Seems there’s a crime wave happening in Northern Jersey (where I live). The thieves are targeting relatively high-end guitars. From the North Jersey Crime Examiner:

It’s probably no coincidence that more than $11,000 worth of pricey guitars have been taken in a string of separate thefts in several North Jersey towns.

If the names Fender, Gretsch, Ibanez, and Martin sound familiar, then you know these aren’t everyday git-boxes.

Which only means that some F-holes have created a black market for the attractive axes.

Police have seen a progression, as nearly a dozen of the guitars have recently been swiped during break-ins and home invasions in New Jersey.

Lock up tight!

Update: Feb. 6, 2009

Look like these thieves thought they could get away with reselling on eBay. Duh. From the NJ Star Ledger:

Roselle Park police have unraveled at least part of the mystery behind a string of guitar thefts that has plagued central Jersey in recent months, after discovering one of the stolen instruments for sale on eBay.

The advertised guitar was one of three taken last week when five masked bandits entered an unlocked Roselle Park apartment, beat up two of the residents, and made a beeline for the instruments, worth about $7,000, police said.

Investigators said today they have identified several of the burglars involved in the incident, all male juveniles from New Jersey, but would not specify how many, according to Roselle Park police Sgt. Manuel Jimenez.