Not the usual sort of topic, but many here will appreciate the situation.

A few weeks ago I noticed that something was missing. It was a Jerry O'Connell coin wallet, with six slots. These slots contained: a Dean's set in Morgan dollars; a matching sliding, locking shell; a matching gravity flipper; a TTGF-O. All by Todd, all in soft Morgans.

Yes. This was worrying. But things get moved, we have young kids, I didn't panic. At first.

I didn't really start to panic until yesterday, after I had gone through our house for the third time. Drawers, cupboards, clothes, bags, etc.

The paranoia began. Did it fall into a bin [trash can]? We have a new cleaner, is she a gaffed coin thief? Aargh! What if some dumb **** has melted them down...?! What if? I'll have to call Todd! Gah! I don't have the money for this! And on and on.

My wife says, "What are you looking for?" having first berated me for creating a huge mess. Again. I sheepishly reply, and start pondering an insurance claim, foreseeing instantly the futility of such a course of action.

I go downstairs to get changed, as we are going to a party. Three minutes later I'm back upstairs and she holds out the wallet, "Is this it by any chance?" she says. The look on her face is a sort of 'Kiss my ***, b*tch,' kind of a look. But in a nice way.

The look on my face is merely one of pathetic gratitude.

And where were the coins? Oh, in a drawer that I had 'looked in' several times. Thank God at least one of us in our marriage is competent: worth her weight in silver, in fact.

Love the story!
A few months back I had one JOL coin purse (the small, black leather one), that had my Barber Half Expanded set along with my Sun and Moon Samoya set. It went missing, I retraced my steps back to the gas station 10 minutes from my house, and there it was, on the ground, next to the gas pump. It had fallen out when I took my wallet out to pay for the gas...Nearly had a heart attack, thanked my lucky stars!!

By the way the set was also made by Todd Lassen. Absolutely amazing. I just received my Soft Morgan Expanded set from him, as well as a Walking Liberty expanded set. The quality of the fit and the color match is incredible!

Yea I lost A big Bag Of Gaff Coins At a Magic Con. A few years back!( A round $ 3500.00 Or So All Todd's Stuff! ) I was Setting of the Floor In the Lobby Of the Hotel Around 4:00 A.M. In the morning And I had my Bag out An open Doing Stuff!
Every Body Went to Bed so I did too! But I forgot and Left My Bag Setting There On the Floor! I remembered It After I had been Up in my Room for A wile. And went back down to get it! And It was Gone!!! I ask at the Front deck about it And No one Had seen it. The Guy there said He would Let me Know If anyone Turned it In! I was not able To find it For the rest Of The Magic Con. It was an in state Con. But around An Hour And A half From My place! So 3 Or 4 weeks later I had not Gotten any word From them! So I thinking " Yea It Gone! " now Fast Forward To Around A little After 6 Weeks And I get a call From The Hotel saying That they had found it ! Someone Had been Looking trou a Closet For Some Thing And had Came Across it!
They Ask if I wanted then to put it away For me! And I said "no I will be up to get it as soon As I can!" I don't think I have got any where as fast In my Life As I did getting there!

Brilliant! I knew there would be a few good stories. Thanks guys

Great result, I was burgled once and a lot of stuff they took was old and not made any more. I had to wonder why they took some of the things they did because they wouldn't have know what it was they were taking, only magicians would know !

How can you be sure you weren't burgled by some of your magician "pals"?

.

Back on topic, It is a relief when something as valuable as a set gaffed coin is thought lost. Has anyone else had a time when they thought they lost a set of gaffs? Let me share this, there was a time when I would always have a set of ‘64 Kennedy’s and a shell in my hand. Didn’t matter what I was doing. Well one day at work I am sitting at my desk and realize that the shell and coins are not at hand. I think to the last place I had them and run to the rest room. I check the sink, I check the stall, I even check the trash. No coins! I go to security and ask if anyone handed in any coins. When I get home I ask my wife found them. She tells me to check with the maintenance guy, the one that cleans the rest room.
Of course I don’t take the advice and figure that the coins and shell are lost. Two weeks later I am coming out of the rest room and I run into the gentleman who cleans the restroom. In my best Spanglish I ask him if he found any coins. He reaches into one of the pouch on the trash barrel he pushes around and hands me my coins.

Result!

Another Story.

I was working a bar one night. And I had Done some coin magic ( wow would have thought! ) And some other stuff At one table! And A little Latter I was on to another table when a young kid came up behind me and pulled on my coat tail. Now I Have had that happen to me before, And most of the time They have Some money in there hand to give me as A tip! But this Kid Had a Barber Half in there Hand, And they said " here you dropped this" So I thought I must have dropped on of my Barber Half's at there Table And did not know it. So I took The Coin from them And then saw it was my Barber Shell! I thanks them Vary Much For finding it for me.

Unfortunately, this story doesn't have a silver lining. I used to collect coins (non-magic coins). I had quite a collection, probably worth six figures. I kept it at home, so I could actually enjoy it. My home was burglarized and the coins were stolen. In talking to the police officer, he said that they generally find these coins stuck in vending machines. The retards steal a valuable coin collection and then try to jam the coins in a machine to get a soda.

Moral: Keep your magic coins safe. I know a lot of magic coins end up getting spent (magnetic coins, flippers, double headed, etc).

KJ

D*mn. Very sorry to hear that, KJ.