Belleville Shop Owner Reclaims Stolen $9K Baseball Card

A stolen Jackie Robinson rookie baseball card worth $9,000 has been recovered just a day after it went missing from a sports memorabilia store in Belleville. The incident took place at Collector’s Corner, located at 116 E. Main St. on Tuesday afternoon.

Details of the Theft

Owner Jim Miller discovered the card was missing on Wednesday morning when he returned to his shop. The Jackie Robinson card, which commemorates the player’s groundbreaking 1947 MLB season, had become a prized item among collectors. Another similar card had fetched $312,000 at auction last year.

Community Efforts Lead to Recovery

• The card was located in a resale shop in Missouri.
• A customer recognized the stolen card after seeing Miller’s Facebook post.
• A Centralia store owner reported that the same suspect had previously stolen from his store.

Miller praised the local community for their involvement in recovering the card. He noted that once the theft was publicized, the community rallied to spread the word. “It felt like a big detective case going on,” Miller commented.

Security Measures Under Review

The theft occurred while a store employee was distracted by a phone call, allowing the suspect to reach over and take the card from the display. Surveillance footage has since been given to the Belleville Police Department, which is actively investigating the case.

Both Miller and his fellow store owner, Luke Naliborski, expressed their intention to enhance security measures. They plan to install locks on display cases to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Police and Legal Proceedings

The Belleville Police Department confirmed they are investigating the incident. Assistant Police Chief Mark Heffernan stated that the shop in Missouri will have to surrender the card as it was recognized as stolen merchandise. No arrests have been made as of now, but police indicated that Miller could regain possession of his card soon.

Miller, who has been in the collectibles business for 20 years and has operated Collector’s Corner for seven years, lamented the loss of trust in patrons. He reflected on how such incidents challenge the faith in humanity that he once held dear.