Jim Brown is now suing in an attempt to get his 1964 NFL Championship ring back. The Hall of Fame running back says the ring, currently up for bid at Lelands.com, was stolen from him in the 1960’s, a fact the auction company disputes.
Brown is asking for the auction to be halted as well as monetary damages for defamation.
Oddly, it’s the second time Lelands has sold the ring and company founder Josh Evans says Brown himself looked at it prior to its original sale in 1998 and didn’t protest.
When a reporter contacted him earlier this month about the ring going on the auction block again, Brown claimed it had been stolen. He claims a police report was filed in the 1960’s.
Lelands says it obtained the ring directly from a Brown immediate family member and the auction continues, with bidding set to close Friday. The current high bid was approaching $60,000 as of Wednesday evening.
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Bill Mastro pleaded guilty to mail fraud in federal court last October, but has yet to be sentenced. Prosecutors are still working through the cases of others who worked for the company, which is accused of shill bidding customers in its auctions over a lengthy period of time.
As part of the plea deal, Mastro must cooperate with investigators piecing together cases against all who may have been involved in the scheme.
Mastro has admitted to what many either suspected or claim they knew for years: the world’s most expensive baseball card didn’t always look the way it does.
Keith Olbermann discussed Mastro and the T206 Wagner card graded PSA 8 on his ESPN show Tuesday night and says he saw the Wagner card in its natural state.
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There’s an original T206 Wagner on display in southern California. If you live there or are planning to get there this summer, you might still have time to see the card, which is part of a huge baseball exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
Hundreds of artifacts including jerseys and uniforms worn by Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and others join historic baseballs and other memorabilia in the exhibit, which celebrates the game’s history.
The Museum has a special page devoted to the exhibit and there’s a YouTube video here.
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Beckett Media has hired Kevin Isaacson as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
A Wisconsin native, Isaacson is founder/owner of the annual Industry Summit trade conference in Las Vegas, which was purchased by Beckett in May.
“Kevin’s leadership and guidance will help our entire team as we aggressively pursue growth opportunities, both within the U.S. and internationally,’’ said Sandeep Dua, president of Beckett Media in a news release.
Isaacson will “focus on delivering Beckett’s tools and services to across the collectibles landscape”, according to a news release. Beckett recently extended its services to the numismatics and rare gem industries, and is actively looking to broaden its outreach.
“Beckett’s eagerness to globally expand the collectibles category is invigorating,’’ Isaacson said. “I look forward to working with Sandeep Dua and his team of hobby-focused leaders to deliver Beckett’s rare mix of innovation and integrity to audiences in the U.S. and abroad.’’
Related Stories:
Q&A With a Hobby Distributor
Summit Survey Shows Sports Card Market Optimism
Jim Brown’s ’64 Championship Ring, Williams Uniform, More in Lelands Auction
Lelands Countersues Over Brown Ring
The Four Top 20 Cards Ken Kendrick Doesn’t Have
Top Selling Sports Memorabilia of 2017
Notebook: Collector’s Letter to Mastro Judge; Turkey Red Football Sighting, T206 Silver Bars
Notes: T206 Wagner, Brown RC Soaring; CU Revenue Up
Notes: Topps Conference; Ted’s Letters to Mistress; NY Native’s KS Card Shop Turns 40
Library of Congress “Baseball Americana” Exhibit to Include Cards, Memorabilia
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