Klarinet Archive - Posting 000253.txt from 1996/09

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: stolen clarinets
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 1996 23:36:49 -0400

Jim has told of his student who had her clarinets stolen.

A number of instruments are stolen in this area every year and many of
them follow the same path. The thief is interested in the money and
the easiest way to get it is through a pawn shop. That is how most
instruments are returned to their owners. But one must visit every
pawn shop personally and with some frequency for weeks. Police
bulletins get lost. The greatest success is when the pawnshop workers
have been personally briefed by the owner.

We recently had a case of two Heckel bassoons that got swiped and then
sold to a pawn shop for $100 each. Instrument thiefs don't know the
value of the things they have. Stradavarius violins have been pawned
for $50. That is something that has to be stressed to the pawn shop
owners; i.e., the person willing to take a very little amount of money
for what is a valuable thing.

Good luck.

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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