turtLe's New Home - Update Jan 30 2013 Dirty rotten thieves!

[Nyukki]

Sorry to hear about this, that really sucks. When I was a kid our house got robbed once when we were on holiday, came back to a complete mess and lotsa stuff gone. I can identify with the feeling of violation, you've been wronged and can't do anything about it which makes it feel so much worse. For a few days after it happened me and my bro had this weird feeling inside and couldn't sleep.

Since then I mark my valuables with an invisible pen. Write my postcode on it and you can read it with a special spray. Should that stuff ever turn up it can then be identified.

Hope you find your stuff and the guys that did it.

[noiseredux]

turtle! No! This sucks.

[turtle]

I really hope the insurance takes care of you and your loss is recuperated with a fat check.

I don't really want a cheque, they normally value your stuff lower then what its worth, id much rather replacement's! They want proof of what we have and the pictures I've posted here have helped. As far as our laptops go we're not even sure what they were, We've found what model Lily's was but mine was 16 or so months old and I stopped using it since I got the iPad. Oh well, I hope it's replaced - fingers crossed

eventually that stuff does reach pawnshops and flea markets.

I also suspect that it's an inside job. sometimes neighbors can be suspects too. obviously they won't steal from you, but they can always call friends to do the thieving. And they get to act all innocent. neighbors do know when you are or arent home.

Absolutely, I have my suspicions about some neighbours, they are nice people but have money problems and know some low lifes, in fact I think they owe the low lifes. Exchange of information for a good B&E for a dept wiped clean? Now I'm CSI Conspiracy theory, but its hard for the mind not to go there. Either way we'll distance ourselves more-so then we already have.

As far as pawn shops I've checked a few yesterday, I started looking at serial numbers since I have the serials for almost ALL the Sony stuff and the iPad, just found the Nintendo boxes in storage as well, with serials. Turns out pawn shops don't like you looking at serials, you tip off the cops that they have your stuff, pawn shop losses the stuff they bought to the cops, so one pawn shop asked me to leave as I started looking at the serials on their handhelds, apparently I lack subtly

So none of your other major game collections we touched? Did they get the PS3, SNES, PS1 or any other really important games in particular? Also what area do you live in Vancouver? I work from home and usually have some free time each day. I'd be willing scan craigslist and ebay for big lots of games in the area over the next week or two for you.

THANK GOD NO, they just nabbed the handhelds and the games for them (plus blurays), however last night I went to turn on the WiiU and it wouldn't turn on, they tried to yank the power cord but gave up hopefully it's covered and I get a new one.

Thanks for offering to scan Craigslist, I showed Lily that and she's just blown away. I'm located in Metro Vancouver which is very commutable so it could easily have a multiple headers. Don't bother spending time as I'm scanning Craigslist myself, almost hourly My 3DSXL blue I just got for Christmas (never even had a chance to post pics here) has all my 3DS Ambassador's software on it which Nintendo ties to the hardware itself instead of the account. Thats the big one, but other then that I don't care too much to get my handhelds back, its more the custom stuff, vita case and VITA MEMORY CARDS and certain games! Lily lost 86+ hours on Persona 4 Golden and I just started Ocarina 3D, I'm never going to finish that game

Since then I mark my valuables with an invisible pen. Write my postcode on it and you can read it with a special spray.

This is brilliant, I think I just might do this from now on.


Overall I'm more focused on being as specific with insurance so we get replacements, I'd love to catch them but I think out stuff is long gone, these guys were clearly pro's and would probably know how to sell stolen goods. I put a little effort into the pawn shops and ill continue surfing craigslist I just want the un-replaceable stuff back if possible.
Again thanks for everyone's input. These are some incredible ideas!

[Hazerd]

Shotgun, get one! then... pretend your not home and wait..

[samsonlonghair]

Forget the shotgun; for that matter forget the alarm system.

I grew up in a high-crime area in a large city. I know from experience that there's one sure deterrent to criminals. There is one defense that works better than any alarm or any gun you can buy:



A doberman is home when you're not. He is vigilant. He knows friend from foe. He will never turn against his master. This is the ultimate home defense system.

[o.pwuaioc]

This thread literally gave me nightmares. I was fortunate enough to wake up from it, but man oh man, turtLe, you are living it.

[samsonlonghair]

I want to start this post by expressing my condolences to you Turtle. I truly hope you can get back to normalcy soon. You truly have my sympathies Turtle. I have been robbed at gun point, so I take home security very seriously.

That said, there are a few things you should consider in the category of crime risk. To be clear, I do not blame the victim. I simply want to point out how you (or anyone on this forum) could be putting yourself at risk for theft.

Sounds like they knew what they were after. Is there anything you can think of that might've tipped off some would-be thieves?

I'm not really sure, I don't have undesirables over and for the most part I keep to myself. It is very odd since we are in a condo and on the 3rd floor. Since they were pro's maybe they did their research and watched the building and we were just unlucky.

Research? So... how do you think they did this research? Did they get inside info from the neighbors as some have suggested? Did they get a tip from unscrupulous maintenance men? Did they park a surveillance van on your street?

Not likely.

Think about it...

Maybe all the research was done for them.

Did you post pictures of your home online? Did you post the name of the city where you live? Did you post pictures of your blu-ray collection, your custom PS3 controllers, and your hi-def TV set? Did you post pictures of the roof access to your home showing a sliding glass door? Are you aware that anyone can view this forum without even needing a username or password? Do you know how easy it is to break into a sliding glass door?

It's a lesson we can all learn here at the Racketboy forums. It's fun to post pictures of our collection. I even posted mine here once, but I took it down because I realized that there's an inherent danger in this (among other reasons). Showing strangers pictures of the inside of your home seems inherently exhibitionist to me.

Once again, this is not Turtles fault. In fact this could have happened to anyone on these forums. That's the problem.

Just my two cents.

[AppleQueso]

Unless he was doing a full on house tour and throwing out his exact address, I don't see how he was putting himself at risk just by making this thread. I mean, I'm all for risk aversion, but what you're suggesting sounds straight up paranoid.

The thought of someone even doing that sort of research seems really strange unless they were specifically targeting turtLe. I'm just imagining someone just checking every single game room thread and digging extensively to try and figure out the exact address where each person who made each thread might live and checking if it's anywhere close enough for them to rob... just don't see it being realistic considering how much time they'd be wasting. Besides, if they were going to be doing something like that with that kind of research, you'd think they'd have grabbed some of the more valuable retro collectibles and whatnot.

It's much more likely they were simply tipped off by sleazy neighbors or maintenance workers or something.

[Michi]

...Besides, if they were going to be doing something like that with that kind of research, you'd think they'd have grabbed some of the more valuable retro collectibles and whatnot.

Or even some of those PS3 games. Some of those games are worth more than a handful of used blu-rays.




Hey, turtle. I know you said you didn't hang around with undesirables and whatnot, but have you recently had anyone new come over, like a friend-of-a-friend?

I ask because a few years ago one of our neighbors where we used to live had their house broken into. They caught the kids that did it and it ended up being a friend-of-a-friend of one of the neighbors sons who had just briefly been there a couple weeks before. If I remember correctly, he was only there because the sons friend came to pick him up and he was just along for the ride. From what you described, with them being in and out so fast and using the bag from your own air mattress, it almost sounds like they might have been in the house before, if only briefly.

Just something to think about if you hadn't already.

I hope you find at least some of your stuff.

[turtle]

Research? So... how do you think they did this research? Did they get inside info from the neighbors as some have suggested? Did they get a tip from unscrupulous maintenance men? Did they park a surveillance van on your street?
Maybe all the research was done for them.
Did you post pictures of your home online?

Hey, turtle. I know you said you didn't hang around with undesirables and whatnot, but have you recently had anyone new come over, like a friend-of-a-friend?

The area I live in is a major metropolitan area, 3 million+ people. I doubt it would be my posts but I did edit a few of them to be more vague, better be safe then sorry. I almost know my neighbours tipped someone off. They are the only people I don't know well that have been over. After the robbery their behaviour around me has changed, I know they have something to do with it but I just can't prove anything. Time to distance ourselves from them, I'm not an ass and I believe innocence until proven guilty, But I don't have to like them. I'm cutting all conversations with them, future encounter will be passing by with a smile and nod nothing more.

I like the idea of a shotgun and doberman for protection, but they just don't fit in a condo lifestyle Alarm system is our best bet. Or as Lily says we can breed dinosaurs.