At Gen Con 2023 in Indianapolis, the largest tabletop game convention in North America, a brazen theft occurred. Two men made off with boxes of Magic cards worth hundreds of thousands of euros.
How did the thieves manage this? The theft took place on August 2, 2023, a day before the event started and was opened to the public.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), the two suspects grabbed a pallet jack, loaded a pallet with boxes full of collectible cards, and transported them to an unknown location.
Amid the vendors setting up their booths, the thieves apparently did not raise any further suspicion. Footage from security cameras on site shows the two suspects strolling away seemingly unimpeded (via Twitter).
Stolen cards come from the “Commander Masters” edition
Which cards were stolen? Initially, it was assumed that they were cards from the upcoming TCG “Disney Lorcana.” These are not yet available, but are being eagerly pre-ordered and were scheduled to debut at Gen Con.
However, Ravensburger confirmed via Twitter that their merchandise is complete and secure.
A few hours later, the local store Pastimes Comics & Games reported that the stolen cards were from Magic: The Gathering. The boxes were said to have mainly contained Commander Master Sets and Collector Boosters.
The set of all 4 “Commander Masters” decks is currently available for pre-order at Games Island for €259.99, booster displays are priced at €279.99 and €329.99, with prices varying by retailer; on Amazon, for example, one might pay a bit more.
In total, the stolen cards are said to be worth $300,000 or approximately €275,000. The IMPD would like to speak with a certain Thomas J Dunbar and an Andrew Pearson Giaume in connection with the theft (via Twitter).
At least it is certain that these were not cards from the crossover set with Lord of the Rings. Instead of brazen thieves, it was a lucky find that led to the discovery of the rarest Magic card of all time:
