Dealer/collector robbed after the Houston Money Show!
gsaguy
Posts: 2,425 ✭
This fellow commited the the classic mistake that lead to a robbery. After walking the floor at the Houston Money Show, he got in his vehicle, drove a number of miles and then stopped to get gas.
While in the store paying for the gas, a guy smashed out his passenger window and stole the bag that held his coins. He had obviously been followed from the show since he claims the bag with coins was in the back seat and partially hidden under other stuff. In other words, they knew exactly what they wanted.
I've heard of numerous stories of dealers/collectors being followed (sometimes for hours) until they stop for fuel or food.
Be careful, watch to see if any suspicious cars are following you, have your vehicle filled up and ready to go when leaving the show, and by all means go through a drive thru if you've got the munchies.
GSAGUY
While in the store paying for the gas, a guy smashed out his passenger window and stole the bag that held his coins. He had obviously been followed from the show since he claims the bag with coins was in the back seat and partially hidden under other stuff. In other words, they knew exactly what they wanted.
I've heard of numerous stories of dealers/collectors being followed (sometimes for hours) until they stop for fuel or food.
Be careful, watch to see if any suspicious cars are following you, have your vehicle filled up and ready to go when leaving the show, and by all means go through a drive thru if you've got the munchies.
GSAGUY
0
Comments
You'll loose whoever is following you.
Or, place the items in your locked trunk.
Whichever is easier. . .
peacockcoins
Crimes like this do not happen at random. Fear those closest to you not the stranger.
Locked trunks don't always do it either. More than one dealer that I know has had his trunk pryed open while dining.
Driving through the residential areas is a good one, let's just keep it below 60!
GSAGUY
the area where the show was held is not the safest place in town.
<< <i>Braddick, Locked trunks don't always do it either. More than one dealer that I know has had his trunk pryed open while dining. Driving through the residential areas is a good one, let's just keep it below 60!
Sorry- I read in your first post he stopped only for gas.
A locked trunk would then work- for short periods of time.
If he's stopping longer, as you suggest now, for dinner- you're right. Short of parking you car directly in front of the window you'll be sitting at, I recommend drive-through.
peacockcoins
Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
Dave
For your information, here's jsut a few things i do.
I don't leave coins laying around the house. I live near my bank and go to my safety deposit box almost every day. (Establishing a friendship with the people who work the boxes is always a very good idea. A small gift every now and then goes a long way. Nothing like having to wait to get in your box.)
Also, at shows, i don't give keys to my cases to even my very best friends who might be at the show with me or who share a table with me. If something disappears (or you think it has disappeared, knowing none of your friends have keys or access helps maintain friendships.) at least you will know it wasn't one of your friends.
Being with your coins at all times at shows (and to and from shows) or making sure your cases are always locked up when you are away from your table is a must. Buying lunch for the cops who work the shows is a good idea.
Always keep a gun in your vehicle, your home and your office. And know how to use it. Know how to safely store a gun - it is important but very challenging. Yes, statistically i know that if someone gets killed by a home weapon, it is most likely to be a family member but if you are even keeled and live with reasonably evenly keeled people (who don't ingest mind altering chemicals), my suspicions are those stats are somewhat inapplicable.
Keeping the house locked at all times and having a sophisticated security system with video surrveillance (with battery and cellular backup) is a must if you have a large collection or inventory. Even though you may not have coins at home, that doesn't mean someone will evil on their minds will know that.
adrian
Maybe a briefcase handcuffed to your wrist and a .357 mag in your waist.
Additional word of caution: Find out what your policy covers; more important, find out what is excluded.
Joe
Every body else has covered my other tricks.
But handcuffing your briefcase to your wrist would take care of one problem which occurs very frequently - dealer is carrying his case, gets distracted, sets his case down, re-turns his attention to it but it's now gone. Dealer starts to weep. Happens pretty often at airports.
One last thing. When you load up to leave a coin show, bring really expensive briefcases and load non-valuables in them. Put coins in cardboard boxes.
Just a few thoughts.
adrian
This may be why the Texas Numismatic Association's annual show was ranked in the Top 10 as Safest Shows in the nation in a recent magazine article.
<< <i>Always keep a gun in your vehicle, your home and your office. >>
Aw you Texans get to do everything in your car.
Drive around California with a concealed gun in your car and you'll be doing 3-5.
Now go get a six-pack of beer and start popping them open as you drive down the highway.
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since 8/1/6
As Anaconda said: most (art) thefts are committed by people who know the victim and who are trusted. Maids, wives, soon to be ex-wives, childred, friends of children
We are so sensitized to fear the homeless man stumbling down the street, the long haired tattooed 20something, the minority etc. The guy/gal to rip you off will be someone you know or who knows you.
How many coin publication, catalog, or dealer mailing list are you on? Great starting point for a sophisticated robber. BTW, statistics show most theives do not want a confrontation, especially if they know you!
Fear the less obvious and you will be safe!
If you have to leave alone follow behind someone, preferably a small group, close enough so that you appear to be with them. It may even be possible to have a guard escort you to your vehicle or at least go out and watch that you're ok. I'm sure most of this discussion is old news to dealers.
Collectors should be alright as long as they aren't flashing wads of cash around or a large collection in two or three briefcases. The average person who discretely picks up a few coins at a show should generally be able to safely do so. If you think you may be buying/selling an amount you're not comfortable with bring some (BIG) friends along. Buy them dinner, pay for their ammo and you're all set.
By the way, the incident mentioned where "crooks?" smashed a window and found the coins under a rear seat sounds fishy.
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Collector of Barber Halves, Commems, MS64FBL Frankies, Full Step Jeffersons & Mint state Washington Quarters
In my area, New England, some very smart robbers were operating about 20 to 25 years ago. Before remote alarms for cars were fashionable, a thief devised a remote , that would shut off a cars engine as he was trailing the victim on a highway. The victim ( coin dealer ), would get out of his car to check his motor , not suspecting this was the doings of a thief. Cell phones were also non-existant, and he was promptly robbed, at gunpoint, by the "good Samaritan" that had stopped to help him. Of course the robber had done his homework and knew which dealers with the most expensive inventory would be attending the show, and waited for them to show up in their car, so he could install the remote disabler in the dealers car. The thief was later caught and it was found that he was also a locksmith.
This same robber committed so many high tech crimes ( for that time period ), that a book was actually written about him.
Another slick robbery in Boston happened as a large coin dealer was leaving at the end of a show. He hailed a cab and placed his inventory in the trunk of the cab, which then sped away into the night. The cab was stolen and was just waiting for this particular dealer. I never heard anything after that, so I assume the thief never got caught. Where there is a will there is a way, as far as clever thieves go. Zerbe