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Bobblehead heist: Shipment of Pittsburgh Penguins giveaway item stolen before game
By Sheldon Ingram and Michael Valente
Bobblehead heist: Shipment of Pittsburgh Penguins giveaway item stolen before game
BOBBLEHEADS WERE STOLEN IN A CARGO HEIST. WE JUST COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. I MEAN, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU ALMOST THINK IT’S A JOKE AT FIRST. THAT’S THE REACTION FROM SPORTS COLLECTIBLE RETAILERS IN THE AREA. COMPLETE SHOCK ON THE NIGHT WHEN ONE OF THE PENGUINS MOST CELEBRATED PLAYERS IS BEING HONORED WITH BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT, MEMBERS OF THE PENGUINS ORGANIZATION SAY THEY ARE VICTIMS OF A CARGO HEIST. THEY REPORT THAT 19,000 BOBBLEHEADS WERE STOLEN AFTER THEY ARRIVED IN CALIFORNIA. HOWEVER, THE PENGUINS SAY FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING THE CASE, AND JAGR IS ON THE CASE TO. MEANWHILE, COLLECTIBLE RETAILERS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE HEIST. THERE’S A STORY BEHIND THE BOBBLEHEADS. WHATEVER THEY WERE WORTH BEFORE MAY NOW HAVE JUMPED UP A LITTLE BIT IN VALUE JUST BECAUSE THERE’S GOING TO BE THAT INTEREST, THERE’S GOING TO BE THAT MEDIA COVERAGE FROM COLLECTORS. I THINK JUST WITH THE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE RECENT SPOTLIGHT ON THEM, THAT’S MAYBE WHAT WHAT LED TO IT. THERE’S A LOT OF THE MYTHOS OF JAROMIR JAGR THAT IS IN POP CULTURE RIGHT NOW. NOW THAT HE’S BACK IN PITTSBURGH. WE HAD HIS NUMBER RETIRED. HE’S STILL PLAYING THE FACT THAT HE’S NEVER RETIRED. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. AND THE PENGUINS ORGANIZATION SAYS WHEN FANS ARRIVE TONIGHT, THEY WILL RECEIVE VOUCHERS TO RECEIVE THEIR BOBBLEHEADS AT A LATER DATE. REPORTING FROM P
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Bobblehead heist: Shipment of Pittsburgh Penguins giveaway item stolen before game
By Sheldon Ingram and Michael Valente
Fans who expected to get a Jaromír Jágr bobblehead at the Pittsburgh Penguins game Thursday night were out of luck.The team said the shipment that was carrying the bobbleheads was stolen after its arrival in California. As a result, the bobbleheads were not in Pittsburgh and were not distributed at the game against the San Jose Sharks at PPG Paints Arena.Video above: Jaromír Jágr bobbleheads stolenThe Pens learned that they were victims of cargo theft after the shipment never arrived. State and federal authorities have been notified and are currently working to locate the missing cargo.“We were shocked to be a victim of cargo theft, and we are working closely with local and federal authorities on the investigation,” Penguins President of Business Operations Kevin Acklin said in a statement. “While this unfortunate incident adds to the legend of Jaromir Jagr, who will be in attendance as our guest at tonight’s game, we look forward to resolving this theft and delivering the prized Jagr bobbleheads to their rightful homes, with our fans."A spokesperson for Steel City Collectibles said Jagr is perhaps the most popular trending hockey player right now, while explaining a possible motive behind the heist."Whatever they were worth before, may now jump up a little bit in value, just because there's going to be that interest, there's going to be that media coverage from collectors," Billy Lesnak said. "There's a lot of the mythos of Jaromir Jagr that is in pop culture right now, now that he is back in Pittsburgh. We had his number retired; the fact that he's still playing, he's never retired after all these years."As fans filed into PPG Thursday night, some swapped stories about supposed sightings of the bobbleheads on online retail sites. Pittsburgh's Action News 4 reached out to the Penguins to inquire about the potential sale of bobbleheads online, but we had not heard back at the time of this story's publication."They’re not going to be able to sell them," Jim Herrick, a Penguins fan, said laughing.Pittsburgh's Action News 4 spoke to a few fans who traveled several hours for the game, including Rob Hiller and his young son."Just for the bobblehead," Hiller said, when asked why he drove from Maryland for the game. "Took out of school, drove four hours."Ethan Storkson, who is in town from Alaska, has gone to every Penguins game this week."I just don’t understand what you’d get out of it," Storkson said of the theft.All fans who attended the game will be given a voucher to pick up the bobblehead at a later date. The Penguins said the location and dates for pickup will be announced when the shipment is safely located, or new bobbleheads are produced and made available for distribution.
PITTSBURGH —

Fans who expected to get a Jaromír Jágr bobblehead at the Pittsburgh Penguins game Thursday night were out of luck.

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The team said the shipment that was carrying the bobbleheads was stolen after its arrival in California. As a result, the bobbleheads were not in Pittsburgh and were not distributed at the game against the San Jose Sharks at PPG Paints Arena.

Video above: Jaromír Jágr bobbleheads stolen

The Pens learned that they were victims of cargo theft after the shipment never arrived. State and federal authorities have been notified and are currently working to locate the missing cargo.

“We were shocked to be a victim of cargo theft, and we are working closely with local and federal authorities on the investigation,” Penguins President of Business Operations Kevin Acklin said in a statement. “While this unfortunate incident adds to the legend of Jaromir Jagr, who will be in attendance as our guest at tonight’s game, we look forward to resolving this theft and delivering the prized Jagr bobbleheads to their rightful homes, with our fans."

A spokesperson for Steel City Collectibles said Jagr is perhaps the most popular trending hockey player right now, while explaining a possible motive behind the heist.

"Whatever they were worth before, may now jump up a little bit in value, just because there's going to be that interest, there's going to be that media coverage from collectors," Billy Lesnak said. "There's a lot of the mythos of Jaromir Jagr that is in pop culture right now, now that he is back in Pittsburgh. We had his number retired; the fact that he's still playing, he's never retired after all these years."

As fans filed into PPG Thursday night, some swapped stories about supposed sightings of the bobbleheads on online retail sites. Pittsburgh's Action News 4 reached out to the Penguins to inquire about the potential sale of bobbleheads online, but we had not heard back at the time of this story's publication.

"They’re not going to be able to sell them," Jim Herrick, a Penguins fan, said laughing.

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 spoke to a few fans who traveled several hours for the game, including Rob Hiller and his young son.

"Just for the bobblehead," Hiller said, when asked why he drove from Maryland for the game. "Took [my son] out of school, drove four hours."

Ethan Storkson, who is in town from Alaska, has gone to every Penguins game this week.

"I just don’t understand what you’d get out of it," Storkson said of the theft.

All fans who attended the game will be given a voucher to pick up the bobblehead at a later date. The Penguins said the location and dates for pickup will be announced when the shipment is safely located, or new bobbleheads are produced and made available for distribution.