The owner and staff of a popular Guelph business say they are devastated after thieves made off with an estimated $200,000 worth of collectible items on Saturday.
Items taken include collectible swords, rare game cards, cash, electronics and a bottle of whiskey valued at $3,000.
Without an alarm system in place, they didn’t know about the break-in until kitchen staff came in the next morning. Right away, they knew something wasn’t right.
"They saw that there was a mess, and (told me to) come in now," manager Jordan Foucault said Monday.
At first, she says she was just confused, wondering how they broke in, and what they took.
But then it started to sink in as she walked through, seeing everything that was taken.
"I felt really violated," she said.
Although video surveillance revealed two men forcing their way into the building through the side doors at about 3:45 a.m. on Saturday morning, the men made a point to destroy their inside cameras – so there is no footage of what happened once they were inside.
“There was a little bit of wiggle (in the door), even when it was locked. The scratches on the door seem to point to, it was wiggled out and then leveraged to pry open,” she said.
Foucault noted that they have since changed the doors, the locks and are installing an alarm system.
The business is a licenced board gaming cafe and restaurant that also sells gaming cards and other items.
The first thing Foucault noticed was that behind the bar had been trashed and emptied: the debit terminal and everything from their server station was on the ground; their iPad was gone, as well as a 1992 bottle of Tomintoul, which they say is worth.
The thieves also took sodas – but only the root beer.
But as she walked around, she realized how much more had been taken: Their till was broken, all their alcohol was gone. Gofton also had equipment for another of his companies and a personal studio with camera and audio gear – all stolen, as well as his own personal Magic: The Gathering collection that he’s been collecting since the 90s.
The case in the Trading Post, where they sell games and accessories, was emptied of all its vast collection of Magic: The Gathering cards – each worth between $15 and $4,000.
A collection like theirs, Foucault said, took “many, many years” to obtain – many of them valuable and rare, not unlike Wayne Gretzky rookie cards.
Among Magic players, The Round Table is known for their lofty and legitimate collection, and it’s not something that can just be replaced.
“Some of them, you just can’t get back,” she said.
From the “Triagon Alley” micro-marketplace section of the space, the bulk of their collectible sword and dagger collection was stolen.
“They are all very recognizable nerdy weapons, because they’re all like the Excalibur Sword or Harry Potter references, or katanas from popular anime's.
In total, everything stolen was worth around $250,000, Foucault said.
Foucault is hoping because the bulk of what was stolen is so recognizable, that some of it will be recovered, although she says the cards are likely damaged by this point.
To help with recovery, The Round Table is having a “recovery weekend” event this Saturday and Sunday, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., to try to generate some revenue as they start their recovery process.
“We’re basically just doing a big party this weekend to try to get a bit of a recovery fund,” she said.
“It’s really hard, because we just came out of lockdown. We’re a small, independent business, and getting hit like this is a really low blow,” she said. “We’ve relied heavily on community support through the lockdowns and we’re relying on community support now. We have a very loyal customer base, and we would be nowhere without them.”
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Cameron Keddie at 519-824-1212, ext. 7431, or email him at [email protected].
