CCTV shows thieves stealing £10k of trading cards at Beeston shop

The manager of a trading card shop in Nottinghamshire has described a £10,000 raid on stock as “heartbreaking”.

Police have launched an investigation after the burglary at Jakes Breaks trading card shop in High Street, Beeston, just before 07:00 GMT on New Year’s Day.

CCTV footage shows two people smashing their way into the shop and stealing thousands of Pokémon and other collectible trading cards, before fleeing and dropping some of the items as they left.

Manager of Jakes Breaks, Daniel Matwiejczuk, said: “It’s just heartbreaking that these kind of people think they have the right to do this kind of thing to hardworking folk.”

Owners of Jakes Breaks, Chris Wilmott and his son Jake, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, began collecting sports trading cards in May 2024 after learning about the craze on TikTok.

The father and son duo decided to open the shop after they sold a one-of-a-kind card for $122,000 (£90,522), which came from a jumbo box of 2023-24 Topps Chrome UEFA Club trading cards that cost £600.

Mr Matwiejczuk said the thieves struggled to gain access to the shop at first but returned to try again for a second time.

“The taller one tried to smash the bottom window through with a pry bar,” he said.

“He gets about two or three swings in and then it bounces out of his hand and they both dart,” he said.

Mr Matwiejczuk said the pair returned a “minute or so later” and broke into the shop using what “looked like a paving slab”.

“They were in here for about six, seven minutes, max,” the manager said.

Mr Matwiejczuk said a number of TAG Grade 10 Pokémon cards, meaning they were in perfect condition, graded and sealed inside a clear case, were stolen on Thursday.

Cards related to the hugely popular Japanese animation franchise have soared in value over recent years with some being sold for thousands of pounds.

As well as Pokémon cards, thieves stole a jumbo box of Topps Chrome NBA basketball cards, five trays and three boxes of different kinds of collectible cards, with each box holding “up to a thousand” cards.

Several Magic the Gathering Secret Lair packs, costing about £60-£80 each, were damaged, as well as other cards that were dropped by the thieves and left outside in the rain.

After a successful first year of business, Mr Matwiejczuk said the burglary had been a “straight kick in the teeth” to start off 2026.

After someone tried to break into the store with a shovel a few months ago, Mr Matwiejczuk said they are going to install a rolling shutter on the front of the shop.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson said: “We understand the impact this type of incident will have had on the business, and officers are following a number of lines of inquiry to ensure those responsible are caught and put before the courts.

“We have already received some vital information from members of the public.”