1,000,000 worth of cards found!

jparchitectus

BOSTON (AP) -- Police were called to guard the condemned home of a reclusive man whose death led to the discovery of a valuable collection of vintage sports cards.

The collection, stored in 400 to 500 boxes in John F. Hessian's home in Boston's Roslindale section, included cards of such long-ago baseball stars as Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente. Hessian also had football and hockey cards dating to the 1940s in a collection police estimate could be worth up to $1 million.



"This is like Fort Knox inside," said Michael Wiseman of Aftermath Cleaning Co., which was hired to tear through piles of trash 6-feet high to reach the cards.

Hessian, 83, lived alone in the home his entire life, until a neighbor discovered him dead there on Jan. 2.

Four truckloads of the cards were removed from the house last week. Hessian also had some valuable cards stored in a safe deposit box in an unknown location.

Hessian is survived by two cousins who are left to hunt for a will or determine who inherits the card collection.

tennesseebanker

" Police also report that a man was reportedly at the scene just minutes after his death searching through the vintage cards." Locals didnt know the real name of the man searching the cards but said he sometimes goes by the alias MR. MINT.

stevek

<<< " Police also report that a man was reportedly at the scene just minutes after his death searching through the vintage cards." Locals didnt know the real name of the man searching the cards but said he sometimes goes by the alias MR. MINT. >>>

Dand52261

A million dollars hum quite a stretch. I doubt this find is not anywhere near worth that amount

Allen

No mention of a card expert on the scene. Could be thousands of 1990's junk and some oddball issues of Mantle and Williams. The piles of trash piled around them makes me question what is in the boxes.

RonBurgundy

You think the Boston card vulture-dealers are not out in full force?

calleocho

They said 4 truckloads of cards?

80's junk

however he did have some other cards in a safety deposit box.

5STAT

yes....I think his niece came in my store yesterday!!
Called wanting to sell her old baseball card collection.....dozens of sets and stars...
Mantles...Clementes...Mays..Aaron..Williams...


Boxes and boxes that have been in storage..who knows how long...

Well....to make a long story short....after not really sleeping the night before...I got to the store and met her at 10am. The cards were gorgeous!! Dozens....try hundreds and hundreds!!


Now....if only Conlon and TMCA sets were worth the paper they were printed on!!! lol

My dream collection is still out there..!!??!!

tripoli

It's all 1990's Proset Hockey.....

MajorDanby

<< <i>Police also report that a man was reportedly at the scene just minutes after his death searching through the vintage cards." Locals didnt know the real name of the man searching the cards but said he sometimes goes by the alias MR. MINT. >>



AP also reports that at the scene of the unloading, a man reportedly dumped the cards down on the ground and started swimming in them! While police forcefully escorted him from the scene, the individual kept repeating over and over "look! 1989 Upperdeck cards!!"

footage caught on tape

Onlypsahockey

I saw the story in todays Boston Herald. There is a pic of one of the cleaners handling boxes of what appear to be 90's Bowman. Probably like Allen said lots of 90's crap with some older stuff here and there.

I'll post the pic later if I can.

Bob

Onlypsahockey

Stone193

Very interesting.

How much more stuff is out there?

mike

TheCARDKid

Here's a link...

Lots of cards



Looks like all modern stuff in the corner (90 skybox?)



Is Mr Mint there yet?

mudflap02

mudflap02

<< <i>Family members said the total number of cards is probably in the thousands, >>



Heaven forbid

mudflap02

<< <i>Whatever he had, he just held on to," said one of Hessian’s cousins, who refused to be named fearing baseball card thieves. >>



The absolute worst kind of thieves in my opinions.

TNP777

sheesh, don't forget this stunning specimen:



good thing that guy is wearing gloves. That's one hot card!

Geordie

Allen

I have a feeling they placed the decimal point a few spaces to far to the right...

ndleo

I have a feeling we will all have a similar fate. Hopefully the PSA members in 2050 are kind to me.

tennesseebanker

Is that a box of 1980 Topps unopened wax the guy is holding in his right hand??

pandrews

<< <i>I have a feeling we will all have a similar fate. Hopefully the PSA members in 2050 are kind to me. >>



post of the day..

Onlypsahockey

The 55's are rags. I've seen sharper corners on marbles!

And whats under them? Looks like 92 Pacific or something. LOL

Maybe worth a million? What rubles? Pesos? Not dollars.

Bob C.

spacktrack

It looks like 52 Topps cards underneath the 55s.

chicago111

<< <i>Is that a box of 1980 Topps unopened wax the guy is holding in his right hand?? >>



1997 bowman football box

TheCARDKid

You never know....maybe there are boxes of '33 Goudey and '52 Topps under those '91 Bowman boxes

Seems like if there's all that trash, insects would destroy any boxes with gum in them.

To be fair, it did say he kept his more valuable cards in a safe deposit box. I hope it's not all '88 Donruss in there.

Allen

Actually it is 1991 Bowman Football...

pandrews

<< <i> >>



the whole top diamond
and my bottom rows gold

NBAFan

Come on man, those boxes were just a cover for what was actually inside. Where else do you think he could hide his T-206? Do you think a robber is really going to look inside a 90's bowman box? The man was a genius.

brianwintersfan

Yes that is a box of 1980 Topps baseball