A little piece of music memorabilia has been returned to a Steveston thrift store, four months after it was stolen by a brazen thief.
The framed poster - advertising the appearance in the ‘60s at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver of jazz performer Buddy Rich, the “World’s Greatest Drummer” along with his orchestra – was stolen back in May from the SOS Children’s Village store on Moncton Street.
Store manager Yasmin Tang told the Richmond News how the prized poster, worth several hundred dollars, took pride of place at their music section, frequently “attracting customers” to that area.
Tang said the thief snatched the poster while staff were distracted and they only noticed the next morning that it was gone.
And, despite the theft being caught on CCTV and being reported to the police, Tang had given up hope of ever seeing the poster again.
Thrift store manager gets surprising phone call
That was until Rob Frith, of Neptoon Records on Main Street in Vancouver, called her this week to say he thought he had her poster.
“He had posted a photo of it on social media I think, and someone saw it and made the connection,” said Tang.
“He told me a friend gifted it to him after buying it at a market or somewhere. I offered to buy it from him but he said ‘no, it’s a donation.’
“He even offered to buy it back from me when we are ready to sell it again. But we love it so much.”
Tang said she was “very surprised” to get that call, adding that she “never expected to see (the poster) again.”
