It was targeted: Winnipeg collectibles store hit by thieves in costly break-in – Winnipeg [Video]

A break-in at a Winnipeg collectibles store has led to thousands of dollars in damages and stolen merchandise, the owner says.

Curtis Howson, who owns First Row Collectibles on Main Street, told Global Winnipeg that the thieves who smashed a window to gain entry to the shop made off with very specific items early Thursday, including some valuable sports and collectible cards.

“They managed to take three binders (of cards) — there was a Pokémon binder, a hockey binder and a basketball binder,” Howson said. According to Howson, each binder contains about 100 pages and each page might be worth $100-150, “so there’s a lot of money in there,” he said.

“It was targeted for sure … they knew exactly what they were looking for. Pokémon has been so popular, I think thieves know that there’s money in it now.”

While the stolen items will hurt the shop’s bottom line, …