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I Bought Stolen Goods at an Estate Sale!!!

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  • theantiquetiger
    Fra-gee-lay Thats Italian
    • Nov 12, 2005
    • 3435

    I Bought Stolen Goods at an Estate Sale!!!

    If you don't know, last week I bought three LSU Bowl watches (65 Sugar, 68 Sugar, and 63 Bluebonnet). I was hoping to sell two of them and make enough money to where I got the third one free.

    Last night I was determined to figure out who owned at least one of the watches, hoping to increase the value.

    I got my jeweler's loop (thats right, I am a serious collector) and determined the first letter letter on the back of the 65 watch was a "C.". There was a gap and then I could tell the next capital letter was a "M". First thing that popped into my head was "Charlie Mac's" watch. Then after another gap, it looked like a capital "S", so this threw me for a loop.

    I pulled a '65 program (I don't have a '64) to see if any player met this criteria, but there was none.

    I posted on my site asking for help and another member determined it was most likely Clarence M "Pop" Strange's watch. He played in the 30's and coached on the 58 NC team and had two sons, one on the NC team and one played in the 60's. He was a very important man to the history of LSU football.

    I was ecstatic knowing I may have just increased the value of these watches from $300-$400 each to maybe $1000+ each because of to whom they belonged. This made sense that they were his because at the estate sale I bought them at, there were also a pair of LSU cufflinks with "D Strange" (David) on the back. He played in 64-66 and is "Pop" Strange's son.

    I was getting ready to end my two auctions and relist them with Strange's name in the auction and then I wanted to make sure they were not stolen and/or make 100% sure they were Strange's. I had a feeling they may have been stolen because the name was buffed off the backs of the watches.

    I called Dr David Strange who lives here in Baton Rouge, and found out his dad's watches (plus other stuff) were stolen in the 70's. We talked for quite some time and he was very grateful I called him to tell him I found them.

    Just tonight, I was actually supposed to go to the lady who hired the estate sale company and buy the cuff links from her. I learned they were also a gift from the Sugar Bowl committee given to all the players. They are VERY nice.

    I looked at the back of another watch and determined the first letter is a "P" and has a open quotation mark in front of it. They are plain as day. He of course went by "Pop" Strange (with the quotation marks).


    The watches and cuff links are now en route back to him through the estate company.
    sigpic
  • EmergencyIan
    Museum Paramedic
    • Aug 31, 2005
    • 5470

    #2
    That really sucks! Well, at least they're headed back to the family of the rightful owner.

    - Ian
    Rampart, this is Squad 51. How do you read?

    Comment

    • theantiquetiger
      Fra-gee-lay Thats Italian
      • Nov 12, 2005
      • 3435

      #3
      Originally posted by PCofmisfittoys
      i know tiger , you doubled the price back to them didn' ya


      Actually, since I contacted Dr Strange before I contacted the estate company, I could have been screwed by the company on the money because the items are legally Dr Strange's. I would have been out of watches and $700.
      sigpic

      Comment

      • toys2cool
        Ultimate Mego Warrior
        • Nov 27, 2006
        • 28605

        #4
        That sucks
        "Time to nut up or shut up" -Tallahassee

        http://ultimatewarriorcollection.webs.com/
        My stuff on facebook Incompatible Browser | Facebook

        Comment

        • stuart
          Hi-Yo Silver Away!
          • Jun 18, 2007
          • 517

          #5
          You did the right thing. Too bad you didn't find ones you could keep.

          Comment

          • hobub
            Ghost of a Dead Indian
            • Jun 18, 2001
            • 4778

            #6
            "loupe" (I was once a serious graphic designer. Now I just joke about it.)

            As always, good reading

            But reading that makes me think of this song's....lyrics

            I'm sure he (the estate owner) may have bought stolen goods too.

            But good for you for returning them.
            Last edited by hobub; Mar 7, '09, 1:45 AM.

            Comment

            • jwyblejr
              galactic yo-yo
              • Apr 6, 2006
              • 11147

              #7
              At least this way if someone from the family saw the auction you were planing to have(the second one) and put two and two together,will save you from a legal headache on down the road.

              Comment

              • SlipperyLilSuckers
                MeGoing
                • May 14, 2003
                • 9031

                #8
                Wow, good on you. You just earned yourself some seriously good karma.

                Comment

                • bgrimm77
                  NORTHEAST REPRESENTATIVE
                  • Jan 4, 2009
                  • 768

                  #9
                  You are a good man....and even though I'm sure it hurts , you did the right thing. Now something good will come to you 3 fold.....
                  WHEREVER YOU ARE IS WHERE YOU ARE AT

                  Comment

                  • theantiquetiger
                    Fra-gee-lay Thats Italian
                    • Nov 12, 2005
                    • 3435

                    #10
                    Originally posted by bgrimm77
                    You are a good man....and even though I'm sure it hurts , you did the right thing. Now something good will come to you 3 fold.....
                    Actually it did not hurt at all. I got a feeling from this that feels better than when I found them.
                    sigpic

                    Comment

                    • wayne foundation 07
                      Time to feed the cat
                      • Dec 30, 2007
                      • 5705

                      #11
                      your a really good person,you did the right thing.

                      Comment

                      • Bill
                        Parminant Memble
                        • Oct 20, 2002
                        • 4139

                        #12
                        That's pretty cool. What are the odds that a knowledgeable person with a keen eye would come across such a thing and bother to do the work to track down that kind of information and then contact the rightful owner to return the items?

                        Comment

                        • theantiquetiger
                          Fra-gee-lay Thats Italian
                          • Nov 12, 2005
                          • 3435

                          #13
                          I am not going to lie, I was doing research on the watch to figure out who owned it, hoping to increase the values of them because my auctions were not doing well. With the watches being owned by "Pop" Strange, it did increase the value of the watches by $500 each easily.

                          After I determined who owned them, I had to make sure they were not stolen because I was planning to use his name in the auctions.
                          sigpic

                          Comment

                          • Drain
                            megos are yummy
                            • Jun 10, 2007
                            • 659

                            #14
                            Hopefully you came out this even.
                            Mego Nudists Fish Nude Show Off your Rod.

                            Comment

                            • toys2cool
                              Ultimate Mego Warrior
                              • Nov 27, 2006
                              • 28605

                              #15
                              it'll be funny if he turns around and sells them on ebay.It would've been cool if he would've offered to sell you one
                              "Time to nut up or shut up" -Tallahassee

                              http://ultimatewarriorcollection.webs.com/
                              My stuff on facebook Incompatible Browser | Facebook

                              Comment

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