kumar said.
The popularity of the cards had prompted other thefts across Australasia, as high-value cards in mint condition could reach into the thousands.
One such item on display at ACE Collectibles was a sealed box with two cards inside worth $30,000.
Harley Ngyuen from Ace Collectibles said "when they first released, they're about $8 to $10.
"But later on, as an investment piece, or later on, they could be worth millions. Like recently, Logan Paul sold his cards for $40 million," he explained.
Ngyen said the store was taking the rising threat of theft "very seriously".
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including how to prepare for a super El Niño, and how a couple got stuck at the top of a ferris wheel. (Source: 1News)
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