A month ago we wrote about someone slicing clothing at Romanza. Yesterday we received an email from the owner of Damsalfly on Ballard Ave.
“I have someone who is coming into my store and using either a box-cutter or scissors and “very” slyly cutting holes into clothing! Ranging from 1 inch to 4 inches long. As of today we have discovered about 20 items….retail value of about $500! I filed a police report and am going to have security cameras installed as soon as possible.
We had this happen a week before Christmas and it was about 12 to 15 items…same cuts. I wrote it off too a “crazy person on a full-moon” but now that its happened twice I’m deeply concerned.”
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
I bet it's Billy Bob Thornton and his band “The Boxcutters”
seriously though, this person must have a mental illness. and if chased, they'd only be running with scissors, and that's never good.
Yeah, it sounds like security cameras would certainly be in order. Sorry for the loss. It's a shame that somebody would do this. It sounds like the same person. I'd guess that they are young, poor, and twisted with class envy. Unfortunately, no shortage of those…
Of course, I could be wrong, and I'm sure that I'll hear plenty about that. (sigh)
is it consistently the same “type” of clothing? does someone have something against lingerie or jeans or price or just the owner? twisted i say!
I dont know if they are “twisted with class envy” but that is too bad that this is happening to Ballard businesses. It's no use to try to speculate about why someone would do this, but I think we can all agree that it's a shame.
We have noticed a number of people posting on this web site that are against yuppies, flippers, condos and anything new Ballard. It’s probably someone that’s against change.
are you suggesting one of these neophobes committed the act?
I think they just like riling people up with their scapegoat tactics.
it was a full moon a few days ago…I'll go with that theory.
I worked in a store with security cameras. It is very important to get the angle right, as well as the field of focus. Also, monitor your security cameras carefully and plan your archives, back-ups, etc.
Specifically, many stores will have a security camera mounted on the ceiling and aimed at the door. The way the camera was in the store where I worked, it got a good picture of the top of a person's head. You could tell if a person's skin was light or dark and you could also tell a little about their build, but nothing else. It won't do much good if all you can say is “some white guy” did it. Or worse yet, you have 5 cameras but only one of them is working.
Also, make sure your customers know the cameras are there. They don't have to know where all of them are, but a nice clear color monitor of people walking in will help them know that you're serious.
People used to try to make me angry by talking bad about my employer's security cameras. My own experience as an employee taught me the more cameras the better.
Cameras will help only if the angles are just right. And what about dressing rooms? What if the perp was taking them in there to do the damage? You can't put security cameras there…unless you want a lawsuit.
The best defense is attentive sales clerks. Not the ones who hang out behind the counter surfing the internet all day.
very sorry for the loss, and the extra added expense you will have to incur to put security cameras in place…it makes all of us less trusting and even harder to make a living in this economy.
Unbelievable, who would do that? I'm sorry to hear about this and will plan a shopping trip to help Damsalfly weather the vandalism, how sad.
I'm so sorry! I just shopped in there on Thursday and was talking to the owner's mom about the slasher. They thought it was over, I'm sorry to hear it's not. I too will be in soon to spend a little more money to help support. Such a great, affordable shop. I got compliments all weekend on my top!
Remember the guy on meth, swinging the box cutter around at people in two Ballard Ave bars a few weeks back. Police used a stun gun on him too. It was in the Ballard News Tribune…
Sad that someone has resorted to this mindless vandalism. It could be a disgruntled customer as the return policies aren't that great at that store. Last year my aunt was visiting and she bought a pair of pants, five minutes later whilst eating in Volterra (or whatever the spelling is) she noticed there wasn't a button on the pants, so she crossed the street only to be told by the manager that all goods are sold as is as they were doing a sale. It was only five minutes later, and all she was asking was to exchange the pair for one with a button on.
I would never shop there again or tell anyone else to.
However that does not condone someone 'slashing' clothes.
The 'ballard clothes slasher' strikes again.
I'm curious about the disgruntled customer theory. this is more plausible than the meth head idea as the latter sort of person would be watched closely.
Perhaps someone is suggesting they 'slash' their prices?
Never been in, is Damsalfly a consignment shop? That would explain the 'sold as is' policy, Shane Dillon. It's standard for consignment stores.
Whatever reasoning this sick puppy has to do this to Damsalfly I'm sorry for them. I'll pop in this week to shop, for sure.
You would be surprised. Some meth heads seem perfectly normal. They say, some even go to work on the stuff these days.
I saw a man walking down the north side of Market St on a weekend before Christmas, and he systematically slashed the strings that were holding the hay sheath decorations onto the trees along Market. He then stepped on the hay to mess it up enough so that the decorations were not worth tying up again. I was across the street and too far away to yell, and no one else tried to stop him. Maybe they did not notice what he was doing or they were afraid that he would turn his weapon on them. I assumed that the guy was mentally ill and not happy about Christmas.
Not “could be wrong,” I'd say most likely wrong since you have no proof.
Sigh all you like. A stupid statement is still a stupid statement.
Unfortunately you don't have to be mentally ill to not be happy about Christmas.
ouch!
Sure, thanks for that…and the more I've researched this issue, the more it doesn't seem to be envy, which would most likely result in theft. This sounds personal, so, it's more likely a young, poor, twisted individual that hates her, former employees or disgruntled customers.
http://www.nwsource.com/ae/scr/edb_vd.cfm?c=s&v…
this was an interesting review…
hear hear…
You are mistaken…I remember this incident and the pants that were sold were off the “sale” rack that clearly states all sales “final” and sold “as is” . This is why they were on the sale rack in the first place. A missing button shouldn't evoke such a statement as “you'd never shop here again or tell others the same.” In fact we always offer to repair items , loose buttons , etc…free of charge …so ? Sorry you had such a bad experience at my shop.