Burglars have stolen £12,000 worth of rare Pokémon cards while the owner was on holiday.
Nathan Dallimore, 34, had stored the 12 precious cards in a safe in his bungalow in West Moors, Dorset, but the thieves managed to make off with the bounty.
Nothing else was taken in the burglary, which has led Mr Dallimore to believe it was a targeted raid while the collector was on a ten-day holiday with his family.
Mr Dallimore had only just had the cards valued in June by the Professional Sports Authenticator, at which point he discovered their eye-watering value after only paying £50 for them.
This is the latest incident in a reported string of similar thefts that has coincided with the value of rare Pokémon cards rising.
Only last week, a retired decorator from Woking sold a collection of rare cards that had been left in his attic for over a decade for £1.56million.
Mr Dallimore conceded that the thieves could have just 'got very lucky' and not known what was in the safe.
'I can't think of anyone who would have known they were there,' the mortgage advisor said but has issued photographs of his cards in the hope someone recognises them if the thief tries to pawn them.
Nathan Dallimore, 34, had £12,000 worth of precious Pokémon cards stolen in what he believed to be a targeted raid
Mr Dallimore had only just had the cards valued in June by the Professional Sports Authenticator, at which point he discovered their eye-watering value after only paying £50 for them
Nothing else was taken in the burglary, which has led Mr Dallimore to believe it was a targeted raid while the collector was on a ten-day holiday with his family
This is the latest incident in a reported string of similar thefts that has coincided with the value of rare Pokémon cards rising
However, he argued that there had reportedly been several thefts from stores in Bournemouth and that it was 'getting more rife for sure'.
The burglars had managed to force their way in through Mr Dallimore's bathroom window, before taking the entire safe that contained the cards from the collector's bedroom cupboard as well as some cash.
Since the cards had been professionally graded – which sees each one receive a certification number – Mr Dallimore is certain it would become clear if the thieves tried to sell the cards.
Mr Dallimore had bought the cards, many of which commemorated Pokémon's 20th anniversary, as a pack of 150 for £50 with his twin brother.
Since their purchase, the PSA gave the cards a grade of 10, the highest score possible for items in pristine condition.
Mr Dallimore said: 'Pokémon cards are like stocks and shares and they go up and down in value but they are worth about £12,000.
'I picked them up nine or ten years ago and last November I sent them off to the PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) to get them officially graded. They came back in May or June and have been in the safe.
'I can't think of anyone who would have known they were there. You could spend hours thinking about who might have known I had them and knew we were on holiday but nobody is going to admit it.
'Whoever has them is probably going to hold on to them for a while before they try selling them.'
Dorset Police visited Mr Dallimore's house on October 11 after the burglary but no arrests have been made.
A spokesman for the police force said: 'We received a report at 1.38am on October 11 of a burglary at an address in Maloren Way in West Moors.
'It was reported that entry had been gained to the property while the occupants had been away since September 30 and items stolen included cash and high-value Pokémon cards.
'Enquiries into the incident are ongoing. No arrests have been made at this time.'