*alert* SEVEN DISPLAY DOLLS MISSING FROM NY DOLPA

It really doesn't sound like someone being super selective, especially heating about how most were on one side. It sounds like someone grabbed all the ones they could carry, started to leave and thought "What the hell, I liked that one I passed earlier" and grabbed the one from the other side of the table. Probably all they could carry.
Also people, please READ! This was NOT at a hotel!
However, that just makes it seem more like either staff or someone found a door that wasn't cleaned all the way-and the staff has probably signed something saying that they could be searched in case of theft, as they would be the first suspected.
I'm sure the cops are looking, but if it IS a case of someone not knowing how expensive these dolls are and possibly just connecting a big grouping for them+people gawking and figured out they were expensive, they may have just grabbed them thinking "Well, I have a lot of nieces/daughters/friends with birthdays coming up!" If that's the case, they wouldn't know to split up the dolls' outfits or anything, and wouldn't know what to resell them as.
Though it's entirely possible someone actually bribed a worker/organized a theft to gain for their personal collection. So either we probably are dealing with someone who just nabbed them for gifts or something and won't know how to resell them, or a private collector who is NOT going to show them off.

Of course, there's the chance that someone knows barely anything about the dolls, but enough to know that they're valuable and can be resold and will slip up (or, as someone said earlier, will try to do private sales to someone who doesn't know better), or some stupid/drunk/etc college students thinking "Hey! I'll mess with the doll people, they can't be THAT valuable!"

From how I see it, it's not likely at all that the person(s) who stole the dolls will know much about them, or that they'll be resold...

 

things like this really make me sick! I really hope those dolls turn up. One of my non-bjd friends has an e-bay account, I'll ask him to keep an eye out for the dolls. *subscribes to thread*

 

Oh my gosh! That's terrible, I hope Volks gets them back soon

 

Speculation and finger pointing will not help guys. (Not saying anyone is, I just wanted to make the comment.) The one thing that will though is us, as a community keeping our eyes open for these seven beautiful dolls.

For those of you who weren't at Dolpa, Mr. Shigeta and Volks announced before we left that if/when these dolls are found they will be donated to Make-A-Wish. Soe everyone please keep an eye out for these beauties. Not only do they rightfully belong to Volks, but they have been so generous as to donate these dolls to a great cause as well when they are found.

 

Here's my initial thoughts:

-Volks is a large company, so it's not too hard to assume they have some level of insurance, if not to protect themselves from loss, but to protect them from other situations, such as accidents where someone could get hurt (not that it's likely, but one never knows!). So while helping them reimburse the costs is a noble idea, I think that general messages of hope that the dolls are returned safely and that we are sad for their loss would be the nicest thing to do.

-Given the arrangment of the dolls and their location, it sounds to me like while it's not impossible that it was someone aware of the hobby, at the same time, the person or persons made for the items that seemed the most easily accessible. This is a typical theft behavior..you grab as much as you can in the shortest time possible, and smaller items are easy to lift. (notice the biggest hit was to the MSDs). I'm wondering also if the dolls themselves were taken alone, or if the boxes were also taken (Edit: I bring this up because they were apparently on display, and my thought is that they were still on display at the end of the evening when people left so they could be visible the next day, versus being in boxes stacked up). I get the sense the boxes were left behind, but I could be wrong. It would depend on how easily accessed the boxes were. (and how quickly someone knew what box went to what doll, etc.)

(Edit again, it seems they were already boxed up)

-I'm interested to know what security measures are on the building in general. If the place has cameras (not entirely illogical for a school environment, especially given events of recent times), even a general door camera will capture who was coming to the building, and more important, leaving it - and with what. The tapes would have to be reviewed over a certain time frame to see who can be identified during hours when no one was around to supervise the displays.

As for who would do it? There are many possibilities. I'm not ready to fault any one type of person yet, other than it was someone who thought they could get something out of them...be it money, ownership, or something.

 

I am not Japanese but I do live here since several months. We have had a rampage in Tokyo yesterday with 7 dead persons... I really feel sorry for the relatives but this only shows that Japan isn't a save place either...

I really hope that the dolls will be found soon! Have no words for this!

 

after reading what wickedstitchery has said, it sounded really really easy to just stack up a bunch of doll boxes together and leave. Other people wouldn't know that it was the one offs in the boxes and so wouldnt have stopped them.

Also if anyone saw, they might have assumed it was some one who was involved with the dolpa just moving the merchandise after hours. Thats what I would have thought if I saw some one with a bunch of boxes, especially if they were acting casual and as though they were doing what they were supposed to.

 

I'm not sure about the idea that someone lined up and planned the theft, but I fear that the end result will be the same. In art and collector's markets, there are plenty of ways to resell things without going through highly-visible sources like YJ or Ebay. I really hope the perpetrator gets caught and the dolls are returned, but I fear that the doll community as a whole may never see them again. Which is a shame, because they are really lovely dolls. If it's someone within the hobby, chances are they will know the value of the dolls and their visibility, which will make them avoid using highly-publicized markets.

As a whole, my heart goes out to Volks and those at the Dolpa. It's not just a financial blow, but an emotional one as well.

 

This is so horrible! The fact that someone would do such a despicable thing is absolutely sickening.

 

I'm hoping that they are able to recover the dolls! I just can't imagine it was some random person that somehow was able to get into the locked room and take the dolls without showing some sign of forced entry. It would have to be someone with access to that room, even when it was locked. That narrows down the field quite a lot, so I'm hoping they will be able to get to the bottom of it!

 

How disgusting!!! I just can't believe how sick some people are. My heart sank when I read about this. And then that these dolls are to be given to Make a Wish, even more sad that they were stolen . I hope that they are found soon.

Nichole

 

That's so sad! It kinda makes me loose faith in humanity seeing that people could do something that sick! However, there is a huge doll backing, so I hope they will be found, by police or by turning up where someone in the community sees.

I really hope Volks doesn't start to hate us >.< I hope they can see past the twistedness of some people and still see that we can be good people on the whole.

 

This is what I was going to say. How embarrassing. I can only hope that the dolls are recovered quickly and in good condition.

 

So horrible there's no words to describe it D:

I felt just sick and dull when I read it on top of the forum.

I agree; it was probably not planned at all or too long/too well. If it was someone who had access to the place but wasn't in the hobby who just realized the value of the dolls, it might even be that when he/she did steal them he/she might have broken them accidentally D:.

A bjd hobbier would have known how hard is it to keep/resell them without anyone noticing.

Or it might have been someone who was in the hobby but did it in impulse. Or someone, who (as someone said earlier) likes to keep the collection with him/herself.

I hope, too that the thief thinks again and gives them back, but I doubt that highly. After all, those dolls were very pretty, what a shame it would be to face the whole bjd world (even more if he/she was a doll person by himself), and a thief is a thief.

It's just so sad that things like this happen.

 

Exactly what I was thinking TT^TT
Before reading this, I had breakfast. As soon as I did read, I just
felt like a fat American slob. I'm disgraced to still be in this country
quite frankly. I wish we could do something for Volks telling them
how sorry we are that this happened!​

 

Oh my, I really hope these dolls show up. I did some searches on ebay, yahoo, google, ect. but so far nothing. And to know that these dolls were being donated, but are now MIA, just breaks my heart. *is keeping her eyes open*

Edit: I hope this doesn't give off a bad example that America is full of thieves and what not, because it wouldn't be cool if America loses trust in Volks and other companies. ((Quite frankly America already gives off a bad impression, but hey...))

 

Wow, that's... insane. All of us as doll lovers, it's especially hard to imagine that someone who is at a doll event would have the heart to steal one, let alone 6 or 7! How disheartening. I really hope they're found.

 

This means they wont trust the US as much ne? also worse off they probably won't venture anywhere else either, in the long run ><;.

I think whoever stole them knows their value, i bet you that much. nd if they are clever they will let the hype die off, the searches stop, let people forget (though they underestimate us in the community) and THEN try and sell them on so nobody notices. they probably don't know us guys in the community of owners know they are missing and the moment we spot one, we will recognise and remember this happening and not know we will report it.

if it was somebody in the community i'd say we are pretty much buggered on finding them? they'd know they can get them modded, or maybe can mod already, can change everythnig about them, sell them on without a trace eh? not EVERY site and person out there will know about this, they can strike anywhere and mod them up right? even somebody not in the community could look this all up and figure out how to cover their tracks effectivly.

i agree with that seeing as they could have gotten more. but maybe they didnt have the time or ability to nab them all?

This whole thing really saddens me as an owner, id raise hell and turn up every damn bit of rock on earth to hunt my boy down if he ever got stolen but i know i watch him never let him out of my range or sight and if he was ever to get nabbed, somehow i'd probablly bring the apocalypse along with me in tracking him. ><;

Either the person is dumb as hell, don't know what they have hold of, don't know how to cover themselves now, or they are damn clever and know exactly what they are doing to pin point accuracy. mabe keep them for themselves or maybe sell who knows?

all we can do is inform and pass the word really and make people look out for those beautiful dolls ><; spread the word to all the people who mod ne? make them aware of it all D:

 

Oh my, this is terrible.

I second (12th? 18th? 36th?) the call for police action. I know it was mentioned that Volks doesn't want a big fuss and no charges will be made if the dolls are returned but at that rate no one will ever see these dolls again and the authorities will be a big help in an investigation... :/

 

This is awful but it might be very well that it was a hotel staff member who has no idea what these dolls value are there for not knowing that they can go to prison for this theft. Also any 'regular bjd' collector would know that these are 'one ofs' and would not be able to sell them or keep them and show them off with out giving themselves away as the theives .
I think that Mr.Shiegta is more then nice to say they there would be no charges pressed but I think it reflects HORRIBLY on ther american public, no wonder why every other country considers us 'the ugly americans'.