Yogi Berra Museum Broke into

[thebigtrain]

Evidence is pretty strong that the late Barry Halper commissioned and/or orchestrated thefts from the NYPL and Boston Libraries, and also municipal archives (Wills signed by HOF players etc). However, he mostly was in this game before these things achieved the sort of insane values that they now have. But it goes to show that wealthy uber-collectors are not above theft to augment their collections.

I agree that whoever did this was likely "hired" by a high-end collector, and if so, the stuff will vanish for years, maybe forever. Anyone smart enough to pull off a "professional" heist like this isn't dumb enough to start peddling this stuff via ebay or the major auction houses.

Another interesting thing is the comparisons to art thefts. Art is much more a "global" market than baseball memorabilia. I doubt a Saudi prince or French hedge-fund manager even knows or cares who Yogi Berra is, but of course they would know who Picasso is.

Hence, if it is a private collector who commissioned this theft, it is likely a wealthy, white, male, American, baby-boomer age person who wanted the stuff for their own sick gratification.

Poor Yogi. I live in north NJ and have friends who have "run into" him at restaurants and such and said he is the nicest person you could ever want to meet. I bet this breaks his heart, he was so proud of the Center and it did great things in the community. I hope they catch the scumbag behind this and he serves some real prison time.

[bigtrain]

Originally Posted by thebigtrain

Evidence is pretty strong that the late Barry Halper commissioned and/or orchestrated thefts from the NYPL and Boston Libraries, and also municipal archives (Wills signed by HOF players etc). However, he mostly was in this game before these things achieved the sort of insane values that they now have. But it goes to show that wealthy uber-collectors are not above theft to augment their collections.

I agree that whoever did this was likely "hired" by a high-end collector, and if so, the stuff will vanish for years, maybe forever. Anyone smart enough to pull off a "professional" heist like this isn't dumb enough to start peddling this stuff via ebay or the major auction houses.

Another interesting thing is the comparisons to art thefts. Art is much more a "global" market than baseball memorabilia. I doubt a Saudi prince or French hedge-fund manager even knows or cares who Yogi Berra is, but of course they would know who Picasso is.

Hence, if it is a private collector who commissioned this theft, it is likely a wealthy, white, male, American, baby-boomer age person who wanted the stuff for their own sick gratification.

Poor Yogi. I live in north NJ and have friends who have "run into" him at restaurants and such and said he is the nicest person you could ever want to meet. I bet this breaks his heart, he was so proud of the Center and it did great things in the community. I hope they catch the scumbag behind this and he serves some real prison time.

Respectfully, I am not aware of "very strong evidence" supporting the contention that Barry Halper commissioned or orchestrated any thefts and I was under the impression that one was required to post their own name in order to make such accusations on this site

[ibuysportsephemera]

My daughter is a freshman at Montclair and I was really looking forward to visiting the museum. I hope not too much was taken.

Jeff

[6-4-3memorabilia]

I was a volunteer there from 2005 to 2007. Cant believe this happened. Yogi has had a tuff year with losing his wife and selling his home that he lived in for 40 years. Hope they catch the scum bags

[thebigtrain]

Respectfully, I am not aware of "very strong evidence" supporting the contention that Barry Halper commissioned or orchestrated any thefts and I was under the impression that one was required to post their own name in order to make such accusations on this site

Here is the article (and yes, I am aware Nash has problems, but that doesn't mean he's not correct re: Halper):

http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=1465#more-1465

Halper is a proven liar. He lied to Robert Creamer and said he was pals with Jimmie Foxx when Foxx coached the U of Miami baseball team. Fact is that Foxx was already gone by the time Harper enrolled at the school, and furthermore Halper was never on the baseball team. These are verified, proven lies which Halper told re: his acquisition of the forged "500 HR" autograph sheet (the Ruth auto has also been proven a forgery and a very poor one at that. Halper told conflicting lies about how he acquired that Ruth auto).

There are many other lies Halper peddled which Nash has written about, and these lies have been verified as lies by 3rd parties. His story of acquiring 19th century unis from Ollie O'Mara has been confirmed as a lie by O'Mara's son. In fact, just about every acquisition story ever told by Halper has been proven a lie, such that one assumes the man was fundamentally dishonest and engaged in perpetuating fraud. There are way too many pieces from his collection which are traceable to NYPL and other institutions for him to have been "in the dark" about their provenance. The HOF didn't remove his name from their exhibit because of Peter Nash.

Yes, Halper is dead now, and not available to be cross-examined or held to answer for his lies. But anyone who believes he was himself "duped" or didn't know how much of his stuff was stolen or forged is simply delusional.

[bigtrain]

First if all, Peter Nash does not "have problems".
He is a liar, a con man, a thief, an admitted and
convicted criminal. Halper may have lied as you
have stated but your claim was that he commissioned
or orchestrated thefts of memorabilia. I gave yet to
hear a shred of evidence to back that up.

[thebigtrain]

As Nash's article source states re: the NYPL thefts, "all roads lead to Barry Halper"

http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=4323

Seems like the evidence is rather overwhelming IMO.

Nash's issues have no relevance to this debate. An arsonist can still tell you if a building is on fire or not.

Halper told so many outrageous and proven lies about so many of his items that I believe the circumstantial evidence that he was involved in NYPL thefts- i,e., over 100 stolen NYPL items in his personal collection- points to the fact that he orchestrated the thefts or at least knew the items were stolen.

Let's reacap some of Halpers verified lies:

1. He said he played for Foxx at U of Miami and got Foxx and Foxx's pal Mel Ott to give him autos. Facts is Foxx was already gone when Halper started school at U Miami, and the team's captain (who was an actual friend of Foxx) said Halper was never on the baseball team.

2. Halper said he purchased the Joe Jackson fake uni via a cash deal through the mail with Jackson's heirs. He also told another reporter he bought it from Jackson's widow in the late 50s. Both stories were obvious lies as the jersey was a fake made in the 1950s or later since it had synthetic thread.

3. Halper's 19th century unis were all fakes. He claimed old Dodger Ollie O'Mara was his source and that for unknown reasons O'Mara collected and saved these old uniforms (which makes no sense- why would O'Mara have 1890s unis when he played ball 15 to 20 years later)? Nash interviewed O'Mara's son who said his father was penniless and never had any old uniforms or memorabilia period. Thus, another huge Halper lie about items that were themselves forgeries.

The "Halper was duped" excuse just doesn't fly. Halper himself fabricated lie upon verifiable lie about the source and provenance of utterly counterfeit items. This illustrates that Halper either bought these fakes and then created the stories, or else Halper commissioned others to CREATE these fakes and then made up the stories. Given his wealth, I tend to believe Halper hired people to create these fakes.

Either way, Halper is a proven liar and swindler. He knew full well these items were fake and still sold them to the HOF and duped collectors/bidders to enrich himself. He also knew full well that certain items were stolen from the NYPL and other public institutions. His behavior was sociopathic, fundamentally dishonest, and just plain wrong. If he was alive today he would likely be facing lawsuits and possible indictment for frauds and swindles.

His entire persona and "celebrity" such as it was revolved around having the greatest baseball collection on Earth, and he relished and basked in the attention it brought him. Having been born a silver spooner and never really having accomplished anything of value/importance in his own life (other than living high off inherited money), his collection was his sole "accomplishment". When thought about in a psychological sense, it becomes clear what Halper was up to, and why he did what he did.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by bigtrain

Respectfully, I am not aware of "very strong evidence" supporting the contention that Barry Halper commissioned or orchestrated any thefts and I was under the impression that one was required to post their own name in order to make such accusations on this site

I have seen this thread but haven't opened it in a few days. Contrary to popular belief I don't/can't read every post on the board. I was just made aware of it. The general rules of the board are pretty easy and open. Put your name by it and say almost anything (when done civilly) you want to. I just called the phone number on file for our member, thebigtrain, and it is not who he said it is. So he is gone until further notice and he proves to my satisfaction who he is AND he puts his full, real name in his posts. The phone number on file is from the 201 area code, NJ, I believe.

[Robert_Lifson]

Important clarification in case this is missed: What makes this thread so interesting in my opinion, and what I think might be lost on most readers (in the absence of this post), is that the very person who has fraudulently signed up on Net54 with a fake name and contact info with the user ID “thebigtrain” (a name obviously chosen to create confusion with longtime poster “bigtrain”) is – I personally have no doubt - none other than Peter Nash himself.

To me, this is extremely amusing. Especially this line where he refers to himself in the third person: “Nash's issues have no relevance to this debate. An arsonist can still tell you if a building is on fire or not.”


Nash currently still owes REA exactly $293,102.55 on his judgment in fraud to REA.


I look forward to collecting the balance of this fraud judgment in full (and I guarantee we will, though it may take a while) and I look forward to further helping Robert and Lisa Fraser collect their $442,511 (plus interest) fraud judgment against Peter Nash in full also. And if I can be helpful to the IRS, the State of New York (they seem to be doing pretty well on their own: http://www.albanycountyda.com/Media/...Tax_Fraud.aspx), or any other victims, I will certainly try to help them as well.

Sincerely,

Robert Lifson

President

Robert Edward Auctions LLC

www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by REA

Important clarification in case this is missed: What makes this thread so interesting in my opinion............. is – I personally have no doubt - none other than Peter Nash himself...................

To me, this is extremely amusing. Especially this line where he refers to himself in the third person: “Nash's issues have no relevance to this debate. An arsonist can still tell you if a building is on fire or not.”




Sincerely,

Robert Lifson

President

Robert Edward Auctions LLC

www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Hi Rob,

I get the "bad blood" between you guys - I can imagine the past has been INTENSE. At the end of the day each of you are the most important ones who know and live with your own truth. Seems like a stretch without offering some more tangible proof stating that the poster is Nash. That said, I would be shocked if anyone on these boards is not familiar with the long legal battle between you and the large number of questions that have been raised around the origin and chain of ownership of a number of items as well as questions of integrity on both sides. If you stand firmly on the side of truth, I encourage you to simply direct people to the threads here where allegations have been addressed. Further, if you want to publicize your truth, just start a forum and do it. Lastly, if and when the posters identity is uncovered - if it turns out to be Nash I am sure the net 54 community will be first to "cry foul" and consider it when assessing our own confidence in his integrity.

-Howard Chasser

[Leon]

Originally Posted by hcv123

Hi Rob,

I get the "bad blood" between you guys - I can imagine the past has been INTENSE. At the end of the day each of you are the most important ones who know and live with your own truth. Seems like a stretch without offering some more tangible proof stating that the poster is Nash. That said, I would be shocked if anyone on these boards is not familiar with the long legal battle between you and the large number of questions that have been raised around the origin and chain of ownership of a number of items as well as questions of integrity on both sides. If you stand firmly on the side of truth, I encourage you to simply direct people to the threads here where allegations have been addressed. Further, if you want to publicize your truth, just start a forum and do it. Lastly, if and when the posters identity is uncovered - if it turns out to be Nash I am sure the net 54 community will be first to "cry foul" and consider it when assessing our own confidence in his integrity.

-Howard Chasser

Hi Howard
As someone who is also often ridiculed by Nash, for no reason ever while in the hobby...except his exaggerated lies, I would like to say a few things. First of all REA is an advertiser here and Rob L is a hobby friend. That doesn't change what I am about to say though. You continually claim you have your doubts about the fake poster being Nash, I couldn't disagree with you more. In my mind it is a 99% probability it is Nash. Could I be wrong, maybe....but I absolutely don't think so. My sources tell me that Nash reads this board a lot too. There is almost no doubt in my mind that Nash has been on the board and kicked off on more than one occasion, due to fake registration information. My guess is that he is on the board now as an impostor. For the record, if Peter Nash wants to come on this board and post, as himself, he is more than welcome to. No editing, no censorship, nothing....except to remain civil. This is an open invitation for Peter to come on the board but only as himself. If he is always telling the truth and a good guy then this should be freaking great. An open invitation to join in our discussions.

Secondly, telling REA to start of forum is idiocy. They run an auction. This is a mature sports card and memorabilia hobby forum, is quite large in nature, very open and is made for exactly this kind of discussion. You have been on this board long enough and should really already know that, imo. Thanks for your time.....LL

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by Leon

Hi Howard
As someone who is also often ridiculed by Nash, for no reason ever while in the hobby...except his exaggerated lies, I would like to say a few things. First of all REA is an advertiser here and Rob L is a hobby friend. That doesn't change what I am about to say though. You continually claim you have your doubts about the fake poster being Nash, I couldn't disagree with you more. In my mind it is a 99% probability it is Nash. Could I be wrong, maybe....but I absolutely don't think so. My sources tell me that Nash reads this board a lot too. There is almost no doubt in my mind that Nash has been on the board and kicked off on more than one occasion, due to fake registration information. My guess is that he is on the board now as an impostor. For the record, if Peter Nash wants to come on this board and post, as himself, he is more than welcome to. No editing, no censorship, nothing....except to remain civil. This is an open invitation for Peter to come on the board but only as himself. If he is always telling the truth and a good guy then this should be freaking great. An open invitation to join in our discussions.

Secondly, telling REA to start of forum is idiocy. They run an auction. This is a mature sports card and memorabilia hobby forum, is quite large in nature, very open and is made for exactly this kind of discussion. You have been on this board long enough and should really already know that, imo. Thanks for your time.....LL

Hi Leon,

I consider myself an objective 3rd party here. I have no loyalty to anyone involved. I have done business with REA as buyer and seller and am satisfied with my experience as both. I have never met nor have any relationship with Nash - have found some of what he has published valuable, disturbing and a darker side of my hobby that I appreciate being aware of. I also read what is his with caution because I have seen the frequent mixing of exaggeration with facts. I don't know you either - have great respect and appreciation for your creation and moderation of this board - a truly incredible hobby resource.
A point of information - I have not "continually" claimed I have my doubts about the fake poster being Nash - I stated I have not seen or heard anything in this or other threads that leads me so quickly to that conclusion. Could it be - ABSOLUTELY. When there is some amount of evidence other than opinion I will be at the front of the list of people suggesting Nash to "man up" and post as himself or keep his mouth shut. I also wouldn't be "shocked" if it were him nor that he is on here.
What I highlighted in my previous post is what I understand to be the facts - there was a post made with some accusations by someone who used a bogus registration (to me if it was Nash or not is almost irrelevant). The response that Rob made 1) didn't address the accusation(s) at all, 2) responded with an assumption and commentary on who made the post that sidesteps the accusation(s). I would appreciate hearing facts relevant to the accusation - not facts to discredit the possible accuser. REA IS an auction house. Rob Lifson is a PERSON who posted who happens to own the REA auction house - I believe he is as entitled as anyone else according to the rules of this forum to raise questions, state facts, complain about his experience with Nash or anyone else for that matter, etc. as long as he keeps it civil - why the suggestion of that seems like "idiocy" to you is a bit puzzling to me.....but you too are entitled to your opinion.

Thank you for this board and the opportunity to have this and many other dialogues and posts that I have been a part of, learned from, and shared in.


Also want to add that while in my opinion there are huge and serious lies and unanswered questions about Halper and what has been disclosed about him by Nash, I agree it is a large jump to claim he commissioned
or orchestrated thefts of memorabilia.

[pbspelly]

Originally Posted by REA

Important clarification in case this is missed: What makes this thread so interesting in my opinion, and what I think might be lost on most readers (in the absence of this post), is that the very person who has fraudulently signed up on Net54 with a fake name and contact info with the user ID “thebigtrain” (a name obviously chosen to create confusion with longtime poster “bigtrain”) is – I personally have no doubt - none other than Peter Nash himself.

Only if the weasel goes pop