Whether an avid player or a casual observer, we all know Magic: the Gathering is an expensive hobby. This, unfortunately, often makes MTG shops and players the target of devastatingly costly thefts. Sadly, a board game shop in Guelph, Ontario, just suffered that wretched fate.
As CTV News reports, over the weekend, a pair of thieves broke into The Round Table Board Game Café in Guelph, Ontario, stealing over a staggering $200,000 in products. The thieves targeted valuable items in the store, including Magic: the Gathering cards and a $3,000 bottle of scotch.
Sadly, alongside valuable cards from the store, Thomas Gofton, the owner of The Round Table Board Game Café, also had their personal collection stolen. Gofton estimated his collection to be worth roughly $15,000.
“Fatigue on the heart in the fact that it took me years to build this,” Gofton told CTV News. “This was built from a community of people. From our Kitchener location and our Guelph location. This is a collection of people that has spent their lives and their time here building this collection with us.”
Speaking to the press, a Guelph Police Service spokesperson stated that the crime was “unusual.” This is due to the value of the crime, something that typically isn’t seen in the city. Gofton told CTV News they’re hopeful the cards will be returned.
Thankfully, Gofton isn’t shutting up shop following this devastating theft. Instead, Gofton said he plans to throw a big party this weekend to help offset the losses. Unfortunately, Gofton said they have no plans to replace their personal collection “anytime soon.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen thieves targeting Magic: the Gathering cards, and we doubt it’ll be the last. In April, a thief targeted Finch and Sparrow Games in California, stealing $35,000 worth of trading cards. Speaking to Dexerto, an employee explained that the thief targeted a single shelf of Magic: the Gathering cards.
Given that a single Black Lotus sells from anywhere between $10,000 and $800,000, it’s no wonder that thieves routinely target Magic cards. Unfortunately, beyond putting their entire inventory into a safe at night, there’s little stores can do to truly protect themselves. We can only hope that preventative measures such as increased CCTV and better documentation can reduce the risk of theft.
