Patch Theft at the Dallas TOR
Posted in Patch Collecting by John E. Pannell on January 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 am There is some bad news to report from last weekend’s Dallas Trade-o-ree. Destry Hoffard wrote Monday on patch-l:
Just wanted to give you guys the heads up in case anybody happens to hear of a Baluga Lodge #538 S1 First Flap (with certificate) showing up unexpectedly. Roy More (our company President) was in Dallas at the TOR over the weekend and had one stolen right off his table. Patch was crispy mint, and included the little index card authenticity certificate from the old Advisor of the Lodge.
This is three years in a row now that a high end piece has been stolen at this TOR. First one I know of was a Tomahawk Lodge #241 F1, then last year it was a Checote Lodge #154 F1, and now the Baluga. Also this year a Noo-Ti-Mis Oh’ke Lodge #215 F1 was stolen off another table.
It’s looking like somebody … is building up a real nice first flap collection. Only problem is they’re not doing it quite the right way. So keep an eye out guys, this creep (is) out there amongst us and with their success in recent years I’m sure (he’ll) be trying it again.
Given the rarity of these pieces, if the thief has a profile within the hobby of any note it should be easy to figure out who has been building a first flap collection with these thefts. Be at least a bit suspicious of anyone building such a notable collection who either doesn’t seem to be expending the means to do it properly, or just seems to have acquired too many great pieces too quickly.
I have heard about thefts of material of this calibre in the past, both at Dallas and other big TORs. It has happened over the last few years around the country, not confined to one area. Assuming this is the work of one person, a short list of suspects could be compiled by examining who had “perfect attendance” at all these shows. With that in mind, some names have been floated and are known to those with high valued material.
Gotta ask: do these people have anything remotely akin to security on their tables, or are they simply blithering idiots to have something of such value and rarity sitting on their table (and not in a large display case) that anyone can come along and do a “snatch & grab?”
Seems to me that after an established pattern of high-end pieces vanishing that upon opening the light in the sole refrigerator in North Korea would turn on and these dealers would invest in a large (and heavy) display case that would be hard to carry off.
(And don’t even try to trot out the “they’re too expensive” excuse: these people are dropping thousands of dollars on a patch. They can afford the money for a hulking display case.)