What would you do if...you bought a doll that had been stolen?

Contact them of course!

 

Oh gosh. I'd be pretty shocked, and upset.

I'd probably contact the original owner of the doll, and let them know that I'd wound up purchasing their doll. Then I'd go to the police to figure out what to do next as far as getting my money back was, and the proper way to get the doll back to it's owner. Which might mean it doesn't get shipped straight back to them at once-- it'd be however the police needed it to be. But I'd make sure the doll's owner knew it was safe, and the condition it was in, with pics and all.

 

Lose money or have a clear conscience? Money comes and goes but your integrity is what sticks around and follows (or haunts) you. Even if you didn't do the stealing, holding on to a stolen item because you want to be selfish is just as bad.

I would be mad for a second for having "wasted money" but then I'd be really happy knowing the doll went back home. It is the same with pets. Even though I'd fall in love with a new dog or cat or whatever I could never keep them if I knew their original parents were looking for them. I'd hate it if my babies were stolen, sold, and then the person wouldn't let them come home.

Of course report the seller and go after them for being so sneaky!

 

first, i think i would freak out a bit... i mean i just bought a stolen doll right? then, I'd contact the person who sold it to me(so i dont forget their username), and take pictures of said stolen doll to send to the person who's doll was stolen, to absolutely verify. I'd probably file a police report after that.
Depending on the doll size(like if it was say, a puki puki or a 70 cm), i may send the stuff i bought for the stolen doll with the doll when i ship it. I really dont collect sizes other than 1/4 and 1/6(because 1/3 and 70 cm are just a bit heavy and big for me right now), and going through such a experience would definitely shake you up.

 

What would you do if you found out the doll you just bought had been stolen from someone else?
What would you do? Would you contact them? Would you keep quiet?
Wow! Intense question. Something I have never thought about, so I'm on the spot.
Hmmm, *think for 5 minutes* I think it depends how the doll was stolen, if it was missing in transit, taken and sold on to me (unknowingly) I wouldn't feel the need to contact the intended owner. The company should replace the missing doll, not leave they buyer out of pocket. The owner never saw the doll, never bonded whereas I would have seen it and bonded, I think it would be more cruel on me to have to give it back.

If it were a case of it was someone's loved doll, robbed from a house, that would be a different story. If I knew for a FACT it was the same doll, I'd want to keep quiet and have an easy life but I know I'd want someone to let me know if my doll was stolen and sold. I'd have to inform the police I'd purchased stolen goods, hopefully get the money back and have the doll returned to it's true home.


Having said that, I don't think anyone should be judged for being honest in this thread. If they said they'd keep the doll then that's their honest opinion. The question was asked, some people might not like the answer that's all.
Most people wouldn't want a guilt doll, some people can live with it. We were all asked, whoever participates should be allowed to speak. But I will say you know where to look if your doll gets swiped JK!


EDIT: Phew finally got through the whole thread!
I think trying to sell a stolen doll back to the owner is crazy, like a ransom.
Also I don't think being a broke student excuses not wanting to give a doll back, if you're broke these dolls are the last thing you should be buying!

 

I would definately contact the rightful owner. I would not be able to enjoy a doll that was stolen and causing another collector such misery. I would also contact the person I bought from and demand my money back and contact the police to investigate. Although I have never bought a BJD from another collector I only by them from the company that makes them.

 

I would totally tell the owner. That would be like possessing another persons child. I would contact them and and tell them how much I paid and where I got it from so we could track down the thief. Hopefully I'd get some compensation out of it, especially if I paid alot, but doing a good deed is always priceless in the end.

 

(I totally didn't read this thread all the way through...)


I would find out for absolute certain that the doll in question was, in fact, stolen and sold to me. Depending on who stole the doll and sold it, it's likely that it would still have the face-up (whether default or custom) and clothing/accessories. Even if (god forbid) the doll were stolen by someone within the community, who did what they could to erase all trace, I would still go through a lot of effort to find out for absolute certain. I don't want to be taken in by a sob story nor do I want to falsely accuse someone of theft and ruin their reputation.

Secondly, I would contact the original owner and let them know that I have found their stolen doll and that I would like their address to 1) ship their doll to them, free of charge, and 2) find out if their city/zip code matches that of the person who sold the doll to me. The address of the seller would have to be somewhat accurate, as I would have had to pay for shipping. My next step would be to contact the authorities to report the seller and the crime (if the crime had not already been reported).

Honestly, given how expensive even a blank, average doll is, a doll worth stealing and reselling would be upwards of $1000 or more (to make the risk worth it). That is more than enough to get the attention of the local authorities, and while they might not understand the worth of BJDs, they would nonetheless do their job and the seller would be forced to compensate me for my expenses (possibly up to shipping the doll to the original owner, but if not meh), arrested, and given a (short) term in prison.

Of course, this is if the entire thing took place in the United States. My actions wouldn't change, but I would be more unsure about the legal process and the like.



That being said, guys, a smart thief would steal a limited that would only gain value over time (like a Soom MD or Volks limited) and simply wait out the statue of limitations in their area. Also, would keep an eye out for "Stolen Doll" threads and talks, and wait out the statue of limitations in that area as well. They would then sell the doll to some poor unsuspecting individual with little fear of getting into trouble. In which case, we would be left to decide if we should return the doll to its rightful owner, or keep it and hope no one ever finds out.

 

I personally think that a smart thief would steal a low profile doll that can be sold quickly to decrease the chance of getting caught with the stolen doll. I still frequently hear people talk about the Volks dolls that were stolen at a doll fair/con, but I rarely hear talk about the Bobobie dolls that were stolen (take a look at the stolen dolls thread). How many Volks limited are sold and how many Bobobie dolls? It's easier to hide in the masses.

 

Muisje I agree. I think if a thief wants to make a quick buck that would be the way to go. Too many people would be looking around for something like a one-off.

Does anyone know if any of the dolls were recovered from the Volks heist in New York a few years back?

 

I would definitely return the doll as I wouldn't be able to enjoy the doll and remembering the rule: Treat Others How You Would Like To Be Treated.

 

I think some were.

 

The first thing I would do would be to contact the person who claims the doll was theirs. Someone who genuinely lost their doll would be putting forth effort to reclaim it, as opposed to multiple people responding to a "Found Doll" ad or forum.

If the person and I decide, by comparing photos, that this is, in fact, their stolen doll, I would ask them how they wanted to proceed. Would they want me to talk to the person who sold it to me? Or would they want to, themselves? If things were my way, I would probably want to talk to the seller as I'd be the less emotional party. If the seller obtained the doll from someone else, I wouldn't want to accuse them of blatant thievery, as they might have been as clueless as I. But, if they were privy to it, I would inform them that I would at least alert authorities, and I would ask for a refund, partial at minimum.

Once things had 100% been squared away with the seller, and authorities if necessary, I would send the doll back to its original owner. I wouldn't do it right away, and would let the owner know, just in case some sort of odd proof was needed for authorities or for the seller's proof (should they ask something along the lines of, "how can I tell in the future if a doll is stolen?")

I'd also like to point out that it's kind of a big process to take someone to small claims court. It costs time and money, and if the seller is from out of the country, or even out of the state, it gets difficult. Which state did the swipe occur in? Where does the seller live? It all gets messy.
Secondly, the authorities probably won't do much about it. I was involved in a much more high-profile situation (my roommate got a little violent once) and I was shocked by how much of the process I had to do on my own. It's worth filing a report, just so it's on file, but don't be surprised how little is actually done. Not unless the seller/thief has a long profile against them and a large number of crimes!

Thirdly, please make sure you have the original owner's cooperation. I know they're probably eager for the return of their doll, but it's worth taking a little bit of time to make sure the thing's done right. And I would hope they would at least offer you a little something for taking this kind of care to their doll. If I had a doll swiped, I'd offer the person who returned it something for their trouble, and I know that I, personally, would take care of their shipping costs. After all, they're doing me a huge favor! And knowing they just bought a doll, they might not have a ton of spare cash hanging around

 

If there was irrefutable evidence that the doll was stolen and that the owner really did own them, I couldn't under clear conscious keep the doll.Of course I'd do all my homework and try to get my money back from the seller and go through all the legal stuff. In the end though money is money it can be earned again. Might also make a friend in the long run

 

I think the best thing to do is to go through police. Even if you think their evidence is crystal clear, it might not be. For all you know, the seller and the original owner might have planned this whole thing; like, they planned to have someone else come in and say that the doll was theirs.

If I was the original owner, I would be ok with going through police if only because there was someone between me and the new owner. If I tried doing things alone, I might end up running into one of those people who would try to sell the doll back to me.

I think that it would show character for the new owner to want to go through police, because I know that they weren't going to try to ransom my doll back to me. It might take a little more time before the doll was in my possession again, but I'd also feel better about helping them get their money back from the seller.

 

None of the stolen Volks dolls have ever been recovered.

 

My bad... ignore my post about them

 

I would so give it to them and have them pay a bit. I couldn't be attached to a doll that someone else was pining after.

 

I find it interesting how honest people were near the beginning of this thread before the chastising posts started. Then, for grins I read this thread and another debate thread Age, Income and Social Responsibility and came to the realization that even though this is a social institution (7 years old and growing everyday) many people feel no social obligation to other members of the doll community.

Scary!

I don't even have to ask myself the question of returning a doll, purchased or found. It's my nature to do the honest thing and return stolen merchandise. I did find a doll at a doll function and turned it over to the event organizer without even thinking about it. Most people had already left and we were rushing out the door but I saw a doll in the photo shoot area and freaked out that someone had left without it. Just thought, wow, someone is going to be sick over losing this doll.

Not a good thread for a newbie, guess I'll go back to doll care threads and gallery photos.........

 

You are misreading/misunderstanding that other thread, Gherkin! If you go back and look at it again, you'll see that many people wrote that they DO feel an obligation to other people, as it is part of the basic social contract we all live under as humans in society. So if ANY object was discovered to be stolen goods most of us would quickly return it, as that is what an ethical, law abiding human would do. It was the OPs question-- whether being in the hobby for a relatively long time, or having more "expensive" dolls than others burdens one with a special obligation-- that was answered in the negative. That and the previous thread by the OP, where she compiled a long list of regulations she uses to determine whether someone is worthy of a ride from her left people with a feeling that the hobby is a lot simpler than the way it was being described, and that was what people were responding to. So please don't misunderstand and draw negative conclusions about the community as a whole as a result of a rather bizarre, subtext-loaded thread!

Speaking for my myself, I would definitely return a doll (as I said upthread) even if it cost me personally to do so. Why? Because even though I might have purchased it, it's not actually mine! And as for the other things you are alluding to (like helping out newbies, sharing my skills, etc.) of course I would. But not because there is something special to this hobby. Rather, I'd do it because I am a member of society, plain and simple.

Hope that helps!