Anyone out there had any Hasselblad Equipment stolen?

<p>I know someone who has some gear that they're selling and a couple of flags have went up in my mind regarding the legitimacy of his ownership.</p>

<p>Anyone out there had any Hasselblad gear stolen? If you have please let me know what it was that was stolen.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>You should probably report your suspicion to the local police.</p>

<p>Indeed.</p>

<p>A rather strange question it is anyhow.</p>

<p>Yes... but I do not have any serial #</p>

<p>- 503 CXi<br>

- 80 mm lens w. lens shade<br>

- Accumate screen<br>

- A12 film back<br>

- old style metered prism viewer (model 52051), with tape on the battery cover to keep it in place.<br>

- hasselblad camera strap<br>

along with a bunch of 35mm cameras....<br>

thanks</p>

<p>So if that someone is selling an Acute Matte screen, Ken, call the police!</p>

<p>We will do the same everytime we see an Acute Matte screen offered for sale too.<br>

That will keep us busy enough, so we will have to get to the other stuff when we have reported all screen sellers, and find the time to move on to the strap. The rest will follow after that.</p>

 

<p>Brian, thanks for the advice but in times past when I've tried to inform the police of such things they pretty much laugh at me. I'm sure they figure they have bigger fish to fry plus I have no proof....I was hoping my motives would be seen for what they are...just trying to help out anyone that may have been robbed. Plus, it's not being sold locally to me.</p>

<p>I'm not sure why anyone would think my question to be strange. I would think this to be the perfect place to inquire in order to try and help a victim since a great number of Hasselblad users peruse the forums. It's disheartening to know that me trying to help someone could be construed as strange.</p>

<p>Dan, sorry to hear of your plight but, unfortunately, your gear is not the models that this particular person is selling. If anyone knows of anyone else that had any stolen let me know. Perhaps what this particular person is selling is legitimate but here are some points that threw up red flags to me.</p>

<p>1. It was "given" to them by a relative.<br>

2. They have no idea how to use it so they just want to sell it for the money.<br>

3. I know the prices of Hasselblad and the value of the gear is very high and they are selling it for pennies relative to that value.<br>

4. The person is young, answers the phone with "yo wazup dog who dis?", and lives in a neighborhood that has been described as "dangerous."</p>

<p>Of course all those things could be true and legitimate but....call me crazy......they give me red flags.</p>

<p>If my post is that out of place I'm sure the moderator will see fit to remove it and I will have no problem with that.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Q.G.,<br>

Not sure why you feel the need to be so demeaning in this forum. Your opinion isn't always needed nor wanted on as many posts as you tend to reply to. If the guy was selling a majority of what Dan had stolen do you not think there may be a connection. Dan didn't say he only had an Acute Matte screen stolen and the gear that I'm talking about is not only an Acute Matte screen. It's quite a valuable lot of gear.</p>

<p>Ken,</p>

<p>You're asking us for details about any stuff we may have had stolen, because you know someone who is selling stuff.<br />That is a request that makes eyebrows go up.</p>

<p>I can well imagine that someone trying to harvest such details thinks that opinions like that aren't "needed".</p>

<p>Perhaps we should call the police ... What is your address?</p>

<p>Ken, report your suspicions to the police. The should at least check to see if there have been a theft or burglary report filed, probably fairly recently, involving Hasselblad equipment. How did you find out about this sale?</p>

<p><em>Brian, thanks for the advice but in times past when I've tried to inform the police of such things they pretty much laugh at me. </em></p>

<p>That's one reaction to unfounded complaints. There are others which you are really going to dislike.</p>

<p>I must say that of all the photo discussion forums I've perused this one at photo.net is the "stuffiest" by far and one that I think runs off more people than it welcomes. Is a shame really. To say that there are more than a few lofty egos lurking around here is putting it mildly. If spurning discussion or spurning helping others is the goal it's working fabulously!</p>

<p>Yes ... seek the fault everywhere, except with you.</p>

<p>You don't get the overall picture, so i'll try a minor detail on you.<br />You say the seller lives in a neighbourhood that has been described as dangerous. Where is that?<br />Who are you asking to give you their stolen stuff's details? The ex-owners of stolen gear in Vardø? Or in Punta Arenas? Bremerhaven, or Ballyhale?</p>

<p><em>I thought I met a man,<br /> Who said he knew a man,<br /> Who knew what was going on.<br /> I was mistaken<br /> Only another stranger that I knew</em> <br /> <em>- David Crosby</em></p>

<p>This thread is vague and misleading and should simply be closed, IMHO.</p>

<p>I welcome the deletion in all honesty. It wont happen twice you can be sure.</p>

<p>Ken,</p>

<p>Try not to get too discouraged. I purchased my Hasselblad (in somewhat rough shape) from the local pawn shop. I was a bit suspicious as well and asked the folks at the store questions. The police are in there all the time checking on stolen equipment. It wasn't "hot" as they would say on television (circa 1970). Nonetheless, I called the Hasselblad folks up in NJ with the serial numbers and they had no report of this particular camera having been stolen. I'm sorry that I don't have their phone number, but if you Google Hasselblad you should be able to find it. I don't know if owners of their equipment do that anymore. That is, call Hasselblad to report that their equipment was stolen. Their repair technicians will check serial numbers and so forth as equipment comes in for service. It's worth a shot. If nothing pans out then buy the equipment!</p>

<p>Ken -</p>

<p>For one I take as legitimate and realistic, your concern regarding the possibility of illegal possession by those attempting to sell the Hasselblad gear, plus a good hearted attempt to perhaps reunite the rightful owner if it is stolen. The chances may be small, but what if it did work, and just how much skin does it remove from another persons nose if you do try through PN to reverse a theft and are successful? Good effort, thanks for the concern and for trying.</p>

<p>As the victim of a major theft, I can personally attest to be willing to have taken ANY help in getting it back. By the way, when the culprits were arrested, which unfortunately didn't result in the recovery of my gear, they were found to be precisely of the character types you described so accurately. Multi thousand dollar video and sound systems are not commonly found in high crime housing areas, nor are they normally to be offered for sale from the back of an old pick-up.</p>

<p>An observant couple was approached and offered the equipment at an unrealistic price, turned it down but reported it to the local PD, along with descriptions and license number. By the time the thieves were in custody nearly all of the gear was gone, but off to another sort of "no rent" housing they went for the umpteenth time. In this particular instance, the police were very definately interested and immediately involved, great cooperation and professionalism.</p>

<p>No matter how small the chance of recovery, you did the right thing by simply caring enough to try<br />Thank you again.</p>

<p>PS</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Is the <a href="../registry/">Stolen Equipment Registry at Photo.net</a> still alive and well?</p>

<p>It might help if you told us where in the world you live.</p>

<p>It would help if you would mention the city where the equipment is located, I hardly believe that stolen equipment would just travel halfway around the world to be sold by some plain thief.</p>

<p>If you are suspicious that the equipment is stolen don't buy it.</p>

<p>Gee - give the guy a hard time or what! I don't see what's was so strange about Ken's post at all - he was just being considerate and trying to do the right thing. Yeah it might be vague not to mention where he was, but I am sure if someone asked nicely... I have got so much great information in this forum and the knowledge here is absolutely second to none, but I believe a few here should apologise frankly. Maybe it's an American thing and I don't understand the culture, but here in Australia, people would value the effort Ken made to actually say something.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Appalling response to a harmless and perhaps helpful post.<br>

It baffles me that people with nothing positive to add to a discussion somehow feel the need to chime in nonetheless. Honestly – it actually takes less effort NOT to type a reply or indeed, even to continue reading a thread in which you don't see the merit. I have no idea how abrasive these people are in person but I suspect that they take some comfort hiding behind the anonymity of the internet.<br>

Sadly I'll note that it's certainly not unique to this forum.</p>

<p>A friend of mine had his gear stolen from his car. As he watched, the thief broke a window and grabbed a case of equipment, ran to his car and drove off. He had the description of the thief, all of the gear and serial numbers and the license plate and description of the car. By contrast, Ken has no serial numbers and no proof whatsover that a crime actually occurred.</p>

<p>It took (Chicago) police three days to take a full report (the first one was lost), and their investigation consisted of locating the owner of the car (the perp's girl friend), and asking the perp if he took the stuff. He denied it - case closed.</p>

<p>My friend located most of his gear through eBay, tracing it to a pawn shop. After the incident, my friend cast out to his network of colleagues, and a couple of them noticed the eBay ads, which they conveyed to him. By law, pawn shops can't be charged with receiving or possessing stolen property, so my friend had to buy his own equipment back (using insurance money) for ten cents on the dollar. The stolen equipment (not cameras) was fairly unusual, which aided this search.</p>

<p>In fairness to Ken, the informal network approach can work, but only if you have many eyes looking for something unusual and easily identifiable. It's unlikely that the perp is going to sell the equipment publically under his own name (but dumber things do happen). The police aren't going to put a lot of man hours into a property crime, much less take a report from anyone other than the victim. Rather than broadcast the question <em>"Anyone out there had any Hasselblad gear stolen? </em>", or publish a "suspicious" auction offer, make a matchup first. Without police powers, neither Ken nor anyone else can conduct an investigation. Heros are for comic books.</p>

<p>Had my friend lived in Texas rather than Chicago, this story would have a different ending ;-)</p>

<p>I fail to see what difference it makes that Ken's approach isn't optimal... or even ultimately successful.<br>

He made an effort that anyone can choose to ignore.<br>

No one was explicitly accused – no names were named.</p>

<p>Naive as I may be I cannot see a sinister angle on his part.</p>

<p>Hang around, Ken. The chance of mis-communication on the internet is very high, and, if someone really rubs you the wrong way, avoid them entirely--but give them a chance first.</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>