Donation Fund My steel was stolen.

Ron Bartos · From: Las Vegas, NV

A friend also a Steel Guitar player suggested I go to this site and setup a Donation fund.This is not easy for me to ask for money but I'm now on a very limited budget and no way for me to buy another Steel Guitar and all the accessories, I'm 65 years old on SSI. I have been playing it for over 20+ years. One weekend I was playing in a small band when we were done playing I placed my Steel Guitar in it's case and put it in my car when I came back to my car someone broke the window and took my Steel Guitar and all the accessories that were in a separate case. and now don't know what to do.
I would be very grateful for any help $5.00 or any amount you can send me will help me get another steel. Playing the Steel Is my love and now it gone.The below link is the Donation site.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/yp32u-stolen-music-equipment?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

Larry Jamieson · From: Walton, NY USA

Alright Forum brothers... Let's help this man out. There are more than 19,000 members. We are not all wealthy but many of us can spare a few dollars. Count your blessing and be a blessing... Thanks.

Ron Bartos · From: Las Vegas, NV

Larry
Thanks so very much for your help. I'm hoping that some of the steel players will pull together.

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

Everyone should check their local Craig's & marketplace; it ain't like they're flooded with steels; it might show up.
Very rare to see steel listed there, so any one would stand out.
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Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

Offer a Paypal option. I was about to donate when, I realized I'd have to enter my credit card number. Scams happen all the time. With PP you have a recourse because you the receiver must publish your identity. Negating a credit card charge is like pissing in the wind though.

Ron Bartos · From: Las Vegas, NV

I was told that you can use PayPal. I'm going to check in to this right now.

Ron.

Ron Bartos · From: Las Vegas, NV

Jim,
I just checked and your right no PayPal .I was told wrong. I was wondering why so many people have looked at my post and no donations. I wouldn't use my credit card ether. Do you have any ideas to get some donations.
Thanks, Ron.

Ryan Bramlett · From: Colorado, USA

I agree that it seems likely that the thieving scumbag will try to unload the steel. If so, we can be on the lookout for it. You have nothing to lose by posting info about the steel hereâ€”brand, color, finish of the guitar, and info about the case too. Did anyone ever take a picture of you playing this thing? If so, get that photo out there! Sooner or later somebody around here might spot the guitar somewhere.

Ryan Bramlett · From: Colorado, USA

Certainly helps when images on the gofundme page load...! So there it is, a nice looking Derby. Anything we should know about the case? Any stickers on it ?

Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

Did you file a Police report and have you checked to see if there may have been a camera that could have caught an image of the person? Pawn shops have to keep items they take in on hold up to 90 days in case they are stolen. Hope something turns up soon.
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Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

Ron, A PayPal account is easy to set up assuming you don't have one. I'd be surprised if a gofundme doesn't allow PayPal - anybody?
Like the second poster, Larry, inferred, there are enough members here that if even 1/10 of them gave you 2 bucks each you'd be able to replace it.

Michael Lester · From: Illinois, USA

I'm sorry that a long-time member of this Forum seems to be a target of this theft.

Doesn't your vehicle insurance cover 'contents'?
How about your Homeowners Insurance? - many policies cover theft of musical instruments that aren't played professionally.
Do you have a complete list, with make, model, serial#, identifying marks posted to Facebook, Twitter, etc.?
Photos of all the stolen items?
Photos and lists distributed to Pawn Shops within 100 miles?
Photos and lists distributed to area Police and Sheriffs Departments?

FWIW, the photo used in the GoFundMe came off of REVERB.com

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

https://reverb.com/item/207497-derby-steel-single-neck-10-string-pedal-steel-guitar-super-high-quality-with-case

Is the guitar on your go fundme the guitar that was stolen? It sold 6 years ago and there are more pictures on the reverb listing that could help identify it.

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

"I was wondering why so many people have looked at my post and no donations"

Ron, I think there are a couple of reasons why you aren't getting more donations. First I don't know you from Adam. I have no reason to believe your story is anything but what you say. That said:

1. We are in a pandemic. Hardly anyone is playing and many are out of work. This seems to be a hobby for you, and there are people who really need our money and support right now. Hobbyists sort of have to take a back seat to those who really need the funds to survive. In other words, yours is a nice to have, not a need to have.
2. You've been a member since 2001 and yet have posted, before this recent theft, only 50 times, mostly in the for sale section. That means you aren't really an active member of the community and less people know you, who might help others.
3. You posted this same steel as stolen a couple of years ago. Your explanation, that it was in a back room and you didn't notice for weeks seems odd. Odder that you wouldn't have posted you found it back with your original post of its theft.
4. I get that you are 65 and on SS. I'm 66 and on SS but have SOME savings. Hard to believe you have no savings at all, or friends and family or band mates willing to help you out.
5. The picture of the steel you show on your gofundme is from a reverb listing from 6 years ago. You just stole that picture: I assume you bought the steel from the listing but don't you have a more recent picture? and why are you asking for $4k for a steel you bought six years ago for $2,500.
6. You have failed to answer any questions about where you were playing in a pandemic, why you have no friends or bandmates to help, if you had car insurance, or any real questions really.
7. You haven't posted any information on the steel, posted pictures of you playing it, or any identifying marks it might have.
8. It is a little hard for me to be too sorry for someone who was robbed twice of the same steel and doesn't take better precautions with their equipment.

While none of those things mean no one should give you money, they do mean that I'm passing and saving my money for those that I know who really need it.

John Brabant · From: Calais, VT, USA

Bill. Thanks for your investigative findings. I think Mr. Bartos has some explaining to do before we will be donating.
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1978 Emmons D-10 P-P

Brooks Montgomery · From: Idaho, USA

Bill, super fair points (and questions) you made. I was sure scratching my head on the entire thing.
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Brian Henry · Posted 18 Aug 2020 5:04 pm

Many ???????? No answers!
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John Palumbo · From: Lansdale, PA.

Kudos Bill!

Ron Bartos · From: Las Vegas, NV

Hi, Bill. I'm Sorry for getting you so upset. There are a lot of things you ask me, but I'm not going there it would just take a long time to answer them all. There are two questions I will tell you. No that is not the same steel as mine but I have no photos of my steel but mine looks just like that one. My steel was taken 5 or 6 months ago. I,m in no way a heartless person. One of the other steel players on the forum made the suggestion I use Gofundme site. I will try to refund the donations I have received back to the steel players. Again Bill sorry for getting you so upset.

Ron Bartos.

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

Well, Ron, thanks for that explanation. It totally makes sense that you would solicit donations for a stolen guitar 6 months after the fact. After all, when it was stolen 3 years ago it popped up again after 3 months. It has only been six months, so maybe it will pop up in someone's back room.

"when I came back to my car someone broke the window and took my Steel Guitar and all the accessories that were in a separate case. and now don't know what to do.". I can't imagine how many times you asked yourself that question in the last six months before realizing you could go on the SGF. How silly of us to think this was a recent theft. I blame myself for jumping to conclusions.

And your answer to using a six year old reverb sale to identify your steel on gofundme, makes total sense. I admire the fact that unlike every other vain steeler I know, you have resisted ever taking a picture of your gear and showing it off. Even after it was stolen, your trust in human nature was so great, you still never took a picture of your rig. And I also have great admiration for bands who so want to protect their underground status that they never take a publicity photo or video of themselves playing. It only makes sense that you would spend the time to carefully examine each reverb posting until you found a picture of a Derby that perfectly matches your stolen guitar. No need to inform anyone of that or that the theft happened 6 months ago. Like the other questions that you have left unanswered, its no one's damn business, am I right?

And no, I'm not upset in the least. I didn't give you my credit card. If I was one of the generous folks who did, I might be checking my credit card for unauthorized use and reversing my charge, but I'm a suspicious ass. Most people are much better than I am.

Good luck in the future Ron. I look forward to your dozen posts over the next decade.

Brian Henry · Posted 19 Aug 2020 5:51 am

Thank you Bill for alerting us to this situation.
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Michael Lester · From: Illinois, USA

...I'm liking this McCloskey guy. You saved a bunch of good-hearted folks some money.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

FWIW, I don't give via GoFundMe anymore because 1) they don't accept PayPal, and 2) they send spam for other campaigns once they have your email address.

I think that this well has been poisoned in any case, so I've closed this post.
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