The rash of sports card-related burglaries in Minnesota isn’t over. Police in St. Paul say thieves broke into a building just after midnight Thursday and stole more than 500 vintage sports cards, valued well into six figures, from the inventory of a long-time dealer.
Police say they responded to an alarm and arrived to find a back window broken and the building ransacked. While a list of specific cards wasn’t made available, the stolen items include original, graded cards of Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio as well as some rare, vintage issues.
Bob Krawetz, a dealer for over 30 years, doesn’t use the building as a storefront for his business, The Ninth Inning, but told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press he believes it was a “targeted, professional” burglary. It’s likely the crime was committed by someone who knew or theorized there were cards stored inside. Meeting the police at the scene of the crime was devastating for Krawetz.
“This is my livelihood that’s been destroyed,” he said.
It’s at least the fourth sports card-related burglary in the Twin Cities area since March but at this point, police aren’t ready to say for certain that the Ninth Inning theft is related to the others.
Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Paul Police Department at 651-266-5737.
Related Stories:
Watch: Thousands in Reward Money Offered in San Antonio Card Shop Burglary
1952 Topps Mantle Stolen in Ohio Store Break In
Police: Man Steals Baseball Cards, Pulls Knife at Walmart
Man’s Lifelong Autograph Collection Stolen in Burglary
News & Notes: Tigers Talk Fan Mail; Heritage Expands in Chicago; eBay & ESPN
Report: FBI Has at Least One Suspect in Rash of Store Thefts
Midnight Madness: Thief Caught on Tape Stealing Jerseys from Kansas Shop
Police Hunt Thieves Who Looted SoCal Man’s Collections
