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Comment by qingcharles | Hacker News Reader

I know someone in LA with a piece like this. I was invited with a couple of close friends to their house to view it. This person didn't buy it, though, they took it with their own hands (and explained how simple it was). There were four of these pieces made. I'm pretty certain one is on public display. I don't know about the other two.

I always wondered if these sorts of people actually existed, with a Mona Lisa tucked away in a secret room, or something. And it turns out, yes, they really do.

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Whoa, that's crazy. Did they rationalize it by saying they were preserving it? Were they an art collector/lover in general? or just someone who committed a theft of opportunity decades ago and has been carrying it around ever since, like in The Goldfinch? (I guess I assume the theft was long ago and overseas in some country without an extradition treaty, otherwise I feel like you'd be nuts to be parading millions of dollars of art around random people). Very curious

One of their rationalizations was preservation. They love the piece. They're a recognized expert on this piece. Maybe the expert. I would hazard they are probably one of the best custodians of it, for now. They have it sealed in a display case. The last time I saw pics of the other one on public display it is also sealed in a display case in the lobby of a multi-billion dollar corp.

It had a very low value when it was purloined, but if it were to appear on the open market right now I have no idea what the price would be. Seven digits, easily. It's like snatching a Banksy from his first gallery show in 2001 when his stuff was like $100 on the wall of a restaurant.

It's not quite as romantic as a Goldfinch style heist. Although I feel in some ways it might be to the same point where they can no longer return it since it's become bigger than they thought. I don't believe they need the money, so it might be a Thomas Crown situation and it might just end up being anonymously dropped back off one day.

You reported it I would hope? Art theft is a crime against humanity, not to mention the artist. Sort of like saying, “I know this serial killer in LA, he showed me and some other guys his severed head collection, it was wild.” Ymmv

One extinguished multiple human lives and kept trophies. The other spilled paint on paper with some style. They are not the same.

I won't say I'm not conflicted about it. I will say this: it is being well-preserved, which it absolutely was not at its previous location.

“Hey this guy stole a painting.” knocks on door “did you steal a painting?” “No” “can we come in?” “No”

That’s how this would go. How do you expect it would go?

Your contention is that police informants don’t exist or that they have zero impact?

My contention is that someone 'dobbing' on someone else holds zero weight. Also, we just went from ' a friend' to 'a police informant' quite quickly.

Think about how "simple" it is for this someone to rip off artwork, and then think about how "simple" it is for this someone to rip off you.

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