6 Tips to Avoid Buying Stolen Trading Cards After the PSA Theft

After 6,451 PSA-certified trading cards were stolen from a FedEx truck, the hobby is facing a secondary problem. According to the SI Collectibles report on tips avoid buying stolen trading cards, those slabs could resurface in holders or be cracked and sold raw. That means buyers now need a simple check routine before any big purchase.

TLDR

• SI Collectibles reports that 6,451 PSA-certified cards were stolen from a FedEx truck. The list includes a 1999 Pokémon Charizard, a 1996 Topps Kobe Bryant rookie, a 2018 Bowman Shohei Ohtani, a 2015 Donruss Nikola Jokić, and a 1962 Topps Willie Mays.
• PSA has published the cert numbers and descriptions of all 6,451 stolen items. It has shared that list with marketplaces, auction houses, and digital platforms.
• Stolen slabs can be cracked out, so raw copies of listed cards also warrant extra questions on costly buys.
• Buyers should check PSA's stolen-card list, use PSA's cert verification tool, confirm comps, and ask for provenance on vintage and high-value cards.
• SI Collectibles tells anyone who spots a possible match to use the FBI contact info in PSA's theft update rather than confront sellers.

What happened?

SI Collectibles reports that 6,451 PSA-certified trading cards were stolen from a FedEx truck. PSA has since published the cert numbers and descriptions of every missing item. The headline names on that list include a 1999 Pokémon Charizard, a 1996 Topps Kobe Bryant rookie card, a 2018 Bowman Shohei Ohtani, a 2015 Donruss Nikola Jokić, and a 1962 Topps Willie Mays. Those are not obscure commons. They are cards with active resale markets and plenty of real copies already in circulation, which is what makes this situation tricky.

The stolen cards could remain in their PSA holders. That keeps their cert numbers visible and traceable. They could also be removed from their slabs and sold raw, which strips the visible cert number and makes a match much harder. SI Collectibles notes that the stolen items might surface at card shows, in collector groups, or on known marketplaces. There is no current evidence pointing to when or where they might appear.

PSA has shared the full stolen-card list with marketplace sellers, auction houses, and digital platforms that are now watching for the missing items. That help matters, but it does not replace a buyer's own steps on a specific deal.

Why does this matter for collectors?

The real risk is simple. A well-meaning buyer pays full market value for a card that cannot be legally kept once a match is found. SI Collectibles frames the six tips as basic steps, not a reason to panic. That framing is useful. A steady check routine protects the buyer, protects the rightful owner, and protects the hobby from becoming a channel for stolen stock.

It also matters because the listed cards are not limited to one sport or era. A vintage Mays collector, a modern Ohtani buyer, a Pokémon investor, and an NBA rookie card hunter are each exposed in a different way. The habits below apply across those groups. That is why they are worth baking into every real purchase rather than treating them as a one-time response to a single news story.

How do the six tips avoid buying stolen trading cards work in practice?

SI Collectibles sorts the six tips avoid buying stolen trading cards guidance into three groups. Start with the cert number. Pay attention to the seller. Know when to walk away. The order matters, because each step rules out risk before the next one becomes needed.

Start with the certification number

The first tip is to check PSA's stolen-card list before buying any PSA-graded card, above all an expensive one. SI Collectibles points out that PSA has published the cert numbers and descriptions of all 6,451 stolen items. Collectors can also use PSA's cert verification tool. A deactivated number is a red flag. It offers a quick way to confirm the status of a card without having to read anything subjective.

The second tip is that an ungraded card is not safe by default. Removing a card from its PSA holder also removes its visible cert number. Stolen copies could then look like any other raw card. SI Collectibles uses the 2018 Bowman Ohtani and 2015 Donruss Jokić as examples. Both appear on the stolen list, but plenty of legit copies are for sale. The guidance is not to avoid raw cards. It is to ask more questions before a costly raw purchase.

Pay attention to the seller

The third tip is to be wary of deals that look too good to be true. SI Collectibles is careful to say that a low price does not prove theft. It is only a reason to look closer. The checks are concrete. Look at comps. Watch for pressure to buy now. Notice whether the seller's answers hold together under basic follow-up questions.

The fourth tip is to buy from sellers you trust. Known dealers, auction houses, and marketplaces with buyer protections add a layer of safety. PSA has already shared its stolen-card list with those operators. SI Collectibles notes that even solid shops can take in stolen stock without knowing. But those shops often have the tools to look into questionable cards. Check seller history and buyer protections whether the deal is online, at a show, or private.

The fifth tip is to ask about provenance on expensive cards. Auction listings, receipts, and grading records all help build a card's history. PSA's archived images may reveal clues even if a card has been pulled from its holder. SI Collectibles points to the 1962 Topps Willie Mays on the stolen list to show why provenance matters most for vintage cards. Paperwork and image records often fill in gaps that modern cert numbers would otherwise cover.

Know when to walk away

The sixth tip is to trust your gut and report shady listings. Walk away if a seller refuses basic questions, pushes payment without buyer protection, or gets cagey. If a listing looks like a match to a stolen card, save the details and report through the FBI contact info in PSA's theft update. Do not confront the seller or make public claims.

That last point is worth taking to heart. Public claims can tip off bad actors, muddy an open case, and expose a buyer to legal risk if the match is wrong. Quiet reports are the version of due care that actually helps recover cards.

How does this connect to cards and memorabilia?

The named cards on the stolen list cover groups most collectors already shop in. A 1996 Topps Kobe Bryant rookie and a 1962 Topps Willie Mays sit at the vintage end. A 2018 Bowman Shohei Ohtani and a 2015 Donruss Nikola Jokić stand for modern rookie cards that trade often. A 1999 Pokémon Charizard reaches into the trading card game market. SI Collectibles uses all of these as examples because real copies keep changing hands next to the stolen ones.

That overlap is the real link to how collectors shop. On a modern Ohtani or Jokić rookie, checking a slab's cert number is a short task that now carries real weight. On a vintage Mays, provenance questions and PSA's archived images matter more. High-grade vintage cards tend to have thin pops and more identifying wear. For raw buys of any card on the list, the right habit is to confirm comps, ask about where the card came from, and prefer sellers who track their stock.

Memorabilia buyers can take a related lesson from this story, even though the stolen stock is cards. The same rules apply when sizing up signed items. Insist on real authentication. Ask for provenance. Prefer sellers whose protections and track records are clear. Treat prices that undercut the market as a reason to look harder, not less. At BallersBank, we authenticate signed memorabilia through Fanatics Authentic, Beckett, or PSA when those partners are present in the product record. The logic is the same one SI Collectibles outlines for cards.

What should buyers watch next?

SI Collectibles reports that there is no evidence yet of when or where the stolen cards might appear. That means the near-term watch items are about behavior, not a set schedule. A few concrete things to track:

• Updates to PSA's stolen-card list and cert verification tool, including new deactivations or notes about specific items.
• Notes from marketplaces, auction houses, and digital platforms that have received PSA's list, since those operators are now watching for the missing cards.
• The FBI contact info in PSA's theft update, which is the channel SI Collectibles names for reporting shady listings.
• Listings for the named example cards, such as the 1999 Pokémon Charizard, 1996 Topps Kobe Bryant rookie, 2018 Bowman Shohei Ohtani, 2015 Donruss Nikola Jokić, and 1962 Topps Willie Mays. Added checks are smart on both slabbed and raw copies.

There are still open questions that the reporting does not answer. SI Collectibles does not say when or where stolen cards might surface. It does not predict how many will be recovered. Collectors who want to help the recovery effort can keep an eye out. Document what they see. Route anything shady through the proper channels rather than social media.

The quiet point behind all six tips is that most of this is already how careful collectors buy. Check cert numbers. Verify comps. Ask about provenance. Prefer sellers with real protections. These habits pay off in every market, not just after a theft. The current story is a reminder to use them often, above all on the cards that appear on PSA's published list.

Frequently asked questions

How many cards were stolen in the PSA theft?

SI Collectibles reports that 6,451 PSA-certified trading cards were stolen from a FedEx truck. PSA has published the cert numbers and descriptions of all 6,451 items. Collectors and marketplaces can check specific cards against the list before closing a purchase.

How can I verify a PSA-graded card before buying it?

Check the cert number against PSA's stolen-card list and run it through PSA's cert verification tool. SI Collectibles notes that a deactivated number is a red flag. That makes this a quick first step on any costly PSA-graded buy, whether you are shopping online, at a show, or privately.

Are raw cards safe to buy right now?

Raw cards are not off limits. SI Collectibles warns that stolen cards can be removed from their PSA holders and sold raw, which strips the visible cert number. Example listed cards include a 2018 Bowman Shohei Ohtani and a 2015 Donruss Nikola Jokić. Ask more questions before a costly raw purchase.

What should I do if I think I have found a stolen card?

Save the listing details and report through the FBI contact info in PSA's theft update. SI Collectibles tells buyers not to confront the seller or make public claims. Quiet notes protect both the open case and the buyer looking into a possible match.

Why does provenance matter so much on vintage cards?

Auction listings, receipts, and grading records help build a card's history. PSA's archived images may show clues even if a card is cracked out of its holder. SI Collectibles points to the 1962 Topps Willie Mays on the stolen list. It is a clear example of why provenance questions carry more weight on vintage items.