A man broke into Sped's Collectibles and stole $20,000 worth of merchandise, and a similar break-in at another Washington County card shop may be connected.Spencer Foyse quit his full-time job and opened Sped's Collectibles in t he Town of Barton, outside West Bend, just four months ago. On Sunday morning, someone smashed through a window and broke into the store, stealing $20,000 worth of Pokmon products the store's most valuable and sought-after merchandise. "It was every store or shop owner's worst nightmare," Foyse said. "He took the really, really expensive stuff."West Bend Police are investigating the break-in. Foyse said the suspect targeted his highest-value inventory. The break-in may not be an isolated incident. One month ago, Cardboard Empires in Richfield was also burglarized. Owner Clayton Allen lost $40,000 worth of cards in that break-in, and he said his security cameras captured footage of a man who looks very similar to the suspect in the Sped's Collectibles case."It does take a personal toll," Allen said. "It's the feeling of unease that you're left with. You're always looking over your shoulder. You're waiting for the next shoe to drop. It stays with you."Both owners say the financial losses are significant, and tracking down the stolen cards will be difficult. They also say the crimes cut against the spirit of what local card and collectible shops are meant to be. "You're not stealing from some faceless, rich, fat cat in some mansion somewhere," Allen said. "You're stealing a father of four who's just trying to raise his children."Despite the setback, Foyse said he is pressing forward."We'll just keep going, move on and keep rolling," he said. "That's what I'm going to do!" Foyse said.The two owners are supporting each other, along with other card collectors in Washington County, as West Bend and Germantown police work to identify and track down the suspect."It's about community, friendship, enjoying a hobby together," Allen said. "The stuff will come, go and doesn't define us as a community." Foyse said the best way the community can help is by visiting Sped's Collectibles, shopping there, and checking in on him.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less