Three cards disappear from residential building
New York police are asking the public to help identify a man suspected of stealing packages containing collectible sports cards worth approximately $17,400.
The theft took place at around 2 p.m. on Monday, September 14, inside a residential building near West End Avenue and Shore Boulevard in the Manhattan Beach area of Brooklyn.
The packages contained three sports cards, including rare basketball cards featuring late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, according to the New York Post.
Investigators have not disclosed the individual cards, their grades or how the reported valuation was calculated.
Read also: Vasseur 'annoyed' with both Ferrari drivers as two-number-one policy shows its cracks
Surveillance images capture a distinctive smile
Video from the building appears to show the man leaving the mailroom carrying the packages. One image caught the attention of local media because the suspect seemed to smile directly towards the surveillance camera.
He was wearing an orange baseball cap, a sleeveless Brooklyn Brewery shirt, camouflage shorts and flip-flops.
The man left the building on foot. It remains unclear whether he knew that the packages contained valuable cards when he allegedly took them.
BroBible described the surveillance footage after police released images of the man in an effort to establish his identity.
Read also: Texas Tech coach unloads on critics after win, but one detail undermines his rant
The available reports did not indicate that an arrest had been made.
Small collectibles with substantial price tags
The case illustrates why trading cards have become attractive targets for theft. A card’s value can be influenced by its rarity, condition, professional grade, autograph and whether it comes from a player’s rookie season.
Kobe Bryant cards are particularly sought after because of the former Lakers star’s career, global following and lasting significance to basketball collectors. Depending on the edition and condition, an individual card can be worth anything from a modest sum to many thousands of dollars.
The NYPD advises residents to track valuable deliveries and consider requiring a signature, using a secure collection point or arranging for packages to be held by the carrier. Those measures form part of the department’s package-theft prevention guidance.
Read also: Former Team USA triathlete dies after morning swim on family holiday
Police have asked anyone who recognises the man or has information about the missing cards to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers.
Read also: Mourinho brings evidence to furious press conference after derby defeat
