note to the forum

[Archive]

Posted By: Ben

After reading everyone's posts and suggestions here, and thinking about all of this on my own a whole lot, I've come to some conclusions and perhaps a few additional courses of action.

It was always my pleasure to make my collection very accessable to the public, with a website that included links to scans of all my cards on one page. I have an ebay "about me" page which links my website as well. Not only has the site been helpful in networking with fellow collectors, but it allowed for a really simple way of organizing things for myself. But the easy accessibility of the website might have screwed me over in the long run. Like people have said already, phone numbers easy ways of tracking someone's location down...but don't forget that email addresses are just as important. If someone hacks your email account and recovers your password, they can track all your dealings which would obviously include the transaction of home addresses, phone numbers, and all sorts of personal info. Like the juicy tidbit that I was going to be out of town from the 14th to the 21st.

Needless to say, I've changed my passwords on both my email accounts, something you all must do frequently, probably more than one think they should. Once the thieves figure out when you're out of town, they dont even need to be local - can rob you from no matter where they live in North America. I'd imagine it to be quite easy to tap into Montreal's underground crime network to hire a few guys for a quick break in. The connections are there, we just wouldn't know it or even choose to think about it. I never used to be this cynical...heck, I'm sure I wasn't nearly cynical enough for my own good, but with the high potential for breaches of personal security on the internet, this needs to be discussed.

It was mentioned many times that the culprit could be someone close to me. While things do get passed on by word of mouth, I think this is much less likely than the aformentioned possibility. The only people I've shown a few cards to are my bestest of friends, no more than 3 or 4 MALES. I would never talk about cards to girls, everyone here knows that talking cards is NOT a good way of attracting the opposite sex. So no, none of my ex-girlfriends are potential leads.

I've said it before, I don't have a single "in the flesh" friend that cares about cards in the slightest way. I have many "email and internet buddies" with whom I've bought from, sold to, and traded with, that care about cards in a large way. Could the thief have found out about my collection through this site, and its 2 year or so presence on the vintage links page? Certainly possible. Could the theif be someone I've sold bought or traded cards to in the past? Possible as well I guess.

If the thief is perchance reading this (you never know, folks) I tell you right now: my collection isn't a safe sell for you. Certainly selling my cards where it would be most profitable, on ebay, isn't an option. There are about 50 hungry network 54 freaks all over your filthy ass if you do, and if you're smart, you already know that. Your other options are to sell to local dealers or through classified ads. That move might be safe, but only for a short period of time. The person who buys them from you will flip them, and eventually they will be traced back to you. If you're reading this, thiefy boy, I'd like to make you an offer. Give my collection back to me, and not only will I let you go scott free, but I will also reward you $1000 in cash. I will also call up the police and call off the investigation that is ongoing. I will email back all the dealers that I have waiting and expecting for my cards to be offered to them, and tell them that they have been found.

I think I need some advice from some of you top notch lawyers, on how exactly to go about initiating an investigation in the perpetrator's area of residence, if it is infact outside of Montreal. And what to do if a card were to show up on ebay. The last think I think we'd want to do is bombard the seller with emails, that might scare off leads to potentially invaluable information. I think something like a tapped phone call to the seller would be the way to go, but again, I am out of my element in these areas.

Finally, thank you to the people that have continued to email me. I am going to get through this ok, even if I never see one of my old cards again. A smart guy I once knew told me that until tested, one’s self-imagined character is purely theoretical. One’s actions during times of relative harmony tend to reveal only one’s idealization or hoped for image of self. The true character of an individual is revealed when it is faced with adversity. I never fully realized the wisdom in these words until now.