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Public theft, bad neighbourhoods, and dolly safety: worries vs. realism

Sep 24, 2010

    1. Ouch!
      I never had anything stolen from me, but as a very young child I use to steal, (got my ass whooped too because of it xD)
      I know better now, but most, if all, crimes are the result of opportunity. Mainly saying, unless you have your doll ripped from you hand, it won't get stolen from you if you don't leave it alone and unwatched.

      I ain't proud of my past, but it has told me about not how to get your stuff stolen. xDDD
       
    2. You'd be surprised. We bought a nail file/manicure kit from over the phone, and we never got it. We then called them up, and they said they did send it, and they'd send another.

      Didn't get that one, either. Called again, and they sent another (third one).

      Finally, my dad went over to the post office to see if they ever got them. At first, the guy said no, but another guy suggested they check someone's desk - all three were there. So, at least at my PO, theft inside the facility is pretty easy. Never had another episode like that (thank God), but we still worry. Now, the post office, as well as UPS and FedEx are pretty lazy, and lie about coming to our apartment.

      Plus, before she finally died, we had a lady on our floor take a box of ours. Did our own experiment to see if someone was stealing - someone was, and that someone didn't go for the 'bait' we set up; maybe because they weren't interested in a small, electric shoe-shiner box filled with rocks, stuffed in a box three times it's size.
       
    3. I have to generally agree with everyone disagreeing with everyone else on the motivations for theft and what you should be worried about.

      Everything people have said sofar I believe is reasonable and true: that in bad neighborhoods, it will be fast. The post office can steal and the employee not be reprimanded, etc.

      When someone steals your stuff, is it really so they want to sell it for money? Is it because they're hateful people who enjoy causing strive? Is it because they just want what you have? The answer to all these is 'sometimes, yes."

      I don't worry so much about my doll being stolen when going to meets or public venues or even having my house robbed while I'm not at home.

      From personal experience, I worry about family. It's always the people you thought you could trust, when you let your guard down. My friend's mom stole all her dvds and sold them to a pawn shop. When my boyfriend's father died, and all the family was in the house morning, a cousin stole the deceased's checkbook and gave themselves a 3 day shopping spree. It might just depend on what socio-economic level your family lives in too, I think this type of theft is more prominent in poverty level households. This is the type of doll theft I worry about. (Edit: since I am an adult, I no longer live with my family, and am also no longer in poverty and thus can afford dolls in the first place. thought I should clarify that.)
       
    4. Most people don't know the worth of our dolls. They go to Sith*Mart and see a Best Friends Club 18" doll in a box for $40 and then they look at my MDD and think nothing of her worth. They would have no clue, if they saw, say, a Dollfie Dream Alna limited edition fullset, that they are looking at about $800 worth of doll on the open market. NO clue. Maybe they might think them to be like American Girl dolls or something...pricier than something you'd see at the Evil Mart of Evil but not anywhere NEAR what they're worth.

      They are at their most vulnerable at cons. Luckily my carrier looks like inexpensive luggage (which it was before I modded it) and just doesn't stand out. Rolling duffel. I get 4 dolls in it now, probably could fit more. I don't do resin, my dolls are all vinyl, so they are not at risk. Except when they are on display. Then I watch 'em like the proverbial mama grizzly pitbull with lipstick. ^____^
       
    5. Eh...I hate to say it but I've seen "worse" thefts in more upscale neighborhoods than "bad" neighborhoods.

      I think a contributing factor to this is that a lot of "rich" kids have parents who don't really care about them. The kids get whatever they want and expect to get it. So, if they see something they vaguely want, they'll just grab it and walk off. Unfortunately, they usually get away with it too, since Mommy and Daddy are usually too busy to discipline them (or just doesn't care).

      Upscale neighborhoods = parents who throw money at kids as a means of raising them = spoiled brats with no moral compass except "ME ME ME!!!!"

      Might be an exaggeration, but this is what I've seen.
       
    6. I agree about the kids having money thrown at them having no consideration for others, but that can come from any economic factor where the parents don't care thus I don't trust one of my cousins around anything even if it's nailed down. Neighbor theft I worried about up in Hollywood, much less after the crazy old bat behind us died, but mostly from the people who didn't live there but "shopped" in our neighborhood to feed their drug habit.

      Con wise and all that my doll carrier says Dollzone, they were sold out of the ones that said Leprosy. Another thing I hope goes for them is they don't have that goth loilita look most of the dolls pictured in the magazines have. The only doll I've ever worried about being stolen is my Christopher Walken because of who he is.
       
    7. Hehe, I live in a "bad neighborhood", which is to say that before it was rebranded as the "international district" this year, it was called "the war zone" for decades. ^_~
      That said, I don't really worry about someone stealing a doll from my arms on the street. Perhaps if someone broke into my apartment they would grab one on the way out...but I tend to think not. I'm sure they would be too busy stealing my computer and trying to figure out what all the other weird things in my apartment were to worry about a heavy doll too. I think more than anything if you walked down the street with a BJD in my neighborhood you would get weird looks and people would yell out to you. Perhaps one enterprising young man or two would walk up and harass you face to face. In my experience though, if I am alone I get weird looks. If my husband is with me, I may get a comment. If I am in a group, then people will come up to us. It seems like the group of girls carrying dolls is just too much for them to handle and their curiosity gets the better of their impulse to not make eye contact and not interact with other people on the street that usually is the modus operandi in this neighborhood.

      That's just my experience though. ^_^
       
    8. @blissfulchains: I think the main problem with your reasoning is precisely that. You are trying to rationalize theft. While, in some cases, people steals to gain money, there are also some cases in which people steal your things mainly because they can. Back when we were teens, a friend's ex-boyfriend once stealed my brother's watch. He went up with his gang of friends and forced my brother to give them his (not exactly expensive but well-loved) digital watch. He did it because he broke something of mine and we asked of him to pay up. He didn't pay, ad he stole the watch. Why? Because he felt like it.

      We never thought of calling the police, mainly because he was well off, but some of his friends were from really dangerous neighbourhoods. And I mean the rape-drugs-violence kind of neighbourhood. My friend, now hated ex-friend, of course, didn't even say a word. She thought it was our problem.

      Oh, I have an even better one. When I was a child there was this girl in class that had a very pretty backpack. Another girl in class wanted one like that, but it was a present and the first girl didn't know where had her parents bought it. So, the envious girl spent the best part of a year verbally abusing my poor classmate until one day, after class, she emptied her bag on the groud, threw it to the trashcan, got her books, and went home crying. Not even a minute later, the envious one got out of school, got the bag from the trashcan, and took it home. Next day she was using it.

      I recently read a thread in another forum in which a girl told how, walking with some people after a meet, a group of boys had stolen her carrier wiht her dollies inside. They saw the dolls, thought they had to be expensive, and tried to steal them. Try being the keyword because they thankfully managed to catch the boys and recover the carrier and dolls. They chose this girl to steal from simply because she was the last in line.

      Theft is something that can happen. These days people doesn't need a reason to steal. Some of them do it because they think it's funny. Most of them won't even sell the merchandise, they just throw it away after breaking it. If they want to sell it but don't know what is it for, they break it all the same.

      Do I think it's dangerous to get our dolls out? Yes. But it's also dangerous to get out themselves, if we get down to it. If we think of the worst case, we shouldn't even get out of bed.

      But, thing is, we don't stop living simply because many things we do daily are dangerous. So, while I believe it's better to be cautious and have an eye in our dolls every time, I also think we shouldn't stop going to meets or doing photoshots outside just because of the possibilities.

      Absent-mindedness is my second name, so I better don't comment on that :D I keep reminding myself to buy wig velcro, amongst other things, so I won't lose my wigs...
       
    9. I think we can all agree that there are 'poor' people who wouldn't steal, as well as there are 'rich' ones who would, so nothing's set in stone.

      I have to also agree that these dolls really don't scream out "I cost XXX" when you look at them. If you really had to guess a price, on mine at least, I'd guess she would cost less than $50, when she actually is around $300. But if you've somehow broke into my bedroom from the fire escape (yes, unfortunately, a fire escape is attached to my room), you'd focus more on taking my iTouch, my PS2, or even my pretty hefty TV, and pay the sleeping doll on my bed no mind. If you're trying to sell things for drugs, I would assume you take the stuff you knew could get you a lot of cash. I would figure you wouldn't want to waste time guessing how much other things cost.

      Although, for drug problems, maybe they'd get as much as possible, no matter how much it might cost...?

      I guess you could call me a 'spoiled brat' in some sense. My parents are constantly telling me that I just have to ask, and they'd probably get it for me (though that tends to look better on paper, rather than actually be the case). But I like getting things for myself. Maybe saving up money to buy things gives me a sense of independence from having to constantly ask permission. Or maybe it's made me realize that what my parents think isn't always the right answer to my life choices? But I'm realistic about what I can do. Never have I regretted buying Emma yet, so I think I did something right:).
       
    10. I have a friend who has a history of theft but not because she is/was poor, she's always gotten what she wanted when she wants it (and admits so) but because it was something she could do to get a rush.
      I remember talking to her about it a year or two ago because A) I actually wanted to KNOW why and B) I also wanted to know why she stopped of her own accord after a whole year of me trying to stop her. Apparently she almost got caught and it freaked her out after a year or two of theft.

      But anyway, back to the topic of dolls, most theft of dolls WOULD happen within the anime/doll community as it is widely known the price of our babies within these communities and even then I think people are aware how tight knit this community is and would be stupid to try and sell a stolen doll anywhere. If there was going to be dolly theft it would, presumably, be for some one wanting a doll.
      I would cry SO much if my boy (or arriving girl) got stolen, I'd be a wreck!
       
    11. most theft of dolls WOULD happen within the anime/doll community as it is widely known the price of our babies within these communities

      I was definitely thinking that too, basically.

      and even then I think people are aware how tight knit this community is and would be stupid to try and sell a stolen doll anywhere.

      Yeah, which is why I don't so much think we should all be paranoid about each other, either. =D

      Still, obviously it does happen.
       
    12. I'm not sure that I agree with part of this. I understand how theft would occur within the BJD community because everyone who owns a doll, or is part of the hobby in some way, will know that these do cost a lot. Though, I would think a fellow hobbyist would steal to own, not steal to sell. Like, if you have a doll that I like, or have wanted, it would be more feasable for me to steal it to use in my own collection, not just sell it for money.

      But then I also have to disagree with the theory about the anime community. A lot of anime-lovers probably have no idea these dolls exist; plus, you also have a lot of BJD owners who don't care for anime.

      I'm starting to think anyone who knows about these dolls, and how much they cost, is most likely going to try to steal. I think, in most people's eyes, these dolls are just like Barbies, but with different parts; i.e., nothing special.
       
    13. I'm not sure in what sense you mean "like Barbies, but with different parts", in this context. Obviously they're not "nothing special" if they cost a lot; aside from the cost, they are dolls just like Barbies are. Or do you mean people would more likely steal Barbies for some reason? (If so, what?)
       
    14. I think writerm meant the non-BJD enthusiasts would see them as Barbie-like (nothing special,) which is why theft is more likely to come from within the BJD community.

      I think that's a pretty good point too, how much would someone go out of their way to steal a Barbie when they could grab an iPod. If they aren't in the hobby, they wouldn't realize the BJD would be worth four iPods...

      Oftentimes though when your house is burgled, they steal electronics or EVERYTHING. We were robbed a lot when we lived in a bad neighborhood, and they even stole the rugs :( (they throw everything off the shelves onto the rugs and roll up your life in them, then walk out the front door.) I grew up with hardwood floors for the most part because of that.

      Also, if you're like me and keep your dolls in a fancy glass case, it's more obvious to burglars that there's clearly something of value in there. Really, no one gets a break when they're robbed if the doll is stolen or not. If they left my $200 resinsoul but stole my $900 flatscreen tv, I would be way way sadder.
       
    15. I want to take my doll to a really really crowded place. More crowded than a convention. I want to be able to pose my dolls and take pictures at this place. My husband says the place would be so crowded that I won't be able to get shots. Then he says someone might snatch him due to knowing the value of him. Could this really happen outside of anime conventions? I'm trying to take my doll to a fair type event. I don't want to miss the great photo opportunity this will bring and I highly doubt I'll get a chance to go to the event again.

      The hubs then said how am I going to carry him all day. Well I already had a plan for that. One of those baby slings maybe (I wonder if I can fit two in there), a kids doll baby stroller, or one of those baby back pack type things. As for packing, I saw this helpful post about how to carry multiple dolls at cons and saw the bags issued by Dollmore. All they look like is rolling suitcases which I already have. We'll have to get to this place by boat (not thrilled) so I would need to pack light. I don't think the stroller would be a problem.

      When I talked about getting pics of my doll with the various people, he mentioned someone running off with it. Me: "Well I can just step on their skirt and stop that." Hubs: "I'm not going to tackle someone in a skirt."

      Have any of you taken your dolls to really crowded places NOT anime/doll conventions? Did it seem unsafe? I thought about putting a leash on him so that when I move away to take pics, he'll be tied to me but I don't want the lash in my pictures.

      If you MUST know where I'm going
      [​IMG]
      CARNEVALE DI VENEZIA #2 by Fänfän, on Flickr

      There will be loads of costumes there like a con. I pretty much guilt tripped my hubs into this. I was so home sick from the states and the fact that I won't be able to go to much cons as I used to. Every con here seems to happen in northern Italy (Milan, etc) or France where I don't have the money to get too (I'm in Naples btw).
      [​IMG]
      Carnaval de Venise 2009, Carnevale de Venezia 2009, Venice Carnival 2009 by David Pin, on Flickr

      Is this place going to be an issue? I'd really hate myself if I didn't bring my dolls.
       
    16. I honestly wouldn't take them there myself I think. I went to venice on a school trip and there were lots of shady figures wandering about... And I can imagine that the crime rate goes up with festivals like that X__x
      Maybe it can work if you secure the doll to yourself. Take only one and keep a close eye on it.
       
    17. I completely agree with this, and I think it's probably where my greatest fear would lie, as well. With every group, there are good people and bad people in the bunch...
      Honestly, I love the anime community, and I was a really big part of it for a long time--but I also had a lot of good, and bad, experiences while I was. For many years, I ran the anime club at my high school, and while there were plenty of mature, trustworthy people... There were also a lot of overly hyper, disrespectful, and untrustworthy people. I had a lot of things stolen, mistreated, or generally abused. Thankfully, at the time, I didn't have BJDs and didn't know much about them, so that wasn't an issue, but I can only imagine it nowadays...

      Truthfully, I've heard of a lot of things getting stolen at anime conventions. A lot of fans are disrespectful, or don't understand the value of other people's things... Not to mention, more and more of those types of people are seeing BJDs around and thinking: "I'd love to have one of those, but I could never afford it!" I would be afraid of one of them getting ahold of my doll and taking it just because "they wanted it"--especially without knowing how to take care of it. ( And, to be honest, when I was IN an anime club, about half the group was nice people, but about the other half often proclaimed that they stole things pretty frequently--nothing huge, but it was still enough to make me distrust them. )

      I'd be less worried about the hotel room, in most cases... Generally, I'm not the type of person that goes to a con with people I don't trust. >///< The only time I've shared a hotel room, it was 5 people in the room, and they were all good friends of mine. My mom was with us, so there wasn't a lot of partying or heavy traffic in and out of the room--so I think it would've been a safe place to keep a dollie.

      As for crowded places other than an Anime Convention... I can think of two things (both happened before I had BJDs of my own)...
      One of the very first meetups I went to was at a Japanese Festival with all the girls local to my area. Since we were in a group, I felt it was -very- safe, and someone always stayed behind to watch the dolls. One of the girls even handed hers off to a child for a short period of time (with heavy supervision). As far as I know, no one/nothing was stolen, and everyone had a great time, and easily toted their dolls around with them through most of the gardens.
      The second, is that I went to a Rennaissance Faire. At the time, it was actually before the first meetup I went to, but I happened to pass a couple of the girls who decided to go! She carried all her dolls around in a wagon, and as I know, there were no issues~ :D I wouldn't've hesitated to do something similar (except for the uneven ground XD)--Overall, the place had a really safe atmosphere, and I don't think anyone would've gotten far stealing or running off with anything. <3
       
    18. I agree with this. Its sad but true...
       
    19. Sorry, should have looked at the second page before responding.
       
    20. Slightly off topic here, and sorry to be a bit of a downer- Theft doesn't always relate to poverty and desperation, in fact, I work in a city department store that frequently gets it's fair share of both affluent middle class and... well... hoboes. Guess which ones steal?

      If you just said hoboes, sorry, wrong answer.

      Okay, look. The people who are desperate will come in - but they're not likely to steal the toys. They're the ones who go through and steal food from the confectionery department, clothes and basic consumables like soap. They're not about to steal themselves a doll. They have bigger concerns than a hunk of resin.

      In fact, the homeless folks who come in actually pay cash money for what they get, most of the time.

      It's the affluent middle class who steal, and who steal things of value. The preppy teens who come in and fill their bags with makeup, only to burst into tears and cry for mummy when they get caught. The mother with the rich husband who couldn't be bothered to pay for the $4 pair of shoes. The 30-somethings who steal CDs and iPods. The guy who (I kid you not) stole a knife from the kitchenware department and proceeded to stab himself trying to jimmy CDs out of their protective cases. He was a miner, by the way, earning upwards of 100K a year. (By the way, the idiot also tried to sue us for injuries obtained in our store. He was laughed out of court.)

      Sorry. Just had to add that, because it's an issue that puts a bee in my bonnet.

      On topic: Most of the time, however, theft is based on opportunity. It's spur of the moment, and it's based on the percieved value of something on a second-hand market. If someone sees a doll and doesn't already know the value of it, they're going to think "toy, big toy. Possibly about $70. Won't sell on the black market." They're not going to think "OOAK Volks Limited $5000, must take."

      Unless you fail to be villigant with your own possessions, chances are your doll is not going to be taken. The circumstances that require it are so hard to come by (An unscrupulus individual knowing the value of the doll, with both opportunity and motive to take the doll) that you're probably safe.

      It's like the news these days: It puts us in a panic state by showing the one-in-a-thousand time that something goes wrong, not the other 999 where they go right.