Toymaker who lost $4.5M in Pokémon cards during Palisades Fire building back collection — and his neighborhood
California toymaker Jeremy Padawer lost $8.5 million in collectibles, including rare Pokémon cards, during the 2025 Palisades Fire and is now rebuilding both his collection and his community. He has become an advocate for fire survivors, pushing for policy changes to help residents return to the devastated area. Despite insurance covering only a fraction of his losses, Padawer continues to restore his prized items and support neighborhood recovery efforts.
- ▪Jeremy Padawer lost around $7.5 million in collectibles, including a first-edition Pokémon card set and signed sports memorabilia, with insurance covering only a third of the loss.
- ▪The Palisades Fire in January 2025 destroyed approximately 7,000 homes in Pacific Palisades and nearly 10,000 more across Los Angeles County.
- ▪Padawer co-founded the group They Let Us Burn to hold city officials accountable and advocate for faster rebuilding policies.
- ▪Famous losses from the fire include composer Arnold Schoenberg’s original scores and Bud Kling’s 47-year Olympic memorabilia collection.
- ▪Padawer previously helped influencer Logan Paul purchase a $5 million Pikachu Illustrator card in 2021.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
US News exclusive Toymaker who lost $8.5M in Pokémon cards during Palisades Fire building back collection — and his neighborhood By Jared Downing Published May 3, 2026, 12:36 p.m. ET He’s gotta catch ’em all — again. A California toymaker who lost $4.5 million Pokémon cards in the Palisades Fire last year is rebuilding his collection of priceless collectables again — as he helps his neighbors rebuild their homes. Jeremy Padader’s million-dollar menagerie took years to curate and made the 52-year-old a mentor to influencer Logan Paul, who has built his own formidable cache. 9 Jeremy Padawer stands in the ruins of his home one year after the Palisades Fire destroyed it.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at New York Post.
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