Calling All Art Thieves!

The (armchair) psychology of art thieves & where to take your stolen art

What are the reasons for stealing art? What are the motivations? I think most people who initiate an art theft are motivated by envy, greed, power, and accumulating wealth. These are people who enjoy the adrenaline of their labors and harbor a secret art gallery in an undisclosed location, possibly on an island. This secret illegal art collector would have to keep his private museum secret and would be unwise to share with others. As humans, we like to talk. Imagine a Hollywood movie where the Secret Art Thief/Collector would wear a smoking jacket and admire his illegal masterpiece booty while listening to Mozart and sipping brandy. By day he is a mild mannered dictator, gangster, or diplomat.

I also think some basic theft psychology might be that thieves consider themselves exempt from the law and are risk takers. Many thefts take place because of convenience; for example, you leave your keys in your car and it gets stolen. Others steal out of desperation for drugs, money, or both. The art theft is not driven by convenience nor desperate for the monetary value of the art since presumably it can never be resold to a gallery or legitimate instiution.

But I wonder if Art Thieves ever have "theft regret"? They pinched a piece of art and now they have pangs of guilt that they are depriving the world of a great masterpiece or two. Or three. And now they don't have a way to return the hot art without leaving a big old arrow pointing at themselves.

So here is my solution to this potential problem: Calling all Art Thieves! Email me and I will give you my snail mail address. If you (gently) wrap and ship to me a stolen piece of art that you would like returned to it's rightful owner, I will turn it over to the proper USA authorities. Really. Consider me a Hot Art Safe Drop, we can keep identities anonymous.