My Stolen Collection - Update

[eddjedi]

I was hoping to hold off posting this until it was 100% sorted with both the police and the insurance company. In fact I was considering not going public with it at all, as stories like this do nothing but harm the collecting community, and I don't make a habit of falling out with people. However due to this post made on SWCC tonight and the subsequent influx of PMs I've had on various forums about it, I need to post my side of the story.


You may remember that back in 2007, I had approximately 70 carded figures stolen in a burglary at my parents house, which included a near-complete tri logo set, and an extensive Luke Bespin focus including many foreign MOCs, a couple of which were the only known examples. The figures were worth approximately £10,000 GBP. I had been collecting for over 10 years, and owned some of the figures stolen since 1994. If you missed the story, here's the original threads:


A collectors worst nightmare - I've been robbed
My stolen collection - List of what was taken


Fast forward nearly 5 years to January of this year. Somebody on my forum makes a post about an unusual tri logo on ebay, and by pure chance, Eagle-eyed Joe spotted it was one of my stolen figures. Here's the thread:


Star Wars Forum - Vintage Star Wars Collecting Forum - StarWarsForum.co.uk • View topic - Factory Error Tri Logo on Ebay!


I'm not going to post the entire story, you can figure out most of it by reading the above thread, but in short it turned out that Ben, owner of the SWCC forum, had sold at least 9 of my stolen figures over the past year or so, and still had 11 in his possession. It's worth mentioning that I not only knew Ben in the collecting world, but had also known him personally since I was a teenager. He lived in my home town, was friends with my brother, and had even been to my house before.


As I knew him, the first thing I did was contact Ben himself rather than go straight to the police. How did he come to be in possession of at least 20 of my 70 stolen figures? His story is that he bought them from a car boot sale (flea market) shortly after the theft. When he bought them, he claims he did not know they were stolen. His story up to this point may well be true, I have never contested it.


What I have to make absolutely clear is that unfortunately, the story is not quite as clear cut as it sounds in the SWCC statement. Did he come to me when he realised the figures he had were my stolen property? No. Did he stop selling them when he discovered they were stolen? No. Did he offer to share some of the hundreds/thousands of pounds he'd made from selling them with me? No. And most importantly in my eyes, when offered the opportunity by me to do the right thing and give them back, did he do the right thing? No. There was very little cooperation or remorse shown, which left me with no choice but to go to the police.


So the good news is that I have at least some closure on what happened to my collection, and it looks like I will be getting some of my figures back in the near future, once it's been settled with the insurance company who made a pay out on the theft back in 2007.


I'm not posting this as a 'Watch Out' thread, in fact I've left out a lot of details that I have no wish to share online, so I hope he can put this whole situation down to experience without turning it into a big online slagging match. I'm posting this because sooner or later I may be limelighting or selling these figures, and understandably people are going to want to know how I have come to own them again.


That's all for now, all I can say is that I'm thrilled at the thought of getting even a fraction of my once large collection back, and that I owe a huge, huge thanks to Joe for the initial spot, and several other members of my forum who helped me trace some of the figures (who are welcome to step forward if they want to.) It's not the nicest story, but I'm pleased to say that some good has come of it.

[Bonsai_Tree_Ent]

had also known him personally since I was a teenager. He lived in my home town, was friends with my brother, and had even been to my house before.


As I knew him, the first thing I did was contact Ben himself rather than go straight to the police. How did he come to be in possession of at least 20 of my 70 stolen figures? His story is that he bought them from a car boot sale (flea market) shortly after the theft. When he bought them, he claims he did not know they were stolen. His story up to this point may well be true, I have never contested it.

eddjedi, im glad you might get some of your figures back, but you are a very trusting soul. I don't know you or this guy Ben but from what you say above it sounds like he played a part in stealing the figures off you. What are the odds of him knowing you have a collection and then being at the same exact boot sale on the exact day where the thief sells them? In fact - what are the odds of a thief being stupid enough to sell such distinctive stolen items at a boot sale in your local area? It's not like there are any shortage of boot sales around the UK. You'd think they would at least drive to another one out of the town where they did the crime. It doesnt add up. The simplest explanation is usually the right one - this guy has your figures and is not cooperating with you because he is the one who stole them.

[twinionengine]

Hey Edd,u know that I ended up with your tri Leia and I was unaware at the time.

I wish you every luck in getting a part of your collection back,the two pieces I personally saw that were for sale were both rare pieces and in great condition.

Like you say a big thanks to Joe for originally spotting what was I think my listing of the tri leia on ebay and alerting the community to what was going on.

[SeerDrakon]

I am glad you never lost hope to find your figures. This is great news and a big ups to the guys that helped you with finding this all out. The other chap should be banned from all forums. How could one collector do this to another collector? What if the tables were turned? Very shady on his behalf.

[finestcomics]

Why did the admin lock that thread?

[BruceW]

Edd, I'm very sorry that this happened to you. It is shameful that someone would blatantly sell stolen merchandise that they knew was owned by a fellow collector.

I am glad to hear you are getting part of your collection back.

[finestcomics]

Is Ben a member here, and if so, what's his handle?

[Mike_the_Massive]

Holy cow! I don't know who Joe is, or if it's one of the Joes here, but if I were you I'd be so freaking elated that someone like him was out there watching out for me all this time. I want to hug the guy and I'm not even involved. All this makes me happy and queasy at the same time. I hope you get the answers you need and closure after all this is done and sorted. Good luck man!

[Strikefoil]

Glad to hear the good news. Sounds like to me your friend was in involved. I can see it from his side where he didnt know it was stolen and he paid the price for it too so that is why he didnt want to give the stuff back because he would be losing money too.

[finestcomics]

I don't know. Part of me wants to reserve my opinions and judgment until more is shared, but the other part wants to go full steam as this information breaks.

I for one am hoping Ed comes out with every factual detail. Mainly for the reason that if you're like me and have been buying up a storm in the last year or so, it would be nice to know more about the individual (eBay alias, forum alias, etc.).

After seeing Ed posting that last reply in the original thread, and the timing of these figures coming up for sale seems too coincidental and perhaps too opportunistic if the person who stole these was waiting to hear something on the end of an insurance pay out before trying to move them.

It doesn't remove the moral and ethical dilemma from the situation - if anything, it makes it worse because it means the thief was lurking and acted in a premeditated way.

The way this looks from my view, it sure seems like the kind of thing a person waiting to fence stolen goods would do to stave off attention and complications from someone discovering them as Ed's items.

These two traits alone speak on the type of person who has been at it for some time, and Ed's collection might not have been just a random crime or one-of robbery.

Ed, I know you must be feeling a lot of different things right now, and I don't want you to interpret my post as more calamity or turbulence to an already troubling situation.

All said, I know you don't want to jump to conclusions and probably want to give this person the benefit of the doubt.

However, based on what you have said about this Ben person, and how he has conducted himself after knowing these were stolen property, in my mind this situation goes beyond a "watch out" and into the realm of this person NEEDING TO PUBLICLY:

a) answer to you
b) answer to the situation
c) answer to the wider community

That's of course if he has any hope of maintaining his credibility and reputation.