LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) - A collector is suing an Arkansas storage company and the company he says is now holding his comic books over the theft of a $250,000 collection.
David Shipps on Feb. 14 filed suit in Pulaski County Circuit Court against Dave & Adam's Card World and Red Dot Storage, seeking the return of comic books he says were stolen from his storage unit.
Shipps used his own lock at the unit, where he stored his comic book collection. The complaint alleges the facility was subject to several break-ins and thefts because of a lack of appropriate security and fences, doors and gates that didn't properly lock.
Shipps also alleges a lack of video surveillance and security guards. The suit says co-defendant Josh Hannah changed the locks on the unit and contacted Dave & Adam's Card World to sell the collection.
In September, D&A paid $45,000 to Shipps and his conspirators for a collection including Incredible Hulk No. 1 signed by creator Stan Lee, the suit says. The total value of items sold was more than $150,000, Shipps says.
D&A did not verify the collection belonged to the thieves and should have known the property was stolen, the suit says. Shipps has requested the return of items it bought, but D&A has refused, the suit says.
Some of the collection is still in Hannah's possession, the suit says.