Who thinks the mail man is a huge breach of security?

Call me paranoid, but every time I get a coin magazine, brochure, catalogue, or any other junk mail crap that gets sent to my mailbox, I somewhat cringe every time I take it out. How many people use a P.O. box for their stuff? I hate getting all the extra junk mail from all these places, because some dealer gave your address out. Then when you move, the new owners, whoever they may be, however far down the road, will be bound to continue receiving this junk that I receive now. Because you don't even know who's responsible for sending some of it. I've told a few to quit sending but it's like they always come back. I like receiving Coinage, but I'm going to let the subscription lapse and just pick up a copy at the store once in a while now. I seriously receive stuff from no less than:

The US mint
The Royal mint
The NY mint
The Franklin mint
Coinage
Apmex
Silvertowne
Several dealer catalogs
Random offers from unknown companies

Thankfully, I can get The Numismatist electronically online. But, it's to the point I get something coin related in the mail almost every day now. What does the mail man think!?

I won't even throw coin related mail out. I throw it in a bag and take it with other junk (to an undisclosed location ) and burn it all. At least until I get a good shredder.

You're really at the postal carrier's mercy. They pretty much know what everybody at every house on their route gets on a regular basis. It's not their fault. You do something month after month, year after year, it's going to get pretty repetitive and soon, they inevitably have to know everybody's business. All they have to do is mention your house in casual conversation that somebody over hears and anything can happen.

I'm quite confident that my collection would survive a robbery but other minor stuff would not. Nobody wants to see their house ransacked. I'm starting to think a security system and a PO box might be worth the money. I don't trust the banks/gov at all, and I'm not going to pay money for a SDB that could be paid towards my own security system.

Anybody else share these sentiments?

 

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I strongly agree, Vess.

I use a PO Box. Anything related to coins or our business goes there; nothing comes to our street address. And I ask everyone to not use the word "coin" on the label, so even the folks at the PO Box get very little clue.

At any given instant, most of our stuff is in a safety deposit box at the bank. But crooks don't necessarily know that, so if it became common knowledge we have coins we might become targets.

Stay anonymous and keep your stuff in big safes or in an SDB (or both).

 

Right on, bro. Important point. This is closely akin to precautions against identity theft.

 

Subscribe to some magazines like Guns & Ammo, Combat Handguns, Shooting Times, etc...

 

Safty deposit boxes, Insurance, and treats in the mail box for both of the carriers at Christmas time.

 

Best point. I ssaw statistics once and its alarming how high the percentage of theft is people you know. I have hung around coin stores before when people have come in looking for things. Almost always two things are found out; either they know thier kids or wife took it, or if they find it at the dealer and the dealer describes who sold it they recognize them.

I had a party recently and unfortunately my bookcase dominates my living room. The conversation turned to the books and everyone found out I collect coins. I am kicking my own butt right now, but not sure I could have stopped it seeing how my library of about 600 coin books is hard to hide. I am seriously thinking of options right now, since the cat is out of the bag so to speak. They are all friends, but Doug's point is correct. I did stress to everyone how my stuff is in a SDB, so that might have helped, but I will still always be remembered as the "coin guy" in their minds from now on. Not a good thing to be.....

Chris

 

A gun some ammo and a sword. And a good understanding of your houses layout and were everything is at to us to your advantage.

 

Too paranoid to respond.......

 

With greenie on this one. Not sure who's reading this thread. Can never be TOO paranoid or careful.

It's not paranoia if they ARE coming for you.

 

Maybe I need to trade my dog in for a Siberian Tiger.... Upgrade the home security system so-to-speak?

 

Agreed, take the precautions and hope for the best~~

 

It's just another risk you have to take when purchasing coins from a non-local source.

It's not just the mail carrier; I think you have to worry more about the person who sold you the coin; as the mail carrier doesn't know the value/type of coins you collect, and may not be willing to take the risk of targeting a house full of non-valuable items.

But the person who sold you the coin, now knows where you live, can see the other coins you have purchased in the past (if using ebay or have purchased from them before), knows what types of coins are in your collection and can make a very good estimate of your collection's value.

-LTB

 

Paranoia goes with the territory in this hobby, but tempered by common sense, you won't have to spend $$$ on shrinks and security-related options. Discretion is the key here for I have known numerous people ripped off who never get their coins or rare bills back. It definitely does a number on your ability to trust others.

Basically it is important to be on the right side of the law, because the cops and their intelligence apparatus can be used to nail you in a heartbeat.

The postal workers and police are generally paid generous wages and benefits; many who violated their oaths of office are serving time as guests of the federal government currently. It doesn't take a big fraud for this to happen.

Do not trust anyone you do not really know. I once trusted a "coin dealer" to look through my coin case at a show and I later found an MS65 Saint, a proof gold eagle, and a $20 lib missing. Only trust those too rich to steal.

 

Lol and who is that? Bernard Madoff had millions BEFORE he started his Ponzi scheme. I don't think there is any amount of money that will ever counteract bad morals. The rich simply steal bigger dollar values than the poor. While a morgan dollar may be safe from a Madoff, watch out for your 401k.

Edit: Another unfortunate case is William Sheldon. By all accounts fairly well off, but he desired the large cents in the ANS collection. They were not for sale, so he simply switched them out for lower examples. It was not found out for years, and even then only because the colelction had been published years before. This is the father of our MS70 system.

Like I said, no one is above low morals.

If I am in error on this, please let me know since I do not wish to slander a dead man, but that is how I recall the incident.

 

My grandmother told me when I was a child to "never trust anyone, not even yourself - because you never know what you WILL do". I now know that that is true, because until you are put into a situation, you don't know how you will handle it. But basically it is also very true because humans rationalize. And once a person is able to rationalize an action (whether it's taking a coin or two from a dealer's table, pocketing something in a grocery store, or robbing a home or business, for example) then it becomes ACCEPTABLE for that person to do it.

 

I agree with the fact that in the long run there isn't much we can do to prevent people from breaking into our homes,,because the crooks have a way around everything we can throw at them if they want to get in that bad.
But what makes me worried the most is when I see my mailman leaves his truck unlocked to deliver mail down the street and I know that he still has my registered package full of coins just sitting there in a unlocked truck and in the summer they don't even close the door.
On another note most people I know,,Knows I collect Icelandic coins and as someone on Coin Talk had mentioned on one of my post,,,That there is only 26 people in the world that collect them and with most people not even knowing where the heck Iceland is ,,,If they even heard of the country,,,then my collection sould be safe.......I think.

 

I need a new challenge. Think I'll jump in the Icelandic coin trade. Make it 27 people.

:goofer:

 

I wish I could say that would be tue sir, but I cannot. Theives do not worry about what they are stealing, they simply look for things that appear of value. I very much doubt a thief would care what the coins were, simply that they are coins and appear valuable.

The best thing about collecting esoteric items is that it may be easier to find them after the thieves sell. A hoard of Icelandic coins would be somewhat noticable.

Chris

 

Indeed, the biggest threats to your collection are the people you know. I quite frankly share nothing about my collection with anybody I know, and my immediate family are wrapped about it(ie know not to discuss). It doesn't even have to be your family or friends - they can share the information with somebody that they wouldn't suspect is nefarious.

A PO Box is the best solution. I have had one since I was a teenager. I don't have practically any mail, be it business, personal etc come to the house.