Thats nuts. Not an easy heist to pull off. You need to have a truck and some guys to make that happen.

That's insane! Really sorry to hear that. I never thought anyone would attempt to steal 300 lb item like that. Guess I was wrong. Even worse, it was probably traded for $100 worth of crack..

Sadly it is easy. Opportunists cruise around looking for things like that. Lawn tractors, snow blowers, even trailers with boats or snow mobiles on them parked with for sale signs.

Usually not a pinhead, so keep your eyes open in a couple hundred mile radius for a game for sale.

LTG : )

Guess again. Look at construction sights, and how much heavy machinery disappears.

Not always for drugs. Some are into this for big money.

LTG : )

Yeah it should pop up for sale! Sucks man, sorry to hear

I am sorry for your friend.

But a cop car is no deterrent. Especially if the people doing this know the area.

LTG : )

Theft is rampant now in my neighborhood, gas, cat converters, snowblowers you name it.
They case the neighborhood during the day and come back at night and load up.
We have a lot of part time vacation cabins and when the people come up to use them they find they have been cleaned out.
A pin wouldn't last an hour up here in the bed of an open pick up.
A lot of people up here have the old mentality and leave things unlocked like you used to be able to do, times have changed lock it or lose it and sometimes even that isn't enough.

Check ebay also.

A friend had a bike stolen and saw it on ebay. He made sure he was the high bidder and showed up with the cops after he won the auction.

It was a rare good ending to a theft case.

It's a sad state of affairs for sure, plus the condition of the current economy isn't exactly helping... (Supposedly getting better though) Sorry to hear of your friends loss.

Hopefully if one does show up on CL or Ebay, he can prove it's his, like knowing the serial # or some unique distinguishing feature.

My friend had a 12k banshee stolen out of his truck while he was in burger king. He backed up to a brick wall they chained his front diff ripped truck away from wall and 4 guys stole the banshee. happened in less than 3 minutes while he ordered his food.

That's unreal.... It seems like you can't trust anybody these days. I'll try to remain optimistic about my fellow man though.

Insurance?

His auto might pick it up.

Is he on Pinside? If not get some details about the machine if you can.

That just sucks some punk kids yep look on CL & pawn shops

if nobody has the serial, are there any identifying marks on it? Are there pics available to share so pinheads could be on the look out for it?

Key visual details:

Lock bar brackets installed on both sides of coin door
Clear diagonal scratches on left side of cabinet
Cabinet damage where legs attach
Slightly drooping right flipper
Slightly outgassing DMD
Posts and white rubber rings look new, post sleeve rubber and flipper rubber don't

Let's bag this punk.

image.jpg

Well, you've got those long white scratches along the right side of the cabinet, that playfield wear above the flippers, and the # 137921 under the coin box. Should be able to ID it off of that

^^^ I was typing while you were

Pawn shops generally fax in their "buys" on loan each morning to the PD (depending on the laws of the city).

Do not expect that anyone at the PD cares enough about the game to actually look.

Call around and ask the local pawnshops if they have any pinball games. Don't lead on that you are looking for one that got stolen.

I would not count on that the game will be sold or pawned. Lot's of non pinheads would love to have a pinball machine in their basements.

Post a wanted to buy on CL

That really sucks, would never think that would happen. I'm sure everone who reads this will keep an eye out for.

And post it from the local area it was stolen.

A shop here in aus had multiple pins and arcade machines stolen last year. In the first year in my new house I had heavy tools like a whacker plate and a whipper snipper taken from my garage. Garage was open me and my dad were going back and forth from garage and my yard all day. Someone had balls to do that with cars in the drive and being broad daylight with us around

That sucks. I'm in that camp that would leave a pin in an open trailer thinking that no one would bother since its so heavy. After hearing your story though, I'd rethink that. hope it turns up.

I think it's more that they're not bothered by crime in Australia; they're all criminals anyhow.

I am so sorry to hear about your friend. That just makes me sick.

Yep, these guys were not amateurs. They knew how and were ready to steal a large object in seconds w/out loosing their cool. They probably expected an industrial air compressor or some piece of expensive machinery. There are guys who drive around with tow trucks and flatbeds, and who make a living stealing high-end equipment.

We don't have as much serious violent crimes and murders, not really any guns around either, but we still have theft and bashings. Quite afew stabbings where i grew up too

Unfortunately not.Everything must be bolted down or locked up.Just like anywhere really.Give an opportunist half a chance and see what happens.

No no no...we're convicts.Sent to Australia to do hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread.

First, have your friend add the description notes and pics to the Police Reports ASAP. If it shows up he will need that as proof.

Second, if it does show up FS let the police handle it. As much as he is going to want to smash heads it's not worth it.

I had a high end camera stolen and my home owners paid for it. Something about contents of home even transported are covered clause, I was surprised but t was called something like gold blanket coverage. I had a new Sony in a week, thats when digital cameras was over 1200. Maybe there is hope for him.

I had a $200 trailer hitch taken off my van in front of my house a couple years ago. Under a street light, great neighborhood, trailer hooked to the hitch with a lock on the trailer. They stole the neighbors birdbath and broke it up to use it under trailer jack to jack trailer off hitch one then cut the lock off the trailer.

It totally blew my mind someone would work that hard to steal a $200 hitch. So any more nothing surprises me.

Anyway, we are just north of you in Central PA so I keep my eyes & ears open. Sorry to hear about this but tell your buddy to check with both home owners & car insurance to see if either will cover it. Never hurts to at least check!

I will keep a look out. That's crazy!

I knew there was a reason we always park the truck right in front of the restaurant window when we dine on the road...

Homeowners claim not auto. Auto insurance does NOT cover things which are not permanently attached to the automobile.

Thanks John, I thought that is how is was, just seems strange that way.

Yeah, I was once licensed for both in 48 states. Technically, some people may have riders or amendments on their auto policies but a normal FAP does not cover items that are not permanently attached.

The misunderstanding comes from these loose items are covered under property damage but that's for third parties. For example, if someone else ran their vehicle into your pin hauler you could make a claim under their PD coverage for your auto and pinball machine. Turn that around - your pinhauler strikes someone else's vehicle (your fault) and nobody's auto insurance is paying for the pinball machine.

For further questions, please read your policies.

I'm sorry to hear about the theft. We have probably all stopped places with machines in our vehicles. They usually seem to garner no attention.

I'm too paranoid to leave a pin in a truck over night, but that really sux. Sorry that happened. Hopefully the pin is returned in good condition.

That's a bummer of a story,
I hope you catch the bastards and hopefully Pinsiders keep their eyes peeled for this stargate.
Luckily nobody has messed with any pins in my van up and down the Westcoast.

That sucks but like Lloyd stated they are probably in it for the money not the pinball machine. Keep your eyes out on CL or local classifieds. They will likely try to off this quick for a buck. Does he have any pictures or serial numbers to give to the cops??

I've had one close call and one theft. The first one was a Space Shuttle and a Bally Star Trek. I had them wrapped in front of my garage, waiting to be picked up later in the day. I see a beat up pickup pull in to my driveway and park, and two dudes get out with faces only a mother could love. I start watching them...looking around, around and around and then they enter my garage. No knock on the door, just enter my garage...
I go out and say what are you doing? ''uh, umm...hi, we're small time pickers...looking for things of value...''
Long story short, I told them get lost.

Early last fall, I bought my daughter a Suzuki jr50. I kept it in the house but had it on the back porch a few nights. Nobody could see this bike except for a small view from my neighbors house, where he had several contractors and hired hands (younger guys) coming and going all week long. i'm 99% sure it was one of them that swiped it one night. It really bothered the hell out of me, still does. I wish I could have seen whoever did it, doing it, because I would have beat the shit out of them right there on my lawn.

Sucks about the SG. Here's hoping that it can be found! Makes me think twice about it, because I have done things like that, parking with a game in the open, several times.

Wow, the effin nerve of some people, thats when Id walk out and rack my shotgun.

Not the wisest idea. The courts will put life above property. You don't want to go to jail for a thief. Or worse, some of these people are very prepared for trouble. And will have no trouble killing you. You have children or a wife or parents or brothers or sisters ? They will miss you.

The situation sucks, but don't make it worse.

LTG : )

+1 hangings to good for the likes of those that would steal.

That sucks, but why would he leave that in the back over night anywhere? Pull it out and throw it in a garage or inside the front door. My cart always comes with me.

I've had to leave ones in the back of my van, locked, overnight a couple times, and I always breathed a sigh of relief when looking out in the morning to see it was there.

Castle doctrine, and my speed pump 7+1rnd shotgun will raise some hell. But I dont live in a city setting so chances are slim anywho....