Please DO NOT look up the eBay seller of this guitar and harass him. He buys at government auctions and resells online which is all legit The only thing fishy here is how it made it to auction with the sender's contact info in the case! 🟢My Website: www.troglysguitarshow.com 🔴Reverb: reverb.com/shop/troglys?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly ❓Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/
I would definitely report the seller to the FBI. It would be an early Xmas present for them. At worst they could get him for lying to the FBI, at best they could get him to flip on his contact at Chicago USPS. (Whoever took off the shipping label also took the customs declaration: they would know how much to bid.)
So let me get this straight. You contacted USPS inquiring about a specific guitar that suddenly disappeared from its shipping trail. VERY unique guitar. They shrug their shoulders and say “we don’t know”. But at the same time the EXACT guitar gets added to their unclaimed package auction? Sounds fishy to me. Too fishy. That guy 100% has an inside man somewhere that targets specific packages and gets him involved and fudges the paperwork to show it was auctioned. There is NO way this all went down innocently. To the guy that sells these stolen items on eBay - I hope you get caught, or better yet rip off the "wrong guy" an get what you deserve.
The guy probably purchased it legitimately, it is the auction that makes the money from big ticket items like this. Even Rob Dahm's custom clutch pack from Japan ended up there at an auction in Georgia. It would be the people there in the receiving side of the international shipping that swap labels etc... USPS, UPS, FedEx etc, doesn't matter which... And then from there the item goes direct to the auction where the auction makes the money.
I don’t care if he’s got an inside man or nor to be honest. The guy had a sh1tty attitude with throwing the cops in it and basically begging Trogly to try and get them involved. It’s just a sh1t attitude that he didn’t have to take if he’d let Trogly explain himself. Troglys a better guy then me! Clearly. 😂. But someone who tells you to get the cops involved usually KNOW they’re covered. Now who is covering them and how, that’s the question. They could be a legitimate buyer that does this stuff a lot with auctions so they know all the rules involved or it’s someone that knows they can get paperwork or something proving that things are legit on their side.
Found the seller, he has quite a few guitars, and other expensive items for sale. Definably has an inside person.. Fishy with all his items he has for sale.
@@JH-ks9oi I've done it on hundreds of guitars shipped by me and to me. Never had a guitar go missing until a FedEx plane skidded off a runway in a snowstorm and two weeks later, that guitar made it to me. I was ecstatic to receive it, as it was considered an act of God and I had written it off...a 1961 coronet.
Personally I think this is part of a USPS conspiracy where they "lose" your guitar, get the insurance paid out from their insurance provider and then also pocket the proceeds from the auction. Very tasty scheme.
This might have been "legally acquired" by a theft ring, it appears an investigation is needed. Guitar-sized boxes are a dead give away and an easy mark.
I have a policy of applying TWO identical shipping labels to any high value item I ship, and I tape the labels down securely with lots of clear tape. This doesn't totally prevent someone from ripping off the labels, but they have to work harder to do it and MAY miss the fact that there are two labels, not one.
my guess is that it happens enough times that it may be some kind of syndicate with a certain modus operandi. Probably an insider job plus outside assistance to rip off the insurance. it's hard to prove in 1 case but there's probably a trend here that the insurance company should investigate. Eventually, the consumer pays for it with higher premiums just like what happened in the medical industry.
Chicago USPS sort facility has had problems for a long time. There are public audit reports describing horrible conditions. Abandoned bins, rodents, destroyed boxes, etc. Lucky thing it wasn't completely destroyed.
Around 1970 my mom was friends with Hoyt Axton and his crowd and they gave a goofy kid ( me) a bunch of guitars. A Hummingbird, late 50’s ? Gold top LP, a Strat , a Goya nylon string and a fancy ukulele. Soon after they were all stolen. Broken hearted I never learned to play, didn’t have money to buy replacements. A few years ago I started to buy a couple just because they are pretty. Still feel the pain that little kid felt. Glad you found it. I truly appreciate it’s beauty. I watch your episodes through that little kids eyes.
Yeha he's probably in bed with his sister right about now, thinking about all the crack he's gonna buy for xmas. Vermin. Has anyone gone through the sold listings yet ? Let's have a seller name please ?
Austin, My cousin was a Post Master for the 4th or 5th ward in Houston Texas and worked there for 20 years and is now retired but told me he had several Law Enforcement investigations that went on in his post office from local to the federal level and there were shady USPS workers who would steal anything and everything they thought would make them easy money. He once told me about back in the early 1990s when the Nike Air Jordan 7s (I think) shoes were HUGE and a group of his workers stole a full semi trialer with pallets of Nike sneakers that was parked in their lot waiting to be unloaded at their Post Office and they sold them through a few inner city flea markets in several states down south but the Feds were watching because Nike had lost a ton of product in Houston that year and they were all busted for theft and the total was over $250,000. Houston is a huge shipping port for the southern part of the US and the Feds watch everything, He said the ring leader got 10 years and had to pay restitution. He had a guy that worked under him who was a local Houston Mailman and he was stealing Moses Malone's (Famous NBA Basketball Player from back in the Day) mail packages and was investigated and busted with Hundreds of Thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from over a 10 year period. That's why you ALWAYS insure your packages because there is always someone willing to steal your packages and always require signatures as well.
It wasnt good enough to have a job with good pay, insurance, and a pension. They had to steal too. Im retired PO. Saw a guy get fired for stealing CDs. 60k a year job for a few CDs.
Last year, Chicago USPS customs rerouted a package I intended to ship to Mexico to Russia. There was never any explanation as to how it ended up missing Mexico by 6700 miles, but it took nearly 4 months to get it back in the western hemisphere.
"I'm not obligated to tell you where I got it" aka I work for USPS and had a friend pull this off his truck so I could buy it up before it even hits auction.
About 15 years ago, I attempted to send two computers to two family members in different states. Neither got there. Turned out.....both ended up in a bin at USPS in my zip code. After a reasonable time, they could both be released to an employee.
The USPS MRC (Mail Recovery Center) webpage states that they open packages in an "attempt to identify an address where the piece can be forwarded or returned". Only after "flats or parcels that cannot be delivered as addressed nor returned to the sender", are they sent to auction locations. Without a doubt, with info from the original Japanese seller in the case, this guitar was purposefully "lost", with your eBay seller just so happening to be in a position to buy it.
Years ago a guitar was stolen from my home; just one, broad daylight. Insurance cut me a very generous check, but when I was out shopping for a replacement I stumbled upon my exact lost guitar for sale in a store. The police contacted the store, which gave them the guitar and the name of the guy who brought it in. He claimed that he bought it from a stranger he picked up hitchhiking, carrying the guitar bare in hand, no bag or case. Nothing fishy about that! 😆
Hey, bud! Love the show. My only request is that you start clicking the button for the automated captions again. They don't get everything right but they make it a little easier for us geezers who don't hear so great anymore. Cheers!
That's such a wild story! Like some others in the comments, I honestly feel like something fishy might be going on here. I'm glad the guitar eventually ended up where it was supposed to be though.
Glad you were able to recover it! I'll be honest, guitars this fancy are not really my thing, but it is a beautiful piece. That quilt top is alive, almost oceanic. I think if it were my guitar, I would have opted for chrome hardware sans Bigsby.
Omg they're making a Larc En Ciel guitar?! That's my favorite Japanese band! They can't make a bad song imo and discovered them through my favorite anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist. Cannot wait to see that review!!!
Happens all the time. Tons of packages get shipped to the USPS unclaimed mail processing facility in Atlanta. They auction everything off in lots. Anyone can buy them. And no, the post office doesn't try to find out who sent packages to who. If the machine can't scan it, it goes in a bin and gets sent to Atlanta. The only exception to this is if you send something as registered mail. That gets individually logged into and out of every processing and distribution facility and is stored in locked cages separate from all the other mail.
In my opinion, the situation with your initial shipment is outrageous. What if your shipment wasn't insured? The post service is just like: "We are very sorry" and that's all, nobody's fault? Idk how it is done in the USA, but in my country insuring a postal package is charged additionally, the rate depends on the sum declared and can be quite considerable for expensive packages. I totally advise you to inform your insurance company, they might want to investigate this case.
This is why I write the address and return address on each side of the box itself in sharpie, then cover it over with clear packing tape. Even if the shipping label is torn off or soiled, they have sender and recipient info all over the place. Sometimes it feels like overkill, but stories like this remind me of why I do it.
All guitars with a figured top should come without the pick guard instead. You can easily add it, but once it has been installed, you can't remove it without it leaving holed. So it will never be a clean top again.
"Yes is this Mr. Gibson? This is usps special agent Banner. We found your guitar. Who were you sending it to? We'll make sure to properly repackage it and send it next day air guaranteed. We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Here's a free book of stamps. Have a great day!"
I had this happen to me with a very rare 1990 MIJ Fender pink paisley bass. I also found it for sale on ebay in Georgia. I live in Georgia as well, so I set up a meeting with with the seller and asked them to please show me the documentation of where they purchased the guitar from USPS, which they gratefully did. I then asked if they would sell it to me for what I paid for it, since they were offering it for sale at a higher price, and they agreed. What upset me, was when they gave me the box that it shipped in, the label on the outside was cut off and inside the box was another label with my name, address, and the tracking number. If USPS had taken any effort to figure out where the package was going it would not have gotten lost.
Dude, its so corrupt over here that i had to go to the distribution center with an inside contact , when it said it was in transit to my house , and it didnt arrive & a manager personally took my package into his office until i showed up ,and call him personally to pick up a "Playstation V....unbelievable!!!!
Congrats on finding your guitar and getting it back. That seller sounds extremely shady, though. Anyone who is that quick to invoke law enforcement has something to hide. Not to mention, the USPS Chicago folks.
Beautiful guitar man, I'm happy for you that you found it and was able to repurchase it, hope you keep it in thr collection one because it's beautiful and two losing and finding means you're supposed to have it
See? I kind of TOLD YOU! The fact that the case candy wasn't cased, as it were, that puts me in mind of something which happened when I was an 8th grader. I was never good at studying for my tests or exams. You can imagine everybody's surprise when the day of an earth science test came, and it was discovered that I hadn't looked at any of my copied notes. If I had, it would have been revealed that whoever copied the notes for me also included the test. Which was worse, that I didn't study or that my teacher sent me home with the test I was supposed to be studying for included with the notes?
"USPS auction" WTF?!?! They've lost several of my packages every single one of them not insured, of course. And they just sell the stuff they "lost"? They "lost" a $2000 computer and all they would tell me was "we are looking for it" for a year then nothing. Yes I should have gotten insurance and I get it every time now, but so many things I've insured only to get the claims and appeals denied. Not once did they honor the insurance I paid for. It's their job to move a package from one point to another, why do I have to pay insurance to increase the chances they do their job? It's their job! If it costs more money to make sure a package is delivered, just raise rates.
A buddy of mine had an empty box delivered to him. The box had obviously been re taped after the guitar had been removed. USPS put him through the ringer as well. Reverb was also not overly helpful.
I'm so glad that you were able to still find and purchase that guitar. I hope it didn't cost as much this round. But I'm sure if the guy who you purchased it from this time is as knowledgeable as you he probably priced it appropriately to what it cost him at auction. I've received enough guitars ( some I bought from you) to know them labels dont come off that easy no matter who you ship with. If the seller have one of the carriers label machines also they can take that extra step to over the label as well to secure it better. Of which I've seen in many cases.some even ship in a clear plastic envelope so all info can be seen and the label and or packing slip can be removed by the buyer.
I work in the agriculture industry selling chemicals to farmers. One time a shipment of some expensive materials was “lost” during transit from a freight company. 5 months later some guy calls me out of the blue asking if I wanted to buy the exact materials that were lost. He bought the materials in some pallet auction. I explained he can’t legally sell it because he doesn’t have a dealers license and I refused to buy it from him. Long story short I am frustrated like you at these lost materials/goods.
I know a guy who knows a guy you works at a Chicago UPS sorting facility and apparently it’s a total shit show. No accountability for employees and all-around terrible organization.
So here's my opinion as a Fedex Express Ramp agent who works a lot of USPS freight. It is actually very Illegal to open the actual packages. The labels are very fragile actually. Since it came overseas, it could have had an unreadable damaged label, so the package will automatically go to another portion and wait until it made its way to the auction. Probably was opened at the auction to take pictures and put back in the case to the new owner. I see multiple packages a day with damaged labels that get sent to what we call "overloads"
Yeah this deffo sounds like dude has a bit of a crew or something... an insode line at the very least. I had a dude back in the day who worked for sears and its the damndest thing the way craftsman tool sets would just fall off the truck. Any kind of manufacture or supply chain is going to have some positions that it only makes sense to staff with the lowest wage workers available. Which often means that somewhere in the supply chain there will be whole aspects of the operation left to the hands of convicts. I am a convict and im npt judging but yeah.... weak links etc.
He may be a postal worker. If he is then he committed a serious offense. Btw, the auction, coincidentally, is also in Atlanta. The auction is overseen by the postal service itself.
I know that finish checking.... It happens in the case while sitting on the floor with the handle facing up. Pulls moister off the floor and checks the parts of the guitar nearest the soggy carpet or basement concrete. Osmosis baby!
Back when Kiesel was still called Carvin, I ordered a DC 127 (I think)Transparent Blue over KOA with gold hardware, HSS ($1,100), but it turned out green! I regretfully returned it, which cost me $200 to ship both ways. Still kicking myself.
A long time ago I had a very unusual Les Paul Artisan. It had the usual gold triple pickup and hardware, and transparent brown finish, but mine had hearts and flowers intertwined inlay on the fretboard. I've never seen another one like it.
I love a happy ending. There is no better place on the planet for THIS guitar to be. I have to question the business model that allows this to happen. Might be why the postal service is in financial difficulty. Congratulations, Trogly. Edit: Word to USPS. Y'all have a MOLE and a BAGMAN working your system. Oh, yeah, and they're shipping the spoils to third party fences (probably USPS) who are putting them on the market with impunity thanks to the lackadaisicallity of the insurers. Way to go!!! I am happy that this one, at least, wound up where it should. Hope they didn't burn your pocket too badly, Trog, after all the grief you suffered.
Him saying he'll be glad to call the authorities is a red flag, he said that to try to throw you off, not to mention the resistance to any helpful information, i have little doubt that he isn't involved in the theft in some form
I’m currently in Japan, getting home tomorrow. I’ve just bought an Ibanez AZ2204N from Kurosawa at Ochanomizu. They do have a lot of Gibson and Fender, Ken’s new strat included. It’s actually funny that Ibanez is more difficult to find than Fender or Gibson. Anyway I saw a lot of Saito and Momose these days, along with the usual suspects like Fernandes or ESP. You might want to check them out.
I'm so sick of USPS messing up so much, losing packages, missorting, not caring, etc. This is ridiculous. They obviously know they this was a valuable item. They could have very easily gotten this to the correct recipient if they cared at all. I also think that this wasn't a complete accident, an agency outside the USPS needs to investigate this type of thing.
this exact thing happened to me. label fell off in shipping. seller was processing an insurance claim when i found it on ebay. seller got it back in the end and i bought it off them again, with a different shipping company!
FYI i worked at ups long ago. There was a Gibson guitar case came through sealed onlt with tape. One of the loaders slit the tape opened the case & there was a 50's LP gold top. He ripped the label off pulled a new label out of his pocket & slapped it on. New Label was to his buddy not to himself. Then he put it on the mis-sort cart. Lesson always double box & the outside box is Plain Jane. (It cannot Not say Gibson Fender etc). This guitar was shipped in its case only No Outside Box, Not Smartr
I'm still confused about this "storage of guitars" thing. Dean Markley, who has been friend of mine for years, and I have a few of his very limited acoustic guitars (yes, they exist), but I never understood how he kept the guitars in a humidity-controlled room. I have been playing and hanging them on the wall for years. Where as he had a huge problem with the "control" going out. Mine have been well kept and endured the seasons. Is there such a big difference? Personally, I prefer a guitar that's been taken care of, but yet loved and played.
A Chicago friend mailed my Ampeg Reverb Rocket (that was blessed by an amp gurus touch) it just stopped at the Los Angeles UPS warehouse. Records show address was updated, then it vanished. Never left the building!? Awesome UPS.
All non-deliverable/recoverable packages go to the only USPS recovery facility in GA & are supposed to be destroyed after a certain period of time, not auctioned. I’m fairly certain USPS is running an illegal auction house here, just an FYI. Per their own policy undeliverable or unrecoverable packages are supposed to be destroyed, no exceptions. What would make it illegal is that it was never associated with their property in the first place so forfeiture laws/protection would not apply. They literally “lost” it, it’s not theirs to sell or make money off of they’re supposed to destroy it. People auction off storage units or sell stuff left behind by renters in their properties because it’s items abandoned in their properties & this situation is 100% NOT the same. It should be noted I’m not just making stuff up, I spoke directly to the GA facility a few years ago about a package I’d shipped that I tried to recover to re-ship. I suppose you could say the insurance payoff is technically a forfeiture, but even then you’re running a fine line because if they still have the item & can match that insurance payout to that item they should just send you your item, NOT auction it. It’s not like you asked them to not send it to you but to pay you out instead.
It’s nice you found your lost instrument. It’s unfortunate that this beautiful guitar will be stored away as a collectible and never truly enjoyed by a player.
My money's on an inside job. Paperwork would've accompanied this package as it made it through Customs, AND it would've been X-Rayed. (I worked at LAX)
Eddie's Guitars has a similar spec 1968 Gibson Les Paul in Nordic Blue Gloss with Quilted Top and GOLD Hardware including a Bigsby. And Yes SANTA 3 Pickups, Abalone Neck Inlays, and a Purple Back and Flamed Neck. 2021 Model. $10k. Oh and they have THREE of them In Stock!!!!
Since it was your guitar before it was "lost," I hope he gave you a great deal on it. If you can guitars individually or as a lot of only guitars, you could easily scam the system. If you or someone you know simply made a % of the guitar boxes undeliverable, especially the higher value brands. Then you go to the auction and buy them cheap and turn around and sell them for a hefty profit.
I'm a fender guy but I can appreciate any guitar and I do like Les Paul's, and I been watching your channel for a long time and I think this is my favorite guitar you have ever had, must be because my favorite color is blue but man that top and gold hardware is primo, much love for that guitar
I think that when ever I sell a guitar I have to sent via thru any carrier, Mabe an Apple Air Tag and I will have an index card thru the strings and in the case pocket like where you found the business card. The index card would say if lost I am the most recent owner of this guitar and have my business name and address and phone# by putting it thru the strings they can't say they didn't see it. I might even have a low tack sticker on the case. If lost in transit see note in side.
If a Postal Service package hasn't been claimed within 90 days, it will likely be auctioned on GovDeals or a similar website... So always try and find it within 90 days of the courier getting their hands on it. If the package is insured and a settlement is payed out to the buyer then the auction is 100% legit regardless. As soon as a settlement is paid to the original buyer the insurance provider owns the item that then gets auctioned and if the original buyer finds it on eBay they can legally buy it again because the seller is legally selling it at that point. If the buyer is not paid a settlement either by the courier or an insurance provider and it is past the 90 days then it is legally going to auction and no way to get it back unless you are the winning bid or buy it from the winning bidder. If it is within the 90 day claim period then it is still missing or stolen goods and police should be involved, but you're not likely getting your goods back if it goes to auction unless you buy it at auction or from the winning bidder... Sellers should be aware that high ticket items like this are targets for label tampering and theft. Sellers of high ticket items need to print multiple copies of the shipping label and paste them on each side of the package and leave one on the inside to ensure it can be found. Also, sending a complete description with the weight and dimensions of the box and possibly photos of the outside and inside to the buyer can help them get their package back if it is lost.
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Please DO NOT look up the eBay seller of this guitar and harass him. He buys at government auctions and resells online which is all legit
The only thing fishy here is how it made it to auction with the sender's contact info in the case!
🟢My Website: www.troglysguitarshow.com
🔴Reverb: reverb.com/shop/troglys?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly
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I would definitely report the seller to the FBI. It would be an early Xmas present for them. At worst they could get him for lying to the FBI, at best they could get him to flip on his contact at Chicago USPS.
(Whoever took off the shipping label also took the customs declaration: they would know how much to bid.)
Someone at the Chicago USPS is the bad guy and it needs to be investigated.
Found mine back had to buy it tho
@@Tahoe814 what it means packages are never lost💪🤕
This Axe is the best it's seems to 2 all there😁👍
So let me get this straight. You contacted USPS inquiring about a specific guitar that suddenly disappeared from its shipping trail. VERY unique guitar. They shrug their shoulders and say “we don’t know”. But at the same time the EXACT guitar gets added to their unclaimed package auction? Sounds fishy to me. Too fishy. That guy 100% has an inside man somewhere that targets specific packages and gets him involved and fudges the paperwork to show it was auctioned. There is NO way this all went down innocently. To the guy that sells these stolen items on eBay - I hope you get caught, or better yet rip off the "wrong guy" an get what you deserve.
The guy probably purchased it legitimately, it is the auction that makes the money from big ticket items like this. Even Rob Dahm's custom clutch pack from Japan ended up there at an auction in Georgia. It would be the people there in the receiving side of the international shipping that swap labels etc... USPS, UPS, FedEx etc, doesn't matter which... And then from there the item goes direct to the auction where the auction makes the money.
Also think inside man
Actually, probably on the plane or an inside man in the source country... Can't investigate or prosecute him if he is in another country...
I don’t care if he’s got an inside man or nor to be honest. The guy had a sh1tty attitude with throwing the cops in it and basically begging Trogly to try and get them involved. It’s just a sh1t attitude that he didn’t have to take if he’d let Trogly explain himself. Troglys a better guy then me! Clearly. 😂. But someone who tells you to get the cops involved usually KNOW they’re covered. Now who is covering them and how, that’s the question. They could be a legitimate buyer that does this stuff a lot with auctions so they know all the rules involved or it’s someone that knows they can get paperwork or something proving that things are legit on their side.
Found the seller, he has quite a few guitars, and other expensive items for sale. Definably has an inside person.. Fishy with all his items he has for sale.
I would tell the insurance company you found it and give them sellers information because this sounds like a inside job that needs unfolded
agreed. Kinda fishy that it "showed up on USPS Auction" not soon after the insurance claim was finalised
That's because the insurance settlement confirmed the value, and thus a safe amount to bid.
Yeps it is planned
When you have a guy like Louis Dejoy running the post office, criminality all down the line is to be expected.
This is exactly why you write the shipping info in Sharpie on the box.
Just carve you’re address into the quilted top with a screwdriver.
Is that really a thing? (I really don’t know 😅)
@@JH-ks9oi I've done it on hundreds of guitars shipped by me and to me. Never had a guitar go missing until a FedEx plane skidded off a runway in a snowstorm and two weeks later, that guitar made it to me. I was ecstatic to receive it, as it was considered an act of God and I had written it off...a 1961 coronet.
Yes! and... Always include a copy of the invoice and/or packing slip inside the box.
you can still cut and peel off the top layer :(((((
Personally I think this is part of a USPS conspiracy where they "lose" your guitar, get the insurance paid out from their insurance provider and then also pocket the proceeds from the auction. Very tasty scheme.
This was "lost". Contact law enforcement and check all auction details, don't take any evidence provided at face value.
He Gives me the suspicion that he was connected to the person who “lost” it
I think we can all agree that we want every guitar under blacklight. Its just fun
This might have been "legally acquired" by a theft ring, it appears an investigation is needed. Guitar-sized boxes are a dead give away and an easy mark.
I have a policy of applying TWO identical shipping labels to any high value item I ship, and I tape the labels down securely with lots of clear tape. This doesn't totally prevent someone from ripping off the labels, but they have to work harder to do it and MAY miss the fact that there are two labels, not one.
I've ordered items from overseas,never to receive them. The trail ends at the Chicago USPS facility.
The Chicago mob thanks you for your business. Check back for incredible makita power tools next week!
my guess is that it happens enough times that it may be some kind of syndicate with a certain modus operandi. Probably an insider job plus outside assistance to rip off the insurance. it's hard to prove in 1 case but there's probably a trend here that the insurance company should investigate. Eventually, the consumer pays for it with higher premiums just like what happened in the medical industry.
He seems like the type of guy that eagerly awaits any opportunity to be a douche. The seller guy that is.
Yeah that “I’m not obligated to tell you” response was very douchey.
Yeah he took a real defensive stance right off the bat like he knew something was wrong. At least he didn't jack up the guitar, it looks mint.
@@dillonm4794 that’s just gonna prompt Trogly and others to partake in his precious usps auctions. Mwahaha!
@@Factory_Muff Yes, Trogly AND thousands of other people that watch this show should be inspired to do so. I hate to wish ill on people but
@@ronchorivera free market capitalism my brother 🤜👍🏼 All for it!
The latest seller 100% works for USPS.
USPS Auctioned? 😑 Yeah, losing faith in mail delivery honor and integrity, the trust is fading away..Beautiful Quilt, glad you were able to recover.
Chicago USPS sort facility has had problems for a long time. There are public audit reports describing horrible conditions. Abandoned bins, rodents, destroyed boxes, etc. Lucky thing it wasn't completely destroyed.
Around 1970 my mom was friends with Hoyt Axton and his crowd and they gave a goofy kid ( me) a bunch of guitars. A Hummingbird, late 50’s ? Gold top LP, a Strat , a Goya nylon string and a fancy ukulele. Soon after they were all stolen. Broken hearted I never learned to play, didn’t have money to buy replacements. A few years ago I started to buy a couple just because they are pretty. Still feel the pain that little kid felt.
Glad you found it. I truly appreciate it’s beauty.
I watch your episodes through that little kids eyes.
Dude selling it gave me serious scummy vibes..
Yeha he's probably in bed with his sister right about now, thinking about all the crack he's gonna buy for xmas. Vermin. Has anyone gone through the sold listings yet ? Let's have a seller name please ?
Congrats on re-finding this beautiful guitar.
Austin, My cousin was a Post Master for the 4th or 5th ward in Houston Texas and worked there for 20 years and is now retired but told me he had several Law Enforcement investigations that went on in his post office from local to the federal level and there were shady USPS workers who would steal anything and everything they thought would make them easy money. He once told me about back in the early 1990s when the Nike Air Jordan 7s (I think) shoes were HUGE and a group of his workers stole a full semi trialer with pallets of Nike sneakers that was parked in their lot waiting to be unloaded at their Post Office and they sold them through a few inner city flea markets in several states down south but the Feds were watching because Nike had lost a ton of product in Houston that year and they were all busted for theft and the total was over $250,000. Houston is a huge shipping port for the southern part of the US and the Feds watch everything, He said the ring leader got 10 years and had to pay restitution. He had a guy that worked under him who was a local Houston Mailman and he was stealing Moses Malone's (Famous NBA Basketball Player from back in the Day) mail packages and was investigated and busted with Hundreds of Thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from over a 10 year period. That's why you ALWAYS insure your packages because there is always someone willing to steal your packages and always require signatures as well.
It wasnt good enough to have a job with good pay, insurance, and a pension. They had to steal too. Im retired PO. Saw a guy get fired for stealing CDs. 60k a year job for a few CDs.
Had a feeling you would find this one again. Beautiful guitar, happy for you getting it in the end! Sounds like an inside job on it being "Lost"
the same happened to me and the "new" owner told me the same AND it was the same seller that had yours! oh its on Govdeals
Send Trogly an email with info. Someone at USPS is getting kickbacks for diverting guitars...
Last year, Chicago USPS customs rerouted a package I intended to ship to Mexico to Russia. There was never any explanation as to how it ended up missing Mexico by 6700 miles, but it took nearly 4 months to get it back in the western hemisphere.
"I'm not obligated to tell you where I got it" aka I work for USPS and had a friend pull this off his truck so I could buy it up before it even hits auction.
About 15 years ago, I attempted to send two computers to two family members in different states. Neither got there. Turned out.....both ended up in a bin at USPS in my zip code. After a reasonable time, they could both be released to an employee.
That is one of the nicest LPs I’ve ever seen. The pickup’s really have distinct tones. I can’t wait to see that one at the museum.
The USPS MRC (Mail Recovery Center) webpage states that they open packages in an "attempt to identify an address where the piece can be forwarded or returned". Only after "flats or parcels that cannot be delivered as addressed nor returned to the sender", are they sent to auction locations.
Without a doubt, with info from the original Japanese seller in the case, this guitar was purposefully "lost", with your eBay seller just so happening to be in a position to buy it.
is it even legal for USPS to open boxes if there's no reason to believe there's suspicious material inside?
Z is for finding the guitar.
G'day Sgt
@@andye3684 greetings Andy.
Good evening Sgt.
Years ago a guitar was stolen from my home; just one, broad daylight. Insurance cut me a very generous check, but when I was out shopping for a replacement I stumbled upon my exact lost guitar for sale in a store. The police contacted the store, which gave them the guitar and the name of the guy who brought it in. He claimed that he bought it from a stranger he picked up hitchhiking, carrying the guitar bare in hand, no bag or case. Nothing fishy about that! 😆
Lmao, yeah he totally bought it off a stranger hitchhiking just to resell it. 🤣
Hey, bud! Love the show. My only request is that you start clicking the button for the automated captions again. They don't get everything right but they make it a little easier for us geezers who don't hear so great anymore. Cheers!
That's such a wild story! Like some others in the comments, I honestly feel like something fishy might be going on here. I'm glad the guitar eventually ended up where it was supposed to be though.
Bro got a man inside USPS😏
Glad you were able to recover it! I'll be honest, guitars this fancy are not really my thing, but it is a beautiful piece. That quilt top is alive, almost oceanic. I think if it were my guitar, I would have opted for chrome hardware sans Bigsby.
Nono blabla just have all for once 😉
@Skratch Rapture mkay keep mnew for when sell it🎶👍
Omg they're making a Larc En Ciel guitar?! That's my favorite Japanese band! They can't make a bad song imo and discovered them through my favorite anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist. Cannot wait to see that review!!!
The USPS lost and found in Marietta GA. I hope you were refunded your original payment.
Good things come to those who wait. Very happy for you Trogly. Amazing addition to your future museum.
Happens all the time. Tons of packages get shipped to the USPS unclaimed mail processing facility in Atlanta. They auction everything off in lots. Anyone can buy them. And no, the post office doesn't try to find out who sent packages to who. If the machine can't scan it, it goes in a bin and gets sent to Atlanta. The only exception to this is if you send something as registered mail. That gets individually logged into and out of every processing and distribution facility and is stored in locked cages separate from all the other mail.
In my opinion, the situation with your initial shipment is outrageous. What if your shipment wasn't insured? The post service is just like: "We are very sorry" and that's all, nobody's fault? Idk how it is done in the USA, but in my country insuring a postal package is charged additionally, the rate depends on the sum declared and can be quite considerable for expensive packages.
I totally advise you to inform your insurance company, they might want to investigate this case.
This is why I write the address and return address on each side of the box itself in sharpie, then cover it over with clear packing tape. Even if the shipping label is torn off or soiled, they have sender and recipient info all over the place. Sometimes it feels like overkill, but stories like this remind me of why I do it.
This is pretty close to the bizarre story of Frampton's Phenix, just not lost for 30+ years. Congrats, Austin!
I'm glad he got it back.
All guitars with a figured top should come without the pick guard instead. You can easily add it, but once it has been installed, you can't remove it without it leaving holed. So it will never be a clean top again.
"Yes is this Mr. Gibson? This is usps special agent Banner. We found your guitar. Who were you sending it to? We'll make sure to properly repackage it and send it next day air guaranteed. We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Here's a free book of stamps. Have a great day!"
10:55 You mentioned the Strings dinging the finish. I hope you noticed that the G string looks like it's about to slip :/
I had this happen to me with a very rare 1990 MIJ Fender pink paisley bass. I also found it for sale on ebay in Georgia. I live in Georgia as well, so I set up a meeting with with the seller and asked them to please show me the documentation of where they purchased the guitar from USPS, which they gratefully did. I then asked if they would sell it to me for what I paid for it, since they were offering it for sale at a higher price, and they agreed.
What upset me, was when they gave me the box that it shipped in, the label on the outside was cut off and inside the box was another label with my name, address, and the tracking number. If USPS had taken any effort to figure out where the package was going it would not have gotten lost.
Dude, its so corrupt over here that i had to go to the distribution center with an inside contact , when it said it was in transit to my house , and it didnt arrive & a manager personally took my package into his office until i showed up ,and call him personally to pick up a "Playstation V....unbelievable!!!!
Little suspicious but at least you were able to get your guitar. What a looker. Gotta keep it after all the trouble it put you through
Congrats on finding your guitar and getting it back. That seller sounds extremely shady, though. Anyone who is that quick to invoke law enforcement has something to hide. Not to mention, the USPS Chicago folks.
Beautiful guitar man, I'm happy for you that you found it and was able to repurchase it, hope you keep it in thr collection one because it's beautiful and two losing and finding means you're supposed to have it
See? I kind of TOLD YOU!
The fact that the case candy wasn't cased, as it were, that puts me in mind of something which happened when I was an 8th grader. I was never good at studying for my tests or exams. You can imagine everybody's surprise when the day of an earth science test came, and it was discovered that I hadn't looked at any of my copied notes. If I had, it would have been revealed that whoever copied the notes for me also included the test. Which was worse, that I didn't study or that my teacher sent me home with the test I was supposed to be studying for included with the notes?
"USPS auction" WTF?!?! They've lost several of my packages every single one of them not insured, of course. And they just sell the stuff they "lost"? They "lost" a $2000 computer and all they would tell me was "we are looking for it" for a year then nothing.
Yes I should have gotten insurance and I get it every time now, but so many things I've insured only to get the claims and appeals denied. Not once did they honor the insurance I paid for. It's their job to move a package from one point to another, why do I have to pay insurance to increase the chances they do their job? It's their job! If it costs more money to make sure a package is delivered, just raise rates.
ignorance is not a defense , possession of stolen property and selling stolen property charges , for all others that touched this beauty
A buddy of mine had an empty box delivered to him. The box had obviously been re taped after the guitar had been removed.
USPS put him through the ringer as well. Reverb was also not overly helpful.
I'm so glad that you were able to still find and purchase that guitar. I hope it didn't cost as much this round. But I'm sure if the guy who you purchased it from this time is as knowledgeable as you he probably priced it appropriately to what it cost him at auction. I've received enough guitars ( some I bought from you) to know them labels dont come off that easy no matter who you ship with. If the seller have one of the carriers label machines also they can take that extra step to over the label as well to secure it better. Of which I've seen in many cases.some even ship in a clear plastic envelope so all info can be seen and the label and or packing slip can be removed by the buyer.
I work in the agriculture industry selling chemicals to farmers. One time a shipment of some expensive materials was “lost” during transit from a freight company. 5 months later some guy calls me out of the blue asking if I wanted to buy the exact materials that were lost.
He bought the materials in some pallet auction. I explained he can’t legally sell it because he doesn’t have a dealers license and I refused to buy it from him.
Long story short I am frustrated like you at these lost materials/goods.
I know a guy who knows a guy you works at a Chicago UPS sorting facility and apparently it’s a total shit show. No accountability for employees and all-around terrible organization.
I'm curious, did you end up losing or saving money based on the insurance payout and what you payed to the seller?
So here's my opinion as a Fedex Express Ramp agent who works a lot of USPS freight. It is actually very Illegal to open the actual packages. The labels are very fragile actually. Since it came overseas, it could have had an unreadable damaged label, so the package will automatically go to another portion and wait until it made its way to the auction. Probably was opened at the auction to take pictures and put back in the case to the new owner. I see multiple packages a day with damaged labels that get sent to what we call "overloads"
You got it!! Screw the USPS!
Yeah this deffo sounds like dude has a bit of a crew or something... an insode line at the very least. I had a dude back in the day who worked for sears and its the damndest thing the way craftsman tool sets would just fall off the truck. Any kind of manufacture or supply chain is going to have some positions that it only makes sense to staff with the lowest wage workers available. Which often means that somewhere in the supply chain there will be whole aspects of the operation left to the hands of convicts. I am a convict and im npt judging but yeah.... weak links etc.
Ya screw them by making a huge public stink in the music community over it. musicians should not ship with USPS.
He may be a postal worker. If he is then he committed a serious offense. Btw, the auction, coincidentally, is also in Atlanta. The auction is overseen by the postal service itself.
I know that finish checking.... It happens in the case while sitting on the floor with the handle facing up. Pulls moister off the floor and checks the parts of the guitar nearest the soggy carpet or basement concrete. Osmosis baby!
Back when Kiesel was still called Carvin, I ordered a DC 127 (I think)Transparent Blue over KOA with gold hardware, HSS ($1,100), but it turned out green! I regretfully returned it, which cost me $200 to ship both ways. Still kicking myself.
A long time ago I had a very unusual Les Paul Artisan. It had the usual gold triple pickup and hardware, and transparent brown finish, but mine had hearts and flowers intertwined inlay on the fretboard. I've never seen another one like it.
Glad you found it! But the USPS issue reminds me of a classic Aerosmith tune - "No Surprise!"
great tune.
And the chances of ever seeing it again, "Dream On".
I love a happy ending. There is no better place on the planet for THIS guitar to be. I have to question the business model that allows this to happen. Might be why the postal service is in financial difficulty. Congratulations, Trogly.
Edit: Word to USPS. Y'all have a MOLE and a BAGMAN working your system. Oh, yeah, and they're shipping the spoils to third party fences (probably USPS) who are putting them on the market with impunity thanks to the lackadaisicallity of the insurers. Way to go!!!
I am happy that this one, at least, wound up where it should. Hope they didn't burn your pocket too badly, Trog, after all the grief you suffered.
Him saying he'll be glad to call the authorities is a red flag, he said that to try to throw you off, not to mention the resistance to any helpful information, i have little doubt that he isn't involved in the theft in some form
Have seen the USPS building in downtown Chicago? It's a full city block In downtown Chicago, several stories tall. Doesn't surprise me at all.
Love the Bigsby... Always, put a Bigsby on it. ;)
Roller tuners go great with Bigsby too. ;)
Awesome, glad you finally got it! Begs the question, wonder what last call auction paid??? 🤔
That G string ball end is barely hanging onto the pin. Aaahhhh!! DING!!
Figures you’d want to get in on an auction that deals in “lost” merchandise.
I’m currently in Japan, getting home tomorrow. I’ve just bought an Ibanez AZ2204N from Kurosawa at Ochanomizu.
They do have a lot of Gibson and Fender, Ken’s new strat included.
It’s actually funny that Ibanez is more difficult to find than Fender or Gibson.
Anyway I saw a lot of Saito and Momose these days, along with the usual suspects like Fernandes or ESP. You might want to check them out.
I'm so sick of USPS messing up so much, losing packages, missorting, not caring, etc. This is ridiculous. They obviously know they this was a valuable item. They could have very easily gotten this to the correct recipient if they cared at all. I also think that this wasn't a complete accident, an agency outside the USPS needs to investigate this type of thing.
I guess the present PM General's cuts haven't helped either.
this exact thing happened to me. label fell off in shipping. seller was processing an insurance claim when i found it on ebay. seller got it back in the end and i bought it off them again, with a different shipping company!
FYI i worked at ups long ago. There was a Gibson guitar case came through sealed onlt with tape. One of the loaders slit the tape opened the case & there was a 50's LP gold top. He ripped the label off pulled a new label out of his pocket & slapped it on. New Label was to his buddy not to himself. Then he put it on the mis-sort cart. Lesson always double box & the outside box is Plain Jane. (It cannot Not say Gibson Fender etc).
This guitar was shipped in its case only No Outside Box, Not Smartr
I’m really glad you got it Austin! Congratulations!! 🤠👍
The finish checking is most likely a result of being stored in a poorly temp controlled usps warehouse.
I'm still confused about this "storage of guitars" thing. Dean Markley, who has been friend of mine for years, and I have a few of his very limited acoustic guitars (yes, they exist), but I never understood how he kept the guitars in a humidity-controlled room. I have been playing and hanging them on the wall for years. Where as he had a huge problem with the "control" going out. Mine have been well kept and endured the seasons. Is there such a big difference? Personally, I prefer a guitar that's been taken care of, but yet loved and played.
A Chicago friend mailed my Ampeg Reverb Rocket (that was blessed by an amp gurus touch) it just stopped at the Los Angeles UPS warehouse. Records show address was updated, then it vanished. Never left the building!? Awesome UPS.
For expensive shipments adding some sort of tracking device is worth considering. The receiver can always post it back to you.
You have an obligation to report the particulars of this transaction to authorities.
All non-deliverable/recoverable packages go to the only USPS recovery facility in GA & are supposed to be destroyed after a certain period of time, not auctioned. I’m fairly certain USPS is running an illegal auction house here, just an FYI. Per their own policy undeliverable or unrecoverable packages are supposed to be destroyed, no exceptions. What would make it illegal is that it was never associated with their property in the first place so forfeiture laws/protection would not apply. They literally “lost” it, it’s not theirs to sell or make money off of they’re supposed to destroy it. People auction off storage units or sell stuff left behind by renters in their properties because it’s items abandoned in their properties & this situation is 100% NOT the same. It should be noted I’m not just making stuff up, I spoke directly to the GA facility a few years ago about a package I’d shipped that I tried to recover to re-ship. I suppose you could say the insurance payoff is technically a forfeiture, but even then you’re running a fine line because if they still have the item & can match that insurance payout to that item they should just send you your item, NOT auction it. It’s not like you asked them to not send it to you but to pay you out instead.
I love my '90 Custom. Got a hell of a deal on it too!
I’m from Chicago and yes, USPS here is really sucky and very shady. A lot of problems with them.
It’s nice you found your lost instrument. It’s unfortunate that this beautiful guitar will be stored away as a collectible and never truly enjoyed by a player.
How come only some Gibson customs have the block inlay on the first fret and some don't. Doesn't having the first fret inlay make it distinctive.
Sounds like a sideline business is going on losing guitars and reselling them at auction.
Just another example of what Gibson,is capable of making, love the quilt top. Museum piece.
My money's on an inside job. Paperwork would've accompanied this package as it made it through Customs, AND it would've been X-Rayed. (I worked at LAX)
I've never in my life heard of usps auctions. I'd guess the guy works for the post office and makes these packages go missing.
Eddie's Guitars has a similar spec 1968 Gibson Les Paul in Nordic Blue Gloss with Quilted Top and GOLD Hardware including a Bigsby. And Yes SANTA 3 Pickups, Abalone Neck Inlays, and a Purple Back and Flamed Neck. 2021 Model. $10k. Oh and they have THREE of them In Stock!!!!
So, you couldn’t get an Adam Jones Epiphone either?
I passed on it
I would always put multiple copies of the shipping labels inside the box and guitar case. This would hopefully mitigate any external label damage.
Since it was your guitar before it was "lost," I hope he gave you a great deal on it. If you can guitars individually or as a lot of only guitars, you could easily scam the system. If you or someone you know simply made a % of the guitar boxes undeliverable, especially the higher value brands. Then you go to the auction and buy them cheap and turn around and sell them for a hefty profit.
I'm a fender guy but I can appreciate any guitar and I do like Les Paul's, and I been watching your channel for a long time and I think this is my favorite guitar you have ever had, must be because my favorite color is blue but man that top and gold hardware is primo, much love for that guitar
USPS's location for lost packages is Atlanta GA. I know they have auctions there. I also know USPS employees and contractors can not bid on items.
I think that when ever I sell a guitar I have to sent via thru any carrier, Mabe an Apple Air Tag and I will have an index card thru the strings and in the case pocket like where you found the business card. The index card would say if lost I am the most recent owner of this guitar and have my business name and address and phone# by putting it thru the strings they can't say they didn't see it. I might even have a low tack sticker on the case. If lost in transit see note in side.
That's a gorgeous guitar! So glad you found it!
If a Postal Service package hasn't been claimed within 90 days, it will likely be auctioned on GovDeals or a similar website... So always try and find it within 90 days of the courier getting their hands on it. If the package is insured and a settlement is payed out to the buyer then the auction is 100% legit regardless. As soon as a settlement is paid to the original buyer the insurance provider owns the item that then gets auctioned and if the original buyer finds it on eBay they can legally buy it again because the seller is legally selling it at that point. If the buyer is not paid a settlement either by the courier or an insurance provider and it is past the 90 days then it is legally going to auction and no way to get it back unless you are the winning bid or buy it from the winning bidder. If it is within the 90 day claim period then it is still missing or stolen goods and police should be involved, but you're not likely getting your goods back if it goes to auction unless you buy it at auction or from the winning bidder...
Sellers should be aware that high ticket items like this are targets for label tampering and theft. Sellers of high ticket items need to print multiple copies of the shipping label and paste them on each side of the package and leave one on the inside to ensure it can be found. Also, sending a complete description with the weight and dimensions of the box and possibly photos of the outside and inside to the buyer can help them get their package back if it is lost.