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You see a guitar on CL stolen from you years ago. What do you do?


KofSeattle

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Just saw a guitar on CL stolen from me when I was a kid. The customizations dont lie but i have no proof. It was over 30 years ago. Thinking about buying it back? Can't afford it but this was something pretty special to me. Just curious what others would do? Cheers!

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If you don’t have a police report with a description or pics, and I imagine the statute of limitations has run out, being it's been thirty years, I’d just buy it back. After this long, who knows how far removed the current owner is from the person who originally nabbed it. 

Of course, with guilt being a horrible thing, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from asking them questions about where it came from, etc. 

You shouldn’t wait if you want it back. It would suck for it to get sold out from under you. 

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Yeah, I sent an offer. Can't afford it but it was special to me. It was taken from my home in a home invasion style burglary. I will definitely try and figure out where it has been but do k ow I ha e no legal grounds. 

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Just now, Carl.B said:

Did you file a insurance claim on it? If you did contact the insurance company/agent see if they have any documentation on it. 

I was 15 so I am sure my parents did but who knows who the insurer was. Honestly all I want to do is buy the guitar and if I'm lucky get the story after the purchase. It is super local close so it is very possible the history has stuck with it. Problem is the seller has a very optimistic price for it and so far no response to my offer. I offered what they have sold for on eBay plus 50. Cheers. 

It's close enough they may have got my email and are sitting at their place thinking "awww s**t that was the guy I swiped it from in high school?" 🤣 

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Do you have any original receipts/etc from the guitar when you still had it? Serial number records?

I believe that the statute of limitations, in this case, starts when the other party is contacted regarding the stolen merchandise.

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After 30 years it remains your memories but no one else’s. The one thing you can do is buying it back. 

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10 hours ago, ptm1diver said:

I have a thought.  What about providing a link to the ad and some of us put in really low ball offers and want shipping.  Maybe the seller will consider your offer then.

^^^THIS!!!

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I ended up having to just put it out of my mind. It would be quite foolish for me to buy it right now. If it is still around if/when the medical bills are paid and I find a job I might just pay full price to reunite with it. It was a burst flametop Washburn A20V from the 80's. It belonged to a guitarist from a local Seattle band "the Heats". I picked it up in a guitar shop when I was 14-15. I favored its neck as it was my first experience with a V backed neck, it was amazing the bends you could get, very smooth. Plus it was pretty. I was gone hunting with my dad and someone broke into my house with my mum there and took all of my equipment. Scary shit back then. Oh well, I came to my senses. Cheers!

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When I saw Howard Leese from Heart with one, I had to have one.  I think Carlos Cavazo from Quiet Riot played one too.  I remember the V-neck too!  Mine was heavy as lead, but it sounded pretty good.  Waxing nostalgic for one might not measure up in "real life" these days.  I bought one a few years ago and was not nearly as fond of it as I'd remembered.  Kind of like the Ibanez Artists from the Seventies.  And the Yamaha SG series.  And the Hagstrom Swede's.  And.......you get the idea.

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/\ /\ /\ /\

Be careful what you wish for. I posted a PSA here for a Calli that was on the local CL and so many members bombarded the seller with offers the price went up more than 50%.

 

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9 hours ago, killerteddybear said:

This one?

00Z0Z_bXdfWuwGPzU_1200x900.jpg

yep.

 

4 hours ago, The Shark said:

When I saw Howard Leese from Heart with one, I had to have one.  I think Carlos Cavazo from Quiet Riot played one too.  I remember the V-neck too!  Mine was heavy as lead, but it sounded pretty good.  Waxing nostalgic for one might not measure up in "real life" these days.  I bought one a few years ago and was not nearly as fond of it as I'd remembered.  Kind of like the Ibanez Artists from the Seventies.  And the Yamaha SG series.  And the Hagstrom Swede's.  And.......you get the idea.

yeah, that's why I originally bought it. I don't expect it to be as good as I remember but I still have fond memories of playing that guitar with my best bud. Those were much better times and my amigo has since left us by his own hand. Really just a nostalgia thing I guess. I am proud of the personal growth though I must say. It wasn't that long ago I would have just called on some brothers, made an offer, met up and taken it back with violence. Now, I would just be happy to lay hands on it to confirm it was my old friend and hear the story of where its been. Not like I need another guitar :) , well ok, maybe. Just a few more someday.

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  I had one,  had seen carlos cavazo playing one on solid gold I think... lol.    recall a V shaped neck,

didn't play all that great but who had money for strings back then?.    I'm sure there are plenty of

stolen guitars out there that owner's are not aware of...  That poor guy could be 5 to 10 owners

away from the perp.   

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I wanted the bass version, too, because of the Pete Way ads and seeing one on display in a store at the time. 

Picking up one of those basses decades later was weird.  The feel of the neck and the balance of the bass were not really appealing.  In a way it would be nice to have one, and then again there are basses that look as cool and feel better. 

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There is no statute of limitations on ownership.  While the thief may not be able to be prosecuted, because good title of the property never passed, no subsequent owner, even a for-value purchaser, could legitimately/legally own it. That would require some showing that the theft occurred.

I bought a gorgeous white w/white/gold parts SS1 Custom from a Guitar Center and a year or two later, the original owner posted here asking if anyone had seen it.  He had police report with serial # and photos of him with it from 1986, just before it was stolen.  I returned the guitar to him and Guitar Center paid me for it, since they had neglected to do a stolen guitar database search.

 

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