Detailed new account of the theft and recovery of Nic Cage's Action #1

[markseifert]

We knew some of this because Stephen Fishler posted it here in 2006:

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1510108&fpart=1

 

And of course, some tidbits came out after the recovery in 2011. But there's a fair bit more in this article, including info from the detective involved in investigating the theft, and up to the recovery and sale:

 

http://www.thestar.com/news/stardispatches/2014/06/09/superman_everyone_wants_a_piece_of_his_legend.html

 

Interesting piece.

 

[TheSurgeon]

Great article. Thanks for posting it. Fishler and zurzola should write a book about their lives, dreams, experiences in the business world, how they made their business work, and comics. I would buy it and get it signed.

[Icculus308win]

Great article. Thanks for posting it. Fishler and zurzola should write a book about their lives, dreams, experiences in the business world, how they made their business work, and comics. I would buy it and get it signed.

 

+1

Thanks for the great read OP (thumbs u

[comicjack]

Thanks for the interesting read

[comicstock]

Great read. Thanks!

[markseifert]

I sprang for the pay version of the article as I think it's a fascinating little chapter in the history of the vintage hobby and was particularly interested to see Hrycyk go on the record with details from his perspective (he gave an interview about it many years ago with generalities and without bringing Cage's name into it). Probably worth the $2.99 if you have an interest in such matters.

 

Though I was very surprised to see the recovery produced no other substantial leads (or so he said for the record) -- something I'd been wondering about. Still some mysteries to be solved there, apparently.

[jgallo]

So the detective 1 and 27 are still missing correct? Was anything else taken with the Marvel Mystery...

 

Such a strange thing..

 

James G

[Buzzetta]

I didn't know that Cage received his comic back and that he was the consigner in the auction. I always thought that the consigner was the insurance company as they "owned" the book.

 

Also, how many comic book dealers can say that they flew out to Cage's house to help him look for his missing stuff and were part of a police sting?

[Dark Knight]

Yep, I remember this incident. The storage unit where the Action 1 was found in was right around my neighborhood.

[Silver Surfer]

Yep, I remember this incident. The storage unit where the Action 1 was found in was right around my neighborhood.

 

The whole "found it in a storage unit" story seems a bit fishy given that this book had been stolen for years. Also, it makes you wonder about that Baleo guy as he ended up taking his life a couple years later. Was it related to this?

[markseifert]

So the detective 1 and 27 are still missing correct?

James G

 

Yep.

 

Was anything else taken with the Marvel Mystery...

 

Not that I know, but -- there's another post from Fishler from around that time that mentions that Cage's purchases were very well-documented as required by Cage's management. Given that the sale list was certainly well-documented, one presumes that if there's anything else unaccounted for, that both Fishler and Hrycyk know about it.

 

Hrycyk's characterization of Cage's staff as highly disorganized, things thought stolen only to be found moved elsewhere a couple weeks later, etc, would certainly seem to open up how this could have happened.

 

[Dark Knight]

Yep, I remember this incident. The storage unit where the Action 1 was found in was right around my neighborhood.

 

The whole "found it in a storage unit" story seems a bit fishy given that this book had been stolen for years. Also, it makes you wonder about that Baleo guy as he ended up taking his life a couple years later. Was it related to this?

 

I have no idea about the Baleo guy. I'm wondering though where the Tec 27 is right now... If the Action 1 was found, wouldn't it make sense that the other stolen books are not too far away from it? Fishy story indeed.

[Silver Surfer]

What was the condition of the MC#1? It's not the 5.0 October copy that he owned that went missing?

[Bronty]

Yep, I remember this incident. The storage unit where the Action 1 was found in was right around my neighborhood.

 

The whole "found it in a storage unit" story seems a bit fishy given that this book had been stolen for years. Also, it makes you wonder about that Baleo guy as he ended up taking his life a couple years later. Was it related to this?

 

I have no idea about the Baleo guy. I'm wondering though where the Tec 27 is right now... If the Action 1 was found, wouldn't it make sense that the other stolen books are not too far away from it? Fishy story indeed.

 

I wondered the same thing about Balelo although its not the only piece of trouble he was in. He got stung on a drug charge 2 days before the suicide. In addition I read that he was previously on probation and then broke probation by transporting a firearm.

 

So, he had some troubles with the law. Whether anything was going to stick on him regarding this action 1 I don't know.

 

[Sqeggs]

So the detective 1 and 27 are still missing correct?

James G

 

Yep.

 

Was anything else taken with the Marvel Mystery...

 

Not that I know, but -- there's another post from Fishler from around that time that mentions that Cage's purchases were very well-documented as required by Cage's management. Given that the sale list was certainly well-documented, one presumes that if there's anything else unaccounted for, that both Fishler and Hrycyk know about it.

 

Hrycyk's characterization of Cage's staff as highly disorganized, things thought stolen only to be found moved elsewhere a couple weeks later, etc, would certainly seem to open up how this could have happened.

 

Leaving the key to the cabinets in plain sight? Really makes you wonder.

[jgallo]

I have always wondered about the storage locker thing to. Surely they could have at least figured out who owned the locker and tracked it that way. Seems the cops didnt follow this lead and ut seems to follow with much of what fishler said that they didnt follow up on stuff. The seller of the marvel mystery had to get it somewhere and not finding out where it came from was a huge mistake imo.

 

James G

[BorderlineHoarder]

Funny that Cage wanted the hierloom returned to his family...so he could promptly auction it off. I wonder what the amount of the insurance company settlement was and what he had to pay them to get it back?

[cloudofwit]

Funny that Cage wanted the hierloom returned to his family...so he could promptly auction it off. I wonder what the amount of the insurance company settlement was and what he had to pay them to get it back?

 

I think serious debt might have had something to do with it, re: his auctioning it off.

[Sqeggs]

Funny that Cage wanted the hierloom returned to his family...so he could promptly auction it off. I wonder what the amount of the insurance company settlement was and what he had to pay them to get it back?

 

I think serious debt might have had something to do with it, re: his auctioning it off.

 

Iirc, he had a huge tax judgement that he was scrambling to pay off.

[Bronty]

Right, the other thing is that he'd already sold off the rest of his collection