Writhing in Agony (long)

[WindingRoad]

I apologize ahead of time for writing this but I've got to get this out. I can't believe it but some lowlife pathetic excuse for a human being "person" stole my beautiful French Horn. My mom worked so hard to pay for it when I was fifteen years old and started getting serious in my playing. I'm so mad I just start crying every time I think about it being gone. I am a grad student and I have finals today and tomorrow and I can hardly concentrate. I found out from my neighbor yesterday that it was probably stolen a couple of months ago :eek:. I live in an apartment and we have "secure" storage units in our basement. I rarely do laundry here but yesterday I did (finals week). I was carrying my clothes back upstairs when I saw the wheel bags for my racing wheels in an empty storage bin with no lock on it??? I have the racing wheels on my bike in my apartment but I put the crappy set that came on my bike in the bags though so at least I didn't lose my good wheels. I don't know why thieves would fish them out of my bin just to leave them sitting there, I can't image the common thief would know a good wheel from a cheap one. My lock on my unit wasn't cut but it was mutilated. There were screws on the floor so I think they took some of the boards loose and got in that way, I can't figure any other way they could have got in. I called the police and reported it to my renters insurance but I don't have any receipts or anything it's been fifteen years and I've moved many times :( I am so upset, my horn was a huge sentimental loss for me and it did happen to be worth about $3000. I'm so livid because I found out from the neighbors that the apartment complex knew about it but never bothered to tell anyone. When I called them yesterday right after I discovered my horn was missing and I asked them directly about break ins, they acted like they didn't know anything. Had I known I might have had a chance of finding it in a pawn shop or something as it is now at least 2 months or more later now so there is no way!?!?!?! :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

[ridebikeme]

WOW! that is horrible! I can certainly understand your sentiment for your french horn. In terms of your wheels, perhaps a LBS could write you an invoice as to what it would costs to replace your wheels... I have done this several times. And while on that subject, perhaps a music store could do the same... although you can't put a price tag on your Moms effort to make sure you had the french horn.

Although it has been a couple of months, I would still check with your local pawn shops... I can't imagine anyone buying a french horn unless they knew how to play. So perhaps there will be a chance that either it hasn't sold, or that the shop might remember the person who bought it OR better yet the person that sold it.

Good luck with everything!

[krisl6]

That really is terrible. I feel so bad for you. People that steal stuff are so low. I have had 2 bikes stolen in the last 2 years. And althought it happens to everyone here it's really frustrating. One of the bikes was my mountainbike that I got as a wedding gift from my partner. I really can't get over the fact that people just go and take what isn't theres. Good luck trying to get some compensation on your stolen property, though it won't completely heal the emotional wounds of losing your French horn. Hopefully karma will catch up with the person/people who did this to you.

[Bike Chick]

Oh I am so sorry for what happened. Having something stolen from you is such a violation---especially when it's something of such sentimental value. Maybe it will be sitting in the window of the first pawn shop you go to. I hope it comes back to you:(

[Tuckervill]

You should file it on your insurance no matter what. They don't expect you to check on your things every single day, or to have receipts for an old item. It will be easy to prove you had the horn (there are pictures somewhere, I'll bet). I do think you'll be able to find it at a pawn shop, too, if that's where it went.

Sucky apartment people! I might consider making them let me out of the lease for their incompetence, even if I didn't want to move.

Karen

[azfiddle]

I am so sorry to hear about your French Horn. Musical instruments have such special meaning to their owners. I can't bear the thought of losing one of my fiddles.

Is there anything unique about it that might help you identify it? Do look for it - and send out word to local musicians, high school band directors, etc, as well as the pawn shops.

Hugs -

[oxysback]

I don't have anything to add, but I can imagine how you feel. I have a flute that is 41 years old that belonged to my mother before she passed away. I love playing it because it feels like she's right there with me, and it still looks as shiny and sounds as sweet as it did when she first got it. If something ever happened to it I would be devastated. Yes, insurance would cover it, but how do you put a price on sentamental value?

I'm sorry for your loss and I hope your search is successful.

[Biciclista]

your horn probably had a serial number; do you have it?
I am sorry for your loss. My son never leaves his horn behind except locked in his house. I tend to think he's obsessive about it, but you're right, they're hugely sentimental and expensive too.

good luck with your insurance!

[OakLeaf]

((((WindingRoad))))

That stinks. :( I hope your horn comes back to you. I agree it's still worth checking the pawn shops and music stores.

[NbyNW]

oh, how awful!!!

I hope you're able to focus on your finals.

I agree with other posters above . . . it's a PITA that you didn't ask for, but check the pawn shops, ask around at local music departments if anyone has recently purchased a French horn -- someone may have purchased it not knowing it was stolen!

Good luck--

[badger]

that's horrible, I'm sorry it happened to you. Like others have said, I would still try the pawn shops and even online.

I once got broken into and they took my grandfather's wedding band. He died before I was born, and it was extremely sentimental. It probably wasn't worth much to whoever stole it and tried to hawk it, but it took me a very long time to get over it (can you actually get over something like that?)

Hugs to you, and don't give up, keep looking!

[papaver]

Keep on checking craigslist and e-bay... it might as well pop up there. I hope you get it back!!!

[WindingRoad]

Small victory... I did manage to get the serial number of my horn from the music store that last tuned it up :) I've been checking Craigslist periodically, I will try to call around to local pawn shops after tomorrows finals are over, just finished my first one today. When it rains it pours I guess... this couldn't happen when I actually had time to do something about it:rolleyes:

I appreciate the nice sentiments everyone has been sending me, it helps. :)

[kermit]

Make sure you pass that number along to your police dept. that took the report. We actually have a pawn shop squad on my dept. that does nothing but recover stolen goods.

[Jolt]

So sorry to hear this happened to you. It really sucks to have something stolen--such a violation and such an icky feeling! Especially when the place was supposed to be "secure". Hope you can track down your horn.

[WindingRoad]

Still no horn but did get an appraisal today from the local music store. I have found pictures fortunately that I forgot about. So God willing maybe I will actually get enough money back from my insurance company to buy another horn. If I actually do get reimbursed I've decided to buy a different brand. I think trying to get the exact same thing would make me always think it wasn't as good as the original. Maybe it's better to try a new angle in this case? I was just so attached I don't think I can simply 'replace' it if you know what I mean. I didn't realize how attached until it was gone. I felt so stupid today I started crying in the music store trying to tell the sales guy what had happened. How embarrassing.

[blackhillsbiker]

Thinking about you and hoping you are able to find your horn, or another one, which won't be the same, but will be comforting nonetheless. Instruments become such an extension of our souls. I have one special guitar and my beloved flute.

Many hugs,
Deb