This is quite a coincidence.

I'm thinking, as mentioned above somewhere, Deputy Fife here plays cards with Mr. Pawnshop owner, or is otherwise BFF's with him.

I don't think it's that, they are in two different areas and have little to do with each other. It seems like the general laziness that I've encountered with other thefts. The shop owner has a believable. story and some guy is complaining about some lost toys. Case closed get back to writing some tickets to pay the bills.

I think the fact that these trains are in brand new condition, and in their original box just like the rest of your collection, shows how much more likely they are to be your stolen trains. I don't know how old your trains were, but you did mention that they are rarely seen for sale, and then these pop up right in your area. They aren't sealed in plastic, so the shop nor the popo can realistically say they are "new".

I just feel like they are really dropping the ball on this case. I think it may be time to give the local news consumer advocate person a call.

The_Jed wrote: How about starting a gofundme or kickstarter "help me buy back my stolen trains". I would gladly send some cash so a fellow GRMer doesn't feel double berkeleyed.

Count me in too.
A small price to "save Christmas"

I could only talk to the police briefly yesterday as I was leaving work and the train was headed below ground. I am going to try and talk to him this morning, then I am going up to the store to talk to the people there.

I appreciate the offer of money but that's not the issue. I have a number I may begrudgingly part with but the thought of buying my own things back is sickening and at the ludicrous price he's advertising isn't going to happen. They are not seen often but at about 12 years old they aren't particularly valuable. Even to me they are more of a sentimental value than anything else.

I wasn't trying to insinuate that you can't afford to buy them back. I apologize if that's how it came across.

I definitely believe you shouldn't have to afford it, though.

No I didn't take it that way and I appreciate the idea.

Wally wrote: Case closed get back to writing some tickets to pay the bills.

That's generally been my experience with them when it comes to essentially everything. If they can't generate revenue via a ticket, they won't do anything. Doesn't matter how many witnesses there are, or what sort of proof you have.

It does stink to have to buy back your trains, but it's likely the only course of action you have to getting them back.

What a crappy situation.

A friend of mine a few years back had a bunch of stuff stolen from his house by some neighborhood punks, including some family heirloom jewelry that was worth a lot, and he immediately contacted the police. He got the same "oh well, we are too lazy to help you" response. He took matters into his own hands, found the punks who stole the stuff, and found out where they pawned the stuff to. He then contacted the shops and the local paper, who ran a story in the paper and online.

http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20100729/News/307299594

I know the whole article isn't there, but you get the point.

This leveraged their cause and showed that the police were incompetent and forced their hand.

I would try to do the same thing if you can.

I went to the shop this morning. The guy was friendly enough. I get the impression that the PD never bothered to visit him. I am certain they are my trains. The boxes took a bit of a beating between here and there. Pawn shops only keep records on jewelry and rare coins so there is no paperwork and the seller doesn't stick out in his mind. The trains have been on eBay for some time which coincides with when I had the basement open alot when i had a flooding problem. I can buy them back for what he paid which I guess is fair enough, though I'm still not happy about it.

What did he pay, what are they worth, and what is he asking?

fair enough. surveillance cameras probably wiped?

one other thought, what is the deductible on your home insurance?

He said he paid $250 for the pair and was selling them for $300 each. I paid $475 for them the first time. My deductible is $1000.

Uhm, if they're stolen and police agree, then IIRC he will lose them and be subject to consequences.

Can you say: "Look, the police aren't real helpful so far but I know they'll eventually come through for me. I'll give you $100 and we can call it even, or I can tie your shop up for a few years in a legal battle. Which would you rather do?"

If I thought the police would eventually come around I could try that. The shop owner seemed to be more cooperative than the police. I have enough problems right now that if I can get these back and move on I'll have to be ok with that. It would have been nice if the third set turned up but I can't worry any more about it.

In reply to Wally:

I don't think the point was to actually rely on the police.

I think the point was to suggest to the shop owner that it could end badly for him, and get him to "volunteer" to cooperate.

If I was a shop owner who might be in possession of stolen goods, I'd happily take $100 to make the problem go away.

This still aggravates me.DetectiveDonut needs to get off his ass and do his job. Victimized twice. Once by the LEO

In reply to TRoglodyte:

the issue with all of that, is you think the LEO's job is to serve and protect. this could not be further from the truth. its a nice thought, and im sure there are plenty of examples of when cops DID actually help, but their JOB is to generate revenue and harass the public.

jaded? me? no......

-J0N

jmthunderbirdturbo wrote: In reply to TRoglodyte: the issue with all of that, is you think the LEO's job is to serve and protect. this could not be further from the truth. its a nice thought, and im sure there are plenty of examples of when cops DID actually help, but their JOB is to generate revenue and harass the public. jaded? me? no...... -J0N

Sad...but I have to agree. All law enforcement has been gravitation towards revenue generation as a primary function. There is no profit to be had by rescuing a set of toy trains.

Unfortunately, with the country essentially bankrupt from a fiscal point of view, bureaucracies that were once symbiotic with the general populous, have crossed the line to parasitic in order to survive. When you consider that the first mandate of any bureaucracy is to create more bureaucracy, this is a very scary thing.

Legally I seem to have no claim to anything without a serial number and receipts proving I purchased them. I got to spend yesterday outside doing Christmas lights and talking to neighbors. Another house has had a window pried open and some tools taken and a third lost a TV. All the way at the end of the road is a house that has been empty since June when the owner died. It has had a couple windows broken and the front door was kicked in recently. We have repaired the door and covered the windows and spoken to the old man's son down in VA. The police and sheriff are still coming down the block far more than they used to and have had to visit the section 8 house a few times for other problems. The "lady" of the house feels the need to get mouthy whenever she walks by which is more often than one would expect. I hope we cycle through this group quickly.