Shockingly, it looks like Wizards of the Coast sent Pinkertons private security to retrieve Magic The Gathering products from a YouTuber who spoiled a new set via an unboxing video.
Oldschoolmtg runs a channel all about Magic: The Gathering and acquired unreleased March of the Machine: The Aftermath boxes. He then opened the packs and uploaded them to YouTube. Not soon after, the Pinkertons showed up at his home and demanded the product back.
If true, this is just an insane move from the Wizards of the Coast, as they did not send a cease and desist letter; they allegedly sent one of the most infamous private security firms in America (quite possibly to make a statement.)
Editor’s Note: This is all based on the YouTube video below, and Wizards of the Coast have not released a press statement about the issue at the time of writing this.
Private Security Raids YouTuber’s Home Because of Unboxing
The picture comes from WotC.
So, a quick rundown. Wizards thought the products had to be stolen. However, they do not seem to be in any way (to the best of his knowledge.) Oldschoolmtg claims to have purchased March of the Machine but actually received unreleased March of the Machine Aftermath packs. The names are very similar, so perhaps someone screwed up who sent out the packs, as the only difference is the word “Aftermath.”
Then, when they arrived, Oldschoolmtg realized they were, in fact, Aftermath packs and proceeded to open and unbox them on YouTube, spoiling the new Magic set significantly early and potentially costing Wizards of the Coast a ton of money.
Wizards asked to have him take the videos down (which he did), but it was far more than that. According to the video, the private security firm known worldwide as “the Pinkertons” showed up at his house early in the morning, talking about jail time and other consequences if he didn’t hand over the products.
Editor’s Note: Before we go further into the story, there were a lot of people giving him grief for giving the products back, but the Pinkertons (we’ll look at their history below) do not mess around, so perhaps try to imagine if they showed up to your home armed and caught you off guard.
The picture comes from WotC.
Once they left, they gave him the number of someone to call at Wizards to talk about the situation. He said they were friendly and offered some free products (possibly) or ways to compensate for the money he lost. They said they needed the products to find out how they got sent out and to “fill the gaps.” Because of this, he’s asking everyone using his footage also to take down their videos.
He feels there was no wrongdoing on his behalf or the place he bought them from. Regardless, Pinkertons took everything, including the boosters, plastic, and everything.
Why WotC Went So Crazy
The picture comes from WotC.
So, why did Wizards go so crazy? Well, the actual packs in the boxes were pretty panned by the community and might have cost them serious money, as people may have canceled their pre-orders after seeing the contents. Still, even if this cost them millions, this is one of the craziest moves we’ve ever seen from a company.
There’s a chance they knew that if he bought them legally, there was actually nothing they could do about it. So it appears instead of going the legal route (which could also take some serious time), Wizards of the Coast hired a private security firm to go and get the products back ASAP. This is also scary because they found his address in a couple of days and knocked on his front door.
It’s not legal to go and take something from anyone (aKA stealing), and sending out one of the most infamous groups to do it seems almost unfathomable. Even if someone stole your property, you can’t just go into their home and take it back. From the outside looking in, Oldschoolmtg basically got his home invaded without a warrant to take something he paid for…
It’s just insane when you think about it; a game company sent a private security firm to recover a product from someone’s home. And not just any private security firm…
The Pinkerton Agency
The photo comes from Encylopedia Britannica.
The Pinkerton Agency has been around since 1850 and has been involved in some insanely high-profile cases, and even have TV shows about them. They are most known (in recent times) for helping bust Union strikes. However, they are known for much more than that, coming from Wikipedia:
Pinkerton is a private security guard and detective agency established around 1850 in the United States by Scottish-born American cooper Allan Pinkerton and Chicago attorney Edward Rucker as the North-Western Police Agency, which later became Pinkerton & Co, and finally the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. It is currently a subsidiary of Swedish-based Securitas AB.[1] Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled the Baltimore Plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln in 1861. Lincoln later hired Pinkerton agents to conduct espionage against the Confederacy and act as his personal security during the American Civil War.
Following the Civil War, the Pinkertons began conducting operations against organized labor. During the labor strikes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, businesses hired the Pinkerton Agency to infiltrate unions, supply guards, keep strikers and suspected unionists out of factories, and recruit goon squads to intimidate workers. During the Homestead Strike of 1892, Pinkerton agents were called in to reinforce the strikebreaking measures of industrialist Henry Clay Frick, who was acting on behalf of Andrew Carnegie, the head of Carnegie Steel. Tensions between the workers and strikebreakers erupted into violence which led to the deaths of three Pinkerton agents and nine steelworkers. During the late nineteenth century, the Pinkertons were also hired as guards in coal, iron, and lumber disputes in Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Pinkertons were also involved in other strikes such as the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921.
So again, just imagine these guys showing up to your home at the alleged behest of WotC.
What are your thoughts on this pretty insane story?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
