Sacramento area comics and collectible stores are being targeted for break-ins, owners say
Owners of toy and collectibles stores in the Sacramento area believe they’re being targeted for break-ins and vandalism in recent months.
Following our report Friday about a break-in at Toy Fusion in Sacramento, KCRA 3 learned of four additional stores that had reported recent burglaries. The owners interviewed for this story said they believe there’s a larger problem at hand.
Pam and Gene Farley took over Sacramento's Comics & Collectibles in 1998 and have spent decades, they said, building a space for people to be themselves and connect with others who share interests in comics, gaming and other hobbies.
“Here is a safe place where you can hang out, you can wear your 'Stranger Things' shirt, you can play D&D and talk about Minecraft. Nobody is going to laugh at you,” Pam Farley said. “This is like a safe haven. Not just for us, but for a lot of kids in the neighborhood. It’s like that sanctity has been violated.”
She said that’s what made a break-in earlier this week even more devastating.
“They very specifically chose the Pokémon cards and Magic cards, which are easy to move, easy to hide, easy to flip,” she said.
She said an employee arrived Monday afternoon to find a shelf of products, containing the popular cards, had been emptied. She said wires had been cut, and that while the alarm went off, the thief was able to get out with cards before anyone knew what had happened.
The Farleys believe the thief stayed in the ceiling during the break-in, moving tiles until the person found a high shelf containing the cards. They said they had just gotten them into their inventory to sell this holiday season.
“I think they counted, ‘How many over? How many across?’ We don't think they ever had their feet on the ground,” she said.
Pam Farley called the seemingly targeted series of events “frustrating” and “maddening.”
At A-1 Comics, CEO Brian Peets said over the last three months they’ve had multiple incidents of vandalism, break-in attempts and two successful break-ins.
“We've had incidents in the past, over the course of our history, but nothing like what’s going on right now,” he said.
Peets said he’s had to make sweeping changes to not only his security but also day-to-day operations, reporting both smash-and-grab style incidents as well as break-ins that seemed more targeted.
He said one of these incidents led to $50,000 worth of merchandise being stolen.
“We’ve changed the way we do business,” he said. “Not only is it stressful, but also extremely expensive. It’s really a burden for any small business, whether in our niche or not.”
Peets said that he’s working with law enforcement and that despite the obstacles business remains strong.