One Eureka, Calif. sports card shop owner wasn’t about to part with his valuable inventory — or money — without a fight.
It was a scary situation at Sports Cards and More.
According to a news release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department:
On Dec. 17, 2019, at about 4:30 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a business on the 1600 block of Myrtle Avenue, in the county’s jurisdiction of Eureka, for the report of a robbery in progress with shots fired.
Upon arrival to the business, deputies made contact with the store owner. According to the store owner, just prior to deputies’ arrival a female suspect entered the business and inquired about selling baseball cards. As the store owner was completing the transaction, an unknown male suspect entered the business and attempted to steal the business’ money drawer.
A struggle ensued between the store owner and the male suspect. At some point during the altercation, the store owner discharged a concealed firearm once. The suspects then reportedly fled the business, uninjured, on foot without the business’ money drawer.
Deputies searched the surrounding areas but were unable to locate the suspects.
The suspects are described as:
- Male adult, possibly dark-complected, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall to 6 feet tall, medium build, wearing dark pants, a dark thermal-type long sleeve shirt underneath a dark short sleeve shirt, a dark baseball cap and a white mask over his nose and mouth.
- White female adult, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, heavy build, with black hair, wearing a purple jacket and blue jeans.
This incident is still under investigation.
——
Speaking of robberies, an Arizona man nearly got away with dealing two very coveted pieces of sports memorabilia, but has since been arrested.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department arrested a 33-year-old man and are suspecting that he is involved with stealing the 2004 and 2007 World Series rings from now-Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona.
The rings, which were won with the Boston Red Sox, disappeared last month and have since been recovered at a Phoenix-area sports memorabilia shop, where they were sold.
The investigation continues and the man faces charges of second-degree burglary, theft and trafficking in stolen property.
——
Our Game, a blog penned by official MLB historian John Thorn, recently probed the current market for baseball prints, comparing their prices, scarcity and demand to the more traditional baseball cards and memorabilia.
Thorn found that, even incredibly rare prints in great condition still struggle to sneak into the same stratosphere as pre-war baseball cards in terms of price.
He compiled a list of the top 10 most valuable baseball prints, finding those that advertise a specific product, or feature an individual player, tended to fetch the highest price.
An 1874 Red Stockings Cigar advertising display poster featuring George Wright was featured at the top of his list, once auctioned off for $189,600.
——
Considered by some to be an asset class all its own, sports memorabilia continues to rise in value as a whole, per the Wall Street Journal.
The Journal recently published a piece about the bullish nature of the sports memorabilia market, pointing to some of the factors that are fueling the rally, including the wealth of Baby Boomers, the entrance of millennials into the market and growing interest from foreigners.
The article stated that the most in-demand items are currently sports cards and game-used memorabilia, with baseball leading the charge.
Baby Boomers are central in this movement, as they not only bring serious money into the market, but they also tend to have a passion for sports collecting, which stems back to their childhood years.
Related Stories:
Smashed Front Door, $20,000 in Missing Cards at Maine Hobby Shop
Car Crashes into Shop; Burglars Flee with Sports Card Boxes
Burglary Caught on Camera; Hobby’s Hot Everywhere; King Saladeen; WNBA Set Coming
Watch: Thousands in Reward Money Offered in San Antonio Card Shop Burglary
Notes: Shop Door Smash Caught on Video
Colorado Shop Owner Assaulted, Robbed; Boise Store Burglarized
Investment Targets in Baseball’s ‘Golden Age’
