What to do if your instrument is stolen

This guide is broken up into 4 parts

1. Reduce the opportunity for theft
2. Proactive documentation
3. Reporting after theft
4. Social media and online sellers

This article focuses on Seattle, WA but a lot of the information is pretty generic. I recommend checking your locality for specifics – but this should work for the most part.

Part 1: Reduce the opportunity for theft

Most thefts are crimes of opportunity. The theft happens to be in the right spot at the right time to see something valuable and unattended. So, the first step is to reduce the opportunity for theft.

• Never leave instruments visible in cars even briefly. About 90% of thefts I’ve heard about, the instrument was in the car. In one case, it was in the trunk and the thief had spoofed the key FOB to open it. Besides, it’s cool to walk around with an instrument.
• In your home, keep instruments away from windows. This is also just a good general note as the sunlight can bleach the wood etc.
• At gigs and jams, keep your instrument in your sight when possible. At the minimum, make sure that it’s in the jamming area near your friends rather than way off to the side.
• If you have gear to unload from your car that needs more than one trip, unload first, park later.
• If you’re playing shows, leave your instruments in private place (like the green room) where access is limited and there’s someone watching. Be especially vigilant during load in / out as that can be more chaotic and harder to control access to certain areas.

Part 2: Practical Documentation

Even if you follow every best practice, your instrument could still be stolen. If that happens, a lot of the information you’ll need, like a serial number, isn’t going to be easy to find if the instrument is gone.

Creating a digital recovery packet is a great step. This is just a folder on your computer that includes all the important information about your instrument in one place. There’s a few key items that you should have ready.

Details of the instrument

I like to have this in an excel doc as it’s easy to store there.

• Make
• Model
• Serial number (and where it appears on the instrument)
• Year produced (or approximate year)
• Finish / color
• Unique identifying features
• Stickers, decals, or case markings
• Wear patterns, dents, cracks, repairs
• Modified or replaced hardware (tuners, bridge, pickups, strap locks)
• Case brand, color, and identifying marks (cases are often recovered first)

Pictures of the instrument & case

Most instruments are stolen in their case, so you’ll need to document the case you use as well as the instrument

• Front and back views of the instrument and the case
• Inside sticker for the instrument if one exists
• Close up of the headstock
• Be sure to document anything unique (a crack, wear marks, stickers etc)
• A picture of the instrument in the case
• A picture of you playing it is a good thing too

Add a GPS tracker to your case

You can hide an AirTag or similar in your case which can be an incredibly handy tool if your instrument is stolen. You can just throw one in, but the odds are the thief will see it and discard the tag at some point. The best bet is to hide it under the soft inside of the case so it’s out of view

Consider insurance

Musical instruments may or may not be covered under home / renters insurance. Even so, it’s a good idea to review options for musical instrument insurance – especially if your instrument is high value. There’s a lot of options out there. Note, if you use your instrument to make money (i.e. playing gigs, teaching etc), it’s likely that your homeowners or renters insurance will not cover your instrument.

Proof of ownership

In the event you have to file a police report, you’ll need to prove it’s your property. Saving the below digitally is helpful

• Purchase receipts
• Appraisals
• Repair invoices
• Pictures of you playing the instrument

A clear, close-up photo is one of the most powerful recovery tools you have.

Part 3: Step-by-step actions

Time is of the essence. The faster you act, the better chances you have of getting your gear back!

Immediately after your instrument was stolen

• If the theft just occurred or you feel unsafe, call 911.
• Write down everything while it’s fresh:
  • Time and location the theft happen
  • Where the instrument was last seen
  • Is anything else missing
  • Who had access
  • Witnesses, vehicles, or suspicious behavior
• If possible, find out if there was recording of the area where the theft occurred
• Take pictures of anything you think is important (broken glass, broken door etc)
• If you search for the thief, be careful and don’t get hurt

File a police report quickly

This is a critical step. Instruments are often sold to pawn shops within a few hours. Most pawn shops will check serial numbers against police reports before buying them. For that reason, filing a police report immediately will be your best bet.

• For non-emergencies within Seattle city limits, use SPD Online Crime Reporting.
  • File a police report online
  • Call: 206 625-5011
• Be sure to include the below in your police report
  • Serial number, make/model/year
  • Detailed description and photos
  • Estimated value
  • Any suspects or leads
• When you’re done you’ll get a few things like the below. You’ll need these items
  • A temporary report number
  • Later, an official police report number (needed for insurance and pawn holds)

If the theft occurred outside Seattle, report to the appropriate city or county agency.

Notify pawn shops and secondhand dealers

Call or visit pawn shops in the immediate area to report the theft to them as well. They can’t do much without the police report, but it doesn’t hurt. You may want to share the same information you provided for the police report too.

Step 4: Social Media & Online Resellers

After you’ve completed the report, you have to share it with your community. Musicians are generally nice people – so you’ll get a lot of help! Make sure your posts are clear and to the point. You may be pissed, but now is not the time to write an essay about why this sucks.

Social media posts

• Your personal social media accounts
• Local Facebook groups (like Outlanders Progressive Bluegrass Social Club, Seattle Bluegrass Club, Washington Bluegrass Association etc),
• Seattle-area gear buy/sell groups
• Stolen-instrument and stolen-gear groups
• Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Reverb, OfferUp

Posting best practices

• Put the make, model, and serial number in the first line
• Be brief – what happened, where it happened, identifying information etc
• Lead with a clear photo of the instrument
• Include a picture of you playing the instrument
• Include the police report number
• Do not post your home address

Monitor resale platforms

Thieves aren’t limited to selling your instrument locally. Often they’ll try to sell your instrument online as well.

• Search public online markets like Facebook Marketplace for your instrument a good radius around where it was stolen (50 miles etc)
• Check sites like eBay and classifieds for Mandolin Café, Reso Hangout, Banjo Hangout etc  
• Set up alerts for your make/model and unique features.
• If you find a match:
  • Screenshot everything
  • Save URLs and seller info
  • Do not confront the seller
  • Send the information to police using your report number

Wrap up

Having your instrument stolen sucks. While we can’t prevent all the bad things from happening, hopefully this article has helped prepare you in case the worst does happen. As with all things, I recommend you explore this topic more on your own. The information here is just the start and it’s also specific to Seattle, so check your local laws etc. Don’t sue me for providing information 🙂

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