Two unidentified males broke into and stole a whopping $75,000 worth of merchandise from a gaming store in Austin in the wee hours of Jan. 24. The thieves went straight to the cases containing valuable Magic: The Gathering trading cards and swiped about 300 cards from the collection, according to the owner, Pat Johnson, who performed an inventory after the burglary happened.

The store had a surveillance camera installed so it was able to capture what happened the night of the break-in and also gave an idea of what the thieves looked like. Johnson said they circulated the images on the internet hoping someone would be able to provide information about the two men. They also reported the incident to police.

"We feel that he's a Magic player, and we know that he's been in the store before because it only took him 20 seconds to go in and find our highest-dollared cards," Johnson said.

Austin Police assigned a detective who plays Magic: The Gathering to solve the case and Johnson is thankful that someone who is knowledgeable about the game was assigned.

"He understands the value, and he understands what the cards look like... I can't tell you how helpful that is," Johnson said.

The police already has a lead on the suspects but they chose not to say anything more so as not to jeopardize the case.

In the meantime, it's business as usual for Pat's Games and tournaments for Magic: The Gathering will proceed as scheduled. Johnson is just hoping that the detective assigned to the case will find the thieves soon.

"I'm really hoping we won't have to file a claim," she said.

Photo: Robert | Flickr