Burglar steals $100,000 in rare sports cards from North Side store

By Jim Gudas

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The search continues for the thief who broke into a North Side sports memorabilia shop early Tuesday morning and stole about $100,000 worth of rare player cards.

Ronnie Holloway owns Elite Sports Cards on Montrose near Damen, where someone ripped out steel bars, broke a window, and stole some of the rarest and most valuable player cards from a collection that took him about 30 years to build.

"From Babe Ruth's rookie to Mickey Mantle rookies, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente. I had it all, including unopened sealed wax packs of Michael Jordan '86-'87 Fleer," Holloway told WBBM Newsradio.

He said the theft is emotionally devastating, and his insurance company might not cover his loss.

Based on surveillance video, he said, the burglar resembles someone who came into the store last week acting suspiciously. The thief knew exactly what to steal and where to find it, Holloway said.