Thievery of models...how common is it??

[Yowzo]

A friend of mine has an amazingly painted and converted WoC army back in early 5th ed.

We are pretty sure we've seen some of his minis around in several armies from time to time, so whoever did it ended up selling the stuff around.

[Spider-pope]

About a decade ago i had my gaming case full of 2000 points of Chaos Dwarfs stolen from a gaming club. The police were less than helpful in the matter, refusing to see it as anything more than toys being stolen and therefore why was i making such a fuss about it when i was 18.

Shoplifting wise the worst i encountered was back when i lived in Grimsby. For several months everytime an order of Bloodknights came in, they'd be stolen within days. Because of the stores size the CCTV was useless at detecting the perpetrators - on saturdays it was virtually impossible to move let alone get a clear shot at the blister racks. This went on for some time until Gamesday and the store sent its usual coach off with three young regulars before. They'd made a point boasting in the weeks leading up that they'd each saved up £50 to spend there.

Cut to the coach arriving back at the store, and as they were all getting off the Manager noticed that they had a heck of a lot of big bags for people who only had £150 between them. Pulling them to one side, he started to check the bags. All told there was about £6000 worth of stock, stolen from Gamesday. Amongst which was the Bloodknights the store had had delivered that week.

[ArtificerArmour]

I've found a dice tin at my local club a few years ago, and asked everyone around if they knew whose.it was. After no joy I took it home and put on the forum Id found it.

Someone came forward, I gave it back at the next games night, all was well.

Until he came half an hour later , interupting my game and accusing me of stealing his scatter die from the tin.

The person who went out of his way to return to dice.

I felt awful, I gave him one as I had a spare, but felt like everyone was judging me thinking Im a thief.

[SilentCivilian]

Remember Artificer no good deed goes unpunished.

[kalon]

[QUOTE=Grimmeth;6218031]These kind of story make me feel a little sick, and somewhat anxious about taking minis to play with out of my house.QUOTE]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, most players are honest and reputable chaps and I'm sure that your models would be perfectly safe, in over 20 years of playing 40k I've only had one model nicked so I figure it can't be that bad.

[Artinam]

The worst that happened to me was a movement tray and some templates.
I'm lucky I guess. To much faith in people which cost me plenty (locked bike stolen by some old guy from a local pub, jacket stolen from my room ect.)

[Private_SeeD]

In my local GW, certain items seem to sprout legs and disappear, as well as store models. Never heard of entire cases going missing thou, in my local GW its a common thing were ppl leave their cases in the store at there own peril but nothing has been stolen of yet

[Verm1s]

I just thought I'd post this here.

I know a guy whose huge case full of Tau was once lifted out of a GW shop. Nobody saw anyone take it. The guy was devastated and everyone felt sorry for him. Fifteen minutes later a regular who'd left some time before, ran back in: "I picked up the wrong case!"

[Lakomasoi]

I was looking for a game at my local GW in Massachusetts, USA ( i put location in hopes of finding this army). The GW manager decided to leave his fully customized Dark elf army and cult of Slannesh at the store for another worker to play against me. After playing the game the worker packed up the army and placed it down near the register. This si where we aren't sure what happened. Either someone picked up the case and walked out with it, or the other scenario ( we checked the sales the next day) is the worker accidentally sold the case as an "empty" GW case and the person that bought it never came back with it.

This army really stands out because of the converted cult of slannesh calvary. The GW manager took the old demonette pewter riders and filed them off thier mounts and used the riders on another mount. The whole army was painted both the DE and the Cult and I specifically remember a beautiful converted BSB for the DE. I feel personally responsible for this army because he left it for me to play against. this was probably about seven or eight years ago so my hopes aren't High. But if anyone out there has heard of someone getting this army please PM I know the original owner won't press charges or the like but would rather like his army back. This event made him quit the game he played for over twelve years.

[ted1138]

About a decade ago i had my gaming case full of 2000 points of Chaos Dwarfs stolen from a gaming club. The police were less than helpful in the matter, refusing to see it as anything more than toys being stolen and therefore why was i making such a fuss about it when i was 18.

Shoplifting wise the worst i encountered was back when i lived in Grimsby. For several months everytime an order of Bloodknights came in, they'd be stolen within days. Because of the stores size the CCTV was useless at detecting the perpetrators - on saturdays it was virtually impossible to move let alone get a clear shot at the blister racks. This went on for some time until Gamesday and the store sent its usual coach off with three young regulars before. They'd made a point boasting in the weeks leading up that they'd each saved up £50 to spend there.

Cut to the coach arriving back at the store, and as they were all getting off the Manager noticed that they had a heck of a lot of big bags for people who only had £150 between them. Pulling them to one side, he started to check the bags. All told there was about £6000 worth of stock, stolen from Gamesday. Amongst which was the Bloodknights the store had had delivered that week.

I take it the police weren't involved? That manager could have easily been sued for doing that(and, IMO, should have been)...

[Mastodon]

I take it the police weren't involved? That manager could have easily been sued for doing that(and, IMO, should have been)...

Why? Its perfectly legal to check peoples bags if you think they've been shoplifting in the UK.

[Skaven13]

Why? Its perfectly legal to check peoples bags if you think they've been shoplifting in the UK.

I'm pretty sure that is the case in the US as well, but if there is indeed a country with a law in place that prevents business managers from being able to do their job and protect their own stock, it would be the good ol' US of A.

I had one instance, I think it was the first GT in the states, where I was asked to empty a shirt pocket. Apparantly, at the tournament, a lot of players were pocketing the magic or psychic power card decks (of all things). I had one guy notice that I had something in my shirt pocket and asked me to enter it (actually, the lead web guy at the time for GW). I emptied my pocket and showed him my box of cereal for breakfast that I didn't get to eat in time. It didn't bother me one bit to be asked to show what was in my pocket. I personally prefer to help anyone looking for delinquents that are ruining things for the rest of us.

I've only had rulebooks gone missing at tournaments. Intentional or not, it has happened multiple times to me. Quite frustrating, really, as those things really aren't cheap.

Other than that, yeah, I have heard at multiple tournaments of pieces gone missing. Back then I have been a little too trusting with people, asking them to watch my stuff while I go to the food court or something. These days, I probably would not have done that, and am very thankful that it didn't bite me in the end back then.

[Whitwort Stormbringer]

None of my stuff has ever been stolen, although when we were playing a lot of WFB back in high school we got a friend into the game, and a couple of his friends that also got involved had a very fluid concept of "ownership." One would rampantly shoplift from our LGS, although we collectively pressured him into giving it back and obviously quit playing with that guy.

One left his army at another's house, though, and the latter entered them into a painting competition (didn't win...) and later tried to sell them. The weird part is that they all seemed more-or-less cool with it, even the poor kid to whom the army belonged.

[ted1138]

Why? Its perfectly legal to check peoples bags if you think they've been shoplifting in the UK.

No, it's not. And you're certainly not allowed to do it in public, especially to children. Not only were the alleged stolen goods not witnessed by this manager being stolen, but they weren't even from his store. And if any of this is true, the parents of these children would have no trouble in putting a case together to sue the manager and Games Workshop.

[theunwantedbeing]

And if any of this is true, the parents of these children would have no trouble in putting a case together to sue the manager and Games Workshop.

So....children are allowed to steal from a company, and then have their parents legally sue the same company for one of their staff members attempting to get back that stolen property.

I need to have kids :P

[Private_SeeD]

No, it's not. And you're certainly not allowed to do it in public, especially to children. Not only were the alleged stolen goods not witnessed by this manager being stolen, but they weren't even from his store. And if any of this is true, the parents of these children would have no trouble in putting a case together to sue the manager and Games Workshop.

Also, if the manager has suitable suspicion to check those bags then I think he's in his right too. Its annoying that the law can come across to favour the law breaker, I work in the security industry and I have checked/searched people and people's bags on just a hunch of mine and haven't been arrested or sued.

Well after replying to this topic, did some painting today at my local GW -_- and noticed me Mephiston Red has disappeared, so had my gale force glue, luckily the glue was 'found' but the paint no luck, gonna start marking my paints from now on.

[DarkLordBelial]

I can only speak for the UK - no idea about the USA, a business owner (or security guard) has no legal right to search an individual. They can ask and if you give consent then that's fine (which is what appears to have happened here) but they cannot demand. Had the individuals refused then then the manager could have asked them to stay while he called the police - who could search the children without consent. Of course, the children could also have refused to remain while the police arrived in which case the manager would have been powerless to detain them.

Owning a business or suspecting someone of a crime does not confer any additional rights upon an individual.

Does that mean the parents could have sued this manager? I doubt it - if the children consented to the search then the manager is well within his rights to conduct one. The issue in this case is that had the children not admitted their crime then there would probably have been very little chance of a conviction as it would have been difficult to prove they had 'lifted' the items.

On the topic of the thread - I've never had a theft but my 10 year old son did have a nicely painted stegadon deliberately broken by what I can only assume was a jealous child. This was only his second visit to a a Warhammer club and he was devastated and, reluctant to attend again.

[ted1138]

Children cannot give permission to be searched(plus any searching has to be done in private, away from other customers), and anyone who's been trained in retail security knows you need to have more than a hunch before you accuse someone of stealing, you have to be certain of it, and you need evidence to back up your claim(suspected stolen property on someone is not enough by itself).

@theunwantedbeing, I didn't say anyone was allowed to steal, did I? Why don't you ask yourself, how far should that manager have been allowed to go to "get back that stolen property"? Would he be allowed to shout at those kids? or maybe threaten them? or what about hitting them? What if he took property from them that he believed was stolen, but couldn't prove was stolen, or in fact hadn't been stolen?

[hazmiter]

My mate had his dark angels army stolen by his sisters now ex boyfriend, 2 battlecompanies, w rhinos, commands, and the dude on jet bike, 6 landraiders and 2 vindicators.
Last I heard they were badly painted ultra marines.

In my case, I've only had a scratch built daemon host go missing...... Made from spare nid bits, so not worth worrying about.

[Nicho]

Had a 2000pt fully painted lizardmen army stolen out of my then local GW. Was heartbroken tbh.