More Halper Items may have been pilfered
 

Thanks to a lead from Rich Mueller's Sports Collectors Daily -- here is the latest Boston Herald Story about some items from the Halper Auction

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/reg...icleid=1185160

And a couple of other stories in this sequence

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/reg...icleid=1184152

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/reg...icleid=1183957

Regards
Rich

That 1889 Boston photo is a mammoth plate. Walking out of a library with a cdv/cabinet/document is one thing. But how does one hope to walk out undetected holding a mammoth plate photo?

You put a wig on it and claim it is your little sister.

:)

But everyone knows I don't have a little sister. I could give it a cigarette and a glass of wine and pretend it's my Aunt Janice.

I saw a show on a master rare book thief, who stole from libraries, the government, universities, etc. It involved fake identities and disguises, stealing after hours and during hours, fake stamps, etc. The FBI considered him a criminal genius, one agent saying he was the smartest thief he'd ever seen. And the guy didn't steal for money. He was a book lover who kept the books on his shelves at home.

I forget the chronology on the Halper auction, were the items auctioned off before his death? For some reason I thought he was still alive when the auction was held. If he owned the stolen items and never intended to part with them I am sure he never worried that their provenance would be uncovered. If they were sold after his death, you have to wonder how much he knew about their criminal background... :confused:

Halper was indeed still alive at the time of the auction...

Barry was alive and even attended the sale, but his health was declining. That is the main reason he decided to sell.

Why didn't his family want the collection ?

It sold for $30 million. They preferred the money.

Not to mention that they gained a lot of free space around the house.

They made a good call.