Entire collection stolen, need help

Well, life has a way of making things "even" so to speak...I just came back from an incredible motorsport weekend...experienced Datsun/Nissan heaven for 2 straight days...even evaded a speeding ticket...and then this happens:

I'm about to leave for work this morning and I walk into the apartment parking garage. I notice my storage locker door is open...get closer and I see all my moving boxes are emptied....my entire model car kit collection was stolen:frown:

They didn't touch my real car, but other storage lockers were ransacked too.

I don't know what to do. I thought I would look on ebay or something. Maybe find an inventory list I made years ago. I didn't even want to think about it at work today but it's tough...I've had some of those kits since I was 15. Who the heck steals model kits?

Who the heck steals model kits?

Jerks! That's who! It's not even like they're going to make near as much money selling them as they are worth to you. That's just pure crappyness. It'd be understandble if they stole stereos or something, but model cars? Weird. How about you publish a list, and we can try to keep an eye out on ebay for suspicious lots or particular, rarish cars all by the same seller. You can use ebay for prosecution of stealing and selling stolen goods, I've seen it happen before.

Will I thought about watching ebay but really, what can you do about it?
The list sounds good, I can start re-building, at least from the receipts/memory I have.

...what can you do about it?

I know all us AFers go around ebay a lot. We can keep an eye out. I assume you've made a police report? If you see kits that seem like yours, you can notify the police and aid the investigation. I know a girl who had her guitar stolen, and recovered after finding it on ebay. I know it's a guitar, and not "just" model cars, but hey, I'd wanna nail that sucka.

There arent by chance security cameras in your garage? Have you filed police report? does your landlord know about this? Have others filed reports? Surely you need to speak with everyone that got robbed as some items they had may be more trackable then your models. Im buying a fucking safe, acually it might be more like a bank vault, sorry man, ill send you a kit if that helps?

I haven't called the police. I tried knocking on doors this morning and nobody answered, yet all of their cars were in the garage? This blows my mind. No cameras. I just moved here to South San Francisco, from a shady neighborhood in San Mateo...guess folks around here are pretty shady as well. I couldn't find the landlady either, turns out she's only around Wed-Fri. I'm buying a house, no more of this apartment crap! Here's a list, the rest I've forgotten or don't have receipts for...
I have already started searching hobby stores to rebuild...

18 Fujimi Datsun Fairlady SR311 (Historic Racing Version)
6 Datsun SR311 Fairlady 2000 hard top (Nichimo)
9 Arii 1/32 Fairlady 2000GT
2 Revell original BRE 510
4 Revell re-issued BRE 510
2 Revell original BRE 240Z
5 Revell re-issue BRE 240z
8 Revell Datsun 510
1 Tamiya Datsun 280-Zx
2 Aoshima Nissan Silvia 1600 Coupe
6 Hasegawa Nissan Bluebird 1600 SSS
3 Revell '64 Ford Thunderbolt
1 AMT '65 Lincoln Continental Convertible
1 Tamiya Nissan 300zx (Z31 turbo)
1 Tamiya Nissan Skyline Z-tune
1 Italieri Ferrari Testarossa
3 Revell Shelby Mustang GT350R
1 Fujimi Murcielago (yellow box art)
1 Aoshima RB26DETT engine
12 Fujimi 14" RS Watanabe wheels
8 Fujimi 17" RS Watanabe wheels
2 Fujimi Hayashi Racing (ST) wheels
3 Aoshima CE28N
3 Aoshima TE37
2 Fujimi Buddy Club P1
2 Fujimi Nismo LM-GT4
2 Revell Ford SVT Focus
1 Revell Ford Lightning
2 Revell Chevy Z06
1 Revell Chevy '94 Impala SS
1 Fujimi Fairlady Z PS30Z 432R
1 Nissan Skyline GT-R v-spec R34
2 Hasegawa Toyota Celica 1600GT (TA22)
1 Sakatsu Air horns (3mm)
1 Sakatsu Honda S2000 engine
1 Sakatsu toggle switches
1 Tamiya Toyota Supra (late model TT)
1 Tamiya Porsche Carrera GT
1 Tamiya Porsche 911 GT2 (CS version)
1 Tamiya Ferrari F360
1 Hasegawa Lamborghini Miura P400 SV
1 Fujimi Porsche 356B/C 2000GS Carrera 2 Enthusiast
1 Tamiya Nissan 350zTrack
1 Tamiya PIAA Accord VTEC
1 Tamiya Ford Focus WRC
1 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R Hardtop
9 Arii 1/32 Fairlady 2000GT
1 Nissan 300zx Convertible
1 Nissan Fairladay 300zx Turbo (Z32)
5 Nichimo Fairlady 2000
1 Monogram Early Ford Probe GT w/body kit
1 Monogram Ferrari Testarossa
1 Tamiya Sauber Mercedes C9
2 Fujimi Ford GT40 P1075 '69 LeMans
1 Revell '78 Corvette Pace Car
2 Revell Buick Grand National
1 Revell VW Bus
1 'Revell 99 Mustang Cobra
1 Revell '26 T Sedan Delivery
1 Tamiya Honda NSX Type-R
1 Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3
1 Fujimi Kei Office Ae86 Levin 3Door
1 Aoshima Kei Office D1 S15 Sivia
1 Tamiya YZF-R1
1 Polar lights The Green Hornet Black Beauty

The FIRST thing you need to do is print this list and give it to EVERY hobby shop in your area and beyond!!!! that is going to be the FIRST place they go. then check ebay. I can help you with a couple of those kits but youve got to get on the ball and call the cops NOW, if you dont call them, it never happened. Im glad im not paying hell of alot of money to live in Cali, things arent any different there....:shakehead

That sucks!
I feel very sorry for you.

Freakmech is right, file a report with the police. If you don't do that now, you won't be able to use them later if you are lucky enough to get a break on recovering your kits. You should also sprnd some time thinking about any identify markings on boxes that may help provre later that it belongs to you. eg many of my ebay purchased kits have foreign price tags or the seller has written on the box etc.

I wish you good luck in getting your stuff back.

Bastards! I look immediatly at my pile!

I guess it could be difficult, also if you locate someting, try to do something, at least you'll locate they and visit... be sure to have several big&bad AF members on the side.

But what I tought is they wouldn't have a lot of precaution stealing models, so it could be easy for the police discover something about. I hope at least.

I can’t believe I’ve just read this. Who steals a model kit collection? That is so weird. As already said, total bastards. I look at my collection, and I’ve got around 55 – 60 kits I think collected over a period of 16 months and the space they take up is quite a lot. They would have needed a van, therefore this leaves tyre marks that could be traced, get the placed dusted for finger prints etc.. But sadly the police won’t think this is serious enough to warrant such detective work.

To you the kits are everything, so I’d be doing all I can to recover them. You pay taxes for the police, time to have them help you. Anything like the police in the UK though, they’ll do squat for you, but you need to get it on police record at the very least. Then start making enquires with those who buy whole collections, ebay etc..

I’m really sorry for your loss.

They would have needed a van, therefore this leaves tyre marks that could be traced, get the placed dusted for finger prints etc..
Mick, you forgot to add sniffer dogs, DNA matching from hairs, GPS tracking and how about milk cartons? You know the kind of thing..."Missing! Have YOU seen this Fairlady Z? Call 1-800..." ;)

That is terrible, sorry it happened to you. :( Very weird that the theives targeted model kits, lets face it there's hardly a lucrative black market in model kits is there? :screwy: I'd definitley report it to the police, not that they're likely to be helpful, but at least it's on record should anything happen further down the track.

I understand how losing all that would be a shattering experience. Although I doubt my wife would care if my stash were to go missing...

Awful to hear it, I immediately tucked all my kits under every single bed in the house. Did they only steal built models or also unopened kits? As i can imagine insurance people (wrongfully sometimes) value unopened kits higher than built, maybe you won't even get any money back. Do you have any kits left at all?
I really hope you get your kits back and get to dremel off the culprit's nuts.

That is terrible, sorry it happened to you. :( Very weird that the theives targeted model kits, lets face it there's hardly a lucrative black market in model kits is there? :screwy: I'd definitley report it to the police, not that they're likely to be helpful, but at least it's on record should anything happen further down the track.

I understand how losing all that would be a shattering experience. Although I doubt my wife would care if my stash were to go missing...

You're right: more my wife would be grate to bastards, if they steal my 150 boxes

My wife would be my prime suspect :evillol:

That sucks!
I feel very sorry for you.

I wish you good luck in getting your stuff back.

:iagree:

Very sorry to hear what's happened & hope you manage to trace them.

Sorry to hear bout your loss...now that u have posted your list ill keep my eyes wide open on Ebay. Hope all ends well.

My wife would be my prime suspect :evillol:

Same here! I wouldn't put it past her to sell the damn lot (about 35 Kits)
But i think yo should go straight to the police. It could be some crazed modeler who cant get what he wants on ebay. Plus the police may know of other cases like this. Anyone who steals a guys model colection must have a reason for doing it. And get that list to your local hobby shops to!

IMHO in this case I think it unlikely that Datsun's stash was targeted per se. If I understood his earlier post correctly, several lockers were broken into at the same time. That suggests to me petty thieves and bad luck. The police usually have a good idea who they are in the area and that is why I think reporting it will increase your slim chances of a recovery.

Model kits aren't individually very valuable, but there's probably 150 kits/detail sets there, which could very easily be $2100 worth of merchandise. That's something to make cops sit up and notice. Filing a report certainly won't hurt your chances of getting them back, or something.

I've heard of contest entries being stolen at contest, but never anything like this. I wish you the best of luck in your search.

Good luck in getting them back have you tried claiming on insurance? Now I just need to get a padlock so my 40+ kits can't be stolen from my shed.

Damn....................Sorry to hear about this, hope it works out in the end, can you claim on Insurance ?

Thanks for the concern and good ideas everyone...I don't have renter's insurance. I never had the need for it. I actually just moved in to this apartment last week. I forgot to mention that I didn't put a lock on my storage area...I am definitely from the suburbs:banghead:

I just didn't think twice about it...when I moved in I thought it would be a "safe place" to store the kits. The kits weren't even exposed, they were in moving boxes.

I considered visiting some flea markets this weekend and hitting up some hobby shops but I'm not too motivated. Oh well I still have my 240z car to finish!

I spoke to my landlady and althought she was quite apologetic nothing could be done. She did say recently some punk teenage kids have been known to "tailgate" into the garages or wait for folks to leave it open...sadly this information could have been mentioned before I moved in!

:banghead: I feel very much for you , That is possibly the worst thing that could happen. And the chances are , they will be sold for $10 a peice at some local market somewhere :screwy: . Its just outrageos that some people will do anything for money , It must have been some neighbourhood kids , Because if it was anyone serious I think they would have taken the car too. I mean c'mon , Unless its a fellow/not so fellow modeller , Why would anyone take model kits over a 1:1 car :screwy: . It doesnt add up. I will keep my eyes open on ebay , But as said before , Check local flee markets and if you're not low on cash , Put up some posters at LHS's and rc car and other model related clubs in your area , Offering a reward of what you think they are worth to you. Its such a , I cant even think of the word I want to use , Its just really upsetting to hear about this. Sadly my first post here was a sad one :frown:

Let me know if there is anything I/we can do to help.
Joe

Put the reward poster on your buillding, saying you will give 2000$ to punks, if they return the kits and when they come, beat the shit out of them.
So sorry to hear that, I also keep my kits in storage and I am in fear every day, now I think I will move them somewhere else (more safe).
I am so mad, I can only imagine how you feel.
So sorry.

This is just ridiculous! Why would anyone steal model kits? How are they going to sell them easily? Stealing is wrong to begin with, stealing someone else's collection is the worse! It is not about money, it is mostly somethign that can't be replaced. I am really sorry to hear what happened to you. Stay strong and I think you should report this to the police.

Winston

Unbelievable! Who knows the kits were in the garage? Contact the local police and report the steal they listen things and can help you. How soon you do that, faster they can help you... Good luck!

I feel really sorry for you!

I agree with all others that you should contact the police immediately...just imagine they bust those punks for something else...and in the process they find a nice collection of model cars - you couldn't even claim them to be yours if you never filed a report with the police.

So go and file your report, it doesn't cost anything and you might get lucky with it some day...

GOOD LUCK!!!

Man that really sucks. Whoever stole those models must be a moron considering that your actual car was sitting right there. I'll keep an eye out for anything at eBay that looks suspicious. We AFers gotta look out for our own.

I have to repeat what others have said.

#1 file police report....make sure to mention TOTAL worth. That list is well over $2000 (stolen 1:1's aren't worth that much sometimes!).

#2 pray....if someone gets busted for something else, you could get lucky

#3 be vigilant....I honestly think it's only a matter of time before those go up on ebay, there is really no other way to make $ out of such a stupid thing to do.

#4 consider a trap....If there's one thing I know about petty thieves, is that they are not all that bright. Refill your stash with other "goodies" in a few weeks. I'm sure they think you're just an easy target and their greed/stupidity will make them keep coming around to "scope" your area for more 'free' stuff. Rig your garage with some hidden survelience stuff (or just plop a sony outside your window every night and erase the tape if nothing happens).

just trying to help. It sounds from your messages like you're pretty bummed. I really am sorry to hear that this happened. Further making it suck, it seams like you didn't deserve anything like this to happen to you.

i dunno if this is one of your kits but i thought id post anyways just in case,Says its west coast and i know your somewhere in cali and your an old school datsun guy so heres the link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1971-Revell-Datsun-240Z-Model-1-25_W0QQitemZ6056511516QQcategoryZ2581QQrdZ1QQcmdZV iewItem

Ive never seen that kit so i figured its a rare datsun on the west coast theres prolly a 60% chance its a kit you had. Hope you find all of your kits and catch the guys :)

omg i just skipped thru your list. didn't wanna read em all, just makes me sad :(

hope you find em all.

Jeez, that's harsh man. As soon as I bought my house, I began taking pictures of my whole stock of kits, tools, R/C stuff, etc, and I have them parked in a Gmail account with a list of everything I own. This stuff is covered by the homeowner's policy, as yours should be covered by whatever insurance the apartment has. Especially if they provided the storage lockers. Definitely go to them with a list of what you lost.