A recent break in at a specialty retail store in Everett underscores ongoing concerns about retail theft affecting businesses locally and across the country. In early January, MuGu Games reported that an overnight burglary resulted in the loss of more than $30,000 in Pokémon trading cards. According to police, the incident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. and involved forced entry through a storefront window and a display case inside the shop.
Store owner Michael Doran said the stolen items included both graded and ungraded cards, some of which can hold significant value in the collector market. In addition to the merchandise loss, the damage to the building is expected to cost approximately $5,000 to repair. The store has since added additional security measures to reduce the risk of future incidents.
Doran noted that this was not an isolated event. Over more than a decade at the same location, the business has experienced multiple break-ins and theft-related incidents, particularly in recent years. As a result of the latest burglary, the store has temporarily halted sales of individual Pokémon cards, which had previously represented hundreds to thousands of dollars in daily revenue.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that the case remains under investigation, with a detective assigned, though no arrests had been made at the time of reporting. Industry observers note that collectible items such as trading cards can be difficult to trace when resold, especially when items lack unique identifying numbers.
The Everett incident reflects a broader pattern seen nationwide, where retailers of all sizes continue to balance customer access with rising security costs. For specialty retailers, repeated theft can pose challenges not only to inventory and finances but also to long term location and investment decisions.
