T206 Collection Stolen - Houston, TX

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Posted By: Jason Smith

Something very sad happened to me yesterday. My T206 card collection was stolen from my home.

Please look at the cards and keep them in the back of your head. Contact me if you see this large collection of cards for sale. I will be looking at ebay daily in hopes that we can find the cards, but I hold little hope that I will ever see them again.

http://www.psacard.com/set_registry/display_cards.chtml?rsetid=17743&alltime=no&rank=33&tied=0&requesttimeout=9999

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Posted By: MVSNYC

sorry to hear that...any idea who it might be? i would obviously contact the authorities. best of luck.

MS

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Posted By: Lee

That is terrible Jason, I'll keep my eye out for them. Were the cards insured?

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Posted By: MikeW

One of every collector's worst fears... I'm sorry to hear about this Jason. I hope you do find them.

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Posted By: Cobby33

That sucks ass. Sorry man.

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

Oh, those beautiful cards...how awful. I'm so sorry to hear that.

People really suck sometimes. Very best of luck in finding them and nailing whoever did it to the wall.

-Al

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Posted By: Scott T

Double Post

Scott

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Posted By: Scott T

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I fully understand that they are "just cards", but any robbery is a personal violation. I hope you can recover your cards.

Not to make light of the issue, but since I am an hour south of you, I will raise the alert level to "Pom-Con 4"!)

Fear the Pom !


Scott

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Posted By: Eric Brehm

Beautiful collection ... I wonder if the thieves even know what they have.

I will keep an eye out to see if anything shows up on eBay that matches the images you have on the PSA registry.

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Posted By: Bill K

Ugh...that really pi$$es me off! I will keep my eyes out for any of these cards. What a great collection.

That Speaker is beautiful!

Bill

My personal collection - http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f176/fkm_bky/

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Posted By: Jason Smith

Yes, this is my worst nightmare. The cards are insured in the home insurance, but I have no idea how I am going to be treated by the insurance people. I can show them the collection and values online and that's all I can do. I am in the process right now of just printing out the names of all the cards and then I'll put the value on each one and add it up and see what happens.

I'll be looking on ebay and calling some local card shops. That's about the best I can do.

You're right, it's not just about the cards, though that and my laptop and ipod are all that were taken. I stopped collecting the cards when we bought our house because the house became my main money flow. My first instinct is to want to sell the house and try to find a smaller one in a better neighborhood because my wife is really rightfully freaked out and doesn't want to be alone there. We're just going to have to make some tough decisions.

No one was home at the time and no one was hurt. Of course that's the important thing... The house is alarmed and they managed to get out before the cops or I showed up. Houston is going through some tough times right now. But stealing someone's baseball cards is just pure evil. Every boy knows that.

I had considered a safe deposit box for them, but I didn't do it because I thought I would not be able to enjoy the cards that way. I stupidly thought my alarm system would scare off any intruders, but I was wrong.

Thanks again, everyone, for keeping an eye out. When I was collecting I would read this message board faithfully, and I know that it's hard to sell a T206 card without one of you knowing about it. Feel free to let me know if there are any other message boards I might write on.
Jason

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Posted By: barrysloate

That's just ghastly. If there is something to be learned here it is that a safe deposit box is worth the aggravation. I wish you luck recovering them, but I know it will be tough.

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Posted By: Lee

It is a good thing the cards are insured, but is the insurance company going to give you full sale value (what the cards are really worth) or more likely "their" value is the question. I would fight them as hard as I could on this issue. That is an awesome collection, in better condition by far than my collection of T206's. As for the safety deposit box, I put all my real valuable cards in there (all are insured, one way or another).

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Posted By: andy becker

jason,
i will also keep and eye out for your cards. best of luck to you and your family. i hope this works out.....

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Posted By: Anonymous

That just sucks ---I hope you have some luck in finding some trace of them - I just had my house wired partly for this reason with motion detectors in the lower level where I too display my cards - hoping to enjoy them with friends and family and not have to box them -- to your point that the alarms certainly aren't fool -proof ....
Question on insurance -- I take it you have them inventoried - and also have them scanned ?? - I need to do the same and wondered what the standard was - Hopefully your insurance company will treat you right - best of luck going forward - Darrell

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Posted By: robert a

Jason,

I'm truly sorry to hear about this. There is hope that you'll get them back.

Did you have the collection in a safe?

Best of luck with the insurance.

Robert

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Posted By: Jay

Jason---I would suggest getting the cert numbers from the slabs printed out and distributed to the local card shops and posted on line here. If you don't have those handy go in to "edit your set" at the PSA site they will be listed. That will make it easy for people to identify the cards. I'm sorry to hear about your loss and hopefully the cards will be recovered soon.

Good Luck---Jay

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Posted By: Jeff Prizner

Be sure to check out the Houston Numismatic Exchange (2486 Times Blvd
Houston, TX 77005) and talk with the owner to see if maybe your cards will show up there. Having lived in Houston myself, I recall this being one of the few shops that specialized in vintage material.

Sorry for your loss!

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Posted By: warshawlaw

Card dealers are worse than diamond fences when it comes to things like this. I went to every card and coin shop that handled cards with a detailed list of the items (no scans since it predated scans) on a flyer and told the owner that I would be checking back. I then made a point of going to every shop to see if the cards turned up. Sure as heck, one of the shops purchased some of the cards knowing they were stolen and had to be threatened pretty hard to get the items back. Good luck.

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Posted By: Scot Reader

Jason,
Every collector's worst nightmare. You were wise to scan the cards--makes a nice record. Add me to the list of those who will keep their eyes peeled.
Scot

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Posted By: Richard Masson

Perhaps they can enter the cert. numbers from your set on a restricted list that will notify you if they are ever tried to be entered on the registry.

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Posted By: John S

Jason,

Sorry to hear about your situation. Every collector's worst fear realized. Do you believe that the thieves/thief knew that you had a collection or did they just trip upon them? Keep us posted...hopefully your cards will turn up soon.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Jason- if at any point your insurance company asks for a professional appraisal to verify the value of the cards, as a full time dealer and auctioneer I would be happy to help you with it. Feel free to email me at bsloate@att.net if the situation comes up.

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Posted By: Judson Hamlin

Immediately give all the info, incl PSA #s, and photos, to the Houston PD or the DA's office (whichever is handling). They can issue a BOLO (be on the lookout) bulletin which can be sent to other PD's in the region. I can tell you that here (in Jersey), collectibles are often treated that way and local PD's know the usual places that buy such things with a minimum of questions. Good luck.

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Posted By: Mark

Perhaps if you subscribe to vintagecardprices, you could enter in the cards and print out the site's estimate of the current value of your collection to give to your insurance company - although you can likely get the same price data off of ebay, it might seem to your insurance company like a third-party appraisal rather than your estimate of value. Good luck.

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Posted By: T206Collector

...but I do believe that your cards, in one form or another, will show up. And then you can trace them back to the source. At that point, you can involve local law enforcement.

Good luck and be patient.

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Posted By: Lee

Being your cards are in such high grade, I agree with T206 collector that they will show up sometime!

Lee

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Posted By: barry arnold

This is so horrible and distressing!
I will keep my eyes open each day as i peruse ebay,etc. .
Obviously, you have this community behind you.

all the best,

barry

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Posted By: jay wolt

Jason that sux!
Hopefully they will be returned and the guilty prosecuted.

Make sure you leave the set listed on the PSA registry.
This will "lock in" your cert #'s
And if someone tries to add a card in their set
you will get an automatic Email generated by PSA telling
you to delete the card(s) or contact PSA.
With that said, you (& the authorities) can perhaps track down
w/ PSA's help who tried to register the card and see where he got it from.
Also contact PSA right away and advise them of your situation.
Ask for Cosetta, BJ, Gayle or Carol. ..jay

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Posted By: Ricky Y

Wow sorry to hear this. Definitely will be on the look out for these cards. Hope you get them all back soon.

Ricky

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Posted By: Dylan

Im sure thell be broken out of the cases and liquidated, but hopefully someone will recognize one or two. My Dad has offered to keep my most valuable in a very big heavy safe. I dont like the idea of having my cards locked up, i couldnt see them or really enjoy them, but at some point you have to realize there worth and keep them safe.

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Posted By: Keith O'Leary

It does suck Jason. Mark offered a good suggestion (VintageCardPrices.com), it will also notify you when a particular card in a particular grade is sold.

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Posted By: RayB

Jason,
As a T-206 collector, I am especially saddened by this news. I can't conceive of the loss I would feel if that happened to me.
It is a reminder to us all of the world we live in and the precautions that need to be taken, unfortunately.
Best to you in finding the culprit and recovering your cards.
RayB

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Posted By: jP

Jason,

very sorry to hear about your loss. fuxx those thieves. what is wrong with ppl man!

My positive energy goes out to you Jason i hope the best in the end. Truly makes me pissed and sad too.

Jorge

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Posted By: Jason Smith

Along with my cards, my laptop was also stolen, so I had no way to read all these replies last night. I really appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and the hope you give me that sometime the cards will resurface. Hopefully the theives don't know what to do with the cards and will make a mistake with them like putting them up on ebay or something like that. They definitely just tripped on the cards which were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Another couple of closets went untouched and one of those had a couple of WWII guns in them. Aside from having them on the registry I don't publicize the cards, though it is conceivable that someone could have known. I assume this to be theives who were looking for jewelry and found none, but found these interesting cards and thought they should just take them. I will subscribe to vintage card prices and use that as a guide over Beckett or SMR and possibly have some of you as references if the insurance adjusters don't believe me.

I will get the card serial numbers to the police as you said. Maybe they do know who will be the likely buyers for this kind of thing.

I have contacted Houston Numesmatic (sp?) Exchange and have tried to call some other dealers in Houston and will keep the registry current. I have talked to PSA and they will contact the police if anyone tries to register the cards.

Thanks again. Though I am really devistated right now, it feels good to know you guys are out there.
Jason

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Posted By: Dave

Jason,

Sorry to hear about getting ripped off. I hope you don't feel the same about your insurance company after settlement with them.

About a year ago, I contacted my agent (State Farm) and found that there is a specific exclusion clause on collectables, sports cards specifically named as an example. $1500 cap on coverage after deductable. If added with a rider we needed to talk about establishing value, as well - most of my cards are not slabbed.

I forget what the cost per year would have been, but I bought a pretty good safe for less than a single year's premium.

Hope they show up.

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

Jason, I am so sorry that this happened. I try to imagine what it would be like to lose years of figurings, successes, comprimizes and so much more. I remember Ben, and so does Ben. He had assembled a very special, very personal card grouping from his heart, and it was taken away too.

Insurance, if you are lucky, may cover much of the financial impact. But not the loss.

I too celebrate with you that it was only things, not people who were affected. But people are affected indirectly. I hope the natural feeling of being subject to subsequent violations quickly passes in your family. There is nowhere to run to for security. At best other places may offer that perception, if not the fact.

Good luck, we all share in this horror a little. Gilbert

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Posted By: Jason Smith

Upon reading about the collectables limit I went into shock and then called my insurance company. Indeed there is a limit of $2500 in TX for collectables on a regular policy. I had told my agent that I had a valuable collection, but we never got into specifics.
Maybe the cards will show up somewhere, else I am learning a very hard lesson.
I have sent all the cert #s to the police for their Pawn detail team, so I'm doing what I can. I will also call all the dealers in Houston that I can. If any of you know any dealers in Houston, please alert them as well.
Jason