well here's a new twist.

[grasswire]

I had some things on consignment in a vintage shop. I went to check the other day to see how things were going. The shop had gone out of business; the owner gone to another state. Two of my pieces were there, in a "booth" inside a quilt shop which has taken the building over.

Gah!

I don't have contact info for the woman -- her web site is down, and the shop phone is disconnected, of course. I do know the location of the mall where I was told she has a new space. In the next state.

Do you think I should just take the two pieces of my stuff that are in the booth in the quilt shop? A McCoy piece and a California Pottery piece -- both very attractive. Apparently someone else has that booth now. The quilt shop lady said she has nothing to do with the booth.

And how PO'd should I be about my other pieces going bye bye without a peep? A Bauer pitcher, a Hull pitcher, some ephemera and tintypes, etc. Plus I had a store credit with her for about a hundred bucks.

Dayum.

[Vinca]

1. File a complaint with the local police and have them pick up the pieces.

I would be seriously pissed off . . . enough to file a small claims action.

[grasswire]

2. the latest

So I found a phone number for her in the new state. By the way, I should state that this young woman has always seemed extremely sincere and sweet. I would never have suspected that she would be underhanded. Not in a million years.

So two days ago I called her in the late afternoon. She was kind of cold, and said that she was tied up but would call me back in a bit. She said that my other items are at her home, and she had a couple of other things to talk to me about.

Nothing since then. I can't figure this out, but I am going to the quilt shop today with my receipts and attempt to take my McCoy and my California Pottery piece.

[Vinca]

3. Good luck. I hope you get them. Give sweetie an ultimatum -

all the merchandise well packed and delivered to your doorstep within a week or you call the cops.

[safeinOhio]

4. About 15 years ago

I had a shop in a nice upscale little town for about 4 years. Every shop lifter we caught turned out to be an "antique dealer". When ever you put something in a shop, get everything in writing. Also, many have poor security and they won't cover your stolen stuff.

[Vinca]

5. Grasswire, did you ever get your stuff back?

[grasswire]

6. nope

she never called me back. Not after several tries. I'm shaking my head -- I never would have thought it. I wrote a stiff letter to her last week -- we'll see what happens. I have a cousin who's a retired local cop.

[Vinca]

7. That's amazing. Maybe her moral compass is lost and she doesn't

realize this is theft. I hope you get the items back eventually. My brother had a strange thing happen on ebay a few years ago. He bought something and it never arrived and it turned out the person selling it was stiffing everyone. The seller was kicked off ebay, but my brother was stuck until a good year later this person's sister contacted him and explained that she was sorry that her brother was an addict and had used the money for drugs and she proceeded to repay my brother. It was a real shocker.