Four mandolins stolen today from The Mandolin Store

[Mandolin Cafe]

Zach at The Mandolin Store just reported this and local police are involved, a "smash and grab" robbery. Keep your eyes out. Zach's email to us just now:

Should be a total of over $11K+ that was stolen in 4 mandolins tonight. 2 of them are left handed which are even more rare.

https://themandolinstore.com/product...andolin-lefty/
https://themandolinstore.com/product...andolin-lefty/
https://themandolinstore.com/product...tist-mandolin/
https://themandolinstore.com/product...tyle-mandolin/

The two leftys are Eastman 915 is blond and an NF5S.

They had a security camera which got a good picture of the perp.

[Mandolin Cafe]

The theft:

[Mandolin Cafe]

More from Zach. He took two lefty Eastmans but right beside them were two very pricey Gibsons. Oops. Also left muddy footprints. Four mandolins, no cases to go with them. Thinking this one is likely going to get resolved pretty quickly. The police arrived within 5 minutes of the break-in. Lebanon isn't the biggest town and the thief was apparently pretty identifiable on other parts of the video.

[LadysSolo]

Likely will head to Steubenville or Columbus to pawn them, as they are the nearest fairly large cities. Hopefully they will get them back undamaged!

[brunello97]

Yikes.

What a warm welcome to a new business in town.

I hope these get recovered quickly and the perp gets to spend a nice long vacation in the Ohio Pen.


Mick

[Mandolin Cafe]

Zach just told us Cincinnati Fox News has asked to do a story on it so should be on this evening he thinks.

[Crazyquilt]

Boo! I live in Athens, and just tipped off my local shop. He often goes out of his way to get lefties, as he's a lefty, so it might be something that might wander our way.

[Pittsburgh Bill]

More from Zach. He took two lefty Eastmans but right beside them were two very pricey Gibsons. Oops. Also left muddy footprints. Four mandolins, no cases to go with them. Thinking this one is likely going to get resolved pretty quickly. The police arrived within 5 minutes of the break-in. Lebanon isn't the biggest town and the thief was apparently pretty identifiable on other parts of the video.

Just goes to show criminals are not generally the brightest bulb. Though, if you ask them they often hold a very high opinion of their intelligence.

[Simon DS]

Just goes to show criminals are not generally the brightest bulb. Though, if you ask them they often hold a very high opinion of their intelligence.

Another interesting subject!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlates_of_crime


(Sorry to hear you lost the mandolins. Hopefully get them back soon).

[journeybear]

Likely will head to Steubenville or Columbus to pawn them, as they are the nearest fairly large cities.

It looks closest to Cincinnati to me. But what really makes me wonder, why steal mandolins? He doesn't seem very knowledgeable about them, judging by what he took and didn't take. And as we are aware, they aren't as popular as guitars, which he would likely be able to move much faster. Maybe it was a spur-of-the moment decision. Doesn't seem very well thought. I think Pittsburgh Bill's summation is spot-on.

This just makes me sick to my stomach. Which I already was, but now it's in knots. I hope they catch him fast and they're undamaged.

[nick delmore]

It looks closest to Cincinnati to me. But what really makes me wonder, why steal mandolins? He doesn't seem very knowledgeable about them, judging by what he took and didn't take. And as we are aware, they aren't as popular as guitars, which he would likely be able to move much faster. Maybe it was a spur-of-the moment decision. Doesn't seem very well thought. I think Pittsburgh Bill's summation is spot-on.

This just makes me sick to my stomach. Which I already was, but now it's in knots. I hope they catch him fast and they're undamaged.

I found that puzzling, too. Maybe the mandolins were just what was in the window display that he could grab easily. Also, you can carry four mandolins at once, might be harder with guitars.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Nice video piece from the news well worth watching if you'd like to see the inside of the store, some additional video of the break-in and Zach.

https://www.fox19.com/2022/12/30/110...lebanon-store/

[Jeff Hildreth]

I suggest these were late, promised Xmas gifts and not stolen for resale.
That based on the moronic selection of the goods.

[brunello97]

Thanks for posting the video link.

It's amazing the video quality in surveillance cameras these days.

I hope it helps catch the dbag responsible.

Not sure it was the best idea for Zach to say just how valuable some of his merchandise is in light of the apparent ease of entry caught on the vid.

Time for a Mandolin Store resident rottweiler?


Mick

[journeybear]

I found that puzzling, too. Maybe the mandolins were just what was in the window display that he could grab easily. Also, you can carry four mandolins at once, might be harder with guitars.

That's what I was thinking, too. But now that Scott posted the news story with more footage, we can see the thief got all the way inside the store. Your second point is quite valid, though - if you're going to grab what you can and run, you're better off to grab two mandolins in each hand than just one guitar. But he clearly didn't know his mandolins. As others have pointed out and Zach confirms, he could have stolen much more expensive instruments. That's some kind of good news.

Maybe he was thinking the store is so new the security system wasn't functioning yet. In fact, the store is so new there aren't any price tags on the instruments yet to guide him. That's a nice random stroke of good luck.

BTW, I shared the story with the only two people I know in Ohio. But both are in the media. One is on public radio, though in Youngstown, the eastern part of the state. (That's Fast Eddie, if folks remember him.) The other is in Columbus; not sure what he's doing now, but he was on the radio here before he moved there. I'm sure both know people who can spread the word. Here's hoping.

[Tiderider]

New report stated the thief had been in the store earlier in the day, I'm sure the same cameras have a clear video of his face. It's a sad state to see a hard working business have to deal with this low life circumstance.

[Mitch Stein]

My take is that he's as smart as a mandolin thief can get. Choosing the expensive models sticks him with rare, easily singled out, hard to move items. Anyone willing to shell out for the better mandolin would do pedigree research and immediately learn the thing is hot. Selling an Eastman for say $50 less than everyone else is likely to net a buyer who doesn't check serial numbers.

[Dan in NH]

And what about the two left handed ones?

Hard enough to sell a mandolin. Best of luck selling a left handed mandolin.

[Mitch Stein]

And what about the two left handed ones?

Hard enough to sell a mandolin. Best of luck selling a left handed mandolin.

Fair enough. Is he banking that the person who wants a lefty will take a great deal on two?
Probably, as said before, whatever were the quickest ones to stage, transport.

[Mandobar]

Watch the video. I think Zach is correct, it was someone who cased the place beforehand, but I don't believe that they knew what they were doing. There was too much hesitation, and they had no idea what to take. They left the $20k mandolin behind.

[Jeff Mando]

No brain surgery here. He probably came in earlier to check if the lock was easy to break. Looks like he was wearing a cap and face mask. This stuff gets sold or pawned for pennies on the dollar -- probably $25 bucks each at most. Yep, pawn shops require ID, but that doesn't seem to stop anyone...

[Mando Esq]

What a shame.

Hopefully the guy gets caught.

[DaveGinNJ]

Also, you can carry four mandolins at once, might be harder with guitars.

Probably why he passed on robbing the piano store. I find this odd as well; I imagine the average petty thief doesn't even know what a mandolin is

[Caleb]

I imagine the average petty thief doesn't even know what a mandolin is

I can just picture this knucklehead trying to sell these "little guitars" around town.

[Fretbear]

I can just picture this knucklehead trying to sell these "little guitars" around town.

There's tens of dollars to be made in Stolen Left-Hand Mandolin Re-Sale.