Fire Takes Collection-Maybe Ali Global Card Review book project too

[Box-Cards]

A sad note to those who'd viewed my previous posts, card image offerings, or took interest in the "Ali Global Collectible Card Review" book publication project I was in the middle of authoring:

At 10:30 PM on Monday, July 8th, a fire determined to be of electrical origins erupted in my home's Second Floor tucked away, boxing-collectibles/card-collection/library and computer workstation room in our 1929 circa house. I had previously been working some 5-7 straight hours up there on the Ali Global Review, breaking for supper around 7:30 PM, and my wife, son and I were downstairs at that time.

At around 3:00 AM the firefighters finished their work and my wife and I were escorted back in allowed to retrieve anything immediately needed before the structure was to be boarded up as unlivable due to extensive water/smoke damage throughout from the attic all the way down to the basement. My wife followed our escort into the first floor--I took a quick side trip up the stairs to my second floor computer/collectibles room where the fire started, aware there were a couple of firemen still making sure nothing was still smouldering. Everything that once was in that room was completely destroyed: $6-8 Gs of computer workstation equipment; possibly $150-200 Gs of my long standing, extensive boxing card collections and other type boxing collectibles; everything connected to over 2-1/2 decades of serious international research connected with global boxing card productions especially the Ali Global Review project...and my last 2 plus years of formal work invested into authoring the Clay/Ali Card Review book itself.

I had put together and been using multiple computers among numerious other graphic support equipment while working on the Ali Global Review, backing up progress on external hard drives that, unfortunately, were located in the same room that burned; 4 bookcases filled with nothing but card binders went up along with everything additionally stored along one entire wall with fitted floor to ceiling floor with 18" deep shelves stuffed with cardboard, 500-count, card-boxes completely filled with more boxing cards and sets. My entire, personal Ali-card collection had been out and open on a work desk next to my primary Mac G5 computer. The desk itself reduced to ashes, let alone the collection that had been on it. There's more I could list here that was stored elsewhere in the room, including an extensive collection of uncut boxing card sheets, but I'll leave it at this for here and now.

Saddest part, I then learned from my wife that nothing of those sorts in the room had been added to our home insurance's schedules where I always thought it all had been covered (my wife had worked at MET Insurence Company's Home Office as a Methods & Procedures Specialist for over 30 years, which company handled all our insurances; thus she was the one in our family who always handled those type insurance matters...and she had never added my collections to our schedule.)

Thankfully, other then my own personal room's property losses, we were extremeldy well covered. The house is to be cutted and rebuilt from roof to finished basement all brand new with all its other lost contents replaced.

As for where I now stand regarding anything once in that room, there is one long-shot chance I might be able to recover the data that was on the 3-internal hard drives of my primary computer tower, including my past research and prior book work related to the Ali Global Review project...but I'm not counting on it. The external housing of my main Mac G5 computer was made entirely of heavy gauge metal, not of plastic components. Scorched on its outsides, its insides weren't directly exposed to the actual fire but just to its heat. Once the dust from the event settles a bit more, I will be searching for some expert computer "forensic" specialist to see if any data stored on its 3-internal hard drives can be extracted--my only hope in recovering anything. If that proves successful, the Ali Global Card Review project and all its research are in there and I will be devoting all my attentions and passions to seeing that project's finished publication sees the light of day. If it isn't there any more and was destroyed, I don't believe I'll be starting that project over again from scratch, having to find some new passion elsewhere.

Don't worry, though, even if its not--someone, somewhere and at some future time will likely take that same project to heart and bring it to the hobby. More importantly, I took some smoke and spent a day in the hospital recovering but neither my wife, son, nor our house pets were hurt or ever in any danger. That's what really counts after all is said and done...

[GoldenAge50s]

Dan--

What a terrible tragedy! As a fellow collector & neighbor just up the road in Cumberland, it hits home w/ more force than you can believe!

Thank God your family came thru it w/out injury, but I can only begin to understand what the loss of your possessions/collection must feel like.

You sound like a strong person in dealing w/ it & I wish you the best in moving forward.

[Jerry G]

Daniel, I am so sorry to hear this. I can only imagine how this tragedy impacts your family, home, collection and your passionate research. My hope is for a speedy and complete recovery from your inhalation. Prayers for you and your family.

[Leon]

Daniel- Very sorry to hear this. I am going to also copy this to the front page as it is warranted. Keep the hope up on retrieving the data. It could be possible and isn't that far fetched. Prayers to you and your family. Thank God no life was lost or seriously hurt.

[Box-Cards]

Originally Posted by GoldenAge50s

Dan--

What a terrible tragedy! As a fellow collector & neighbor just up the road in Cumberland, it hits home w/ more force than you can believe!

Thank God your family came thru it w/out injury, but I can only begin to understand what the loss of your possessions/collection must feel like.

You sound like a strong person in dealing w/ it & I wish you the best in moving forward.

Thank you for the kind thoughts, Fred, especially from a neighbor just up the road in Cumberland from me. To be honest about it, the collection loss (especially considering the number of years and research efforts that were part of it)--was so huge that any emotional reaction or depressed feelings upon realizing its real scope completely and immediately left me; no pains felt at all, replaced instantly by private resignations that this was simply one of those things "in life" you either smile about anyway and just carry on "zen-like" accepting the reality of the situation. Better that way then any other.

Being up in Cumberland, did you also know my long time, good friend, Bill Deaett of 'Cumberland Cards" (now deceased)? Bill and I went way back; a great guy who knew a lot about boxing cards long before my own knowledge caught up with his. After things with my situation now gets straight again, we ought to get together and chew the fat about boxing cards face-to-face. I'd like that, missing Deaett to do it with as we used to. Thanks again.

[Box-Cards]

A quick and sincere thanks to Jerry and Leon, too, for your thoughts and encouragement. I've been back to the house and up to my room a couple of times since, shoveling through the ash and moving debris to see if anything at all escaped the destruction...a few in a far corner away from the direct flames appeared to make it through, buried under the fallen ceiling plaster, but nothing of any real value...still, something is better than nothing at all.

I received a PM from a member offering "forensic" help with the possible computer data recovery... let's hope.

[nameless]

Sorry to hear about your property loss. Let me know if the other member is able to help you with the data recovery. I work in this field and if you send me the drives I can try.