Ten 1952 Topps Mantles destroyed in 2009 plane crash?

mlbfan2

I live in the area, and I read this in the paper yesterday.

"The Mickey Mantle 1952 rookie card is one of the most famous baseball cards from the 1950s. Douglas Wielinski had 10 of them in a collection that a sports memorabilia expert testified Wednesday was worth up to $2.4 million when Wielinski was killed Feb. 12, 2009, in the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 into his Clarence Center home, where his collection was stored. “It’s an incredible story for someone to have 10 of those,” said Joshua Evans, founder and chairman of Lelands, which bills itself as the largest and most respected sports auction house in the world. He estimated that each of the Hall-of-Famer’s rookie cards in the Wielinski collection was worth $25,000 based on an assumption that they were in good, but not mint, condition."

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/state-supreme-court/24-million-baseball-card-collection-destroyed-in-flight-3407-crash-20141029

JHS5120

<< <i>Joshua Evans, founder and chairman of Lelands, which bills itself as the largest and most respected sports auction house in the world. >>



Best part of the entire article.

begsu1013

I know a guy with 11. ; )

Nathaniel1960

1. The Mantle cards appear to be an expensive outlier from his collection. And none appear to have been graded or authenticated by a third party.

2. Would anyone on this message board take ten 1952 Topps Mantles to a flea market to show off? I could see maybe taking one.

3. How many people in the world (besides Levi) owns 10 Mantle RCs.

4. No evidence of the Mantles were found on site. What about photos, home owners insurance riders, etc?

5. Even the round number of 10 is suspicious.

6. The valuation testimony of Leland's is irrelevant.

7. Except for the testimony of a flea market operator and a family friend who "made a list" of the deceased cards, there appears to be no evidence at all that this man had 10 Mantles.

mattinglymint23

Not to walk on this guys grave
But if mantle was his favorite player and he amassed this collection over time
Why wasn't he also hoarding 1951 bowman rookies?

And what does this do to the pop report??? Or were they bvg?

Nathaniel1960

Update - Looks like the case was settled yesterday.



Also, condolences to the family - I'm just practicing my normal skepticism to all things hobby related.
Settled

Dpeck100

<< <i>Update - Looks like the case was settled yesterday.



Also, condolences to the family - I'm just practicing my normal skepticism to all things hobby related.
Settled >>




The article never mentions anything about restitution for the cards and just wrongful death.

I didn't watch the video so maybe it mentions it there but from what I read the jury theoretically could still be out on the cards.

olb31

Not trying to brag but I 3 of the pre babe ruth rookies, I think they are 1914 cards, but I am not sure. But I do have 3, none graded, but my grandmother said they were authentic.

dberk12

<< <i>Not trying to brag but I 3 of the pre babe ruth rookies, I think they are 1914 cards, but I am not sure. But I do have 3, none graded, but my grandmother said they were authentic. >>



Did your grandmother also have a 1980 Cal Ripken Jr Police Orange Border Charlotte O's card that was authentic and recently sold on eBay?

CollectorAtWork

I remember that story from a few years back. Here's another article from back then. It's cached since it seems the original link is broken: Link

KendallCat

Sad story and sounded like he was a good family man and heck of a collector. Not sure on the settlement stuff and how they would evaluate what he had without an inventory list that could be verified.

begsu1013

the guy died. who gives a sh!t about his mantles, the man was apparently in his home when a fn jet hit his house, right? I mean, cmon!

...but at least he apparently took his mantles with him...which is beautiful.

I like the mysterious story either way.

happy halloween guys!

"lawyers, guns and money"

vols1

This is the house of a multi-million dollar memorabilia collection?

6038 Long St., Clarence Center, NY

scashaggy

<< <i>I know a guy with 11. ; ) >>

hdunk

<< <i>This is the house of a multi-million dollar memorabilia collection?

6038 Long St., Clarence Center, NY >>



I can tell you from experience you can not judge the value of a collection from the house a collector lives in.

ClockworkAngel

<< <i>

<< <i>This is the house of a multi-million dollar memorabilia collection?

6038 Long St., Clarence Center, NY >>



>>




Wow, this thread is rough. Now we're dogging on the dead dude's house. Anyone have a pic of his wife or girlfriend to see if she's worthy enough to be with a guy with 10 52T Mantles?

Who knows the legitimacy of the 10 1952T Mantles, but I think we may have skipped right past the walking and on to the jackhammering on his grave...