About eight months ago the USPS lost a beautiful left-handed Bob Lee Thunderbolt that I had sold a guy in Atlanta for $500. Despite having a tracking number, it just disappeared. Gone... and I had to refund the guy's money.

Fast forward to tonight: what should I see on the Atlanta Craigslist but my lefty Bob Lee, being sold by some guy saying its a great shooter but it's left-handed so he can't use it (figure that one out!). Here's a screen capture of his ad.

I've gotten in touch with Craigslist, Atlanta cops and Maine cops; also the original buyer who never got the bow. I'm hopeful that somehow I can get it back; I've got great photos of the serial number, the whole riser, etc.-- and it's unmistakeably my bow. (Besides, how many lefty Thunderbolts are even in existence?!!).

Anyway, the bow is in Fayetteville, GA-- don't buy it, LOL! I'll let you guys know if I manage to get it back. Thanks, Kerry

Here's a picture taken at my house, back when I posted it on eBay. Dang, that was a pretty bow-- almost made me wish I was a lefty. That reminds me-- Yorktown5 is a lefty...don't buy it, Rick!

Glad you found it...good luck.

Persist! Get the bass turd.

Oh, I think the Post Office is the culprit; this guy probably just wound up with it somehow. Maybe the PO has a big lawn sale each year of all the stuff left laying around that they've screwed up on the delivery of or something. Looking forward to learning what happened... and getting it back!

Ugh that's no fun.Hopefully you can get your hands back on it. Good luck!!

Dang, I just might HAVE bid on it to.

Rick

Nice job tracking it down.

Hope you get it back.

Then sell it to me, another lefty : )

Harley, I'm REALLY hoping that this guy isn't a USPS employee-- that would be incredibly hard to take. I'm trying to keep an open mind and just hope to get it back.

Good Luck Kerry.

Hmmm...shipped to Atlanta, and is listed on the Atlanta CL. This guy even grades the overall finish in the ad. Good luck Kerry.

Not saying this is the case here, but employees do steal from their employers. I had a 30 year career catching dishonest employees. It happens a lot more than you might think, at all levels of workers and management.

I am looking at the pcs of the bow for sale on C.L...and the one posted of riser with the same serial number that is a pic of yours that was lost.. Apart from the serial number..the risers and number of lams & construction really look different to my old eyes..What am I missing here?..Jim

Definitely the same bow

I see what you are saying..and stand corrected.Jim

If they find a pair of six pocket wool pants at his house, let me know! I sure hope you get it back and I can't begin to imagine how a fella gets a package that doesn't belong to him, yet has no blame in it unless it was in fact stolen by a employee to be given or sold to him with out him knowing. God Bless

The lighting, object angle, and distance to object were slightly different in the two pictures, but yep it's the same bow.

Rick

Thanks for the messages of support; I'm just gonna keep hammering at cops, Craigslist, and my original buyer (who lives right nearby and ought to be running to this guy's house with a cop in tow, it seems to me?) until I can get some satisfactory answers. I'll let you all know what comes of it.

Kerry

There's lots of evil in this world, and it is a shame that this happened to you!

First of all I am sure you know how lucky you are to find your bow...

Secondly, GIVE'EM HELL!!! Damn scumbag(s) need to be rubber blunted a few times.

I hope that your missing bow can be recovered back to you.. Not sure WHAT LEO agencies can do inasmuch as there was no police report ever filed listing description and serial number or getting into NCIC..

Have you considered talking to the Craig's List seller to see what IF anything he might do?..Perhpas he has some history of how HE came by your bow that you and the USPS might be able to use to determine HOW the bow went missing in the first place..

I assume that even with the tracking number..USPS couldn't provide the path for the package to determine where it last was before it went missing?..and you bought no extra insurance for the bow..Jim

It looks like it is actually in Fayetteville GA. Do they have a police Dept or are they part of Atlanta?

They have their own, but nobody's answering the phones this weekend... plus, until Craigslist gives me (or the police) a name and address of the one posting the ad,there's nothing we can do... except maybe email the guy and tell him I'll buy it, LOL!

If it were stolen while USPS had it,wouldn't this be a Federal thing? At any rate,best of luck with it.

Tell the guy you will buy it. Ask the guy for his name and address so you can send him the money!

fishone: that's what I would have done in the first place. just make sure you can prove your the legal owner. I don't have much use for cops when it comes to stuff like this. JMO When I saw the add I would have made contact as a potential buyer and go from there.

Hi Kerry,

Sorry to hear about this. Hopefully you can get some justice. Generally speaking, police don't really investigate crimes (other than murder) anymore. They pretty much have to catch someone in the act. In this case, it sounds like you have all the evidence you need for someone to "connect the dots," identify the criminal and bring them to justice.

I believe you have a big advantage in that you have exceptional writing skills. I recommend writing a "word document" with names, dates, addresses, pictures, scans of receipts etc. This document should convey all the information you know in a clear and straightforward manner. Your suspicions can be included separately at the end or in any email the report is attached to.

Two other organizations you might inform about this are the US Postal Inspectors and the Georgia State Attorney General's office. Postal inspectors are federal agents who primarily focus on mail fraud, which I believe this qualifies as. They also have ready and complete access to any evidence that exists within the postal system. Did you file a claim against the post office for losing the bow? This will also get them a little more interested.

Most State Attorney General's Offices have a consumer fraud office. I'm not sure if a transaction between individuals qualifies, but they will deal with dishonest practices from businesses in their state. They all have websites. If someone says they are going to help you, make sure you get their name and contact info and a case number to refer back to. If you don't get a case number, they are likely putting you off.

If all else fails, you have the court of public opinion. Let's face it, not a lot of big packages are getting stolen from USPS custody outside of the Christmas season these days. I for one won't be doing business with anyone from Fayetteville, GA anymore and I don't care if it's fair or not.

Good luck with this thing Kerry. You have my email address. Let me know if I can help in any way. - John

Just to let y'all know I'm the one that has the bow for sale on Craig's list. It's quite humorous how people come up with their own conclusions. I have messages Kerry with a brief description how I got the bow which I will not discuss here. As soon as Kerry and I talk he can tell you everything. I am waiting on a reply from him. Sam

You may want to consider advising him he is in possession of stolen merchandise, and you have the records to prove it. If he's honest, he will likely work with you. If not then he becomes complicit in the crime and subject to charges.

sent you a pm with some info.

Sambone_1,

I see this is your first post. Welcome to the forum!

Woohoo!

As I thought, the problem is entirely with those rocket scientists at USPS. Long story short: the man who has the bow bought it at a thrift store ($50-- I don't blame him!!). The thrift store got it in perfectly legal fashion, at an auction or sale held by the Post Office in Atlanta. Obviously they couldn't be bothered to type the words "Bob Lee Thunderbolt" into their database to see if any claims had been filed! Buncha morons...

Anyway, a huge thank-you to Sambone_1 for stepping forward to do the right thing... and also to whoever the LW bro is who tipped him off. Here's the bottom line: my original buyer will get the bow for less than the original sale price, to address what he's been through... Sam will get his $50 back, and another $50 "thank-you" (since he's too far away to give a man-hug!)... and I will get some of my money back; way more than I had hoped to ever see. So I make that to be a win-win-win scenario.

Thanks also to everyone for the kind thoughts and suggestions-- LW is such a great place to hang out!

Kerry

I had just sent Sam a PM, letting him know that he'd be able to work a deal with you. I could tell he would do the right thing. Hope he hangs around and enjoys this place! Glad you got the bow back!

Joe

Sam is a lifelong bow hunter; makes his own self bows and stone points, arrows, etc.. He even tried not to take the little bit of reward for his troubles... but I insisted. Hope we hear more from him; he's certainly my buddy now!

Are you saying the guy who bought your bow lives close to the guy who stole your bow ? I'll bet your bow was in fact delivered to the right address. No one was home, and it was probably left at the door, and it was stolen by this clown on craigslist. Whatever the case, I hope you get it back.

If you sent it USPS call the Postal Inspectors office. They do a pretty good job handling things like this. If you have trouble getting any action let me know by PM I have a good POC with them.

Small world. Glad it worked itself out

Wow this is amazing! How cool!

Stagetek The guy that originally bought the bow lives close to me. Close like 50 miles. The bow was not stolen! Read what happened. It's funny how everyone has their own conclusion of what happened without any facts. I actually bought the bow legally from someone who had it legally. Bottom line is the bow is going back to its rightful owner. Sam

Thanks again, Sam... and when you get a chance would you post some pictures of the primitive equipment you've made? I love seeing that stuff... Kerry

Now that's an awesome outcome. ;)

Here is a primitive long bow I made. If pic shows up. Lol

Wow... what does that baby pull for a draw weight?

50# at 28" here are some points and a neck knife.

Crookedstik did you insurer the bow when you shipped it.

Neat stuff...and by the way, who was that uncle of yours that was the champion archer? Some of these LW guys are a million years old and probably hung out with him, LOL!

Henry Haden King He was from Oak Ridge Tn. He was Tn state champion '57, '58 '59

Sambone..You are my hero for this week in our trad archery world!..

Crookedstix..Glad you will get the old Bob Lee recurve back or sent to the original buyer..

Every once in awhile..we encounter truly great and honest folks..Always a pleasure when that happens!..Jim

Sambone,Welcome Sir!!

Crookedstix,glad everything worked out!

Nice.

Welcome to the Wall Sir.

WOW, OUTSTANDING !!!!!!

Rick

Every time I am asked about insuring something that I am sending I think about this...when you insure an article it is to cover damage, loss or theft...the damage loss or theft can only be the responsibility of the people who you already paid to ship the item since it is from their possession of it that it can be damaged, lost or stolen...essentially the insurance fee is a type of legal extortion...very glad this one worked out for you

DDave

Good to know that there are guys like Sambone out there!

Sweet

Glad this was worked out for those involved. I had my doubts, and to Sam I apologize.

Sambone, There are other of us here who enjoymaking selfbows and knapping stone..:) Welcome! Jim

and just a few of the stone tools I have made over the years..Jim

LOL, Dire Wolf-- I think Sambone might be related to you!! Got any kids you don't know about, heheh?!!

I had a feeling that this was exactly what happened! Turns out I was correct. When dealing with the USPS about a claim for my Grumley that they broke and wanted to take from me prior to paying for the claim. I learned that damaged items and lost items go to GA for auction. Now if any of you would like to keep a broken item/bow that USPS wanted to take from you it is very simple. On the form that you have to fill out to recover your loss, you need to check the box that says " Partial contents broken" even if it is only one item in that box. It does not make sense to me, but like my Grumley; you will be able to keep your item and get reimbursed for your insurance provided you show the post office your package and they can state that it was properly packed. I am very glad that this bow has been recovered. On another note; I agree with you camoDave! The bow that I just shipped to you in Canada; I couldn't purchase insurance for as it was going out of country. I do not know what I would have done if they broke that one. To me it's like going to McDonalds and paying at the door for insurance against food poisoning before ordering the meal. We already pay enough for shipping. You would think that better care would be taken if suddenly they had to start paying out of pocket for losses. Wonder how many bows would come up missing or broken at that point.

At least this story had a positve outcome for all involved. I truly hope this can become the new standard for things like this. All of us need to hear more positve news in our lives.

I'm clicking the "LIKE" button on this thread..and it's fine outcome!..Jim

WOOT!!!!!!!

Looks good dire wolf. I'm just learning. Been knapping about 8 months the bow is a board bow. I harvested some hickory two years ago. So I'm ready to start working the staves. Hoping to get a piece of Osage to do also. Nice work on yours.

Sam, Working stone for edged tools is a fascinating pass-time..You'll learn to make the tools and use them appropriately for the various tasks..Learn to heat treat certain stones like jasper, flint, agate etc so they cooperate with the billet or pressure flaking.. Hickory can make a fine self bow..but needs to be dried to about 7% moisture content for best results.. Arizona is the proper ambient for the best performing hickory bows..:)

Osage and yew are two of my own favorite bow woods..tho I have made some good selfbows from black locust, mulberry, dogwood..even alligator juniper or Tenn. red cedar..

I've even made passable longbows from surplus WWll yellow pine tent poles..That wood is a bit sluggish..but it'll make a bow..:)Here's a pic of the yellow pine tent pole longbow..:)I gave this one the name: "MEBBE"..:) It's 74" ntn and draws about 60#@30" and has taken no set to the string..BUT compared to yew or osage?the wood is sluggish in casting an arrow.. Jim

Hey Sam your a stand up guy as are most here on the Wall.I have a snakey osage that is roughed out and ready to start working.PM me your address and I'll send it to you. and welcome to the LeatherWall :)

Welcome to the wall Sambone_1! Very cool that you stepped forward and were able to work this out to everyone's satisfaction. You are a class act and you're welcome at my campfire any day, and I think I speak for us all here! Dont worry about the guys still posting negative stuff, sometimes people read the first post and then comment without reading anything in between.

camodave, insurance will indeed pay for a lost or broken bow. I've collected once, as did sellers who sent bad bows to me. Maybe it's different in Canada.

It is George. I couldn't insure a bow that I just sent to Dave.

Thanks folks. I didn't do anything that anyone of us shouldn't do. The intended owner contacted me today and we have made arrangements for the bow to get in the proper hands. Sam

Is there any compensation from the PO? At a minimum postage and insurance costs to help cover your outlay for YOUR bow.

I'd be on the phone with the inspector looking for some answers.

There's insurance with Canada post. It automatically come with 100. I just take my chances. As the bass terds get enough out of us. Oh and the Russian roulet on the duty coming back.

George I have never had an issue with a bow but I did once with a fishing rod that was broken while inside a plastic tube case inside a strong cardboard tube...my point is that the only place that bow could have been broken was while it was in the possession of Canadapost being handled by their people...and carelessly handled at that...the shipper paid the insurance to protect themselves from the incompetence and/or carelessness of the Post Office people or by the machinery that is owned by the Post Office...sounds like a type of protection racket to me...and Shane I very much agree with your McDonalds analogy...the box actually had a hole in it when I received it but thanks to your careful packing no damage was done

DDave

I'm glad to see a good outcome to this story. Welcome Sambone_1 - we can always use more people like you around here !

Here is the last chapter of this thread. The proper owner has the bow. For all the people that did not judge me: thank you. For all the one that did I ask that in the future before you judge please have all the facts and wait for the final outcome. Kerry a special thanks to you. Sam.

Sam...Good on you and glad all worked out.. I'm always of the optimist, prayerful sort and never assume the worst..Hope for the best..You sir did great!.. Y aver get to Oregon, we'll feed ya...bunk ya, take you hunting..or clamming and crabbing over on the coast..:) Jim

Thanks Jim. God has really blessed me with new friends out of this. Maybe we will meet some day.

All is good. I am glad that the bow is in the right hands now. I met with the original buyer today. I do understand coming to the defense of a fellow brother. That's a what makes us "trad" folks the best.

Heck of a story, glad it worked out for all.

I couldn't have asked for a happier ending-- or a better caretaker for the bow these last few months! Thanks again Sam :-D

All is good. Made some cool friends/brothers.

Welcome, Sam. That was outstanding! Jawge

Thanks George. Been a long time since I have talked to you. Several years ago on the primative archery forum.

Thanks George. Been a long time since I have talked to you. Several years ago on the primative archery forum.

I remember, my fiend. Happy Thanksgiving!

In this old world of bad news, this is outstanding. Glad everything turned out great for everyone involved. Welcome Sambone_1!

Nice.

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