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‘I’m not so passionate about it’: Winner of multi-million dollar Gretzky card case says he’s changed his mind

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The man who bought a highly sought-after multimillion-dollar case of hockey cards now says he doesn’t want them anymore.

CBC confirmed that Ontario-based real estate agent Jack Arshawsky won the auction for a case containing thousands of unopened 1979-1980 O-Pee-Chee brand hockey cards — the set that contains Wayne Gretzky’s rookie card — for $3.72 million US.

However, Arshawsky says he has not paid the full amount for the cards yet, so they remain in the auction house’s “vault.”

The box of unopened hockey cards was found in a Saskatchewan family’s attic. American-based auction house Heritage Auctions, which ran the sale, estimated there could be as many as 25 to 27 Gretzky rookie cards in the case.

A single rookie Gretzky card has previously sold at auction for $3.75 million US.

Online bidding for the cards went into “extended bidding time,” dragging into the early morning, according to Arshawsky.

He said he chugged four Red Bull energy drinks to keep him “focused and sharp” in order to continue bidding competitively.

“I actually have one of Wayne Gretzky’s 1979 rookie cards myself, right, and that’s what piqued my interest when I heard about the auction coming up,” Arshawsky said.

But now he’s not so sure he is the best person to possess the cards, he said.

Buyer’s remorse?

Arshawsky said the spark just isn’t there for him when it comes to card collecting.

“I’m not so passionate about it as I’ve seen, like, other people in the sports collecting world, like how they’re so into it, and it’s like their lives kind of revolve around it,” said Arshawsky.

He said he’s reached out to the likes of Canadian rapper Drake, NHL team owners and Wayne Gretzky’s family to see if they might want to own the cards.

He even floated the idea of gifting the cards to his “true soulmate,” who he met in his childhood.

Arshawsky said his feelings about the purchase changed after hearing an interview with a Heritage Auction executive talking about the bidder who came in second place.

The executive in the interview “explained that the runner-up bidder was, like, very disappointed that he missed out on winning the bid, and really, that caused me to have … empathy for him,” said Arshawsky.

“I realize that there are others out there that are much more passionate about this. I started a journey, I guess, to find, I think, what would be a better home for these cards.”

720K not paid yet

In the last stretch of the bidding action there were about 15 unique bidders, according to the auction house. It then whittled down to two candidates, who cranked the final price to $3.72 million US, with Arshawsky winning. He said he has paid $3 million, leaving $720,000 remaining unpaid.

Arshawsky said he believes the safest place for the cards is “in their vault in Texas” — referring to where Heritage Auctions is based out of.

“When I finalize what the final destination for these cards will be, [I] will make arrangements for them to be transferred.”

Heritage Auctions said in an emailed statement that it does not provide secure storage indefinitely for items after an auction occurs. Heritage also said the time that buyers have to complete a payment “varies depending on circumstances,” but that “there are no limitations” on how soon Heritage could auction the same item again.

Situation is ‘bizarre’: expert

Ryan Haynee, the owner of Queen City Sports Cards in Regina, said it sounds like Arshawsky “bit off maybe more than he can chew.”

He said the situation is a little “bizarre” and this is not normal for a transaction of this magnitude.

“It’s definitely unusual and I would say, you know, majority of the time 100 per cent is paid before anything’s released.”

Profit is unlikely in the short-term, according to Haynee, but he said that if the buyer is looking to recoup some of the money, he could potentially open the unopened case — likely the only one in the world — and sell off the 16 individual boxes inside to potentially turn a profit.

Hanyee said he sees a possible outcome where the auction house reimburses Arshawsky and re-auctions the case.

Rich Mueller, an editor at Sports Collectors Daily and an expert in sports cards, agreed this is unusual.

“This is the first time that a high profile item like this, that I can remember, has sold … and the item is kind of in limbo,” he said.

Mueller added that auction houses never want this type of situation for any amount of money.

“They don’t want to have to, you know, put the item back up for sale again,” he said. “That’s not what they’re in the business to doing and the consignor wants to get paid.”

Mueller said there is usually legal language in the contracts that people agree to in order to bid, binding them to pay for an item regardless of what the the price is.

He said depending on what happens, Heritage may take legal action in the future, or they could decide the legal fees are not worth it and try to find another buyer.

 

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Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

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The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

X

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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