As Nash's article source states re: the NYPL thefts, "all roads lead to Barry Halper"
http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=4323
Seems like the evidence is rather overwhelming IMO.
Nash's issues have no relevance to this debate. An arsonist can still tell you if a building is on fire or not.
Halper told so many outrageous and proven lies about so many of his items that I believe the circumstantial evidence that he was involved in NYPL thefts- i,e., over 100 stolen NYPL items in his personal collection- points to the fact that he orchestrated the thefts or at least knew the items were stolen.
Let's reacap some of Halpers verified lies:
1. He said he played for Foxx at U of Miami and got Foxx and Foxx's pal Mel Ott to give him autos. Facts is Foxx was already gone when Halper started school at U Miami, and the team's captain (who was an actual friend of Foxx) said Halper was never on the baseball team.
2. Halper said he purchased the Joe Jackson fake uni via a cash deal through the mail with Jackson's heirs. He also told another reporter he bought it from Jackson's widow in the late 50s. Both stories were obvious lies as the jersey was a fake made in the 1950s or later since it had synthetic thread.
3. Halper's 19th century unis were all fakes. He claimed old Dodger Ollie O'Mara was his source and that for unknown reasons O'Mara collected and saved these old uniforms (which makes no sense- why would O'Mara have 1890s unis when he played ball 15 to 20 years later)? Nash interviewed O'Mara's son who said his father was penniless and never had any old uniforms or memorabilia period. Thus, another huge Halper lie about items that were themselves forgeries.
The "Halper was duped" excuse just doesn't fly. Halper himself fabricated lie upon verifiable lie about the source and provenance of utterly counterfeit items. This illustrates that Halper either bought these fakes and then created the stories, or else Halper commissioned others to CREATE these fakes and then made up the stories. Given his wealth, I tend to believe Halper hired people to create these fakes.
Either way, Halper is a proven liar and swindler. He knew full well these items were fake and still sold them to the HOF and duped collectors/bidders to enrich himself. He also knew full well that certain items were stolen from the NYPL and other public institutions. His behavior was sociopathic, fundamentally dishonest, and just plain wrong. If he was alive today he would likely be facing lawsuits and possible indictment for frauds and swindles.
His entire persona and "celebrity" such as it was revolved around having the greatest baseball collection on Earth, and he relished and basked in the attention it brought him. Having been born a silver spooner and never really having accomplished anything of value/importance in his own life (other than living high off inherited money), his collection was his sole "accomplishment". When thought about in a psychological sense, it becomes clear what Halper was up to, and why he did what he did.