SAN ANTONIO – A Northwest Side business is working to recover after thieves broke in and stole thousands of dollars’ worth of trading card merchandise, including sought-after Pokémon collectibles.
The break-in happened early Wednesday morning at BesTea Café and Trading Card Exchange on Babcock Road, just hours before the business was scheduled to open.
Co-owner Hetvi Patel said the store’s security system began sending alerts just before 6:30 a.m. The suspect was inside for about two minutes, according to Patel.
“Two minutes is more than enough to do a lot of damage,” Patel said.
Patel noted that it appeared the suspect knew what they were looking for, going straight for Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Boxes and other valuable collectibles.
“They grabbed those four ETBs and they bagged everything,” Patel said. “They took several other items that were placed on our displays.”
The stolen merchandise is estimated to cost up to at least $8,000 in losses, according to Patel.
Patel explained that the shop often depends on collectors who are willing to sell rare products to the business, making some of the items extremely difficult to replace.
“People don’t want to get rid of those. They keep it for a long while. They treasure those,” Patel said. “That’s what makes replacing some of these items so hard on us. You can’t just go online and buy them whenever you want.”
The latest break-in is not the first time the business has dealt with a burglary. Patel said another incident happened in August 2024. During that time, thieves allegedly stole nearly $15,000 worth of items from the previous owners.
Another local trading card store, Gamerz Pair-A-Dice, located at 2313 NW Military Highway, is also dealing with the same issue. The store was broken into on Sunday, according to SAPD.
Thieves broke the front door, attempting to get inside, but they were unable to gain access to the store.
However, for Patel, she said the impact goes beyond the value of the merchandise. She mentioned that customers sometimes come in looking for specific collectibles the store no longer has, which can mean lost business.
Despite the setback, Patel said she and the other owners worked to repair the damaged glass the same day of the break-in. They were ready to reopen in time for a scheduled Pokémon prerelease event later that afternoon. Patel said more than 32 players had signed up.
The business has received support from regular customers and other trading card shops, Patel said. She added that they have increased the store’s security so this doesn’t happen again.
“Just because it’s easy for you to get into any place does not mean you should do it,” Patel said.
In the meantime, Patel said this will not stop her team from bringing something positive to the community. BesTea Cafe and Trading Card Games Exchange will be hosting an upcoming card show event on November 14-15 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
San Antonio police have not found the person responsible for breaking into the store. If you know any information that can lead to an arrest, call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP (210-224-7867).
