Stolen "Lars" drum kit story from old forum
Stolen "Lars" drum kit story from old forum
I just saw a reference to this and I want to fill you guys in on the full story and if the other person wants to chime in and post they can.
I saw even some posts insinuating that I stole a drum kit and I never have nor will deal in stolen property.
Back in 2003, it was well over ten years ago, I remember A member here posting that they had their home broken into and gear got stolen. They live in Texas and I live in California, for the record. I remember the thread but I never remembered a Lars kit being stolen, I remember a Mesa Amp and some other things. I think I would remember a Lars kit since I was in the market for one especially a black album era one.
I think it was about two years later I would post here with recent Ebay scores. There was a advertised "Lars" kit on Ebay I bought from a seller in Texas. Posted a thread here stating I just got an Load era silver sparkle Tama kit. All of a sudden I got a message stating that was their kit and it was stolen. I immediately forwarded the sellers name and Paypal transaction info to this member so he can deal with this. I even offered the member that if he needs me to testify in court I will fly out there on my dime.
I notified the person I bought it from and they delayed shipping the kit to me and some back and forth they finally shipped me the kit. They claim the kit was never stolen.
Nothing happens for a few years and this member hits me up a few times for guitars, I am talking MXII, 250s and 220s in exchange for the kit. I never gave in and sent a guitar for the record. Each guitar was worth well over 3k that he asked me to send.
FYI this kit is not a "Lars" kit it is just a Star Classic Performer, I even checked the serials with Tama, never sent or used by Lars just a Mid range kit with maple shells. Maybe worth around 1200 dollars on the used market. Only thing it has in common with a Lars kit is the color, silver sparkle, that's it. I overpaid for it at 2000 dollars.
I ask the member if he ever followed up both legally and civilly with the information I sent regarding the guy in Texas I bought the kit from who supposedly stole the kit. He said no, I have the kit and I seem to be doing financially better than the thief so I should be the one to pay him in one way or the other.
I said fine, I will send the kit but I need a copy of the police report showing that the kit was stolen so I can write it off as a loss for taxes. Still have the kit and will send if I get a copy or some sort of proof it was stolen. This is where I stand with this situation today.
I have seen posts inferring that I actually stole the kit or had something to do with stolen property and I pride myself in being a ethical business person. Honestly I am really doubting this kit was stolen as I don't remember a Lars kit from the orignal thread, person I bought it from denies it along with a few other red flags but I will send it with proof of theft. Any pawnshop or business dealing in used gear requires some sort of evidence or proof of theft before they return said items. This is just standard procedure nothing unreasonable.
tl;dr version: Someone claims I have stolen property, I requested proof of theft/police report, still waiting.
Road King wrote:Who said you stole the kit?
There was one post on the old forum by an anonymous poster or labeled as "guest" that specifically stated I broke into the members house and stole the kit and was involved in the robbery. That thread got trashed but I did get a few E-mail over the years from people saying "I heard on FB you stole or had something to do with a stolen drum kit." I was told that this member was telling others via FB and social media apparently not to deal with me, I deal in stolen property and I am unethical in one way or another.
Sometimes these things are like a game of telephone where you whisper one thing to another person and as it spreads the rumor is completely different then what it started as.
So I wanted to clear the air once and for all as to the facts on the situation and where it is today.
As to the crypto I am doing all right, everything is down from that all time high a few months ago...
ESP 348 wrote:I remember that old thread lol. Thanks for bringing back some memories. I don't remember the exact details, but I am sure it will all come back to me one day.
I remember it was brought up because one of my best friends in the world had died. Not naming names but he was the main tech in one of the big four bands. Then my name came up and the thread devolved in to accusations about me that were unfounded. I remember a family member of the deceased had to get the thread deleted. Bad times. I refrained from posting at the time because I was too emotional and nothing good would have come of it.
Thanks again for your comment.
Some more details about this fiasco if you guys want to read.
I did automatically consider what this member had said as the truth, didn't even question it. I felt bad for him and I remember I offered him a 7 string LTD MF like Hetfield used in Some Kind of Monster that I had upgraded just like Hetfield's put real EMGs in it, Sperzels and a real Greman Floyd. Anyways had close to 1k in this guitar, just offered it to this member no charge.
His response was that he was almost insulted that I offered him an LTD, if I was to make things right I better offer at least an MX250 or MX220 because he knows what I pay for them so that should be no problem for me. This really set of red flags for me and made me start to question if this drum set was really even stolen in the first place. I did remember the original thread and do remember some gear being stolen but for the life of me never remembered a "Lars" kit. This member didn't even play drums and never replaced or bought another kit after that. Also this wasn't a "Lars" kit and doesn't have some crazy collector value, it's just s Performer EFX kit. It has the tiny badges, Lars' kits had the Large Starclassic badges. He never even used this model.
This to me was starting to feel like a shake down, then people start messaging me asking about my shady dealing with stolen property because member was going around telling people I had his stolen property and wasn't going to stop till he got a guitar.
Asked if he followed up with the so called "thief" he said the guy is broke and living day to day but I on the other hand appear to have cash so no need to go after the so called thief in court when he could just get me to pay up. Not making this up I have the E-mail to prove it. I did check with the "thief" or guy I bought the kit from again, claimed again it was never stolen.
Like I said and just like any shop would do, I need proof of the theft and I will return the kit. I mean I could message some member who posts a pic of an MX220 that I owned at one time and claim it was stolen and continue to bad talk them till they returned it but I am sure they would want proof it was stolen.
EXPcustom wrote:Thanks again for your comment.
Some more details about this fiasco if you guys want to read.
I did automatically consider what this member had said as the truth, didn't even question it. I felt bad for him and I remember I offered him a 7 string LTD MF like Hetfield used in Some Kind of Monster that I had upgraded just like Hetfield's put real EMGs in it, Sperzels and a real Greman Floyd. Anyways had close to 1k in this guitar, just offered it to this member no charge.
His response was that he was almost insulted that I offered him an LTD, if I was to make things right I better offer at least an MX250 or MX220 because he knows what I pay for them so that should be no problem for me. This really set of red flags for me and made me start to question if this drum set was really even stolen in the first place. I did remember the original thread and do remember some gear being stolen but for the life of me never remembered a "Lars" kit. This member didn't even play drums and never replaced or bought another kit after that. Also this wasn't a "Lars" kit and doesn't have some crazy collector value, it's just s Performer EFX kit. It has the tiny badges, Lars' kits had the Large Starclassic badges. He never even used this model.
This to me was starting to feel like a shake down, then people start messaging me asking about my shady dealing with stolen property because member was going around telling people I had his stolen property and wasn't going to stop till he got a guitar.
Asked if he followed up with the so called "thief" he said the guy is broke and living day to day but I on the other hand appear to have cash so no need to go after the so called thief in court when he could just get me to pay up. Not making this up I have the E-mail to prove it. I did check with the "thief" or guy I bought the kit from again, claimed again it was never stolen.
Like I said and just like any shop would do, I need proof of the theft and I will return the kit. I mean I could message some member who posts a pic of an MX220 that I owned at one time and claim it was stolen and continue to bad talk them till they returned it but I am sure they would want proof it was stolen.
Ans asked you for an MX instead of his Lars kit back? Weird.
Ans asked you for an MX instead of his Lars kit back? Weird.
Yes he did and I have the message to prove it. When he requested that, in my mind it went from he was a forum friend that got ripped off to some dude who is trying to shake me down. It originally went from him asking for a discount or good price on an MX I was selling to he wanted any MX explorer I had. He even states in the message I have from 2009 he's not a 100% sure if the kit that I have was the one that was stolen.
Here you go:
Then a year or so later it went to straight up demanding an MX not a discount but I'll hold off on posting that info... for now.
Anyways looking back through the E-mails, this member thought or claims the kit in question is some epic historic piece and a real deal Lars kit. The kit I have is just a Star Classic performer EFX which is a mid range Tama kit. It has a wrap not a finish, the Star Classic badges are the small ones. This right here is a real "Lars" kit, big badges, finished not wrapped in silver sparkle. Here is one up close:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7aGfiVmADg
Kit I have has the late 90's early 2000 small Star Classic badges and if you look through the Metallica bootlegs and videos from this time frame he never used or had a kit with this style "small badges" like the kit I have has.
I think a lot of assumptions and misunderstanding happen along the way of the kit I had but I really don't believe it is the kit the was stolen in the first place. Even when I confronted the sellers they denied it twice.
Anyways I think this is most of the information I have that I want to disclose regarding the kit and I hope the accusations of stolen Lars kit stop, at least towards me. Unless of course proof of theft is produced then I will return said kit.
Tondog wrote:Do you even own any MX-220's anymore?
Maybe...
ETA: I don't say this to be a dick or smartass. I just no longer disclose what guitars I have in my collection because then someone will see what he wants and try to pressure or use that information to get what they want out of me like this situation here. When I am ready to sell I make it known what I have and what I want for it.
EXPcustom wrote:Do you even own any MX-220's anymore?
Maybe...
ETA: I don't say this to be a dick or smartass. I just no longer disclose what guitars I have in my collection because then someone will see what he wants and try to pressure or use that information to get what they want out of me like this situation here. When I am ready to sell I make it known what I have and what I want for it.
Well to pry even further..... I guess when I refer to an MX-220...I, in fact, do NOT mean the EET FUK ones. I only ask because it seems to me like actual MX-220's are more rare than the damn EET FUK guitars because I've seen fewer of them over the years, both for sale, and in peoples collections. It's insane that everything ESP did for explorers from 1987 to about 1990 has completely fallen from the face of the earth. The ONLY ones that ever surface are the EET FUK ones, and there are SO many of those out there, I'd suspect there are a fair number of them that aren't even real ones and are really good fakes! That fire sure has been beneficial for those who possess the early ones!
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Who said you stole the kit? You have possession of the kit, but I don't think anyone feels you stole it.
P.S. How is your crypto portfolio looking?