*alert* SEVEN DISPLAY DOLLS MISSING FROM NY DOLPA

Gosh! It sickens me that someone would steal something that special to someone! I'll look out for them, and keep them and Mr. Shigeta in my prayers.

 

I think everyone watches too many movies. ^^;

The fact of the matter is, even if someone here has some brilliant idea, we're not the ones investigating it- Volks, FDQ, FIT, and the New York Police are the ones in charge of that, and if by some chance someone here comes up with an idea that trained police officers and event staff who are actually on site didn't, they're probably not reading this thread anyway. I understand why people want to make their list of suspects and latch on to ideas but it really won't do any good.

It's already been said that the prices that the dolls go for in general (even those the display dolls were not on sale) were well-publicised both at the event and in advance, so it really could have been anyone, and sitting at our computers we're unlikely to be able to find out anything about the people who were around the building at that time, which FIT and the NYPD can do. So... best to leave that up to them, instead of hassling the mods and attendees for details that we really don't need anyway. They left the dolls locked up in a room they thought had good security, but at some point the dolls were taken. We can share photos of the dolls and keep an eye on auctions and sale, we can send Volks messages of support, we can donate to the MAW fund if one is started, and we can all hope the dolls are either found or returned. That's what we can do. What we can't do is investigate the theft itself. Why not focus on what we can do instead of writing up lists of suspects, blaming "hotel" staff, speculating on why they were left in the room, etc?

Myself, I find the theft very sad. But I find the behavior of some of the members here downright silly, and some of the discussion distracting from the things we can actually do to help.

 

I agree, maybe some of our East Coast members could start checking out their local flea markets and swap meets.

The person or persons who took these dolls may have seen them just as something that could be easily unloaded at a swap meet or a flea market, possibly in a neighboring town or state.

Much as it sickens me to say this, they may not have even been all that concerned with the true value of the dolls, after all seven dolls sold at $100.00 to $200.00 bucks a piece would buy someone a lot of hits of meth, crack, or heroin.

 

Maybe we should also get prepared to the fact that if this person try to sell them, the thief may change the wig and outfit so that we can't recognize them at first glance...

 

That's just sick. How can anyone ever do something like that? I really, really wish that those beautiful dolls will be returned, but somehow I'm not very hopeful. And I have no idea why someone wants to steal dolls which cannot be showed anywhere because they're so "wanted" everywhere. If that thief reads this thread I hope he/she feels quilt. DEEP quilt.

 

That is so awful >_<; the work it took to create those dolls, to be just stolen X.x; I sure hope they catch the thief and the dolls returned safely.

 

Could you pawn a doll? Or are there toy shops in NYC that buy collector dolls, maybe someone local could check that out. I was only visiting for Dolpa but it seems as though there are people who live there/ know the city well. I know there are a ton of antique stores- if someone were trying to sell them to a pawn shop or something I don't know who would actually pay them for it without knowing the value.

This is so disheartening.

 

Actually, I believe that everyone who has posted in this mile long thread has been nothing but honestly & sincerely concerned for the well being of something we all hold near & dear to our hearts. It is a very natural human reaction to want to figure it out. Since it has been mentioned again and again since page one, I am sure everyone here is adult enough to understand that all the people involved in making the event possible will be doing everything they can to get to the bottom of this. After all, it was their event, their dolls and their money involved in the loss. How about trying to keep the comments on a positive note so we don't end up with people's feelings hurt for being concerned or trying to help matters?

 

Hear, Hear, Brandon. Well said.

We all just fervently wish we could somehow think of something that nobody else has thought of, resulting in a post of "OMG we found them!"

God, I hope they find those dolls.

 

I so totally agree with you, this pisses me off even more in some ways then the theft it's self.

 

I'm editing my post because it's redundant. Anyways, if there are pictures up of the dolls, I would like to see so as to help keep an eye out as Ashbet suggested. Never know, it would be great if one or more was found. My sympathies to Mr. Shigeta and the rest of the Volks family.

 

My guess is that the dolls will be stripped down and sold as naked parts - Without the faceups, the heads will look just like any other Volks heads of their respective models, at least in a sales thread - How many people demand to see headplates before a sale? The bodies will sell on easily, and although the outfits will be traceable, who's to say that they won't change hands so many times that their origins are forgotten entirely?

I realise that this wouldn't net as much money as selling them as unique Volks art-doll fullsets, but as so many people have pointed out, selling them on as they are will be next to impossible. And it's still easy work for the amount of money the thieves will make.

The stolen-to-order theory isn't that farfetched either, though the grand mental image of a businessman in a black suit with a climate-controlled room full of mint condition limited dolls is.

They'll never be "found" I reckon, thous some of us may find ourselves, through no fault of our own, in posession of parts of them in the future. The signed heads will probably surface eventually, but who (after buying one accidentally) is going to come forward to say that they've recieved such high-profile stolen goods?

 

Thanks Sher~ I didn't want my comment to come across as snippy, I just don't want to see this thread go negative and people start arguing. The situation is bad enough and I think everyone has the best intentions.

 

For one... Me. I would be on the phone so fast it wouldn't be funny.

 

That's just horrible....

but my question is: how can someone just walk off with six dolls...especially SD 13s??? Wasn't there ANY sort of security????

 

good grief, me too. OMG. I would be SO excited if one of these somehow ended up with me and i'd be able to send her back home to dearest Mr. shigeta.

 

No way! D:< I am so mad right now! I hope it was somehow a misunderstanding or something. D: Who would do that to Volks?! Volks is so nice...how could this happen?! I'll search Ebay and Crescent Shop. This is horrible!

 

Keeping our eyes peeled for these dolls in places they may surface is the single-most valuable contribution we can make. For those who haven't seen them yet, here are images of the dolls that have gone missing:

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3302231&postcount=2 (posted by Armeleia)

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3303717&postcount=278 (posted by Sher)

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3303750&postcount=11 (closeups posted by AreeElf)

Identifying qualities beyond images (these need to be confirmed as fact and I doubt they would be featured in a sales review) include:
1. Signed in head cap (?)
2. No gold Volks plate on the back of the head (?)

Some sound suggestions to aid the search:
1. If you spot one on an auction site, snag a screencap of the auction, as listing links lapse.
2. Do a little research to discover if the sculpt on auction is, in fact, one of the missing dolls. Search on DoA ... the Database is a good resource, as are compendium sites of Volks sculpts. Some links:
http://www.angelden.net/volks/
http://www.angelden.net/fcs/
http://www.bunnysneezes.net/volks_.html

We may be facing an altered scenario of that hypothetical debate (http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218412) on what we would do should we find ourselves in possession of an unintended doll. I hope, whatever the cost to us, we would all do the right thing.

Again, speculations are far less productive than pro-active effort. Our most compelling strengths include our vigilance and our solidarity in our passion.

 

If I was insanely rich, I would search all the auction sites. Then If I found one of these beauties, I would not report it. I'd BUY it. I think that'd be a more sure way to get them back than reporting it and having the seller pack up and run away. Alas, I do not have the funds to such a thing...

 

But spotting and reporting it is definitely valuable (I'm sure you meant this ). We don't need to acquire the doll to do whatever is within our means to solve the theft.