my entire collection was stolen.

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Posted By: Ben

I just returned to my apartment in Montreal to discover that my entire collection, sparing a few cabinets, was stolen. I had kept everything in a box in my clothing droor, covered with clothing, and when I got back just 20 minutes ago, that box was sitting open on my bedroom floor, empty. As you might imagine, I am very shaken and upset....and haven't taken any action yet. I suppose calling the police and all the pawn shops in my area is the first step. My worst nightmare has come true. Any help in tracking down my cards would be much appreciated.

Scans of all the cards are on my website: http://www.geocities.com/mc_big_ben/tobacco_cards


now pardon me while I resume pinching myself in disbelief.

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Posted By: Scott Elkins

Hopefully you and the police will be able to track them down! Being a recent victim of a $1200 eBay "Second-Chance" scam, I can somewhat empathize. However, I couldn't imagine all of my cards being stolen - that is terrible! Good luck getting them back - I hate these scum more every time I hear something like this!

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Posted By: Wesley

Ben,

I am so sorry to hear about that.

It is hard to believe, but you really need to get a move on things immediately. Go file a report with your local police right away. I think your best chance of recovery is in the next few days.

Wesley

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Posted By: petecld

Oh my God... definitely go to the police.

I hate having to do it but I'm glad I keep all my pricey cards outside my house.

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Posted By: Ray

Any shows in your area this weekend? You might want to contact the organizers of them as well. Someone may have taken them there for a quick sale. It wouldn't hurt contacting ur insurance company, especially since u have scans of all the cards. I don't know if they'll cover any of it, but its always worth a shot. My condolences, I hope this story has a happy ending.

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Posted By: barrysloate

That's an awful story. Make a list of the cards that are easily distinguishable and make it available on both boards. The more people looking out for them, the more likely someone will spot them if they show up on ebay or anywhere else.

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Posted By: Bottom of the Ninth

Ben,

I am so sorry to hear that. Call the police ASAP. Don't touch anything. Is that all they took? Sounds like an inside job to me. Who knows you keep the cards there?

Keep us updated.

Greg

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Posted By: eric p.

ben, i hope the scum who took your cards is caught and that you get all of your cards back, hopefully they get the book thrown at them as well, for all of you who keep your cards at home at least buy a gunsafe to safe guard them, it does sound like an inside job, i would love to take a baseball bat to the thief, eric.

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Posted By: Behrod Hosseinzadeh

This is the time to get your photographic memory in check. Ask yourself all the questions that need to be anserwed.

How long have your cards been in that same spot?
Who knows about the location of your cards?
Who recently saw your cards other than yourself?
Did you show your cards to any new acquaintances?
Did any of your friends tell anyone about your collection recently?
Do you live in an apartment complex? If so, any new neighbors?
(a large percentage of burglaries are committed by neighbors)
Any sign of forced entry?
Where does it look like the perp entered the house?

Ask yourself question after question after question.....

Document Everything, write down everything. This is definitely done by someone that know's you....(hopefully its a practical joke)

Keep us updated.

Behrad

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Posted By: Brian

Best of luck, sending positive thoughts your way.

Brian

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Posted By: Ben

Nothing AT ALL in my apartment is out of place other than the cards. My $2000+ Gibson les paul guitar is here, my amp, my stereo, my computer -all here. Only a few of my friends know about the cards, and nobody knows where I had them hidden.

I have called the police, and an officer is on the way supposedly. The only people that would have any chance of knowing about my collection are the people I communicate here on the board with. I know I mentioned several times in emails over the past week that I was out of town. Also, the customs inspectors, who frequently inspect packages going to my address which contain valuable cards. Those are the only two possibilities I can think of. My landlord is the only person who can access my apartment, but I have no reason to believe that he would, he is a stand up guy. Besides, I suspect that the robber got in through my kitchen window.

I am truly in a state of shock.

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Posted By: barrysloate

It sounds like someone knew where those cards were. If your stereo, TV and other things are still there, why would someone take the little precious time they had to get in and out to rifle through your drawers unless they knew what they were looking for. Ask the police about that. What a dreadful thing to happen. Even I feel sick about it. Good luck.

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Posted By: Paul

Ben, I join everyone else in saying how sorry I am. You do have many distinctive cards that most of us are familiar with. I'll certainly keep an eye out for them on ebay, as I'm sure you and others will too. It also sounds like you may have a good short list of suspects to give to the police, even though it may be painful to think of those people as suspects. I know it's no consolation, but I hope the two cards I sent you recently had not arrived yet.

Paul

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Ugh, this makes me want to puke.

Best of Luck to you, Ben, hopefully the crooks get caught and all is returned.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Ben: Is there any way that someone on the web could have learned of your address?

I guess the internet probably allows just about anyone to find out where someone else lives if they know that person's full name and city of residence...

which is why I keep 100% of my collection in a safe deposit box at the bank.

I still can't believe they could find your cards... unless it was an inside job.

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Posted By: rob

Ben, that really blows...sorry to hear the news, consider everyone a suspect, as stupid as that sounds. You never know who is in dire straits financially and knows of your collection. Furthermore, think of any of your friends/acquaintences that may need money quickly, i.e. gambling issues perhaps. All this may sound stupid and farfetched, but sometimes suggestions from friends (board members) can trigger a potential reason for theft. In situations like this, its not the time to say "he is a good guy and wouldnt do that", i.e. a landlord type, because you never know what people have going on in their lives.

good luck...

rob

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Posted By: Richard Dwyer

When I was younger, my cards were stolen. I got lucky when the local newspaper put a story in their paper. The Mother of the the guy who broke in saw the story, and was suspicious of her son when he showed up with thousands of new cards. He only got 6 months in jail. I agree, a baseball bat is better justice.

Good luck. Call your newspaper. I only recovered 10% of what I had.

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Posted By: Ben

N162 Cap Anson
N162 Dan Brouthers
N162 Ed Andrews
N162 "Sure Shot" Dunlap
N162 Mike "King" Kelly
N172 Count Tony Mullane
N172 Silver Flint (portrait)
N172 Jim Mutrie
N172 Watch Burnham
N172 McClellan
N172 Buck West
N172 George Wood
N173 Old Judge Cabinets - Smith
N175 Gypsy Queen - Casey
N184 Kimball Champs - Burch
N321 S.F. Hess California league - Ryan
N28 Caruthers
N28 Mulvey
N300 Mayo Cut Plug - John Ward
E90-1 Ed Walsh
E92 Nadja - Hartzell
E95 Eddie Collins
E96 Mordecai Brown
E99 Bishop & Co - Hogan
E100 Bishop & Co - Tozer
E103 Bender
E104-1 Baker
E104-1 Collins
E104-1 Mack
E105 Mello Mint - Knight
E106 Christy Mathewson
E107 Gleason
E107 Parent
E107 Moore
E107 Jones
E126 Am. Caramel - Schalk
E286 Ju Ju Drums - Cheek
Colgan's "Tin Tops" - Chief Meyers
E224 "Texas Tommy" Connie Mack
"Orange Borders" - Tigers Team
Voskamps Coffee - Miller
Tango Eggs Dooin
D311 Pacific Coast Buscuit - Smith
C46 Imperial Tobacco - Hardy
W514 Gandil
W504 Universal Toy - Babe Ruth
V100 Willards Chocolate Babe Ruth
T332 Helmar Stamps - Stovall
1932 U.S. Caramel - Jimmy Foxx
1935-36 Sawyer Biscuit cabinet - Bill Lee
T3 Turkey Red - Harry McIntyre
T204 Ramly - Frank Chance
T204 Ramly - Jonny Evers
T204 T.T.T. Cigarettes - Jones back
T207 Napoleon back
T207 Red Cycle back
T209 b&w Hannifen
T209 colour - Cowell
T210 Zimmerman
T212 Obak - Daley
T213-2 Coupon - Marquard
T216 Kotton - Doolan
T222 Fatima - Schang
T227 Frank Baker
T205 Joss
T205 Mathewson
T206 Cobb (green portrait)
T206 Cobb (bat off) American Beauty back
T206 Lattimore Carolina Brights back
1914 Cracker Jack Tinker
1915 Cracker Jack Comiskey
1915 Cracker Jack Evers
1915 Cracker Jack Griffith
1915 Cracker Jack Speaker
D303 General Baking - Tris Speaker
D304 "Butter Krust" Barry
D304 "Butter Krust" Bell
D304 "Butter Krust" Herzog
D304 "General Baking" O'Toole
D304 "Butter Krust" Shafer
D304 "Butter Krust" Young
D322 Tip Top Gibson
D322 Leach
D322 Locke
D322 Simon
D322 Wilson

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Posted By: Peter Thomas

I will, like others, look for cards on Ebay and other sources. Will let you know if I see anything. Report to police and make scans available to them. When I can access your site I will make a record of items to look for.

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Posted By: robert a

Ben.
What can I say except that this shouldn't happen to anyone...especially a trustworthy and genuine collector like yourself. I think that many collectors on this board are aware of many of the cards in your collection and I will do my best to make sure that you are notified if I happen to see any of them popping up on ebay and other places.

Sorry this has happened to you Ben.
robert

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Posted By: Dave

Ben,

What a bad deal.

Everyone who has ever shipped you a card knows your address, you may want to provide a list of that to the police.

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Posted By: Dan Koteles

Ben -I too am very sad to hear this.

Dont exclude any of your friends and it is even possible the lanlord could have done it. I gasped as I read this story !

Absolutely someone knew of this...man, wish I could add comfort.

The best thing we all can is make a copy of the list, keep it on hand as we ebay along and keep your website photos. I just cannot imagine this and again very sorry Ben.

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Posted By: Chris B

So sorry to hear about that Ben - I cant imagine how sh**ty you must feel right now. Hang in there; everyone in our community will be sending you good thoughts and keeping a vigilant eye out for your cards.

Chris

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Posted By: Kenny Cole

That sucks. Hope things work out.

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Posted By: barry arnold

I am distressed to hear of this tragedy.
And we who love this hobby feel the depths of such a tragedy.


barry arnold

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Posted By: Ben

Thanks to each and every one of you for your condolences. I am still sort of in a state of shock, not really knowing what to do with myself while I wait for the police to show up. I keep telling myself, at least none of my family was hurt. This isn't the worst thing that could have happened....but it's damn close too it.

I forgot about the two cards I kept from my childhood that were also stolen:

1979 OPC Gretzky rookie (pulled that one from a pack as a kid )
1986 Fleer Jordan rookie

Thanks again to everyone who has posted here or emailed me in the past few hours. Whether or not the cards are found, I will find a way to get through this.

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Posted By: Josh K.

I am truly sorry to hear about this.

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Posted By: Jimmy Leiderman

Very sorry to hear about it Ben.
Will do my best to help track your cards on eBay and any other website.

Keep the faith!

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Posted By: Geoff Litwack

Ben, I'm really sorry to hear about this - I know what it feels like. When I was in college, I had a 1941 Play Ball Ted Williams stolen from my bedroom at home. It was my best card at the time and really broke my heart...it turned out to be a painter who was in the house painting a room in the attic. They caught him, but he had sold the card for drug money and I never saw it again. I got the chance to confront him and as angry as I thought I'd be, he was such a mess that it just made me more sad. Anyway, I hope you have better luck than I did!

All Best,
Geoff

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Posted By: Mark Rios

Sorry is not really enough.

Definitely an inside job.
Sit back and think about potential thieves...
it just may come to you if you keep
an eye out - ironically enough.


Mark

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Posted By: J Levine

Ben,
I (and OBC) are very sorry that this has happened. I will personally keep a lookout for your cards...did you scan them all? Please let me know if there is anything I can do.

-Joshua

PS This is why I didn't respond to the thread about how we keep our cards or display our cards. I was paranoid before, now I am insanely paranoid.

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Posted By: eric p.

ben, it would be very hard or near impossible for someone to be able to unload cards like yours without getting caught, even if they were to sit on them for a while, i have a good feeling some will be going to jail, we will be on the look out for as long as it takes, take care, our prayers are with you, eric.

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Posted By: DGT

I would suggest making a post on the PSA set registry boards and the LTS board (e-mail me and I'll post a link over there)...also, there is a fairly major hockey dealer in Montreal named Gerry Chartrand (good guy as far as my dealing have been), his son does baseball stuff as well, I would contact them and ask they keep an eye out and ask if there are other local dealers a thief might turn to.
here is their web-site:
www.gerryssportscards.com

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Posted By: Bill Cornell

Ben -

That's just awful. Todd S. had the same thing happen to him recently and posted about it here. If it's any solace, remember that even if the cards are sold and re-sold, they will probably come to light before long. Both of you are the rightful owners and will be entitled to get them back.

Bill

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Posted By: Dan

Ben,

I have some T206 cards, you are welcome to your choice of any one of mine. Please email me and touch base if you are interested. I have never had all of my stuff stolen in the manor that you just described, however, I have had all of my stuff stolen by my ex-wife (the whole collection). I had to start over, this is my way of trying to help you a little. I wish that I could do more than that.

Best regards, I am sorry for your loss, Dan.

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Posted By: steve k

Ben - Very sorry for your loss. I will completely agree with some posters here that someone definitely knew the cards were there and very probably also knew you were out of the apartment. You mentioned that "at least none of my family was hurt" and you are of course right about that. But if you have children, especially teenagers, one of their friends/acquaintances could have easily had something to do with this. Kids normally have big mouths and one of your kids could have mentioned your valuable collection to someone. I have known people in which this exact scenario happened whereby the persons son's friend, knowing the collection was there and knowing that the family would be out of the apartment - broke in and stole it.

Very best of luck in hopefully getting your cards back.

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Posted By: Scott M

Ben,

I wish there was something I could do to help. You will have many eyes keeping a lookout for your cards. If nothing else, you have quite a few fellow collectors in your corner including myself.

Heres hoping you get to the bottom of things quickly.

Scott

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Posted By: Brian Koyama

Sorry to hear about your loss. Like some of the above posters, it sounds like an inside job. It seems more logical to steal and turn around electronics (your guitar, tv, etc.) at a pawn shop then to resell vintage cards. Did you make any recent sales of your vintage cards where you met up with someone at a common location? Maybe they followed you home. Too fishy that someone went right to the hiding spot for your cards.
Hope they catch the culprit.

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Posted By: Bottom of the Ninth

Hi Ben,

I would be beyond sick if my stuff was taken. It is such a violation and hopefully something that will be less a source of pain as time goes on. In the mean time I will be looking out for the material. Thankfully your collection or most of it is pictured on your website.

Based on the fact this idiot did not take anything else and nothing was out of place I stand behind my initial sense, which is, that this was an inside job. As everyone has said, do not rule out anyone at all. Everyone is a suspect and nobody should take offense to your giving their name. If they do, F*%! them!!!!

If someone has not just taken them for their own personal use then the cards will surface. They can only go to so many outlets with vintage material like yours. Be sure to get in touch with dealers like BMW who do the show circuit in Canada. Once one card shows up it is more than likely it will lead to more and the jerk who took them.

Not that it is relevant to me but you had been out of town and this happened? I was unclear on your initial post. It sounded like you were gone and came back 20 mins later to find the open box on the ground. The fact the person left the box is very interesting. Not as if it takes up space if it was stored in a clothing drawer. They left it there as a statement. I am no detective but unless they were in a real hurry the fact they left it says something and it is someone who knows you.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Greg

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Did you have any ex-girlfriends to whom you showed off your cards?

They probably spread the word after the relationship ended, so I would start with them as suspected "accomplices."

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Posted By: ockday

Ben..I echo the sentiments of the other board members here..I feel terrible for you and will keep my eyes open for any sign of your collection.
Alan

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Posted By: Jim Clarke

Ben,

Sorry to here about that. I had a roomate who took a Clemente rookie card from my stash in college. After I called the Police it mysteriously showed up again mixed in with my 1980's stuff. I would bank on an "Inside Job". Hopefully you have some kind of insurance as homeowners do that would get them involved as well? I keep a look out on the list you provided as I'm sure everyone else will... I do what Hal does with the bank box.

JC

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Posted By: Julie

1) Not only were they stolen by someone who knew where you kept them (THINK, man!), but by someone who knew you would be out of town. I didnt happen to mention it to anyone, either on the board, or in an e-mail, that you were going to Kingston--but if your e-mails are accessible to people (I'm told Yahoo is the MOST accessible), an e-mail you wrote me could be the sourse.

2) you no longer had a T204 Evers--you sold it back to me; I think you had a E-135 Wagner, since you wouldn't sell it back to me.

Oh, the beautiful Kelly...

I have some ideas which will go in an e-mail.

****!!!

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Posted By: Rhys

Since we are the subject of stuff getting stolen and what to do, if anyone ever sees a large collection of 3X5 cards come up for sale from the 1970's-1980's (about 5,000 of them) with many personalized "To Ken" or "To Ken Reimann" then please let me know. They were all stolen in the NW Indiana area about 1 1/2 years ago. I keep waiting for at least one to show up somewhere and I am still waiting.

Ben, let us know if there is anything you need as far as help. Also if the worst comes to pass and they dont surface in some time, I will gladly donate a few cards from my collection to help you start to rebuild. I am sure that almost everyone on this board would give a few cards (cross your fingers we wont have to) to start you on your way again. There is nothing worse in the hobby than a thief.

Rhys

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Posted By: Jay Miller

Ben-I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. When I was a kid growing up in the Bronx our apartment was broken into and my silver dollar collection taken--nothing else was touched. Kinda sounds like your situation. The feeling of being violated is horrible. I understand how you feel and hope your cards are recovered quickly. Be sure to touch as little as possible--there may be fingerprints on the box, window, or other parts of your place. Good luck and stay positive!

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Posted By: Rob L

Unstinkin' believable. Keep the faith Ben, you would have to think that these will surface soon and the culprit eventually found. Sorry to hear about it.

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Posted By: dan mckee

Ben, I can honestly say that I know how you feel, violated! After Pop and I were robbed in Anaheim (my favorite city) we were a wreck! Anything I can do to help? If you need someone to talk to, I am home all day tomorrow, 410 833-6144 or Tuesday at work 410 965-6785. I am very sorry! Dan McKee.

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Posted By: Dan Koteles

do you live in a complex or condo or what. If it is large , I would hope that the cops would search every unit from head to toe.

be suspicious of one close to you being distant or all of a sudden exceptionally nice.

Im sure the consequences of this would get somone a huge prison term. This seems like it could have been planned awhile.

you probably have thought of just about everything, going back to the landlord though....does he have an extra key to your place ?...Id have him checked if so.

Good luck, we all are trying to think of anything to be of assistance to you.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Don't know if it's a good idea for cards, but collectors can use an invisiable ink pen to mark their gloves, photos, cabinet cards, bats or other valuables for future identification if they are stolen. The mark could range from the owner's name to a tiny dot in a corner. The marking would be invisiable under normal conditions, but revealed under blacklight.

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Posted By: Rob McKenzie

Ben, I hope they find your cards. If not, then donations sound like a great idea. I'm happy to donate a card if it would help. Regards