'Anti theft' marking for models

[Re6/6]

Following on from another thread on here regarding the very unfortunate theft of a member's models, I would like some advice/experience on the identification marking of models should they ever be they stolen. I've had experience of a data tag paint on my jetski which got stolen a few years ago. The police rang me some five years after the theft to say that they had recovered it and identified it as my property using the data tag paint. Unfortunately it appeared that only the body was mine as it had gone through a 'chop shop' and much of the rest belonged to others!...not to mention the poor unfortunate who had bought it good faith!

 

Has anybody had any experience of using a marking system for their models? I read with interest that a 'smart water' system seems to be the latest thing in this field, but I've no idea how it works. Apparantly in areas where it has been used for domestic protection, with stickers stating that it is in use, theft seems to have quite dramatically reduced.

[Chrisr40]

perhaps chip manufacturers could put a function in them so we can add our details that cant be changed without a code ? granted the thief could whip out the chip but how many of these grot bags are that bright

 

Chris

[Andy Y]

Smartwater is undoubtedly effective in identifying an owner if items are recovered but is rather costly relying upon the maintenance of an annual subscription which marries the composition of the individual smartwater to your database details.

 

A cheaper way John would be to use a UV marker to mark your name/postcode in a discreet position on models and keep a record of where each was marked.

[Will Vale]

The advice here is to engrave with your driver's license number, and put the stickers up to say you've done it. Plus the usual like get to know your neighbours, fit a monitored alarm, etc. etc. We seem to get a burglary reported in our area (surrounding three or four streets) every six months to a year, thanfully we haven't been hit yet. It does make me nervous though

 

HTH,

 

Will

 

 

[halfwit]

Perhaps some kind of microchip could be developed, similar to those used in dogs? I'm sure that there would be other applications other than tagging models.

[PhilJ W]

If you buy a camera or the like it carries a serial number. Why can't the same apply to model locomotives?

[Guest baldrick25]

The hidden RFID chip sounds about the most elegant solution, rather akin to 'pet ID's'. There are many nooks and crannies in a model that could be chipped , the cost is minimal and reading equipment is available to the authorities. The only thing it needs is either a national database as per the 'racing pidgeon leg ring number system' or a local list which would only be sent to the authorities when the model is stolen. A good photograph, particularly of distinctive features , is still one of the best solutions though, together with sites such as this that alert lots and lots of other members of the theft.

[Baby Deltic]

I think one of the best solutions for identifying stolen models when they are 'out in the open' such as on Ebay is to add your own personal touch. The most incriminating evidence can be a model locomotive weathered by yourself using colours which the mainstream manufacturers don't use. When my stolen stock was put on Ebay, it was my weathering which made the loco's identifiable as mine, irrefutably. The local Police also had photo's to compare with the ones on Ebay. Obviously some sort of hidden security mark is useful once the model is recovered as proof of claim that the model belongs to you, but you need to be able to tell the difference between your model and a similar one when you look at it. You can't go accusing people unless you are absolutely sure they have your propertty.

 

Another good tactic is to renumber the loco's. Several of the loco's stolen from me were renumbered. Certainly the class 24 D5003 would be the thing to look out for on Ebay following the theft in Kent.

[Dr Al]

If you buy a camera or the like it carries a serial number. Why can't the same apply to model locomotives?

 

Every part would have to be so stamped (difficult in small scales) otherwise the marked part could be swapped out by someone competent. Would discourage some though.

 

But I doubt manufacturers would deem this a valuable use of their funds - after all if the model is stolen and never recovered they'll almost certainly make another sale of a replacement!!

 

Cheers,

Alan

[2ManySpams]

Most of my stock has been heavily personalised in some way - renumbering, weathering and detailing and are hence one-offs. I also tend to put some subtle initials on them within the body plus initials in obvious gold ink permanent marker on the underside. I would hope this would make ownership easier to prove should someone be caught lifting an item at a show. The main problem is is the whole lot are stollen from home and taken elsewhere - if they are found by the police, how is it best to make them traceable back to you. Is it worth being realistic and assuming that in this cercumstance they are lost for good and stumping up for specialist model insurance? I've thought about this more than once, especially when valuing the 'manyspams' that I have! Money payouts however don't make good the loss of time, effort and personalised stock.

 

There's always the issue too of what to do when the ownership of the heavily marked up / identified item(s) changes legitimately. Would you be happy buying stock with someone else's details engraved on them. Tough one!

 

If you move house a reference such as driving licence would be better than a location specific post code.

[Kris]

There is no need to use a postcode, although this would make stock easier to trace. An identifiable symbol on the stock in question should be enough to establish the stock is yours. Using a symbol eradicates the problem caused by house moves. I would also suggest that you take a photo of the symbol on the stock to establish that the symbol was on your stock.

[Baby Deltic]

Certainly get an insurance policy which covers all the models against everything from being dropped, burned, stolen, struck by lightning, stolen in transit, at exhibitions, etc. It will probably be expensive, but worth it in the long run for peace of mind. There's nothing worse than having something stolen and not being able to recover the loss from your insurance policy. Don't be afraid to value models that you have weathered, detailed, etc as higher than the list price for replacemant. Your time costs money, so add it to the replacement value.

[Chrisr40]

just a question - but where did the theft take place from ? was it a club or a domestic burglary ?

 

I suppose im curious as to whether they were part of a "take what you can " or targetted purposefully to get model rail equipment. If the latter then how are they finding out we have them etc ?

[Baby Deltic]

just a question - but where did the theft take place from ? was it a club or a domestic burglary ?

 

I suppose im curious as to whether they were part of a "take what you can " or targetted purposefully to get model rail equipment. If the latter then how are they finding out we have them etc ?

 

Most of us post pictures of our layouts on the internet, either on rmweb or our own websites, etc. Also local crooks probably do the rounds late at night looking through garage windows, etc, to see who has what.

The theft in Kent was from a converted garage housing the layout. The house was not broken into.

[70022Tornado]

Looking at the problem over all I wonder if we need a seperate "Stop Thief" thread/page where details marks photos and crime report numbers could be recorded and be accesible in one coincise place ??

 

On a change of emphasis I suggest that posters refrain from giving hints etc of location or pictures of the outsides of property etc.

 

Scrotes specialising in model eqipment thefts may possibly lurk here !!

 

70022Tornado

 

Location - Within 25 miles of Canton Loco. (I think that is vague enough)

[Baby Deltic]

My location is now Essex, so that's handy.

[meple]

The advice here is to engrave with your driver's license number,

 

Will

 

 

Given that your driving licence number is simply your date of birth why not just use that?

[Will Vale]

Given that your driving licence number is simply your date of birth why not just use that?

It isn't in New Zealand, but it does have a recognisable format and it's what the cops recommend - they can look you up from a DL number, but not from a date of birth.

 

 

Will

 

 

[Guest dilbert]

I would question under which circumstances 'Anti-theft' markings on models is an effective deterrent regarding theft... and how a thief would understand this... it's somewhat different to a house where you can plonk a burglar alarm on a façade, which presumably makes the house less susceptible to burglary..

 

I think that I would prefer, because of financial / nostalgic etc... values, to have an insurance policy that covers the needs of an entire (or even parts thereof) collection... which would offer a highly reasonable chance of items being replaced at their current market value in case of theft.

 

I'm not sure I would like to recover an item that has been sold/resold and in the process has been damaged, altered, devalued etc... It is said the nearest a male can relate to understanding the female emotion on rape is to experience the "after" effect of being burgled.

 

...dilbert

[ozzyo]

Given that your driving licence number is simply your date of birth why not just use that?

 

 

In Britain why not use your N.I. No.. OK so there are supposed to be 80m in use and only 60m people in Britain, but what about all the expats out there.

 

 

OzzyO.

[RedgateModels]

Smartwater is undoubtedly effective in identifying an owner if items are recovered but is rather costly relying upon the maintenance of an annual subscription which marries the composition of the individual smartwater to your database details.

 

A cheaper way John would be to use a UV marker to mark your name/postcode in a discreet position on models and keep a record of where each was marked.

 

Our local plod gave us a smartwater kit when we got burgled, guess what I used it for

 

Might be worth contacting your local crime prevention officer to see if your force offers Smartwater for free.

[smokebox]

Our local plod gave us a smartwater kit when we got burgled, guess what I used it for

 

Might be worth contacting your local crime prevention officer to see if your force offers Smartwater for free.

I got one too and when I'd used it up I rang the crime prevention group and got some more!

[bertiedog]

It is not so much the code added, but to advertise in the house that codes have been added to property, sign on the door, etc." All Property Security marked and traceable", and the best code is NI numbers, as people do move making post codes wrong. A small engraver can add to most metal surfaces , and also plastic in side bodies etc. Mark with UV pens as well

Stephen.

[57xx]

Also local crooks probably do the rounds late at night looking through garage windows, etc, to see who has what.

Based on experience and what the police officer said when reporting the incident, they tend to do this during the day. Once they've scouted the place, they come back at night. My workshop was broken into this way, luckily I had removed all the valuable tools and bike bits after finding my side-gate kicked in that day.

 

 

 

[Re6/6]

Thanks Andy and all for the advice.

 

John