pawn shop Thein (!!)

[bbocaner]

A friend sent this to me the other day. I'd be tempted myself if I didn't already have an identical instrument.

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld ... 99322.html

But who pawns or sells to a pawn shop a Thein? Seems odd. Anyone know of one that was stolen?

[TheBoneRanger]

That's gotta be stolen, surely!

[gbedinger]

Yes, Barry, I thought same (alas).

[Doubler]

Why don't you check with the local PD and/or type "stolen musical instruments" in a Google search?

[dxhall]

Maybe it was owned by a Charlie Parker type trombonist. Only used to play bebop in small basement clubs.

[bbocaner]

Why don't you check with the local PD and/or type "stolen musical instruments" in a Google search?

Which of the 20+ local police departments in the area should I call, and what should I ask them seeing as I don't know the serial number?

I did try a google search and didn't see anything.

[Tremozl]

Just call the nearest, tell them the situation, ask if theyll look into it / contact other stations or if theres anything else you can do. Obviously give them all the reasons why you think the horn was stolen (incredibly expensive instrument at a pawn shop seems extremely unlikely.)

[harrisonreed]

Having tried a Thein, there is a joke somewhere deep in there.

Like the pristine white shoes I saw once in a public restroom trashcan that, upon closer inspection, had a small mustard stain on the toe section.

I just imagine the anticipation after spending $10k on an instrument. Waiting, wondering, and then it finally arrives. You play your first Bb .... then an F .... a day later you've recouped $1,000 , and are older. Wiser. The hard knocks.

FWIW, I've met a few players whose mommies and daddies have bought them this horn for college. It's not a stretch to see those same kids pawn it off after switching majors to basket weaving. $1k can buy a lot of stuff when you've got no perspective.

[Doug Elliott]

It wouldn't be a stretch to email Max and ask him if he knows who bought it.

[bbocaner]

Having tried a Thein, there is a joke somewhere deep in there.

Like the pristine white shoes I saw once in a public restroom trashcan that, upon closer inspection, had a small mustard stain on the toe section.

I just imagine the anticipation after spending $10k on an instrument. Waiting, wondering, and then it finally arrives. You play your first Bb .... then an F .... a day later you've recouped $1,000 , and are older. Wiser. The hard knocks.

FWIW, I've met a few players whose mommies and daddies have bought them this horn for college. It's not a stretch to see those same kids pawn it off after switching majors to basket weaving. $1k can buy a lot of stuff when you've got no perspective.

It'd be unusual to buy this model, the "classic" for college. It's a .488/.547 dual bore with a very light 9" red brass bell. I own one and absolutely love it and think it's worth what they charge for it, although I'm glad I found mine used (from a reputable seller) at a large discount off the price of a new one. I'm sorry you had a different experience, but they do make some really fantastic instruments. But this particular model wouldn't blend easily with american-style trombones and wouldn't really appeal to the rich college student looking for a status symbol, either. It's a pretty specialized item.

[harrisonreed]

That is an unusual bore/slide. I assumed it was their .547, based on the bell.

No, I was just trying to lighten up the instantaneous "it absolutely is stolen!" vibe. It most likely is stolen (check your horn, since it's such a specific model!) but we can't be sure. The Theins I have tried all felt flimsy, since they are built to be so thin. They certainly vibrate freely. Nothing wrong with them, but I feel they are overpriced by about 60%.

[bbocaner]

I hear you, I don't want to jump to conclusions either. As you point out, there are legitimate scenarios that could land it there, implausible as they may be. And I don't really have the time to drive the 25 miles over to see it and figure out what the serial number is, with traffic that could be a 3 to 4 hour round trip in this area. But it's rare to see professional-level instruments of any sort in pawn shops. It's also rare to see a practically brand new niche old german-style trombone from a top european workshop anywhere in the US. The people that have them would tend to know exactly what they've got and where to sell them most effectively. Multiply those two things together and it's an almost completely incredulous situation.

[Bach5G]

Not so incredible. Hard times happen.

[Doubler]

With the interaction between LE and pawn shops virtually assuring that a pawn shop would not, in this day and age, blatantly advertise stolen merchandise and face arrest and possible imprisonment, what's the likelihood of this pawn shop taking the risk on this trombone? And if the pawn shop owner was foolish/desperate enough to do so, what are the chances of them getting away with it? I'm not saying it's not possible; this pawn shop could be on the wrong side of the law. There's a huge profit margin on stolen goods, after all. Requesting a photo of the serial number might be revealing, one way or the other.

[Kingfan]

Maybe it was owned by somebody who died and the family wanted to avoid the hassle of selling privately. Maybe the owner pawned it for medical bills and couldn't come up with the scratch to get it out of pawn. I bought a Holton TR180 out of a pawn shop, wish I knew the back story.