Real Thieves Loose at GenCon

[Psion]

MTG cards are eminently liftable. The collectable obsession is too much for some folks (why do you think it's such a great sales model), and I've had cards filched from me at a small Comic & Game shop by a normal seeming kid.

 

[painandgreed]

Well, next year Alex will be at the GenCon with his old pappy, but he's much more likely to want to hang out with other ENies I'll recommend just that to him.

Yay! I'll be going to GenCon that year also (my first time. Decided to go as my friends went this year).

I can bring some of my old magic cards to replace the ones that got stolen if he still needs them. All Unlimited stuff with nothing past the Dark expansions though.

Even the old cons (mid-80's) in Oklahoma had this trouble. For the most part, you could leave stuff laying around and, but every now and then somebody would have all their minis stolen from a car or something like that. On the bright side though, it was pretty safe, and once a friend was talking about how he lost his dice bag with all his dice at the last con, another guy produces it, still with all the dice, and says it was left at the Car Wars Tournie table and he was holding it till the next con to try and find the owner.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

i think card games like pokiemon and mtg teaches kids about theft more then any other game can. IT really is sad. about 4 years ago all you herd about was pokimon and said 2nd graders loosing their rare cards. Heck, some of the kids probably didn’t learn they had a rare until it was stolen and someone had to point it out.

Not trying to be narcissistic, but I know all too well about having ones stuff stolen and it actually helped me, kindof... in a way. Now I am very observant of people around me. In a way it has made me cold and exacting, but I find myself reading people much better now. I don’t let my friendships get in the way of understanding that friend and judging them as 3rd party. if you hadn’t guessed my best friend broke into my house and stole all my stuff (sound system n64 all my games) my stuff had been slowly disappeared before that, and it took awhile for me to figure out who it was, but after I did, looked back and saw all the signs, and I was blinded by friendship. I swore I would never make that mistake again, and I never have. I still have really good friends; Just now I know what to look for when a friend is being deceitful. I look for the inflections in their voice; I watch ... yes I watch for the redirections, even if they are a trusted friend.

So look on the bright side (truly and honestly). At least it’s not a friend that took his stuff. It’s a random jerk. Not saying I’m the poorer one, or asking for a pity party, far from it, I’m saying he is lucky. So now he will be careful and vigilant, without it being too personal.

 

[Squire James]

I got a small selection of my most valuable cards stolen at a small game shop with about 4 people in it. I lost a lot of trust in my fellow man that day... even the store owner is not beyond suspicion (he was not exactly a friend and DID have money problems at the time...).

It didn't quite kill my love for the game, much to my wallet's dismay. What killed it for me was how tournaments became unfun, especially when the "tournament attitude" carried over to casual games.

 

[Treebore]

Sorry Gary!

So no one knows that Gary is the guest of honor at next years Con? Well now you know.

BTW, Gary, Mr. Adkinson is the one who told me, and it was very clear from the tone of his voice he is very happy you are coming. So am I, and many, many others.

It will be awesome if you feel up to a game in the back of the Ram with the Troll and Necromancer board members and personnel! I know, a highly unlikely long shot, but we are dreamers, right?

 

[Keifer113]

Too bad Magic cards are nigh untraceable. I could imagine this scenario otherwise...

*Dude walks into RPG store*
"Yeah.. So I have those cards to sell?"
*Owner looks at the cards... Gestures towards a bunch of gamers playing in the store*
"Yeah. About these cards.. See, I know where you got them. Read the report at ENWorld. They got stolen from Mr Gygax's son."
"Gy..Gax?"
*Largest of the gamers who came over interjects*
"Yeah. Gary Gygax. You know, the guy who invented our hobby?"
*Cracks knuckles*
"I.. I found them? Could ya'll.. You know.. Make sure they get back to him? Please?"
*thief flees*

Ahh it's nice to dream.

Guy who invented our hobby??? Monte Cook????

 

[BadMojo]

Cut a finger off the offender when caught the first time, a hand the second and the head the third and you will reduce the number of thieves out there. Ya, I am harsh; I hate criminals.

Actually, I had a friend who had his pocket picked by a guy in Cairo who had no thumbs. Obviously, the whole chopping off of digits didn't stop him from stealing. How he managed to lift a wallet with no thumbs, I'll never guess. The Egyptian police roughed him up when they caught him, but he kept his 9 fingers and I'm sure he was caught a few times after that too.

Anyway, sorry to hear about the loss of the Magic cards. It's really a shame that you have to be 100% on guard even at what should be a fun and relaxing event with other people who enjoy the same hobby.

One thing I did learn from the thief with no thumbs experience: wallet in front pocket (pocket safety-pinned shut if necessary).

 

[TheAuldGrump]

The first time that I had stuff stolen at a convention was back in 1981, my entire bag of books and dice. I did get most of it back, the kid was stupid enough to keep the bag, but he had given away most of the dice.

Since then I have had books, pencils, and dice stolen, and do not take the stuff that I most value to conventions, if I have a ratty copy of something that is the one that goes with me - I have never had a book in crappy condition stolen from me. If I only have the one copy then I cover it with a book cover made from a paper bag to make it look bad.

The Auld Grump

 

[Steel_Wind]

Sad to hear that Gary.

At the same time, I met a bunch of great people at the con this year, and the ones I met during sessions of the Werewolves of Miller's Hollow were awesome. A bunch of strangers became friends.

The threat of theft at a con is a real possibility, but it remains relatively low, all things considered.

The threat of meeting great people and sharing wonderful stories and laughter, is - happily - still extremely high.

 

[Tuzenbach]

What sucks the most is that GenCon is all about gaming. And gaming is all about having fun. We game to escape from the real world. All of a sudden, the real world comes barging into our only refuge in the guise of thievery.

Truly depressing.

It's like graffiti at Disneyland depressing.