In September 2007 I started posting stolen instrument notices on my website (www.screamingstone.com), MySpace page (myspace.com/screamingstone.com), and numerous musician message boards. To further spread the word, I'll be cross-posting on this blog.
Every year over 1 million instruments are stolen from musicians - and less than 3% are recovered. I'm a musician and work in the music instrument retail business. I saw first hand the devastation it caused to musicians who had their instruments stolen. Then it happened to me - someone broke into my car and stole one of my guitars (a gold top Minarik Lotus electric guitar stolen in Shoreline, WA.) The police informed me that even with my help - going to pawn shops, checking online, chances are I was not getting it back. They said don't even bother trying to get it back - some crack-head thief probably stole it, sold it for next to nothing, and with over 50 pawn shops in the Seattle area, it was going to be next to impossible to find it.
I decided to do something about it.
Musicians become emotionally and spiritually connected to their instruments. We hold these objects and make music for other people's enjoyment. We bond with our instruments unlike any other object in the world. Many are inherited from family, friends and other musicians - making them irreplaceable.
If you bought a used instrument, please check to see if it has been stolen. The owner really just wants the instrument back - no questions asked - and often giving you a reward.
If you buy and sell used instruments - please check to see if you have any of these instruments. You can deduct the cost of buying the instrument on your taxes as a loss PLUS make money from the reward.
IMHO - instruments should be as sacred as religious objects - not everyone on this earth believes in religion, but everyone on this planet listens to and enjoys some type of music.
Please spread the word about The Stolen Music Instrument Recovery Project.
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