Someone Following You

Amazing what can happen (or could happen) because of some crooked idiot out to see if he can't take something he's too lazy to go out and earn for himself.

I was robbed a little over 20 years ago. It didn't have anything to do with coins, but I let some strangers into my shop because I was trying to be friendly. A few weeks later most of my speed parts were stolen. The guys who did it weren't very well informed. I had an expensive set of BB Chevy cylinder heads sitting in the middle of the shop floor and they didn't touch them. Everything they took (less one rare factory intake manifold) could be ordered out of a Summit catalog, so almost all of it was replaceable and was covered by home owner's insurance. Still, that didn't ease my sense of feeling violated. I did some investigating on my own- unannounced visits to some people I suspected might have been involved, kept my eye on the local for sale adds, even offered a reward for any information. Nothing came of any of it. I wound up angry, frustrated, and over 20 years later I still don't know who did it.

I learned a valuable lesson.

I'm fortunate now to live in a small, isolated neighborhood full of good, honest, hard-working people. They watch out for each other and are quick to recognize and respond to anything out of the ordinary. We've actually chased people away from our neighborhood for just parking on our street (we actually own the road- no county maintenance- we make the rules) so the word got out long ago. Firearms? There isn't a home here that isn't protected. Between me and my immediate neighbors we have 7 dogs.

You can never, ever be too careful.

 

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Now YOU'RE a guy I'd like to go to a coin show with! Actually, if you could stay about a half mile away on grassy knoll, it should be just as good.

 

I like Ted Nugents additude towards criminals.....google his youtube videos.

Glad your safe and sound Bone.

 

ben r u sure it wasnt a girl who had fallen madly in love with you?

 

I had a similar experience when I was vacationing.

I had picked up a couple of Coins from a Pawn Shop, and was walking down the street towards the municipal parking lot. I happened to glance into an antique shop window, and noticed someone was following me.

Lucky for me, a city bus stopped nearby. I dashed for the bus, dropped some coins into the till, and took a seat. Guy kept on walking past, glaring at me thru the window. Took me about an hour to get back to my car thru a series of transfers.

Turns out later the guy that I saw mugged an employee of a Jewelry Buyer/Smelter about 7 blocks from where I got into the bus.

 

zaneman: Beautiful Kimber. !!! and I love the Bust half next to it. Looks like you cracked it out of the nearby ANACS holder. I love 1911s as well. I carry a Para Ordinance LDA 1911 in .45ACP. Good choice indeed.

 

Coin dealers are not even safe at home:

Suspects sought in two Jeffco robberies

 

"two men asked the coin dealer to use his phone and claimed their car had broken down" end quote.

#1 scheme that is used by perps. Avoid those individuals like the plague.

 

Robbed

We were robbed once. We were out of town when our upstairs neighbor moved out. He parked a moving truck in front of our appartment, kicked in the door and grabbed my stereo system and left. Police figured that he was in the apartment for less than 30 seconds and knew exactly what he wanted.

Now that cars and homes have alarm systems the bad guys are more inclined to do a home invasion. They scam or force their way into the car or home and torture you until you give them your valuables.

I have a small gun safe under my truck seat. It's attached to the seat frame with a cable and I use it to store my pistol if I go into a place that won't allow concealed carry. I also use it if I have an expensive coin and have to make stops on the way home. (To me an expensive coin is anything over 20 bucks. ) You can pick up one of these small safes for under 50 bucks.

 

"I have a small gun safe under my truck seat. It's attached to the seat frame with a cable and I use it to store my pistol if I go into a place that won't allow concealed carry. I also use it if I have an expensive coin and have to make stops on the way home. (To me an expensive coin is anything over 20 bucks. ) You can pick up one of these small safes for under 50 bucks."

A very smart approach for sure.

 

Did you read the first part of that artical?

"Two men reportedly robbed a Citgo gas station employee at gunpoint for cigarettes around 10:30 a.m. today at 1091 Old Gravois Road in High Ridge. The men forced the clerk to the ground and stole Newport and Cool Menthol cigarettes. "

Newport and Cool Menthol?

That's like breaking into a coin store and stealilng all the rolls of wheat cents!

 

Chuckle, if I was an investigator it would tell me something too, And, if my hunch is correct, these perps would have been locked up already had I been the homeowner....

 

In general the reason a person at a coin show or coin club is followed is not to rob them on the way home. That would usually only amount to a small amount of coins that may or may not be easily sellable. The primary purpose is to find out where they live. People that attend coin, gun, knife, computer, etc shows are USUALLY people that can spend money on such items and that could mean a substantial amount of valuables, including cash, laying around in the home. This is very true of coin, gun, knife type of shows where numerous individuals pay with cash. In some areas where the amount of buisnesses and homes are the usual congestion of a large city invironment, being followed can easily go unnoticed. Numerous home invasions in some areas are attributed to these followings.
A person of this sorts either stakes out the house, has others help stake out the house. Some criminals are smart and know if there is an upcoming coin show and you frequent them, just prior to that show you will have a large amount of cash available in your home. If you frequent coin shows I suggest you note any strange autos, vans, trucks parked in your area that are not residents.
When going to a coin show, attempt to find a police station location in the area. When leaving the show, regardless of being followed or not, go past or even stop in there. Ask directions or something. If your being followed, that will stop that.
When leaving a coin show, go part way to your car and turn around and go back into the show. Go to the washroom or just check the time. Going back and forth a few times like this will give you the ability to see if anyone is doing the same as you. It's amazing how much a criminal can find out from your auto's license plates.
At coin shows attempt to see if there are people wondering around but not paying to much attention to the coins but more to the people. May be security but if that person starts to leave when you do, go back and forth in the doorway a few times. They will catch on that you spotted them.
If paying for coins with a check and your name, address is on the check, make sure you do not make it out if there are people hovering over your area during the transaction.
Try not to use a credit card since they too uaually ask for your identification and others can see this also.
On the way home divert your direction by stopping at a MacDonalds of something.
Again, it may be a waste of time being carefull, but better to be safe than sorry. Many that didn't take a few precautions can no longer say that.

 

No profiling, Ben.

 

Good tips, Carl. Fortunately for me, most coin shows I attend are at least 100 miles from my home. If they want to follow me for 100 miles, it'll be plainly obvious as most of the roads are rural. Of course, that only brings up a whole new set of scary possibilities.
Guy~

 

I am cautious about being followed, period, whether coin show, numismatic event, bank, or Walmart. It's always a good idea to be aware of your surroundings and not so zoned out on the routine that you don't pay attention to someone uninvited getting too close for too long.

I hate to admit it but with the economy taking the dive as it is now, there will be more following, attempted robberies, etc., and that's a fact of life. People are hoarding more silver and gold in preparation for the banks crashing and those who choose to 'take' it rather than 'earn & pay for it' are gearing up for looting.

Be careful, stay safe, take your 'badges' off when you leave the coin shows or clubs, don't make several trips to your car to drop off your 'buys' - get one of those rolling cases, and ask for someone to walk out with you.

It's unfortunate that some dealers have been tracked via GPS trackers stuck under their cars at shows - thieves watch them unload or just 'case the tables' during the shows, then watch them walk out to their cars at the end of the day. Next day, the car gets tagged with a tracker.

If I'm at a show out of town and people ask me where I'm from, sometimes they'll actually ask 'so how far is that, which highway' .. I always answer 'well, it was an Xhour drive up but I'm taking a detour on the way home for personal visit' ... anything but say "oh.. I just head out highwayx and usually stop after an hour for a nature call ...'

It's sad we can't be more trusting these days but these are the times. Friendly discretion for safety.