Well, this definately sounds better than it was. I was at a university in Canada, taking private music lessons in Detroit for 3 years - once after a lesson, and kicking around downtown, I come back to my car window busted, and my horn gone! I was astounded, and thought the worst. After thinking a bit more, I went 'round to the pawn brokers in the area - 3rd place I stop at, I see my horn - tell the owner I'll give him 300 bucks for it, and bought my horn back then and there! Unreal, huh? The kicker is I just bought the horn a few months earlier for 7 grand (brand new), so I figure i got off lucky - I've had insurance on all my gear since that episode...
When I was finishing my undergrad (at another university), I bought a Rhodes 73 with an ibanez stereo chorus for 100 bucks - when I graduated, and was leaving the city (montreal) I didn't have room for it, so sold it (kept the ibanez) for 70 bucks. Fast forward 15+ yrs., and a buddy sells me his "suitcase" 73 for 75 bucks. Not a mark on it, tho could stand a good run-over about now...
PS - raiding the local radio stations has been a habit of better "scroungers" than I - a few 1176's, Spectrasonics 610, and an Amek CIB was salvaged from gathering dust in their basement - unfortunately, it wasn't me that got them...
Great forum Terry!