Direct examination of Larry Levine

📄 Direct examination of Larry Levine — Friday, February 7, 1997

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CIVIL\1997\FEB\7\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-LARRY-LE.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 56 of 57

◀ Larry Levine sworn in Redirect examination of Larry Levine ▶

Witness: Larry Levine
Examiner: Dan Leonard
Called by: Defense • Date: Friday, February 7, 1997 • Utterances: 14

Dan Leonard conducts a brief direct examination of Larry Levine, owner of Memory Lane sports memorabilia store in Manhattan Beach, establishing his credentials as a 10-year dealer and exhibitor at over 500 card shows. Levine testifies that the OJ Simpson memorabilia market was booming before June 1994, with prices doubling overnight, but has since gone completely dead — he's sold perhaps one autographed photo in the past year and a half, and had to pull OJ items from his display floor due to negative customer reaction.

# 1 Q:

Morning, Mr. Levine.

# 2 A:

Morning.

# 3 Q:

Are you employed, sir?

# 4 A:

I am the owner of a sports memorabilia store in Manhattan Beach called Memory Lane.

# 5 Q:

How long have you been involved in that business, sir?

# 6 A:

I've been involved in the business as a dealer for approximately 10 years and before that I've been a hobbyest and collector of sports memorabilia basically my whole life.

# 7 Q:

And do you get involved not only in the retail level but do you go out to the card shows and the memorabilia shows?

# 8 A:

Yes, I do. In addition to owning a retail store, I've been an exhibitor at probably over 500 card shows over the last ten years.

# 9 Q:

And based on your experience both on the retail level and also at the card shows and memorabilia shows, have you come to be knowledgeable about the market for sports memorabilia?

# 10 A:

Yes. I'm dealing in it every day. I'm very familiar with the market.

# 11 Q:

Let's cut right to the chase. What's the condition of the market for O.J. Simpson memorabilia right now, sir?

# 12 A:

Right now, the market for O.J. Simpson memorabilia is ice cold. Over the past year and a half, I think I've -- I may have sold one autographed photo of O.J. Simpson. Prior to that, back in '94, June of '94, when this thing happened, the O.J. Simpson memorabilia market was very, very hot. It was the hottest thing around. Prices basically doubled overnight and got to a point where it leveled off. And after -- after the verdict it just went totally dead and it's basically nonexistent at this point.

KEY QUOTE

# 13 Q:

Do you actually display O.J. Simpson memorabilia in your store?

# 14 A:

We have displayed O.J. Simpson pictures at my store. However, it got to the point where I was getting more negative feedback having it in there so I had to take it down and now we just have a few pieces that we keep in the back room if anyone asks for it.

Temperature

routine

Key Quotes (3)

Larry Levine

Right now, the market for O.J. Simpson memorabilia is ice cold. Over the past year and a half, I think I've -- I may have sold one autographed photo of O.J. Simpson.

Core testimony establishing collapse of OJ's commercial value — direct evidence of economic harm to his likeness and brand.

Larry Levine

After -- after the verdict it just went totally dead and it's basically nonexistent at this point.

Ties the market collapse explicitly to the criminal verdict, establishing the reputational damage that followed.

Larry Levine

It got to the point where I was getting more negative feedback having it in there so I had to take it down and now we just have a few pieces that we keep in the back room if anyone asks for it.

Shows the damage extends beyond sales figures — retailers won't even publicly display OJ merchandise due to consumer backlash.

Notable Exchanges (1)

Dan Leonard•Larry Levine

Leonard cuts directly to the market value question after minimal credential-laying, and Levine delivers a crisp before/after contrast of OJ memorabilia demand — booming in June 1994, nonexistent post-verdict.

strategic

Objections

None recorded

Proceeding 8928 • 14 utterances • Defense witness

Civil Trial

Department 103