http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2015/11/man-accused-of-stealing-30000-star-wars-collection/

As I was making my rounds keeping updated with comic book news I stumbled upon this.

Most of this collection was recovered. The store owner had already sold a couple thousand dollars worth of stuff out of this collection, according to the link I read the other day over at swfuk. The store owner makes copies of ID cards when he purchases from people so the thief was identified rather easily.

Yes, there's a video with the article that shows the news report of what you mentioned as well!

This is actually a good topic to bring up in this thread. The taking of good digital photographs of your collectibles is a great thing to have. Especially showing anything unique to your specific collectible, such as price sticker placement, damage, bends, etc... With you having good photos if something gets stolen and tries to get sold within the community there is a chance it can be recovered or at least investigated. I think it was Edd over at swfuk who had a collection stolen that pieces were circulating five years after the fact and someone (Joe?) saw them and was able to prove using photos it was the same pieces. The collection was sat on for five years before the person tried to move it and it was found quickly after they started selling.

There was a lot on this. I'm glad it was tracked down. They bought the collection for like $2250. How did they NOT know it was fencing stolen goods?

that's good he got it back , but man I would freak out if that happened to me

DarthBerizing wrote:

There was a lot on this. I'm glad it was tracked down. They bought the collection for like $2250. How did they NOT know it was fencing stolen goods?

My thoughts exactly.

Happy to hear the guy retrieved most of his collection... What's also sad is Showroom Collectables paying 7% of its alleged value. I understand they're in the business of making money... But come on, what cocks.

This happened at one of my previous jobs. A kid stole $5,000 worth of comic books and sold it to one of our local comic stores for $400. Told them he found them in his grandfather's garage and didn't know what they were worth. When I was making calls to the various stores around the area, we tracked them down and took it from there.

I think they had to know the story was crap. I read that some of the pieces were afa pieces. The store owner said that the guy who sold it came in and said it has been sitting around in an attic since the 80's. This wasn't a tip off? Really???? Afa items sitting around since the 80's? Either the store owner is an idiot or hoped he wouldn't get called out on it. Just my opinion.

Some of them had custom acrylic cases! I mean who had custom cases made for items to sit in the attic?

My personal opinion - The store knew damn well it was fishy but figured they'd be held blameless since they have the ID of the seller. So if the cops come knocking they just shrug their shoulders and act shocked.

They sold some stuff already, so I'd bet they even got back the $2250 they invested.

John, I never saw the purchase price in the stories I read, where was that found out? If they truly bought this entire lot for that little then they are sorry individuals. I mean I remember a comic store when I was a kid where I took some issues in to him and he offered me like $5 for a long box, I remember thinking where he could go and politely declined his offer and kept my stuff and never sold anything to him for years. Probably would have never even gone back if it hadn't been that he was pretty much the only comic place around at the time.