SI article: All-Star Cafe Wagner Theft

[Baseballcrazy62]

Just read the article in the March 2020 issue of Sports Illustrated regarding the theft of Charlie Sheens T206 Wagner in 1998. I couldn’t find a link to post but the title of the article is It happened at the All-Star Cafe by L. Jon Wertheim.

[marzoumanian]

I skimmed the same piece at my local newsstand yesterday. My eyebrows raised when I read that the late Al Rosen bought the Wagner card on the cheap from the thieves. It wasn't until the authorities reached out to card dealers in the surrounding NYC area that he contacted them and said, "I might have the card you're looking for."
SI does have a True Crime website BUT this article has yet to post to it. Eventually it will. Take care.

Mark Arzoumanian

[chriskim]

Are u guys talking about this incident?

http://www.t206museum.com/page/periodical_88.html

[Baseballcrazy62]

Yes

[ALBB]

So what happened to Mr MInt ?... did somebody reimburse him ?
He didnt suspect anything with the seller who seems pleased in accepting these incredible LOW buy prices ?

[BeanTown]

Originally Posted by ALBB

So what happened to Mr MInt ?... did somebody reimburse him ?
He didnt suspect anything with the seller who seems pleased in accepting these incredible LOW buy prices ?

He probably thought he over paid for it.

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

Looks like SI posted the link a couple hours ago. Could make a nice lunch break read:

https://www.si.com/sports-illustrate...tar-cafe-heist

[Sean]

I don't understand something in the article: The FBI didn't learn that the Wagner was missing until after they arrested Ramos, and he told them about it during questioning. But they only found him because Rosen had returned the stolen cards. So how could the FBI not know that the Wagner had been stolen and replaced with a fake? Unless Rosen only returned the Goudeys and MAGIE that the FBI was looking for but held on to the stolen Wagner.

I wish the story had gone into more detail about Rosen's cooperation with the FBI.

[chriskim]

Oh Boy!!!!

"Rosen would have known that a T206 Honus Wagner had sold for $222,500 just a few months earlier, at a Christie’s auction in Manhattan. That he was offering just $18,000—far below market value, even given that Sheen’s T206 wasn’t in mint -condition—suggests Rosen wasn’t buying Ramos’s story. (Rosen died of leukemia in 2017.) But Ramos accepted, and the conspirators divvied up the cash. According to court documents, Ramos kept $2,000; Gartland and Corden each took $8,000."

[topcat61]

Rosen was a very litigious guy which is why I'd never write about him in the past. I would see him and we'd talk at the Shriners Show but in the back of my head I was thinking about this deal. There's no way that he didnt know, otherwise, why would you pony up $18,000? One of those dont ask, dont tell- stolen merch deals. I believe the FBI interviewed him about this (I also believe he was interviewed on other occasions too. 4 comes to mind). I had no problems personally with Al Rosen and I got to know him pretty well, with that said, I certainly wouldn't put anything passed him.

[GasHouseGang]

The part of the story that got me was that they also stole an uncut sheet of 25 Goudey Gum Company cards from 1934 that included a rare Nap Lajoie.
And then when the police got called about the theft:

"And with the NYPD on the way, the panicked thieves absconded, their spoils tucked into a backpack, to Gartland’s home, where—insert audible collector’s gasp—they cut up the sheet."

ARG!

[Leon]

I only met Rosen a few times extremely briefly. He seemed a bit over the top to me.

Originally Posted by topcat61

Rosen was a very litigious guy which is why I'd never write about him in the past. I would see him and we'd talk at the Shriners Show but in the back of my head I was thinking about this deal. There's no way that he didnt know, otherwise, why would you pony up $18,000? One of those dont ask, dont tell- stolen merch deals. I believe the FBI interviewed him about this (I also believe he was interviewed on other occasions too. 4 comes to mind). I had no problems personally with Al Rosen and I got to know him pretty well, with that said, I certainly wouldn't put anything passed him.

[brian1961]

A thread on the immortal Mr. Mint Alan Rosen would be filled with anecdotes amusing, interesting, gut-wrenching, lingering sadness, regret(s) that never seem too far away, and a release of anger , and finally----even a miraculous happy memory that makes the collector still smile .

My highest hobby high traces to The Mint Man. One of my deepest hobby lows goes to The Mint Man. Because of my handful of hobby highs that trace directly, or indirectly, from Mr. Mint that wound up as genuine centerpieces in my collection today, I well remember the words I wrote in NEVER CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, I am driven to hold tightly an attitude of gratitude.

Furthermore, he granted me a priceless phone interview in 2003 which I taped in order to enrich my research for my eventual book on immediate postwar regional / food issues.

--- Brian Powell


Hey Leon, you wrote of Alan Rosen, "He seemed a bit over the top to me." The Mint Man's usual manner was over the top. When Mr. Mint wasn't acting over the top, he wasn't well for some reason. That was his personality, and he was truly all about Alan. He WAS, however, very generous with juicy, vital information about the cards and items we love. He was also very approachable for being interviewed.

[samosa4u]

I had a good laugh reading this article. You could make a good film outta' this!

Rosen would have known that a T206 Honus Wagner had sold for $222,500 just a few months earlier, at a Christie’s auction in Manhattan. That he was offering just $18,000—far below market value, even given that Sheen’s T206 wasn’t in mint -condition—suggests Rosen wasn’t buying Ramos’s story. (Rosen died of leukemia in 2017.) But Ramos accepted, and the conspirators divvied up the cash. According to court documents, Ramos kept $2,000; Gartland and Corden each took $8,000.

This paragraph stood out the most. What grade was the Wagner that was sold by Christie's? Was it also in PR condition or was it in higher grade? Anyone have pictures of it?

[Sean]

Originally Posted by samosa4u

I had a good laugh reading this article. You could make a good film outta' this!

Rosen would have known that a T206 Honus Wagner had sold for $222,500 just a few months earlier, at a Christie’s auction in Manhattan. That he was offering just $18,000—far below market value, even given that Sheen’s T206 wasn’t in mint -condition—suggests Rosen wasn’t buying Ramos’s story. (Rosen died of leukemia in 2017.) But Ramos accepted, and the conspirators divvied up the cash. According to court documents, Ramos kept $2,000; Gartland and Corden each took $8,000.

This paragraph stood out the most. What grade was the Wagner that was sold by Christie's? Was it also in PR condition or was it in higher grade? Anyone have pictures of it?

It was ungraded, looks to me to be about a 2.5. It's Wagner #24 on the T206resource website.

[samosa4u]

Originally Posted by Sean

It was ungraded, looks to me to be about a 2.5. It's Wagner #24 on the T206resource website.

I see it; it definitely looks much nicer than the example Sheen used to own. But still, I can't understand why Rosen offered only $18,000 USD for it. I mean, if you buy a stolen Hank Aaron rookie, then yes, you can move it without drawing any attention. Now you can't do that with a T206 Wagner and I'm pretty sure Rosen knew that.