It's always a risk sending out your collectibles: My local PO got robbed.
coolstanley
Posts: 3,401 ✭✭✭✭✭
Several weeks ago in my NW Ohio town, our local post office got robbed. Happened in the early morning hours on a Sunday. Funny thing is the Police station is located less than 100 yards away. Numerous packages were taken, and one of the victims was my girlfriend. One of the packages that was stolen was hers. I talked to the postmaster a couple days ago, and he said it looks like they are never going to find the suspect or suspects. Not looking good. Whenever you ship expensive collectibles, make sure they are insured, because they might not ever come back.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ohio State Buckeyes - National Champions
0
Comments
We live in an active crime zone. Our local P.O. is a mile from our home. In recent years they’ve had to remove outdoor drop-off boxes, dealt with an armed heist, had numerous incidents with carriers being attacked and we’ve seen plenty of piles of disposed stolen mail and packages all around the community. Also porch pirates in the area, although that problem seems to have reduced itself. We had some well known thieves, but they’re probably in prison right now. It’s been crazy.
Wasn't there any cameras or were the perps that good at evasion. And hiding their ID, masks etc.
They were probably wearing masks would be my guess.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ohio State Buckeyes - National Champions
This is crazy. I legitimately had no idea folks still robbed post offices. Seems like high risk/low reward these days.
Must be getting harder to be a porch pirate. Going right to the source now.
I sold two boxes of Topps Heritage on eBay back in March. Tracking showed the boxes arrived at the PO in the city they were supposed to deliver to, and then movement stopped. After 7 days of no movement, I called that PO and was told that the truck the packages were on was robbed and everything was taken.
For those who sell, make sure your package gets scanned by the carrier when picked up. There have been instances of theft or vehicle fire where there was no record of the package being accepted.
Same goes if you are dropping off. Sometimes if there's a line, you can just leave it on the counter. No receipt means no proof that USPS ever had possession.
Even if the packages are insured, they won't be covered because it was never scanned into the system. Surprisingly, many post offices have no cameras or security systems.
Evening,
I worked at a Federal Prison in the early 90's to early 2007, Medium/High Security. Ran an Inmate work detail, usually with 20 or so Inmates. Average breakdown of their crimes on one of my work crews was:
Doesn't surprise me in the least, but we had more fun making fun of the Bank Robbers cause they were such abject failures. One guy the Die pack was stuffed in his pants and when it went off he almost lost his doohicky! But screwing with the Post Office was Not a Good Idea, the Postal Inspectors were more serious than the Seal Teams! I think they had a 98 % solve rate!
Bank Robbers 6 Each (at that time the FBI caught 97% of all of them!)
The % of catch rate is even higher now with today's tech.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Probably 15 years ago I made a large set purchase from another Registry collector . It was just over $3,000 . The seller wanted the cards to be insured before he would send them , so that was part of the price we agreed upon . The insurance was around $180 to cover the actual full value .
I was eagerly tracking the shipment and saw the night before that it was at our local Post Office , which meant tomorrow was THE DAY !!!
I took off work that day , as our mail was normally delivered in the morning . When our carrier came to our door , I asked her if she had a package . She said no . I got back on the computer and checked the delivery status and unbelievable it showed it being delivered AND SIGNED FOR at 6 something that morning .
I went to the post office and spoke with the Manager , gave her all the pertinent information , and she said she would investigate and get back to me . I then told her I would wait in the lobby .--- She then told me to leave . ---Nope I'll wait .--- I'll call the police and have you removed . ---Good then the police will speed the process up . --- I'm going to eat lunch first . I waited .
About an hour later , she handed me my package and asked me to leave , which I did . My wife , the next day , spoke with our carrier and she carefully told my wife that someone had taken the package and put it under a number of blankets ( I didn't know they had blankets at the Post Office ) . She believed that someone saw the postage , knew that something of value was inside and was most likely trying to steal it .
Nonetheless I was glad my cards were safe in my possession .-- Sonny
After reading the above, it really gives me more faith in PO employees......NOT!
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ohio State Buckeyes - National Champions
I'm glad you got your package, Sonny!
This is the reason I never buy postal insurance..I think it makes things riskier rather than safer and I purchased a collectibles insurance policy to cover me instead.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
and these are the reasons i HATE to ship cards.
I have a few out right now in the grubby hands of the USPS and am waiting on pins and needles for the delivered text.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I usually do not purchase insurance, as mentioned above, because it is often a "flag" that something inside is of value.
do you guys generally purchase signature confirmation? I am wondering if that is also a similar "flag" to USPS employee thiefs that there are valuables inside the package
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Collectible insurance pays more if signature confirm is purchased.
$2500 vs $200 without signature.
Or up to 60K if you ships USPS Express.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Not exactly the same situation, but about ten years ago I lived on a street with “West” in the name. One day, a parcel arrived for an address that was almost identical—except it said “East.” That street happened to be about ten miles north of me.
Since I was heading in that direction anyway, I dropped it off. It turned out to be a business, and they were very grateful. Fast forward a month, and I had a slabbed card delivery go missing under similar circumstances—it was marked as “signed for,” but I hadn’t received it.
Before I panicked, I dug up the business card from that earlier mix-up, gave them a call, and—sure enough—they had my package!
The business, by the way, was a massage parlor. I kid you NOT! I drove over to collect it, and let’s just say it was a happy ending for everyone involved.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
This. Additionally, you'll have a 50-50 chance that USPS will fail to deliver by the 2-day guarantee, and you can claim a refund for services not rendered. Chances higher if going through New Jersey. Also, highly unlikely you ever "win" a USPS insurance claim.
thankfully both cards I had shipped out last week arrived safe and sound. it is always a handwringing event when I sell cards over a certain $ threshold for me. obsessively smashing refresh until delivered shows up!
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
You are so right. Even in rare times you do win it takes 10 years off your life. It's lose lose! I prefer USPS over all other shippers but their insurance is a sucker bet
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
DeShaun Watson approves this message!
For the highest end items, Max insurance value is USPS 50k, UPS 60k, and FedEx 50k or 100k w/ freight. After that, you'd have to go with a concierge service. The cost of an insurance policy with Collect Insure absolutely pays for itself, with the piece of mind while shipping your items, the claims payout, and also that it costs more to insure your items with the carrier than it does for the annual premium for your policy. I've been very happy with them.
Separately, there are a couple other shipping value thresholds to keep in mind if worried about your shipments: if the value is high enough that it warrants the travel costs, take the day off of work and drive or fly in order to deliver the item in person yourself. Also, if the value does not mean it makes sense to travel and deliver it yourself but the item is still very expensive, buy some airtags and hide one inside the box with your high-value item when you ship it with a carrier.
I think if I had a card worth up to 60K that I just sold, I might make a road trip and personally deliver it.
as does Robert Kraft
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I agree.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I'd be waiting with my boys for you and would end up with card as well as keep my cash
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
I'd arrange to meet at a local branch bank and handle the exchange of the cashier's check or whatever other method of payment transfer, acceptance plus deposit, as well as hand over the card, while inside the bank w/ witness, and not deal in cash that I'd have to carry myself beyond that point.
Though I suppose if selling through the ebay platform, then the hand-delivery address would be to the Authenticity Guarantee address in CA, which would make things theoretically less risky.
I don't think robbing a Post Office for sportscards is a risk we really have to worry about. I think the Post Office can lose our sportscards just fine without someone trying to steal them.
My bigger concern is being targeted and robbed in person after a show. At a recent show, there were multi-thousand dollars cards and cash being flashed around all over the place. The only thing seperating a strong arm thief and the cards/cash is a Zion case and guy wearing sweatpants.
We already know there are thieves targeting the dealers, just one more step before they start targeting the collector.,
Unless you can prove the value of your item(s) BEFORE they are shipped, you are foolish to pay the P.O. for their fraudulent insurance scam.
Even then, they could deny your claim.
Yes, I do insure my raw cards before shipping them to PSA. I can't explain why.
If you live your life in fear of your stuff being lost or stolen in the mail, I suggest you buy some guns and a big dog ( I recommend a German Shepherd) and stay home.
You will also need a generator, and your own well for drinking water and a large supply of food.
And gas for the generator.
Of course if you live in town, the first thing to do is move to a rural area.
I have been buying and selling collectables since the early 1990's and haven't had one single item lost. A couple damaged and one lost for a short period and then found.
Unreported on your taxes I'd bet. I prefer making my profit legally which apparently sets us apart.
How much did it sale for is one of the funniest and most ignorant things I've ever heard.
When I collected a complete run of Topps Baseball 5-cent Wax Packs from the 1960s….I sold off the collection in two separate sales …and drove to Muskegon, MI …and to Hickory, NC (to Fleetwood who has the #1 or #2 nickle wax pack collection from the 1960s) from Mason, OH. I made the personal transactions because of the value and because of the risk ripping the wax wrappers in transit by a carrier.
I report all activities, ain't going to let them get me like they did Big Al
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Were you ever concerned with the driving of a potential accident? Jeopardizing your welfare and the purchased packs?
Well, I wouldn't be alone of course. My best friend Pietro Beretta would be with me.