I'd like to know more about how tracking down the stolen books like The Gunslinger works - do they need to be that identifiable? I had a couple packages stolen a few months ago with new, limited editions - the Suntup The Last Unicorn and the Conversation Tree Faun. I'm not in a big metro like Portland so there's not many dealers or even used bookstores. I made a police report that functionally disappeared into the abyss. I'm pretty convinced that most package thieves wouldn't know what they had, but TLU in particular has had pretty immediate secondary market price jumps.
That sucks. If your Suntup editions were numbered, you can set up want matches on eBay and Abebooks and hope they show up there. Otherwise, one book is pretty much indistinguishable from another. While most people don't know much about books, in the three big cases I've been involved with in the last year and a half, the material moved up the food chain pretty fast from low-level thieves to reasonably savvy fences who did know something, and the books sold quickly online (Facebook marketplace, What Not, Craig's list, eBay) or via one bricks-and-mortar store that was happy not to ask too many questions.
Looking forward to “Chapter Two”. As always, an entertaining and educational read. Thanks Scott.
I love this
I'd like to know more about how tracking down the stolen books like The Gunslinger works - do they need to be that identifiable? I had a couple packages stolen a few months ago with new, limited editions - the Suntup The Last Unicorn and the Conversation Tree Faun. I'm not in a big metro like Portland so there's not many dealers or even used bookstores. I made a police report that functionally disappeared into the abyss. I'm pretty convinced that most package thieves wouldn't know what they had, but TLU in particular has had pretty immediate secondary market price jumps.
That sucks. If your Suntup editions were numbered, you can set up want matches on eBay and Abebooks and hope they show up there. Otherwise, one book is pretty much indistinguishable from another. While most people don't know much about books, in the three big cases I've been involved with in the last year and a half, the material moved up the food chain pretty fast from low-level thieves to reasonably savvy fences who did know something, and the books sold quickly online (Facebook marketplace, What Not, Craig's list, eBay) or via one bricks-and-mortar store that was happy not to ask too many questions.
Is it next (Maybe) Monday yet? Ooh, I can't wait! 📖😮😬🫨😅
Maybe I should do cliffhangers more often.... :-0
🤤🤓💘