Local
North Wilmington collector says 82 wrestling cards were stolen in California shipment theft
A heist from a FedEx truck in Santa Ana, California, took 82 cards belonging to Wilmington business owner Alessandro Spennato, who estimates their value at about $75,000. The grading company’s parent says it has deactivated certificates for the missing cards and is working on compensation.
A North Wilmington business owner is among collectors whose rare trading cards were stolen from a FedEx truck in Santa Ana, California, in a theft police say involved nearly $1 million in cards.
Alessandro Spennato, owner of Sitaly to Go, said all 82 of his wrestling cards were taken last week. He estimates the collection is worth about $75,000, including roughly 10 cards he described as one of a kind. The cards feature WWE wrestler Roman Reigns, and Spennato said their personal significance goes beyond their market price.
“I want my cards,” Spennato said. “I put a lot of time and effort into it, and I just want my cards back.”
Collectors had sent cards to Professional Sports Authenticator, or PSA, in Santa Ana to be assessed and authenticated. The company grades cards on a scale from 1 to 10, then encapsulates them and assigns serial numbers. A high grade can substantially increase a card’s resale value, Spennato said.
PSA’s parent company said it has deactivated the certificates associated with the stolen cards and is working on compensation based on fair market value. Spennato questioned how that value will be established for cards that rarely come up for sale.
The theft comes amid other reported thefts of valuable cards this year, including cases in New York, Boston, Montgomery County and parts of South Jersey. No arrests had been announced in the Santa Ana case as of Oct. 22.