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House Robbed Today - Question at searching pawn shops

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Cannonball, Oct 16, 2009.

  1. Cannonball

    Cannonball Contributing Member

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    So my house was broken into this morning. I'm not going into details but I had about $2,500 of musical equipment stolen, most of that being my flute. Then they stole a bunch of jewelry. Most of it wasn't expensive but some things had a lot of sentimental value. We've filed a police report. It's too late to contact the insurance company today but we'll get with them as soon as possible.

    So we're going to be searching the pawn shops just in case they pawned anything. Can anyone advise a good radius to do a search in? I think that if the stuff gets pawned, it's likely to be at places somewhat nearby. So 5 mile radius or what? Also, how long should we wait before searching? No sense in searching the pawn shops if they haven't pawned anything yet.

    I realize there's no set way criminals do these things but can anyone give me ballpark suggestions? Anybody here with experience looking for stolen items in pawn shops?
     
  2. Fatty FatBastard

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    LOL @ the flute. Who plays those?


    Just call pawn shops in a couple weeks and ask if they've seen a flute recently. Go from there. Those things aren't exactly flying off the shelves.

    Flute.
     
  3. The_Yoyo

    The_Yoyo Contributing Member

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    I am sorry for your loss


    but


    you play the flute?
     
  4. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Contributing Member
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    Sorry to hear that. My house got robbed a couple of years ago and the cops checked at the pawn shop nearest my house, about 3/4 of a mile away, and caught two guys trying to pawn a TV without a receipt. Unfortunately it wasn't mine. What the cops told me was that if you have your reciepts and get that info to the cops they can put a flag on the items serial numbers for pawnshops to report.

    I'm guessing though that most pawn shops aren't that ethical as I haven't gotten a call since.
     
  5. Cannonball

    Cannonball Contributing Member

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    I'm a professional musician. My main instrument is the saxophone. Sax players have to know how to play flute and clarinet if they want to gig a lot, which I do. My church gig in 90% flute. Luckily, I have another crappy one I can use until I can replace the one that was stolen.

    I played a gig last night and the flute was in a black bag along with my sax stands, microphones and cables. I'm sure they didn't know what they were taking because they left my saxophones which are considerably more expensive.
     
  6. Shovel Face

    Shovel Face Member

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    I would be checking local Craigslist and Ebay too.
     
  7. Cannonball

    Cannonball Contributing Member

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    Oh, I will be.

    There's a trombonist town. Plays everything and is principal trombonist with the ballet and opera orchestras. He had his horn stolen this past year and found it on eBay. He worked with the cops and got his horn back while the cops took down a fencing operation.
     
  8. SirCharlesFan

    SirCharlesFan Contributing Member

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    hopefully the thief doesn't take your flute to band camp
     
    1 person likes this.
  9. Space Ghost

    Space Ghost Contributing Member

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    Here in NC, pawnshops are required to check all serial numbers if they are available. That probably won't help with the flute, but write serial numbers down for everything else.
     
  10. Rip Van Rocket

    Rip Van Rocket Contributing Member

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    Well, that sucks. I won't make any jokes about the flute. I had a couple of horns stolen from me and it still stings a little. People tend to get more attached to their musical instruments than many other items they own. Good luck.
     
  11. RedRowdy111

    RedRowdy111 Contributing Member

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    Flute....lol.

    Sorry about your loss.
     
  12. Hmm

    Hmm Member

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    judging by the amount of "lol" behavior exhibited by many in this thread towards a valid musical instrument.. I'm surprised someone hasn't come out and directly labeled it.. "ghey".. and been done with it..
     
  13. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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    Man that sucks.....I would check the pawn shops in the more seedy areas.

    DD
     
  14. MrRoboto

    MrRoboto Member

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    Pawn shops are an extremely regulated business.

    If you were able to provide details such as make, model and serial numbers to the police then that information will be checked against pawned merchandise and a hold placed on it all.

    I once had some equipment stolen and the person who stole the items had to pay me restitution, in person, for lost revenue due to the lack of the proper tools.

    In the old days they had to hold purchased items for a period of time before placing them out for sale. I'm not sure what the stipulations are these days. If they took out a loan on the items then there will be a period of time, depending on the store's policy, before the default on the loan and subsequent adding to the store's inventory for sale.

    Craigslist and Ebay are good alternatives in the meantime. Jewelry is a much more difficult item to track. Your best hope is that the person pawns something with a serial number along with the jewelry and the items end up at the same place.

    Good luck - and I have no doubt if you were able to provide serial numbers that the items will eventually turn up somewhere and you will at least get some of your stuff back.

    Thieves suck.

    Domo
     
  15. Codman

    Codman Contributing Member

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    Man, Cannonball, sorry about the robbery. That stuff sucks. I've never had my home broken into, but I've had my car robbed and totally destroyed. I know how you feel.


    Karma is a mutha...and those criminals will get the business sooner or later.


    Good luck.
     
  16. kpsta

    kpsta Contributing Member

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  17. SpiffyRifi

    SpiffyRifi Member

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    assuming you reported it to the police and you were able to provide serial numbers, the cops can check all the pawn shops on the computer.
     
  18. Jugdish

    Jugdish Member

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    More a skinflute man yourself, are you?
     
  19. LonghornFan

    LonghornFan Contributing Member

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  20. Fatty FatBastard

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    More of a loser, I take?
     

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