Ethical question for collectors

[whatupyos]

So I want to pose this question and am open to how you all feel. What do you think about obtaining game used pieces that you know to be stolen? After the OJ Simpson memorabilia sting I have learned two of the people involved were busted for receiving stolen property at one point in time. Personally I couldn't obtain a piece if I knew the item to be stolen from the player or another collector. If that doesn't bother you, thats totally cool, I respect that I'm just wondering what you think.

Aaron

[byergo]

There is nothing "cool" or to be respected about knowingly harboring stolen property. It makes you a criminal that should be locked up. Unethical, immoral, illegal period.

[Yankwood]

There is nothing "cool" or to be respected about knowingly harboring stolen property. It makes you a criminal that should be locked up. Unethical, immoral, illegal period.

How much of this stuff that we as a collecting community now own can we safely say is NOT stolen? I have not personally stolen anything I own, but most of it might be. I really can't say...

[bigjimsguitars]

I once owned a Jose Canseco Bat (Rawlings Big Stick) that I tried to get him to sign at Angels Stadium and he grabbed it out of my hands and said it was stolen from him...

I explained how a got it and he reluctantly gave it back to me, but without signing it.

Wasn't sure what to believe as I bought it from a SCD advertised auction back in around 1992...

I've since sold the bat....

If I knew something was stolen I would want no part of it...but one does have to wonder how much of what we collect is pilfered from the club house?

[whatupyos]

Byergo...perhaps cool was the wrong word to use, I was just trying to pose my question so as to let others know that I'm not here to judge them if they happen to disagree with me. It bothers me that there are people who obtain stuff that is known to be stolen. I think its wrong personally. It also makes me wonder when you see people say that an item was obtained through an impecable source, who that impecable source might be? I would think that if it was obtained through a contact that in MLB/team that the item would come with a team LOA...if it doesn't then I wonder if it is taken without consent? I remember one thread a while back when someone said that a team has cameras in the clubhouse to deter sticky fingers. I know if I was a player I'd be peeved if some how, my bats/jerseys/whatever was mysteriously vanishing into thin air.

[OaklandAsFan]

How much of this stuff that we as a collecting community now own can we safely say is NOT stolen? I have not personally stolen anything I own, but most of it might be. I really can't say...

I can honestly say that 100% of my collection is not stolen since 95% of it was handed to me by the player themselves and the other 5% were gotten from the bat boys after games when they broke.

[thomecollector]

I can honestly say that 100% of my collection is not stolen since 95% of it was handed to me by the player themselves and the other 5% were gotten from the bat boys after games when they broke.

Realistictly, probably 60% of the game used out there was probably obtained under questionable circumstances. Before Stiener,etc. A lot of these guys probably had an insider who aquired (stole? ) things out of the clubhouse. I personally have never knowingly bought anything that I knew was hot. But, who's to say that bat, or glove you bought wasn't originally stolen. Think about it. There is much more demand than supply ,isn't there? Just my 2 cents.

[bigtime59]

Or, what do you do when you find out--after the fact--something you've purchased was stolen?

[ironmanfan]

Or, what do you do when you find out--after the fact--something you've purchased was stolen?

Actually this happened to me about a year ago. You may recall it making the news that an Orioles employee was stealing items out of Camden Yards such as game used bases from Cal Ripken's last games plus other things such as Stadium Giveaway Bobbleheads, etc. & selling them on eBay.

I bought a Ripken MLB certified game used base from this guy on eBay (certainly in good faith), and found out about 4 months later that it was "hot" (once the story hit the wires). I contacted a guy I know in the Orioles front offices and offered to return it (even though I paid over $1500 for it), but they said I could keep it since they were seeking some sort of financial resitution from the former employee.

[godwulf]

One MLB team equipment man was fired a few years ago for selling stuff to a certain "warehouse" in Oregon, which I guess had been going on for some time. As for the bats, etc, that many of us get from batboys and clubhouse guys, I guess ultimately we only have their word for it that they obtained the things legitimately.

I know a guy who had a number of Vida Blue jerseys, which he bought from a well-known friend of the team owner, from whom he'd gotten them - I mean, pretty rock solid ownership - and he got them signed by Blue at a show...but then VB came over and started giving him a hard time about how the jerseys were his, had been stolen from him, etc, and I guess it got pretty ugly.