Player Contacted Me About His Jersey For Sale

[Lokee]

Allright long story short I have a football jersey up on ebay from the 80's. I get an email saying that " Iam so and so and I would like to talk to you about this jersey please call me *********" So I message him back and was very nice and asked what questions he had. He insisted that I call him. I googled the number he gave me ( nothing came up so i checked the area code) and he lives in the town the player resides in. This player only played 4 or 5 seasons. Anyways so I call him and he tells me that the jersey was stolen out of his locker back in the 80's and he wants it back. I paid a decent amount for it so what do I do ? I told him I would get back to him by the end of the week and let him know. He scanned me his drivers license as proof so I know it is the said person. Now keep in mind this is like 23 years later.

Any advice ?

Thanks

[kingjammy24]

the jersey, purchased by the team, was stolen out of the team's locker room. what's his claim to it? did he pay for it? did the team give it to him after the season? if not, then it's more yours than it is his.

rudy.

[godwulf]

I would tell him that I respect and appreciate his desire to have the jersey - but since he has no legal claim to it, the best I could do would be to suggest that he either bid on it, himself, or be prepared to contact the winning bidder once the auction is over and offer to buy it from them.

[BergerKing22784]

Well I will say it before someone else

"You do not have a right to stolen property"


But yeah I would encourage him to bid if its that big of a deal to him.

[godwulf]

"You do not have a right to stolen property".

Nor do you have a legal claim on something that, in all likelihood, you never owned in the first place.

That being said, you might want to try to get eBay to somehow block this guy from getting your home address, if at all possible. He might not have heard about the O.J. verdict. :rolleyes:

I know a guy who took some old Vida Blue jerseys to a signing, and was accused by Vida of having stolen property - claimed they'd been stolen from him back in his playing days. The guy told Vida that he knew for a fact that the guy he'd bought the jerseys from had gotten them directly from the owner of the team - so if he had a problem, he could take it up with the owner, assuming that the guy was still alive.

[PudgePollyMillerFan]

The statute of limitations expired many years ago.......I would either offer it to him in trade for another item......or pay up pal.........IMO

[allstarsplus]

The statute of limitations expired many years ago.......I would either offer it to him in trade for another item......or pay up pal.........IMO

IMHO, I would say the same that "IF" it were stolen in the 80's the statute of limitations has expired. We don't know for sure that it was stolen.

For the human side of things, you were trying to sell it anyway. I would tell the player if he is going to keep the jersey for himself that you paid $xxx for the jersey and if you want it I will sell it for what I paid for it and forego my profit.

If he tells you NO, then go ahead and sell it.

Hopefully you guys can work it out.

[RKGIBSON]

Tell him to send you a copy of the original police report where he reported them stolen.

Roger

[beantown]

Tell him to send you a copy of the original police report where he reported them stolen.

Roger

If he did file a police report, then filed an insurance claim and it was paid, he's not entitled to it....

[cjw]

I just had a similar situation that I worked through with a former WHA hockey player...but I found the item and called him. I found his team ring in a vintage clothing store and after reading his name on the side of the ring, I googled the ex-player, fond him, called him and asked if this was something he wanted to have back. He said it was stolen from him 24 years earlier and that he would want it but wanted to know what I wanted for it.

I bought it for the asking price (much less than it was worth as a piece of jewlery let alone a hockey collectable) and scanned the purchase reciept to the player and he agreed to send me check. The transaction was smooth and the rightfull owner had his ring again. I didn't profit, except to make an new acquaintance.

If he had said that he was not interested in the ring, I could have made a $500 - $1,000 on the sale. chris

[Jags Fan Dan]

If he did file a police report, then filed an insurance claim and it was paid, he's not entitled to it....
This is correct, the insurance company (if a claim was paid) now owns the property.

My own thoughts on the matter are that anybody can say anything is stolen. If he didn't file a police report, he must not have cared much about the "theft".

[PK]

This is correct, the insurance company (if a claim was paid) now owns the property.

My own thoughts on the matter are that anybody can say anything is stolen. If he didn't file a police report, he must not have cared much about the "theft".

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the teams own the jerseys, not the players. Do you own any equipment at your work that your employer lets you use while they give you a paycheck????

No way a player can file an insurance claim for property that is owned by the team that is stolen out of his locker while at work. Now if his watch was stolen, that's another story.

Kindly tell him to bid on the item, you would like $XXXX for the jersey or find out what he might have in a trade and MAKE SURE you receive his items BEFORE you send out the jersey. If he declines, lindly tell him to pound sand

[camarokids]

If he declines, kindly tell him to pound sand

I was thinking the same thing, but wasn't going to say it.

Please post a link to the auction....or item number....

[Swoboda4]

He probably understands that YOU didn't steal it (assuming that it is him,and not someone faking a license ID which can be done on anyone's computer and printer). Knowing you didn't steal it, his anger shouldn't be towards you and a normal person under these circumstances should just ask that some arrangement be made for sale towards him. Did you steal it, were you involved in the theft? No. On the other hand Forum members are absolutely right, the jersey IS NOT HIS, he wore it. For example,you work for McDonald's somebody steals your work clothes from the back. You see somebody wearing it on the street later,do you contact them or tell McDonalds their uniform with my first name on it was seen.
I'm still not convinced it's him and not someone faking you out. If you feel its him and you feel he should have it,arrange to meet him in his lawyers office(no where else)and have a photo taken with you giving it to him. Either for a price or for free.
Below is one Bruce Patten and his many fake drivers licenses,which he made himself(check google how easy it is)
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/redmills/fakelicense.jpg?t=1223644133
Would you send a stranger your real drivers license with personal info to prove who you are? hells no.

[Lokee]

Well I called him back last night. I presented an offer to him that if he would like to make a trade for the jersey that would be fine OR he could purchase it from me what I paid for it. He still claimed it was stolen out of his locker and I politely mentioned that the team owned the jersey (honestly I didn't wanna start a pissing match) he told me again it was his and he wanted it back. I asked him if he filed a police report he said no. I told him my 2 offers once again and he hung up on me. So that is that I guess.

If he contacts ebay I assume he will need some sort of proof it was stolen. hopefully they won't pull the auction.

I REALLY appreciate everyones help on this matter.

[Swoboda4]

whoever he is he sounds dangerous and it appears now to be a scam. Which is something we all should be aware of. A real player would be very happy he finally found the jersey and would ordinarily be very cordial and willing to work it out. This guy sounds at best a drunk and at worst emotionally unstable. If you don't want to tell us the item tell us the outcome of the auction.

[cards-bats]

Was it a guy calling from a payphone going by the name Orenthal?

[Dewey2007]

So it sounds like what is being implied by some is that those of us who have received game used items directly from players are actually receiving stolen goods? So a team could potentially come after any of us to recover the items that were stolen from them by the players?

I might be in the minority but I tend to think that items actually become property of a player once they are issued to them. Sure the team purchases them but they are given to a player for his use. It's sorta like if you give a gift to someone. It is now their property. Just because you purchased it doesn't still make you the owner. I just think that the majority of them don't really care and that is why you see lots of items being auctioned off by teams and sold at FanFests. I'm sure most players wouldn't have a clue about this issue if you asked them.

I'm sure the player who has contacted the member who started this thread probably believes in his heart that the jersey was his and was stolen. If it's really is him it sounds like he's going about it in the wrong way in trying to get it back. Just my two cents.

[sacker12]

Technically, the player has no right to that jersey. Since the jersey was stolen from his locker, it was stolen from the team and not the player. It would be a different matter if it was stolen from his house since the jersey would be in his possession.