Thieves pried open the front door of Trade Oak Park with a crowbar early Tuesday, Oct. 13, and made off with an estimated $30,000 in sports cards.

Oak Park police arrived at owner Matthew Greenwell's home around 4 a.m. to notify him of the burglary at his store, 163 S. Oak Park Ave., the Wednesday Journal reported. Greenwell rushed to the shop and found the front two display cases smashed and their contents gone.

The burglars left behind evidence. Greenwell said the crowbar used to force the door was still inside the store, along with blood from what he believes was an injury when the glass broke. Police obtained fingerprints at the scene.

"There's hope that these people will be caught," Greenwell said.

He acknowledged the stolen inventory is likely gone for good but said he was relieved no one was hurt and the exterior windows survived intact.

The break-in fits a broader pattern across the Chicago area. The Wednesday Journal reported similar thefts at Heroes Sports Cards in North Riverside, Bridgeport Hobby in South Chicago, and Elite Sports Cards and Comics on North Harlem Avenue. Sports Collectors Digest reported that robberies at brick-and-mortar card shops have become widespread nationally as the hobby's value has surged.

Greenwell told the Wednesday Journal that rising awareness of how valuable cards can be, combined with economic pressures, can attract bad actors and make card shops a target.

Trade Oak Park opened less than two years ago and draws customers from well beyond the village. But the ongoing Oak Park Avenue streetscape project has already squeezed business by limiting parking and vehicle access along the corridor. As we reported Oct. 13, the $18 million rebuild is expected to reach substantial completion by Thanksgiving.

Greenwell said the construction has made it difficult to operate a destination shop that relies on customers driving in from outside Oak Park.

After posting about the break-in on Instagram, Greenwell said the community response was immediate. He has launched a GoFundMe to help cover security upgrades and repairs, though he told the Wednesday Journal he was hesitant to ask for financial help given the support already shown.

The store plans to continue its scheduled events through October and November. No arrests had been reported as of the Wednesday Journal's Oct. 14 account.