Ron Ruelle, Author at Insure your Collection

Robbers Steal £400,000 Stamp Collection In House Raid

An international stamp dealer had his £400,000 collection stolen after armed robbers conned their way into his home and tied up him and his two sons. The 800-stamp collection included a number of Penny Blacks. The two robbers, who were dressed as police officers, forced their way into Steve Bennett’s home by confronting him as he came to the door and shouting: “This is a police raid – get to the floor.” When the 60-year-old and his adult sons did so they were tied up and pillow cases were put over their heads. A gun was fired in an apparent attempt to frighten the victims into submission. Police said the raid was “well-planned” and must have been based on prior information. The robbers then searched Mr Bennett’s home to find the collection, which contained stamps ranging in value from £50 to £5,000. One of the collector’s sons made a brave attempt to get help, scrambling out of a first floor window in the Torquay home wearing a blindfold. He fell heavily to the ground, where he was seen by a passing postman. The postman untied him and called police to the house but by the time armed officers arrived the robbers had already escaped with their £400,000 haul.

It included several Penny Blacks, the world’s first adhesive postal stamp, which are over 160 years old. They usually sell for £150 to £200 although fine examples can sell for more. Det Insp Paul Jones, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “This appears to be a very well-planned robbery which has taken a lot of time and planning to execute. “The victims remain shocked at what happened to them. It was very frightening for them.Arthur Ryan, a stamp dealer from Richmond in south-west London said: “The robbers will be able to get rid of the Penny Blacks abroad.”

Courtesy of the Telegraph

Coveted Baseball Card Valued At $4G Stolen In Home Robbery

Thieves stole a Mickey Mantle baseball card valued at $4,000 from a Florida home Wednesday. John, who wishes to only go by his first name, showed us the door he says thieves pried open to get inside his DeLand, Fla. home, grabbing prized possessions.

“Went inside and pretty much everything of value was missing,” John said. The card was given to him by his father when he was just 13 years old. “So it’s something I hung on to and I planned on hanging on to for the rest of my life, but now it’s gone, and that’s something I’ll never get back it’s been stolen from me,” he said. The baseball card was in a safe, with a few other keepsakes- and John says it’s possible the thief doesn’t even know they have it. “I’ve always been big into collecting baseball cards and I’ve got thousands and thousands of them and this one here was a very special item that was given to me by my father,” he said.

Courtesy of Fox News

The Library of Alexandria Burned

Plutarch (AD 46–120) wrote that during his visit to Alexandria in 48 BC Julius Caesar accidentally burned the library down when he set fire to his own ships to frustrate Achillas’ attempt to limit his ability to communicate by sea.

After its destruction, scholars used a “daughter library” in a temple known as the Serapeum, located in another part of the city.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Hot Wheels and Action Joe Collection turned to rubble

Kevin Johnson and Lupe Lomu were at the checkout buying groceries Monday when his cell phone rang. Their apartment complex was on fire. The Lynnwood couple raced out of the supermarket, leaving their food behind. As they neared home, they could smell the destruction. It took just one glimpse to realize the fire had taken everything.

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“That’s all I have,” Johnson said Tuesday, pointing to a donated red-striped shirt lying on a cot at a makeshift American Red Cross shelter. Johnson, a toy collector, lost his mint condition collections of Hot Wheels cars and G.I. Joe action figures. “It was just a hobby but a hobby I was really passionate about,” he said “It’s a small thing to most people, but a big deal to me.”

Courtesy of the Herald Net

Model Train Displays Destroyed in Georgetown Fire

A weekend fire at the historic Georgetown Train Station damaged more than the building. The Delaware SeaSide Railroad Club said it lost up to $40,000 in trains and equipment on the second floor of the building. President John Hodges said some pieces cannot be replaced because the manufacturer is out of business. “My colleague told us that we had a real serious situation,” Hodges said. “The building was fully involved upstairs and we probably lost everything.” In total, five model train displays were destroyed in the May 7 fire, Hodges said. One display was not in the building at the time. Investigators determined the fire started on the second floor but have not pinpointed a cause. The rail club was finishing up an open house at the time.

“The club, especially, lost a lot of value and a lot of money in trains, train accessories, tracks, transformers and all the equipment it took to set these displays up,” Hodges said. The Greater Georgetown Chamber of Commerce occupied space on the first floor, which mostly saw smoke and water damage, Hodges said. Mayor Brian Pettyjohn said the group is temporarily working out of space at town hall. Train club members are scheduled to return to the building on Friday in hopes of salvaging some pieces. In the meantime, volunteers hope to raise the necessary funds to buy new trains.
Hodges said the club’s goal is to replace the trains and have displays ready in time for Christmas.

Courtesy of Wboc News

Pittsburgh ToonSeum: Comic Books Damaged By Museum Roof Leak

Hundreds and possibly thousands of rare comic books were damaged at a comic museum’s warehouse in western Pennsylvania last week.

Executive director Joe Wos says the most valuable comics weren’t at the warehouse, but some of what was lost will be “very difficult to replace.” He says much of the material was waiting for transfer to the ToonSeum’s new on-site library.

Courtesy of the Huffington Post

Complete Kenner GB Figure Collection Burned To The Ground

Jacob King used to buy toys every now and then from a lady that lives about a half hour away from his place. She had 3 large sheds (one roughly 12×40′) full, top to bottom, of boxes of mint, packaged toys from the 80’s. In this shed she had a complete collection of every Kenner GB action figure: the original line, the glow in the darks, the monsters…

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Some kid decided to play with fire behind her sheds and burnt everything to the ground. She had almost every toy from the 80s and early 90s: ghostbusters, ninja turtles, aliens, all gone.

Courtesy of Jacob King from Ghosbusters Fans