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Thursday, 19 June 2008 |
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Major shows are seldom exempt from sticky fingered visitors and at least four separate incidents were reported at this month's event near Chicago.
When a big show comes to town, so do people with rare sports collectibles and memorabilia. Dealers, collectors and those with items to sell bring the good stuff because there is usually a market for it.
That usually attracts another kind of visitor too.
One with less than wholesome intent.
Rarely does a big show run its course without at least one valuable item stolen from a dealer's table and SportsFest was no exception. The three-day event took place earlier this month in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg and before it was over, at least three thefts took place.
The biggest theft came Sunday June 8 when several items, valued at $13,500 total, were stolen from his backpack, including 50 autographed photos of Mickey Mantle. The theft apparently occurred sometime between 5 p.m. June 7 and 3 p.m. June 8.
Several baseball cards, valued at $2,875 total, were reported stolen after 2 p.m. June 7 from two dealers during a show at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center, 1551 Thoreau Drive.
About an hour later, another vendor reported someone stole a Mickey Mantle-autographed baseball, valued at $1,000.
Two Alex Rodriguez baseball cards, five Adrian Peterson football cards, two Albert Poulos baseball cards, and a Dan Marino/Peyton Manning dual autographed football card were stolen either Saturday or Sunday. The loss was estimated at $7,500.
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