Don’t let television shows like Pawn Stars fool you — the second-hand dealer business isn’t always entertaining.
Just ask Lawrence Holland of Holland Consignment Shoppe and Auction House on Ottawa Street, where a brazen thief stole a $550 oil painting in broad daylight on Monday.
“If you don’t have it behind glass or screwed down, they’ll walk away with it,” lamented Holland, 43.
Surveillance cameras recorded the bold theft, which happened just before 4 p.m.
A man in a baseball cap can be seen staring at the painting as he enters the basement-level shop.
After browsing the store for several minutes, he leaves — plucking the large framed canvas painting off the wall and carrying it out the door.
“My guess is he’d been in the store before,” Holland said. “We’ve had paintings on the wall going up the stairs since we opened. This is the first time someone has actually walked off with one.”
Holland said the painting comes from eastern Europe and dates to the late 1960s. The painting’s value was determined by his appraisal (he’s accredited with the Canadian Association of Personal Property Appraisers).
The artwork depicts three horses — one white, one dark brown, one reddish-brown — all galloping towards the viewer, with a burning barn in the background.
“It’s all right. It wasn’t quite my taste,” Holland admitted.
Holland said the theft of the painting on Monday was only the most recent incident in which his business has been targeted by criminals.
Among the many items that have disappeared from the store since it opened about nine years ago: gold and silver jewelry, rare coins, military medals, signed sports memorabilia, first-edition books — and even toys.
According to Holland, mint condition Transformers from the early 1980s and die-cast metal Hot Wheels cars from the “Redline Era” (pre-1977) can be quite valuable in the collectibles market — and thieves know it.
“Old Hot Wheels, those fly right off the shelves — without being paid for,” Holland said. “A Redline from the late 60s, early 70s, can sell for up to $150. You would be amazed.”
Holland estimates he’s lost about $50,000 in goods over the past seven years because of shoplifters and burglars.
“It’s becoming more and more of an issue. Ottawa Street has really taken a big hit over the last few years,” Holland said.
“There are not many retailers on Ottawa Street that haven’t had significant theft. I would think it’s because it’s one of the last remaining shopping districts in the city.”
Holland described the thief as a Caucasian male, six-foot or taller, with a medium build. He appeared to be in his 30s.
At the time of the crime, the man was clean-shaven and wearing black-rimmed glasses, an Oakland A’s baseball cap, a hooded sweater, a denim jacket, blue pants, and black-and-white sneakers.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Windsor police at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830 or Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477. Incident number 13-15428.
Andrea Huntley and Lawrence Holland, owners of Holland Consignment Shoppe And Auction House on Ottawa Street, are shown in their store in Windsor, Ont. on March 5, 2013. A thief stole a painting from the store but has been captured on video. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)
