PSA 8 1955 Topps Clemente.... STOLEN!

[chalupacollects]

I remember his store in Brooklyn was real cool and also the shows at the JFK Sheraton or Marriott were always jammed. Shame the karma changed...

[ValKehl]

Sorry to learn this about Festberg. I, too, participated in his SCD auctions back in the 1990's - my most memorable wins were two T214s that weren't listed in the Standard Catalog.

[bobbyw8469]

With so many good guys out there, there is no reason to bid with bad apples. That is why I quit bidding with Lew Lipsett. Just because you been in the game a long time doesn't give you an excuse to screw over people.

[1952boyntoncollector]

whoever he sold the stolen cards too at the convention now know why they got such a good deal....time to send them back and eat the loss

[x2drich2000]

Does any have a recent picture of Festburg so I have an idea of who not to deal with instead of just a name?

DJ
x2drich2000

[irv]

Looks like he was talked about quite a bit on here about 9+ years ago.

Found this doing a Google search using his name.
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=92635

[samosa4u]

I know a dealer friend who sets up at the Expo here in Toronto (held twice a year), and he always has members of his entourage chilling at his table. He sometimes brings his neighbor, his GF, brother, etc. and a few of his close friends here drop by - it would be IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to steal his cards.

And as for anyone who is thinking "well, can't members of his entourage steal from him?" The answer is "no." He has been doing this for 20+ years, and if any one close to him wanted to steal, then it would have happened by now. He surrounds himself with the right people and he doesn't have to worry about a damn thing going missing.

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by irv

Looks like he was talked about quite a bit on here about 9+ years ago.

Found this doing a Google search using his name.
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=92635

Totally OT, I love post #4 in this old thread- in 2009, Sandy (I don’t know Sandy) is claiming how expensive Festberg’s prices were in the late 80’s, but that he wishes he could buy those cards today (In 2009) for those “exhorbitant” prices.

[oldjudge]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

With so many good guys out there, there is no reason to bid with bad apples. That is why I quit bidding with Lew Lipsett. Just because you been in the game a long time doesn't give you an excuse to screw over people.

Lew, like so many dealers in his day, was “optimistic” in his grading. However, he did not screw over people. He did more for the hobby than most people will do in ten lifetimes.

Jay Miller

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

Lew, like so many dealers in his day, was “optimistic” in his grading. However, he did not screw over people. He did more for the hobby than most people will do in ten lifetimes.

Jay Miller

I found Lew to be a very decent guy -- compared to today's auction house owners and dealers he'd be a saint.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by calvindog

I found Lew to be a very decent guy -- compared to today's auction house owners and dealers he'd be a saint.

thats high praise.

[Republicaninmass]

They've set the bar so low, you can practically trip over it

[CurtisFlood]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

Lew, like so many dealers in his day, was “optimistic” in his grading. However, he did not screw over people. He did more for the hobby than most people will do in ten lifetimes.

Jay Miller

All the stuff I ever got from Lipset was accurately graded and priced.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by CurtisFlood

All the stuff I ever got from Lipset was accurately graded and priced.

Maybe there was a time it was.....near the end, he got sloppy.

[Babe3Ruth3]

I like the previously mentioned idea of using a clear plastic holder with the cardholder inside it, secured with a steel cable bolted to the table. This wouldn't cost very much and it seems to work for stores. At the very minimum, you could also have a sign saying you are on camera right next to the high-value cards.

[benjulmag]

Living nearby, I am familiar with the venue of the White Plains show. The dealer display area is not that large, and being part of a sports arena, there are ample areas in the upstairs seating areas to position security cameras that could cover the entire floor. Being in the real estate business, we use such cameras to blanket the common areas of our properties. They have proven quite effective in not only catching crooks, but as important in dissuading people from engaging in such conduct. Had such a system existed at White Plains, by zeroing in on the table where the theft occurred, almost certainly there would have been a tape of the theft taking place. Cameras these days are of such quality that once the act is spotted, the image can be blown up and the thief identified.

Yes there is a cost to do this. But for a venue such as the Westchester County Center where the show takes place and that is in the business of attracting shows such as this, it would likely pay for itself though lower insurance costs and higher dealer participation. Think of it -- if you are a crook how likely would you be to steal a card when you know that your actions will be captured on a video for all to see? Better still, if the stolen card is resold at the same show, the camera system will enable one to follow the perpetrator after the theft and show him selling the card. So not only will the perpetrator be caught, but there will be a good image of the person who bought the card.

[Republicaninmass]

Good advice Corey, and from what they charge for a table, they should provide this at least