Show us your "alleged" stolen nypl spaldings...."

[barrysloate]

Mr. Maguire- Here is the provenance I have:

In January, 2008 I auctioned a Crossley that was consigned to me by a woman in the midwest named Martha, who sold on ebay under the name mamabroker. I bring this up because she posted several times on the board and some may remember her. Her son had purchased a CdV album on ebay and this one was part of it. She tried selling it herself but pulled it when she had too many offers to close the auction. I spoke with her directly and she ultimately consigned it to me. I have no reason to doubt her story.

In March, 2005, I sold a Hammond and a Crossley in a fixed price sale. These were consigned by a very close friend who is practically a partner of mine. In the early 1990's he was putting together a cricket collection and had forgotten about these until he sat down in 2004 and rediscovered them. He recalls purchasing them for next to nothing, something like $15 each, at a photography show. I likewise have no reason to doubt this story based on our twenty five year friendship. While we don't know how the photo dealer got them, it's a little hard to imagine that someone would risk stealing them to sell them for a few dollars each. Back then nobody even knew their significance.

That's my story, and what I know about the three CdV's.