Theft Prevention?

[Arrgh!!]

There has been a rash of burglaries occuring out here in the sticks. The thieves come during the day and if no one answers when they knock they clean out the house .

 

It got me thinking that there is really no way to keep my stuff safe short of building a vault. I have over 10k books and all my good stuff is mixed in with the drek so they would have to take everything to get all my best stuff but that is little comfort (given time they could take it all). Do you guys have alarm systems? Do you take any special measures to keep things safe? Only visit your books at the safety deposit box (no one of my books is probably worth this except maybe my Hulk 181). Do you just try not to think about it ?

[sckao]

 

Unless they were casing your house specifically for comic books, I doubt they'd take the trouble to steal a bunch of long boxes (or even short boxes.)

 

They weigh a ton collectively and they're bulky. They also take up a lot of room.

 

Maybe one comic box if they had kids or something.

 

There are easier and more liquid things to steal. (cash, jewelry, ipods, notebooks, flat screen tvs, etc.)

 

 

 

 

[Comicdey]

definately get an alarm system....

[BaltimoreLauren]

Alarm system. We have a built in safe in my house that we put certain comics in too.

[PokerKid]

I agree, get an alarm. $20-$40 a month can give you a lot of peace of mind.

 

Or get a dog. I've got a great Dane and while it wouldn't know what to do with you if it cornered you, no one will want to come into a house when they see or hear a big dog.

 

The sheer quantity of books will help keep your books safe. It is tough to move a lot of comics (in addition to physically). Heck, it's tough to sell a long box of books when you own them legit. To sell 40 long boxes without getting noticed would be near impossible.

[HouseofComics.Com]

Do you just try not to think about it ?

 

I just go with the insurance option.

[Boozad]

Do you just try not to think about it ?

 

I just go with the insurance option.

 

Same here (thumbs u

[joe_collector]

Get an alarm system, a few big guns, and a baseball bat for each floor - then tell everyone you know about your recent purchases.

 

I can almost guarantee you'll never have to worry about break-ins in the foreseeable future. Trust me, word gets around, and you likely know or have had contact with one of the break-in artists.

[bronze_rules]

Get some neighborhood crime stickers, sign posts for alarms, and put a fake camera on above the door if you don't want to buy a complete alarm.

 

Deterrent can send them somewhere else.

[Comicsarefun]

My solution...collect really expensive books that you love and keep them in the safe deposit box at the bank. The few grand in books piled around the house are covered under homeowners anyway. Oh...and get an alarm (or at least get an alarm sign, they are almost as good as getting the system). I guess my dogs help too...and then there are the guns. Wow, looks like I pretty well covered!

 

Now if I can my wife to agree to let me put in that moat...and perhaps the burning oil slits...

[Dollarbill]

Alarm system//Dog//Gun or Guns are key not only for your personal property, but for your family's protection

 

[Comicopolis]

[Ultra Ambient]

What you want idealy is a store room with no windows which is long and narrow in shape. Buy yourself a 1 tonne toolbox and place it at the back of the room farthest from the entrance. Set up some shelving units to store heavy items on in between the toolbox and the door to make access to the toolbox even narrower. Then place some lead weights in the bottom of the toolbox and cover them with a flat piece of chipboard cut to shape. There should be enough room inside for all your most valuable slabs and whatever else you treasure. Then use two Abloy padlocks to lock it as those things are known to break bolt cutters! You would actually need to sit there with an angle grinder to get those padlocks off. When positioning the toolbox you should've made the locks face the wall to make it hard to break them but not so hard if you have a key. Then drape a blanket over the whole box and perhaps cover the box with some empty boxes to help make it blend into the store room and make it look like someone's worthless nick nacks.

[joe_collector]

Or you could pay my airfare down and you take off for a week or so, while I barricade myself in your living room with a rifle and some night goggles, just itching for those perps to bust down the door.

 

"Yes Officer, I was just sitting in the living room cleaning my rifle when..."

 

Or you could just get out the shovel.

[Arrgh!!]

Thanks for all the responses folks. I have the dog, bat, and guns already. I am not real worried about when I am actually home though. I started perusing the Brinks and ADT sites just now. I am going to give it some thought.

[Stronguy]

Get an alarm system, a few big guns, and a baseball bat for each floor - then tell everyone you know about your recent purchases.

 

I can almost guarantee you'll never have to worry about break-ins in the foreseeable future. Trust me, word gets around, and you likely know or have had contact with one of the break-in artists.

 

I almost picked up one of these signs last weekend at the gun show.

 

[Turtle]

For those who recommended safes, I remember reading a while back that there was material in fire-proof safes that can actually damage your comics if left inside for long periods of time. I think it had to do with rust developing on the staples due to moisture building up in the safe.

 

I don't know where the link is. If someone else knows what I'm talking about and can provide a link, I'd appreciate it.

 

Sorry for the lack of clarity.

 

-Adam

[sd2416]

The few grand in books piled around the house are covered under homeowners anyway.

Not through Allstate

[Turtle]

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1141071&fpart=1

 

In case anyone was interested/didn't know about fire-proof safes.