ALERT....huge, huge BB card collection theft....UPDATED
 

A long-time friend of mine (and perhaps some of you) arrived home this week to find his house broken into. The better part
of his BB card collection was stolen. It includes vintage BB & post-war cards that he has collected over the past 40 years.

I'm posting this here to alert everyone, in hopes that this collection might be recovered. Here are the highlights of it........

100+ Old Judge's

521-card T206 set....includes Plank (70 cards are Graded)....in Ex (or better) condition

T201, T202, T205 and T207 sets

1920's Strip (W-type) cards......these, and all above T-cards are in the small size top-loader plastics.

1933-36 Goudey sets in Near Mint condition

1951-1970's Topps sets, including a Near Mint, near complete 1952 Topps set Master set (the Mantle has a minute pinhole).

Most HOFer's and Rookie cards from 1951 - 1970's (in Near Mint condition)

All Mantle cards from 1951 - 1969.

I will try to include more specifics of this collection as they are relayed to me. Please be on the look-out for such a large (or
parts of this) collection.


Any help in recovering this collection will be greatly appreciated.

TED Z

Oh how terrible...what part of the country, Ted?

Oh man! What part of the country? I hope he has a written list of cert numbers to make tracking the possible sales of these stolen cards easier! This is a big bummer.:mad:

Hi Ted
What city or state did the theft occur?

This just makes me sick to my stomach to hear!!!!

Any theft is a terrible violation, but the size and scope of this is monumental. What a horror.

Unfortunate news.

Posting scans of some of the key cards will provide us the best opportunity to help with recovery. Otherwise, we wouldn't have much way to know if a card we're looking at was stolen from him or not.

Theft
 

Ouch! Terrible news.

I'd recommend he put together some identifying characteristics of certain cards or sets. As a group, this board can be on the lookout for them when they eventually are resold.

Ron R

ALERT....huge, huge BB card collection theft
 

" What city or state did the theft occur? "

Upstate New York....and, the house was "protected" with a well-known Alarm system (which was disabled by the thieves).

That's just awful news. Hopefully whoever took the collection tries to flip it quick. A collection like this doesn't just show up somewhere un-noticed.

Yikes
 

Hopefully, this bum tries to sell them and gets busted! I hope (and have to assume) his collection was insured?

If graded, any serial #'s would be good to keep an eye out for.

ALERT....huge, huge BB card collection theft
 

That's exactly my thinking and that's why I posted it today. Also, I will be contacting the major Auction houses to alert
them of this collection.


TED Z

has to be heart-breaking...
 

and a terrible violation of personal space...hopefully he has details on the slabs and cards that can be shared, and hopefully the thieves try to dump the whole thing quickly and raise eyebrows in the process

That is quite a significant collection...I really hope that this collector was not also relying on this for any retirement/financial security.

Hoping for a quick return...

Unreal this crap make me sick. As for the "well known' alarm company if it was the one that advertises all then time and changed names, I know those 24 hour monitoring is a HUGE JOKE. When I was in law enforcement most of the time the neighbors called about the alarm an hour or so before the company :)....Best advice there is just buy one of those signs at that is about what you are paying for anyway.

I hope these cards are recovered and I'll buy the rope for the scum that stole them.

ALERT....huge, huge BB card collection theft
 

Other than the 70 cards (T206's) that I have noted, the 1000's of other cards are ungraded.

There are certain identifying marks on some of the major cards that may help in identifying this collection.


TED Z

Wow, that's such bad news to hear. I would think that some of the cards stolen would be hard to resell. Your friend might want to contact card dealers and stores in his vacinity also. there are also probably small auctioneers in the area...I would not leave any stone unturned, so to speak. You've got to think the thief will either sell them himself or sell them to someone else who in turn will sell them.

Hopefully a group on the ungraded will show up with some of the more identifiable cards (for example, the Plank).

The alarm/monitoring thing is a bit of a joke. As mentioned above you
are primarily paying for the sign which scares off most.
For awhile I decided to stop paying for the service but left the sign up
and I'd get hassled all the time about having the sign without the
service. A dog and the sound of an alarm is more effective. That and
neighbors that look out for each other.

Ted,

Please contact us at Huggins & Scott with the details and what to look out for. Our thoughts and best wishes to your friend.

James

If the house was actually protected by an alarm that was disabled by thieves, then it is virtually certain that the victim knew the thieves to some capacity and may very well be an inside job.

"That and
neighbors that look out for each other. "


This is HUGE! I have a cop on my immediate left, and another cop 3 houses down on my right. In fact, my neighborhood is so heavily populated with city workers that I would wager there are at least another couple Chicago cops on my block that im not even aware of! Needless to say, there arent many break-ins in my neighborhood. Just not worth it to any would be thieves!

I hope you understand the definition of "inside job" before you go speculating. That implies that the owner had the theft staged to profit from an insurance claim. Thats a mighty big accusation to be spewing online! While I dont doubt that the thief somehow knew the owner, its simply not fair to suggest the owner was in on it!

I don't think there was any implication that the theft was staged....

At any rate, I hope we find the cards soon and I'll keep my eyes open!

It had to be someone that knew the cards were there especially if nothing else was stolen. They will definitely be trying to sell,the question is where and when. A 40 year collection is a lifetimes work I hope the thieves get caught and card's returned. They also must have known he was gone for a few days and made the heist.

.............
 

Most common thieves would have no idea about baseball cards........the magnitude of what was taken is also alarming to me. It is an awful situation, i hope their is a better resolution.

ALERT....huge, huge BB card collection theft
 

Originally Posted by T206Collector......
" If the house was actually protected by an alarm that was disabled by thieves, then it is virtually certain that the victim knew the
thieves to some capacity and may very well be an inside job. "


T206Collector you better clarify what you are alluding to...."inside job" ?

Paul....I will give you the benefit of the doubt, that you didn't mean what these words of your's imply; but, I expect a explanation ! ?

And, spare us your lawyer diatribe.


Incidently, there was NO insurance coverage on this collection.


TED Z

That is WAY too much time and money to not have some kind of insurance. As some have said, common thieves normally don't know much about cards and would probably walk right by them. I'm speculating that this has to be someone he knows or associates with or a friend of a friend type situation. I would check in with all pawn shops, card shops and auction houses in the area. Get more details about the cards out there and post them here and on all the other big trading card forums. I would post this on FCB, PSA, Beckett, SCF, SGC and other forums. The more eyes you have looking for clues the better your chances of finding the culprit/culprits. I wish your friend luck in finding and prosecuting this/these scum.

Can some scans of the key cards be provided? There are enough details on each card to permanently identify them. Print marks, staining, rounded corners, chips, etc.

Not sure where in upstate the collection was taken from, but there is a card show coming up in Syracuse in the 18th. Perhaps you or your friend might want to contact the promoters of the show to get the word out. Here is their website.

http://www.cnypromotions.com

Burglars usually want to get in and out in a few minutes and will be after cash, jewelry, electronics. The authorities probably can tell whether the crooks targeted this collection or just stumbled upon it. If the collection was targeted, anyone who knew of it could be involved, friends, relatives, neighbors, dealers, collectors, repair men, meter readers, etc. Most crooks are not very smart. The cards may start showing up on ebay, craigslist, at shows, or antique shops. Thinking of where there are a number of small dealers in relative proximity, I would alert the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce as well.

Inside Job
 

Definition of "Inside Job" from the on-line dictionary:

n. Slang
A crime perpetrated by, or with the help of, a person working for or trusted by the victim.

I was insinuating nothing more than the definition implies. Someone with knowledge of the collection, property and security system was likely involved if a genuine alarm system was disabled to advance the theft. While an inside job may include insurance fraud, I was of course not challenging the veracity of the victim.

Chicago are you down to now 1 pre-war card that you still own?

"And, spare us your lawyer diatribe?"

What the hell does that mean?

Thanks for the clarification....as far as cards I own, is there a requirement that states you must own a pre war card to participate in this forum? I guess I missed that caveat.

Just following up on your B/S/T thread where you stated "I have decided to part ways with both forums as well as with my collection," and note that only the Drum is left.

Just trying to figure out why you're still here. I mean, basically you said we're such a bunch of a$$holes that you decided to liquidate your collection and leave the forum. It would be TOTALLY INSANE for your to liquidate your collection for this reason and also stay on the forum.

What makes you certain that the cards I listed on the BST were the only ones I own(ed)? I may have another group of 8-10 that I may list after the Drum sells (or I decide to keep just that 1 card). Although my departure from this forum is inevitable, I do not have a specific timeline set. So why dont we try to keep our exchanges a bit more civil for the time being?

Ted,

If you have scans, that would help people identify the cards when they see them.

There is also a small show here in Buffalo on Sunday. I would be happy to hand out flyers to the dealers there if I could get some details/who to contact, etc. also. Unfortunately the term "upstate" seems to apply to any part of NY that is not NYC, so that is a wide area!
Bob

I'm happy to keep it civil and did not start with accusations on this thread. In any event, it is very difficult to have reasonable conversations with people on Net54 when they say things like "my departure from this forum is inevitable." You are going to have a hard time being taken seriously.

We're not a total bunch of dikkheds here. I'd be happy to chat cards with you even if you only had a Drum -- that's 1 more Drum than me and most T206 collectors. It is the inconsistency of your positions that makes it hard to have a continued dialogue with you and that is what makes Net54 most fulfilling.

Ted,

I wish your friend the best. It's because of these type of events, I keep my cards in the bank.

I've never used a safe deposit box but must admit it makes sense. A check from the insurance company is some consolation but would not make up for the time and work it takes to put together such a collection. Sorry to hear that your friend was not insured,

Hang the Thieves
 

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Hope you the cards back soon.

Have the police fingerprinted the area where the cards
were? With a little bit of luck they can identify the
thieves.

It would not be bad if they were caught, and they got
in the wrong line of fire, or if you decided to use
their heads as a batting practice.

Here is hoping.....

theft
 

Ted,
i am so sorry to hear of this horrific situation.
as you can well see, your many friends are now ready to help in whatever ways we can.

all the best,
barry

Sorry
 

Sorry to hear of this incident-I will alert the local Northern New Jersey estate auction houses as well as be on the lookout at our auction service in NW NJ......

Ted, sorry to hear about this too. I will be at the Syracuse show next week and will keep an eye out for anything this significant.
Peace,
Jim

David- it is shocking to most people how little investigation and forensic techniques are actually employed by police in cases like these. Maybe we watch too much CSI but I have seen too many criminal cases in which the police weren't exactly enthused about tracking down perps by doing more than filing a report and talking to a few neighbors. Unless the cards show up in a pawn shop (unlikely) or an on-line auction or one of their accomplices or friends rolls on them because of their own legal troubles, the cards will probably not be found.

If you post some scans of these cards we will all definitely be on the lookout.

This is why my cards are kept in a Ft. Knox safe. Theft, fire, etc., every valuable collection should be kept in a serious safe.

http://ftknox.com/gun-safe-images/open-gun-safe.jpg

The loss of 40 years worth of collecting is horrible; I can't begin to imagine. I pray for swift justice and the cards to be returned quickly.

I am sorry to hear of this TedZ,the whole situation sucks.I really hope by some stroke of luck that your friend gets his lifelong collection back.I'm all the way across the country,but will talk to a couple of the guys that run local card shops here,and let them know about the situation,and to keep a look out-you never know,stranger things have happened..........

Sincerely,Clayton

With all due respect to the people here who feel that alarm services are a joke, blanket advice to drop it or not bother is very, very bad advice. Alarm services actually have one very, very important use: they are mandatory for coverages in many insurance policies. If you insure your collection it is very likely that you are contractually required to have an active, centrally-monitored alarm at the location were the cards are stored (except if they are in a safe deposit box). If you do not comply with a policy condition your claim can be denied or greatly reduced. The same is true of certain homeowners policies. Before dropping service, I strongly recommend that you check your insurance to see if you are required to have a centrally monitored alarm system as a condition of coverage.

Here's an idea (always a risky intro) - at the top of the net54 window we have a series of icons for BST - Memorabilia Forum - Postwar Cards - etc.

Why not have an icon for reports on stolen collections. Scans (if available) could be posted there. Some of these items might not surface for a long time, and scans posted on this current thread will be buried after a while.

If we have a separate "forum" for this - since this fortunately doesn't happen too often, it would be easier to keep the stolen items fresh in mind over time.

Terrible situation. I keep my cards in a safe that requires both a key and combination that is also extremely heavy and fire and water proof. How were his cards secured?

I think what CHicago might have been trying to say was that the card owner probably knows the thief, not the card owner was working with the thief.

An inside job in my opinion, not based on definition, was someone that may have been privy to seeing the owner use his alarm code.

This information could also be given to a "friend" to do the heist.

From what i gathered is this... the thief knew the owner was away and knew the alarm code..... just saying...


Another thing to check is the alarm company itself. There was a rash of break-ins that had been occuring in my vicinity and it turns out it was the alarm installation company. They would scope houses when they installed alarms and then they set up the alarm for the client, which includes entering his passcode. they now have the passcode and the owner has "piece of mind" so they let their guard down.

Ive also heard of an alarm company that would simulate a few break ins in an area then canvas the area offering their services... perfect timing so to speak!

No matter what the instance in this case, the cards listed will stick out like a sore thumb and will be near impossible to hide. Hopefully it isnt done in a private sale where it never comes to light.

all my best to your friend Ted..... i hope he recovers his cards... i lost 50k worth before and i know how much it sucks!

Sorry to hear about this, that's terrible...

as for monitered alarm systems. I had one installed a couple years ago and the few times I've set it off accidentally they've called the house within 20 seconds everytime of it going off to see if everything's okay. Maybe some companies aren't as good with the monitoring aspect but I havn't had any problems there.

It probably is best to at least put your best cards in a safe depos. box.

Anything you leave home, you should buy a serious safe like a previous person posted.

Don't go cheap on a safe, The cheap ones can be pryed open. Youtube gun safe videos (tests etc...) Get a heavy gauge steel safe with many thick locking bolts, make sure it has good fire rating etc. Get a good brand one, like Fort Knox, Browning, some others etc...

I just bought a Browning and am thrilled with it. It's like a Tank. 900lbs. Make sure the weight is very heavy because that means there's a lot of steel and it's not thin and crappy. Expect to pay probably a minium of 1500 ish for a decent gun safe. Depending on size, quality and features they can go for a lot more. Personally I'd recommend spending 2-4k+ and get a serious one. Get a dehumidifier for it. You can also put a small safe inside the big one(like a small sentry) to keep some stuff in for extra fire and water protection. Get as big of one as you have the space for. You can fill them up quick and it's always better to have more room since they'll last a lifetime.

Also, If you want it in a basement you have to consider possible flooding issues. Either from rain or burst water heater or pipes. You would at least want to elevate the safe and might want to look at how waterproof your basement is...

ALERT....huge, huge BB card collection theft
 

Jim D

Regarding your........
"From what i gathered is this... the thief knew the owner was away and knew the alarm code....."

Obviously, the thief(s) knew the family was away....but, "knew the alarm code" ? ? .... NO SO !

They broke in, disconnected power, and cut the wires to the alarm system.


TED Z

ok i stand corrected, you had only said "disabled".... which most would take as being turned off. Shoots a big hole in my theory.

My guess is probably some punks, maybe from the neighborhood, that might have known the family was away.

either way, i hope they cut off the persons nutsack!

I am 60 mile north of NYC...I will keep an eye on the Hudson Valley & Northern NJ craigslist ads.

Jeff

Ted,

Reading about this makes me want to throw up. I feel horrible for your friend.

I look for OJs all of the time. If I had scans to look at I could keep an eye open for any OJs that could pop up for sale.

language
 

Jim- please watch your language. I realize most of us have heard worse but we have younger children that read the board. Nothing personal....best regards

so we know whats gone but whats left of the collection. anything significant? anything else taken? Thats a big question in determining if it was targeted. They for sure would have to know what to take and only a friend and the homeowner would know this.

My friends father had a very valuable fossil and gemstone collection in his house some of which was on display. One day the house was broken into and the alarm was also disabled in a similar manner. It turned out that only some stones and some valuable fossils were taken. It took the cops about 2-3 weeks to discover that it was friends of a cable installer that had done the job.

ALERT....huge, huge BB card collection theft
 

Jim D

My fault, I should have elaborated more than just saying "disabled". They cut wires and disrupted the alarm electronics.

I think the thieves are more "professional" than we are surmising. They knew what was high value in BB cards that they
took. They left behind many Non-Sports sets, Football sets, and miscel. cards. They also stole antiques and jewelry.

Now, it remains to be seen how "smart" they will be in unloading these stolen goods ?


TED Z

You really need to get the word out about this on some of the bigger forums. This is a wonderful community, but it's a little small compared to some of the other ones out there. I would suggest you post this on the PSA forums and the FCB forums as a start.

If your friend is patient and has a careful ey, I'm sure he'll be able to spot serial numbers on the Bay or a major auction. It's something you'll have to be extremely on top of though. I hope he has the serials written down. That's one of the reasons I always photograph my cards in holder. A thief would have to be pretty smart and also pretty patient to break out each card and re-submit them all.

ALERT....huge, huge BB card collection theft
 

I'm reprising the initial post here to add some new new cards to the list.

long-time friend of mine (and perhaps some of you) arrived home this week to find his house broken into. The better part
of his BB card collection was stolen. It includes vintage BB & post-war cards that he has collected over the past 40 years.

I'm posting this here to alert everyone, in hopes that this collection might be recovered. Here are the highlights of it........

100+ Old Judge's

521-card T206 set....includes Plank (70 cards are Graded)....in Ex (or better) condition

T201, T202, T205 and T207 sets

1920's Strip (W-type) cards......including W514 Joe Jackson
Note......
All above T-cards and W-cards are in the miniature size top-loader plastics.

1933, '34, '35, '36 Goudey sets in Near Mint condition

1951-1970's Topps sets, including......
Near Mint, near complete 1952 Topps set Master set (500+ cards)
Mint 1955 Topps set

Most HOFer's and Rookie cards from 1951 - 1970's (in Near Mint condition)......
1948 Bowman Musial, 1954 Bowman Ted Williams, 1954 Aaron, 1955 Koufax, etc.

All Mantle cards from 1951 - 1969, including......

1951 Bowman's (2 cards, and one with a mark on it)
1952 Berk-Ross with writing on back
1952 Topps Mantle has a minute pinhole
1954 Dan Dee that is exceptional



Please be on the look-out for such a large (or parts of this) collection.


Any help in recovering this collection will be greatly appreciated.

TED Z

My apologies, didnt mean to offend anyone. Its alot softer of what i truly wanted to post(and probably many others ) if thats any consolation. I do get wound up when i hear about stuff like this, especially this type of dollar amount. I cant even begin to imagine how upset this guy must be!

Hang the Thieves, Take Two
 

Although no one has called me on it I hereby acknowledge that my earlier post in this thread was plagiarized verbatim from an older post made by a temporarily exiled Net54er. I thought the writing style would be a tip off. Regardless I am in full agreement with Mr. Dorskind on such matters. A little batting practice on their heads prior to a bilateral orchidectomy doesn't upset this liberal pussy one bit. Hope they catch the asterisks!

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Hope you the cards back soon.

Have the police fingerprinted the area where the cards
were? With a little bit of luck they can identify the
thieves.

It would not be bad if they were caught, and they got
in the wrong line of fire, or if you decided to use
their heads as a batting practice.

Here is hoping.....

Dang it, I'm slipping. The random line breaks also were a tip-off.

I must, however, thank you, David, for the opportunity to execute a double quote. Oh, happy day.

I'll keep an eye out in Maine and I Really like Mark's idea for a "lost or Stolen" section. As a security guy, I can assure you that unless you get a real system, they a very easy to disable. It does not take a professional to do it.

Rawn

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Hope you the cards back soon.

Have the police fingerprinted the area where the cards
were? With a little bit of luck they can identify the
thieves.

It would not be bad if they were caught, and they got
in the wrong line of fire, or if you decided to use
their heads as a batting practice.

Here is hoping.....

Dang it, I'm slipping. The random line breaks also were a tip-off.

I must, however, thank you, David, for the opportunity to execute a double quote. Oh, happy day.

Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble: McDonald to Dorskind to DeWolf. Triple quote.

Btw
 

Not to take this thread in a whole new direction; but this situation is another reason for TPG.

And that reason is,.... I would say especially in a case like this; the thieves would leave the cards in the extant holders and if the cards were either scanned or on some registry with information; then they could be easily tied back to the original collection.

Just a thought as to why TPG has its uses

Rich

ALERT....huge, huge BB card collection theft
 

I'm reprising the initial post here to add some new new cards to the list.

A long-time friend of mine (and perhaps some of you) arrived home this week to find his house broken into. The better part
of his BB card collection was stolen. It includes vintage BB & post-war cards that he has collected over the past 40 years.

I'm posting this here to alert everyone, in hopes that this collection might be recovered. Here are the highlights of it........

100+ Old Judge's

521-card T206 set, with Plank....in Ex (or better) condition....(70 cards are Graded)

T201, T202, T205 and T207 sets

1920's Strip (W-type) cards......including W514 Joe Jackson

NOTE......
All above T-cards and W-cards are in the miniature size top-loader plastics.

1933, '34, '35, '36 Goudey sets in Near Mint condition

1951-1970's Topps sets, including........

Near Mint, near complete 1952 Topps set Master set (500+ cards)

Mint 1955 Topps set

Most HOFer's and Rookie cards from 1951 - 1970's (in Near Mint condition)........
1948 Bowman Musial, 1954 Bowman Ted Williams, 1954 Aaron, 1955 Koufax, etc.

All Mantle cards from 1951 - 1969, including......

1951 Bowman's (2 cards, and one with a mark on it)
1952 Berk-Ross with writing on back
1952 Topps Mantle has a minute pinhole
1954 Dan Dee that is exceptional


Please be on the look-out for this collection (or parts of it).

Any help in recovering this collection will be greatly appreciated.

To contact me, please do it via direct email....Please no PM's

tedzan11@comcast.net


TED Z

Absolutely disagree. The TPG slab is an identifier and would always be removed before selling. Even an idiot thief would realize that.

There are lots of thieves who wouldn't figure that out.

Like the guys in CT that called ahead to the bank "we're coming to do a robbery, and want you to get a bag of cash ready ahead of time"

And the house burglar that sold the stolen stuff at a yard sale. Until the neighbors recognised their stuff.

I could go on, but many criminals are far less intelligent than they should be. And that's not a bad thing.

Steve B

Maybe they will post on Net54 asking the best way to crack a card out of a slab.

20 million crimes a year. Don't base likelihood on a few dozen really dumb crooks that make the TV shows.

Collection Recovered
 

There is a thread on the PSA Forum where a collection was recovered because most of the cards where slabbed.

If they were smart enough to avoid the alarm system and smart enough to take only the cards which were worth the most, I think it is naive to believe that they will then suddenly become stupid when it comes to getting rid of the cards and offer the graded ones in the holder. I suspect the graded ones will be broken out. Plank, IMO, probably already has a buyer who knows exactly what's going on. How are you gonna sell that card otherwise?

The thieves will more than likely slip up.It had to be someone who knew what he had,what type of alarm system it was,where to look,and when he would be gone.So,I would tend to think if it wasn't someone who directly knows him,the info must've been passed on by someone who directly knows him to someone who was desperate enough to do such a thing.I would take a hard look at everyone he knows,associates with,and consider everyone whos been to his house in the past 6 months.
I doubt some dumb burglars just picked his house out of the blue.Sounds like a well planned hit.
I hope the scumbags get caught,and hope everything is returned.

Sincerely,Clayton

It would be my guess that due to the popularity and price of this card it would be one of the first of the stolen cards to re-enter the visible market. The pinhole should tip it off.

I can only presume that the thieves are reading this thread and now being educated in what not to do will lay low for a long long time.