Stolen Camera Alert: Roleiflex Automat & Pentax Super Program

[Worker 11811]

A case full of camera gear was stolen from my car last night.
Car was parked inside the garage. The person or persons entered the garage and rifled the car.
Location stolen: Erie, Pa - Neighborhood near Erie Airport

Stolen items include:
Roleiflex Automat TLR and leather carry case.
Pentax Super Program 35mm SLR -- 50mm f-2 automatic aperture lens.
Pentax motor drive for above.
Gossen Luna Pro handheld light meter and leather carry case.
Black Pelican case with cube foam insert. -- Name and phone number inscribed on case in white letters.

All serial numbers are recorded. Photos of each item on record.
Police report filed with local police. Above information included in report.
Since this occurred inside an occupied structure, the charges will also include B&E/Burglary.
Serial numbers have been entered into stolen goods database.

Will be watching Ebay, Craigslist ,et. al.

Cash reward will be paid for return or information leading to return.
Prefer to resolve this situation without further involvement from the police.

Contact:
Randy Stankey
E-mail address of record at APUG.org or PM.

Thanks,

Randy S.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Sorry to hear about by your loss.

Jeff

 

[ToddB]

What the F--- is wrong with people. That's just aweful.

ToddB

 

[Fixcinater]

Hey Randy-

I do hope you get your stuff back. In case it takes a while, or you don't, I'd like to offer up any of the cameras/lenses in my recent thread, (there was a url link here which no longer exists), and a meter: Bower TK-79, Weston model 853, or Gossen Lunasix (original), I would like to send them to you. Send me a PM if interested.

 

[BrianShaw]

Sorry to hear this, Randy. What a terrible thing to experience.

 

[Worker 11811]

Thanks for the moral support.

At first, it didn't really bother me a whole lot, except for being a pit pissed off.
Maybe I could have done things differently but I thought, "Theives are thieves." They steal stuff no matter what.

I came home after work and discovered that somebody had unscrewed the flood light bulbs in the motion sensor fixture above the garage door. That started me thinking about it.

Now I am sitting in front of the computer, printing out photos and making lists of serial numbers.
Tomorrow and the next day, I'll have to go around to the pawn shops and second hand stores. Already talked to the owner of one pawn shop. He was pretty helpful. But, as I'm doing all of this, I'm starting to feel all sorts of pissed off. Dammitt! I've got enough crap to deal with. I don't need this!

I just went outside and smoked a cigarette and, now, I'm ready to go to bed. Logically, I know this shouldn't bug me so much but it does.

I probably shouldn't say this because it will set off all kinds of flame wars but I'll say it anyway.
I just, now, loaded a full magazine of ammo in my AR-15. It will be under the bed when I go to sleep.
It shouldn't make any difference whether it's in the rack, where it normally gets stored, which is only ten feet away or two feet away, under the bed but it just makes me feel better. I'll put it away in the morning.

I went out to shoot pictures with another camera, this evening but I only shot half a roll of crap.
This shouldn't bother me. I don't know why it does.
I just need some time to process.

 

[BrianShaw]

...

Logically, I know this shouldn't bug me so much but it does.

...

This shouldn't bother me. I don't know why it does.
I just need some time to process.

Yes, it should bug you. That is normal and justified. Sure, it would be nice to be so able to thing, "it's just stuff and stuff is replaceable" but that isn't normal.

Put the gun away. You can't shoot someone for stealing stuff anyway (as tempting as it may be).

 

[Worker 11811]

I won't be shooting anybody who isn't trying to shoot me first.
It's already back in the rack.

Besides, shootin' is too good for him. It'd be a waste of a good bullet.


The thing that pisses me off is the tacit expression that, for some reason, I'm not supposed to be pissed off.
I get asked all these questions like, "Was it locked?" "Where was it parked?" "Why was your camera in the car?" It's like people are saying I'm not allowed to be upset because its my fault. Well that's BS, I say! I shouldn't have to live in a locked down fortress be cause of some thieving dirtbag!

Yeah, it's just a stupid hunk of metal but its MY stupid hunk of metal.
It won't be sellable in this town. I know all the people at all the stores that sell second hand cameras. Word has already gone out to all the camera clubs. Nobody who would be capable of using those cameras would buy them. Photos and serial numbers are already on the street. Those cameras are hot!

The best thing for the dirtbag who took them to do would be to drop them on my doorstep in the middle of the night because, if they are caught, they're going to the slammer.

I'm still pissed off, though...

 

[Worker 11811]

FOUND IT ON EBAY!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Rolleif...904?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item2ec8f2dc38

Serial number matches. Location is my hometown. I know my stuff by sight.

Already called the cops. They're working on it.

PSYCHED!! :w00t:

 

[Rick A]

AWRITE!!! I was going to be scanning CL for the gear, glad to see you might be getting it back soon.

 

[Barry S]

Randy-- Good news, and good luck with the recovery. The rat selling it says it's from an "estate". To paraphrase Twain--the rumors of your estate sale are greatly exaggerated.

 

[Klainmeister]

Zing, well played sir!!!!

 

[KennyMark]

Good news Randy!

Friends of mine who's home was burglarized said that the worst part was feeling violated. It was a psychological reaction that took a long time to shake.

You shouldn't be mad at yourself or anyone that asks questions, they're just trying to ascertain how much work it was for the thief as well as eliminate you as a possible insurance fraud (yes, people do that too. We had a few similar questions from the fire chief and insurance adjustor and "cause and origin" investigator following our house fire. It felt a bit accusatory at first but then we realized, just people doing their job because people defraud insurance companies all the time).

Keep us posted, it's always good to hear the complete story.

Kenny

 

[KennyMark]

From the description:
"We found this in an estate" and "We clean out a lot of estates"
Really? Holy cow...
I'm guessing they're not the typical crackhead burglar.

 

[Worker 11811]

Google Alerts was the key.

http://www.google.com/alerts

Set up alerts for Craigslist, eBay and everything else you can think of.
Use the "site:www.xyz.com keyword" search parameter.
Look for every keyword you can think of. "Roleiflex, "Camera" or what have you.

eBay will send an e-mail link to your gmail account whenever there is a hit.

I got a hit off "Gossen".

I asked the cop if he would let me watch him put the handcuffs on the guy. He laughed and thought it was funny.

BTW: Yeah, they clean out estates, alright!

 

[BrianShaw]

Incredible... I hope the rest of the process with the cops and recovery of your gear goes well (and quickly)!

 

[BrianShaw]

p.s. what other kind of good stuff is the seller listing????

 

[Worker 11811]

Thanks! I'm literally vibrating right now!
Fingers and toes are crossed! Eyes are crossed too!

Just as a thought...
What if we start a thread or an article about what to do if your camera gear is stolen?
Maybe we already have something like that. If not, I suppose we (I) could start something.

My main piece of advice would be to haunt eBay like a ghost. Craigslist, too.
Pawn shops, second hand stores, Salvation Army, camera stores.
E-mail blasts to your camera club. The works.

If you haven't already, photograph everything and record the serial numbers!
The serial number is what clinched it for me.

P.S. - The seller isn't selling any of my other gear. If they are shady, they'll probably bleed it off slowly or, maybe spread it around to other accounts.

 

[benjiboy]

I'm pleased you located your gear Randy, what a stupid bastard the thief is it's the first place the owner would look, it just makes me wonder how much of the stuff on eBay is stolen. A few years ago the police took over a we buy anything second hand shop in Glasgow and found that over 90% of the stuff they were offered for sale was stolen, and I myself when I managed camera stores wouldn't buy or part exchange any equipment unless the customer could provide some proof of ownership and would sign a document to say he/she was the legal owner of the equipment to avoid us being charged with receiving stolen goods.

 

[Worker 11811]

I talked to the guy at the pawn shop at length.

He said that there is no requirement in this state to document purchases but, if the goods he buys come up as stolen, he can be on the hook for receiving stolen property. If he documents the sale, he'll be okay as long as he cooperates with the cops.

However, he'll still be out the money and the goods unless he sues for recovery. How likely would he be to recover from a crackhead looking for his next fix?

The owner said, if he thinks it's hinky, he lowballs they guy and only offers him $10.
Should the merchandise come up dirty, he's only out a few bucks.

 

[MattKing]

In our area, used goods sellers (including pawn shops) have to:

1) send details about all goods in certain categories they acquire to a registry maintained by the local police;
2) hold those goods for a certain number of business days (usually more than a month); and
3) confirm that the goods are not flagged in the registry as being stolen before they are re-sold or redeemed out of pawn.

Otherwise, they risk charges and/or losing their business licenses.

As a result, it is a pain to sell your used equipment through a store, and the stores have to put a lot more work into selling used equipment, but on the other hand a fair amount of stolen property ends up being recovered.

 

[clayne]

Throwing some stuff out there (based off of the seller's name, which I'm not reposting here):

https://www.facebook.com/TerrisTreasures814
http://national.citysearch.com/profile/43649491/erie_pa/terri_s_treasures.html
http://local.yahoo.com/info-49614767-treasures-erie

 

[Worker 11811]

Awesome!

I reported this information to the police.
The detective I spoke to said that there are so many reports of stolen goods that they don't have time to follow up on them BUT because I called and gave some leads, my case has been assigned to a detective to be investigated.

He also said that theft from a car is classified as a third level misdemeanor but, since it was stolen from inside a garage, it is considered a felony.oliceman:

Thanks, clayne, for helping me to get my case moved to the top of the stack!

Thanks, everybody else, for your moral support and help!

It makes a big difference!

 

[summicron1]

maybe you should just bid on it and ask to pick it up, with your friend, the cop, along to drive ...? so far it's really cheap.

 

[Zathras]

Hey Randy,

Let us know if they do manage to arrest the scumbag that did this to you.