As much as $600,000 in baseball memorabilia stolen from Don & Charlie's In Scottsdale

Fballguy · #1 03-28-2019, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronnie73

I don't know anything about this place and I'm in no way an autograph expert but $600K? I would think you could find nearly everyone on that list in the $200 to $500 range, with the Ruth as the exception. So maybe more like 50K? I also find it kind of suspicious that the place is closing in less than 15 days. First thing that pops into my head is insurance fraud. How can you put a value of $600K on those baseballs unless you had them insured for $600K. It could just be my criminal mind thinking, but $600K would be a nice Grand Closing bonus. I mean absolutely no disrespect to the owners. I don't know them and being robbed is awful. Everyone has to realize that I come from a place where people would torch their business a week before getting kicked out, just to collect the insurance money on their equipment and start over in another location. I've seen it so many times. I even had a neighbor that had a vehicle fire and after the fire was out, he started throwing broken junk equipment into his truck and restarted the fire. The next day, the insurance guy comes down to determine the loss and he ends up with a new truck and all new equipment for nothing. Scumbag.

First thing that popped into my head too.

nolemmings · #2 03-28-2019, 11:12 AM

If you knew anything about the place or its owner, you would be VERY reluctant to suggest nefarious behavior. Another article stated the baseballs were worth between $200-$600K, “according to a police spokesman”. If I were to guess, an employee or even the owner himself was so caught off guard by the theft that he remarked without much reflection, especially since the true value of the baseballs being worth far less is pretty easily researched.

For those unfamiliar with the restaturant, here is a more thorough story about Don & Charlie’s. To call it iconic is no understatement, as you will see comments from George Will, Bob Uecker and Bud Selig, and Harry Caray ate (drank) there so often he was probably entitled to receive his mail there.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/ente...es/2922922002/

The place was (is for two more weeks) a flippin museum. There has been some talk that it may resurface, although it can never be the same. Good thing Scottsdale got another hotel/resort to literally stand in its place--Lord knows that's just what the city needed

Ronnie73 · #3 03-28-2019, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolemmings

If you knew anything about the place or its owner, you would be VERY reluctant to suggest nefarious behavior. Another article stated the baseballs were worth between $200-$600K, �according to a police spokesman�. If I were to guess, an employee or even the owner himself was so caught off guard by the theft that he remarked without much reflection, especially since the true value of the baseballs being worth far less is pretty easily researched.

For those unfamiliar with the restaturant, here is a more thorough story about Don & Charlie�s. To call it iconic is no understatement, as you will see comments from George Will, Bob Uecker and Bud Selig, and Harry Caray ate (drank) there so often he was probably entitled to receive his mail there.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/ente...es/2922922002/

The place was (is for two more weeks) a flippin museum. There has been some talk that it may resurface, although it can never be the same. Good thing Scottsdale got another hotel/resort to literally stand in its place--Lord knows that's just what the city needed

Sounds like it is/was a great place. To bad the story didn't go into detail for the sale two years prior and now the official closing. Was it a pressured sale, or was the property owned by someone else and was out of the hands of the restaurant owner? Or was it just a great deal of money for the property? It just doesn't make much sense to me to plan a closing for what sounded like a profitable and popular business.

nolemmings · #4 03-28-2019, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronnie73

Sounds like it is/was a great place. To bad the story didn't go into detail for the sale two years prior and now the official closing. Was it a pressured sale, or was the property owned by someone else and was out of the hands of the restaurant owner? Or was it just a great deal of money for the property? It just doesn't make much sense to me to plan a closing for what sounded like a profitable and popular business.

There was a zoning change that allowed for the hotel to be built. Actually, I need to point out something I just discovered myself-- the hotel was going to keep a scaled down version of the restaurant and is even going to be named in honor of Don and Charlie's. That is great news if it comes to fruition.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...le/1745940002/

Here is a pic of a typical wall in the restaurant, taken from the above article. The bar, although small, is also chock-full of stuff, including some 1969 Cubs artwork on one wall with many autos.

toppcat · #5 03-28-2019, 12:35 PM

To say this is a scam without knowing the facts is ridiculous, c'mon. And whatever the value some spokesman places on the balls, their insured value/replacement cost is all that matters when a claim is filed.

1952boyntoncollector · #6 03-30-2019, 08:00 AM

The can use Deans cards as their expert and get it to 3 million.

Still i always feel bad for the actual thief in this situation if there is a pumped up insurance claim...what can the thief really say if someone says 300k of cash stolen from car....'nah i only stole 120k'

Exhibitman · #7 03-30-2019, 09:43 AM

Insurers don't just roll over on major claims like this. Google "examination under oath" and the cooperation clause of a policy: the owners of the place are likely going to undergo a forensic accounting analysis of their last three years' taxes and finances akin to an IRS audit, then be examined in depth about the specifics of the loss. The insurer will likely retain an expert in sports memorabilia to create its own market valuation on the loss once it has the details pinned down.

Santo10Fan · #8 03-30-2019, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

The can use Deans cards as their expert and get it to 3 million.

I like that

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