Jim Weir is one of those old-fashioned guys who believes in his community and the people who live in it.
But his love for all things Quad-Cities was shaken back in May when what he called a “truly unique character piece” of art was stolen from a rental unit at U-Store-It in Moline.
What, exactly, is a “character piece” you might ask?
“That’s what people with money call a piece of art,” Weir said Tuesday. “I never had that kind of money, but I traded for it about 20 years ago.”
Weir is almost 88 years old, has a full head of white hair, and wore a fresh pair of Levi’s as he led a tour of his namesake Weir Building on 38th Avenue, Moline. It’s the home of a couple insurance agencies, a dentist’s office, law offices, and a counseling service.
“Tenants. They get all the credit when you rent space in a building like mine,” Weir said. “Great tenants make things work.”
People are also reading…
He reached a comfortable conference room in the building’s basement and showed off a free map of the Quad-Cities he helped local Realtors chart. He then emptied a small black bag and produced some pictures of what resembled a gnarled version of the monolith from “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
Its surface was twisted, undulating around holes pierced through the character piece. Its title, Weir said, is “Hills and Valleys.”
“It’s a statue. Cast bronze. All bronze. It’s big – 6 feet tall, and it easily weighs 200 pounds,” he said.
It definitely had character. Or was made by one.
Hours before Weir showed his pictures, the Moline Police officer assigned to the theft paused when asked about the character piece. Or statue. Or monolith.
“It’s, well, something like body art? Maybe?” he said. “I think it’s supposed to be suggestive, let’s just say that.”
Weir tried to explain the whole story:
“I was friends with a man named Mel Mohr. He owned a place, I think it was called Industrial Surplus,” Weir said. “He was a salvage fellow and one day he was explaining to me how sometimes people got rid of things just because it was more expensive to move them than to just be rid of them.”
During the conversation, Mohr introduced Weir to the character piece.
“Now this is what Mel told me: He said he knew Hugh Hefner and this character piece sat in one of the Playboy Clubs,” Weir said. “I didn’t have the kind of money for the thing, but I had always collected old farm things, like anvils and other tools. So we made the trade.
“Back then I owned a bar-restaurant, and I put it there.”
Weir didn’t want to talk too much about the bar. He did say the character piece ended up in his garage until family convinced him to move it into storage.
“It wasn’t too popular,” he said. “Everyone heard about it being in the Playboy Club and so it had a bad reputation, I guess. It had to go.”
A police report and an appeal from Crime Stoppers of the Quad-Cities described the theft of Weir’s character piece: On May 6, 2022, a burglary occurred to several units located at U-Store-It.
“One of the items reported stolen was a large unique bronze-cast art piece,” the report said.
Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities is asking those with information about the theft to call (309) 762-9500 or submit your tip using the app P3 Tips. All tips are anonymous. If your information leads to an arrest, you’ll receive a cash reward.
Weir said he isn’t interested in punishing the people who stole his piece.
“I figure it had to be four people – two people to carry at the top end and two people at the bottom end,” he said. “I just want it back; that’s all.
“I am very disappointed in the world today. If they needed help, I’d give it to them. But everyone makes mistakes. I understand that and I believe that. And I believe, maybe, those people will understand they took something that I care about.”