TVJones guitars and pups stolen at musikmesse.

[David King]

TV Jones Guitars and Pickups Stolen in Frankfurt
I have no idea where this stuff will end up but there are folks here from most parts of the world so I expect we can all be on the lookout.

[belwar]

man that stinks! when we exhibit at those shows we have almost 100 guitars and the total price tag is around $175,000. I get so paranoid when I leave the show at night. The worst i've had stollen though was a camera. I guess i've been lucky.

[David Schwab]

That really does suck. I always want to think that creative people are above that, but alas no.

I remember when I was at the ASIA symposium back in '95, I had left some fingerboard and stuff that I bought from one of the exhibitors, and went back to my room when I realized I left them behind my table in the exhibit hall.

I was quite disappointed to see someone stole them in the few minutes I was gone.

[Mark Hammer]

Following the Canada/USA hockey final at the winter Olympics, the stick and gloves used for Sidney Crosby's winning goal were initially believed to have been stolen. Turned out they were inadvertently packed up with somebody else's gear to be sent to the wrong location.

Let's hope somethng equally innocuous and innocent happened here.

[Possum]

....

If they were stolen they'll show up unless someone repaints and disguises them or just plays them at home. Around here when someone steals music gear you post on craigslist and that finds stuff more often than not...

[belwar]

Yeah but they were stolen at messe.. which means the odds of them showing up shortly are rare since they are in germany. Probably the only way he'd ever come across them is if an end user writes in about the guitar 10 years from now.. and what he's gonna do at that point tell the guy its stolen and take the guitar back? Whoever is going to end up with the instrument will probably be totally unaware of anything.

[jonson]

When Iv'e exhibited at the Messe I leave the UK and drive across Belgum and down through Germany to Frankfurt. The first time I log into a customs post after leaving these shores is at the Messe itself and not the German border. When I log out its all laid out what I took and what I'm bringing back so on reaching the UK anthing extra I'm gonna pay duties on. The great unwashed cannot leave that show with anything without it being checked as it's allways been a rule "it's not a sales show". The only way out is another exibitor has loaded that lot inadvertantly or deliberately, but with open borders that can be anywhere in Europe and already altered or sold. Sad loss for those guys but chances of it cropping up is slim.

[Possum]

...

I'm sure if you faked an exhibitor tag and grabbed a trolley filled with gear you could probably get away with it, with a fast truck and planning. It seems odd though he would be a target, they probably just suddenly had an opportunity to run out of there with whatever they could grab and it happened to be TVJ stuff. Still, I'm sure insurance covers it and its not like losing a '59 Les Paul or something. I hope he didnt lose his pickup demo guitars, those would be a real pain to have to build from scratch again. What a drag....and odd because you don't think of Germany as a place to get ripped off....

[the great waldo]

When Iv'e exhibited at the Messe I leave the UK and drive across Belgum and down through Germany to Frankfurt. The first time I log into a customs post after leaving these shores is at the Messe itself and not the German border. When I log out its all laid out what I took and what I'm bringing back so on reaching the UK anthing extra I'm gonna pay duties on. The great unwashed cannot leave that show with anything without it being checked as it's allways been a rule "it's not a sales show". The only way out is another exibitor has loaded that lot inadvertantly or deliberately, but with open borders that can be anywhere in Europe and already altered or sold. Sad loss for those guys but chances of it cropping up is slim.

Iīve done the Messe a few times and on the last day there are normally plenty of people walking out with Chinese guiars under their arms. The Chinese exhibitors virtually give away their show items as itīs normally cheaper for them to out stuff for 20$ than it is to ship back to China. Pianos and other large items have also disappeared over the years. Still itīs a shame.

Cheers

Andrew

[jonson]

Times have changed then. 20/25 years ago as an exhibitor you did have to check everything out and stuff was not sold. Always did deals and then met after show had finished. Now it's barcodes and scaners and stuff goes out or goes missing. That's advance for you.
Leave myself open to criticism here and say I hope none of this stuff is allready being copied in the far east.