I don't think either of the guys suspect the restorer is involved so in the end I don't know that this really matters...it is more that they both started their journey back home from the same place.
Cube scanners used by most carriers key to logistics at each point in package journey, not so much tracking events but weight and dimensions of package..maximise transport capacity within safety guidelines and in some case carrier to carrier charge back
If this is the case then surely Chris can get the same information from his end? At the very least postal service should be able to provide him with these details?
Agree. Will come down to how much help they are willing to provide.
This is not good news. I live in Canada and have posters restored and shipped from country to country. I have not had a problem but a close friend has. To this day we are not sure if his posters were stolen from a post office employee or a public individual and he never received the insurance he purchased.
I could see that if a restorer was known to ship thousands of dollars of posters everyday that some "smart" postal worker would take a gamble and cut one open... I would think unless the restorer plasters his information all over the tube that it has to be someone that either picks up the mail from the location or sorts it and regularly sees insurance values. I would bet you culprit is at the closest post office. I would call the postmaster - I am guessing in Oceanside CA?
I would be interested to know what the restorer had to say about the missing posters. The fact that it has happened twice recently with packages from the same person indicates that there is an issue that others should be warned about.
Man, this brings back horrible memories for me! The late Susan Olson restored two one sheets for me about 15 years ago, a "Night of the Living Dead" and a nice Bela Lugosi one sheet from "The Corpse Vanishes" that belonged to the guy who runs Sinister Cinema that I sent to Susan via a mutual friend of ours. I raved about Susan's work and her prices for me were really excellent, so I thought I'd do my buddy and his Sinister Cinema friend a solid. A few weeks later, I received an empty tube from UPS with one end completely open. My heart completely sank. i called Susan and she had not insured either piece, so i was doubly screwed; I was out my "...Living Dead" poster AND I'm sure the guy from Sinister Cinema thought I was a dick at best and a thief at worst. These stories bring back that awful feeling of standing in my driveway staring at a 36" tube of ....nothing. I'm sure Susan had nothing to do with the rip-off but the no insurance thing really hurt. I could offer the other guy nothing but apologies. I hope you find your stuff, guys. I've taken notes. That Australian poster is really gorgeous and those Italian pieces...mamma mia!
Horrifying stories. I have had an empty poster tube delivered once. It was a bay purchase and got full refund from seller. Mind you it was a low value purchase. In my scenario i was convinced the poster was never put in the tube because the weight on the customs form matched the weight of the empty tube.
As an added precaution i.might request end caps are staple gunned into tube in addition to tape..wont completelyremove the risk but makes it harder to get the tube open
Unfortunately, not only are we dealing with the complicated issue of international borders but also two government agencies with near non-existent customer service and ample doses of "we do not give an F-itude"...
It is an exhausting situation completely hampered by the bureaucratic processes at play
I'm very happy to inform you that my 5 Italian posters that got stolen from me 1 year ago...have been found!
I want to thank all of you for your help and support.
I'd like to keep the details confidential but I really need to thank Grey Smith for his patience, his help and most of all for his incredibly professional behavior while dealing with such delicate issue...
Thanks everyone. I continue to hold out some very small degree of hope - although my titles certainly were not at the same 'level' as Paolo's Gilda et al. (and thus likely more difficult to flag apart from the Aussie The Hour Before the Dawn of course) all three still obviously hold great importance to me as a collector at a personal level.
Many of you have contacted me when African Queen or Lost Weekend linenbacked one sheets have come up and for that I am entirely grateful and appreciative! Unfortunately, none of those that have come to market in the last year appear to be my copies (I have located a couple unique 'tells' that should help distinguish mine from the multitudes of other backed examples out there). However, if you ever see a backed Aussie one sheet for The Hour Before the Dawn it is pretty much guaranteed to be my missing Veronica
I would very much appreciate the continued efforts of anyone able to in keeping their eyes peeled for these three.
Comments
Paolo,
So your parcel is missing in action or was delivered but empty?
I don't think either of the guys suspect the restorer is involved so in the end I don't know that this really matters...it is more that they both started their journey back home from the same place.
I hope you find your stuff, guys. I've taken notes. That Australian poster is really gorgeous and those Italian pieces...mamma mia!
Mind you it was a low value purchase. In my scenario i was convinced the poster was never put in the tube because the weight on the customs form matched the weight of the empty tube.
As an added precaution i.might request end caps are staple gunned into tube in addition to tape..wont completelyremove the risk but makes it harder to get the tube open
It is an exhausting situation completely hampered by the bureaucratic processes at play
" Your call is important to us. Please wait while we try to connect you".
"Click "
Disconnected...try again...
Now it's lawyer time!!!
I'll keep you posted.....
Keep at them Chris, we're all behind you...
Apparently the Italians have been found!
THERE IS STILL HOPE CHRIS!!!!
***********************************
Post from MOPO:
Hello everybody,
Presumably someone offered them up to HA for auction?
Good result too.
Chris yours will eventually surface, everybody is still on the lookout
good news: my stolen posters have been found! all 5 of them!
after one year they showed up on the market.....
I need to thank Grey Smith for his help and patience and all the people who supported me during this nightmare!
thanks!
P
Many of you have contacted me when African Queen or Lost Weekend linenbacked one sheets have come up and for that I am entirely grateful and appreciative! Unfortunately, none of those that have come to market in the last year appear to be my copies (I have located a couple unique 'tells' that should help distinguish mine from the multitudes of other backed examples out there). However, if you ever see a backed Aussie one sheet for The Hour Before the Dawn it is pretty much guaranteed to be my missing Veronica
I would very much appreciate the continued efforts of anyone able to in keeping their eyes peeled for these three.