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Being careful who sees / knows about your collection

Falcon

Falcon

Well-Known Member
I still live at home with my parents (I am in my early 20s and can't afford to move out).

The other day my younger brother's girlfriend arrived. I said to my mum that I was going upstairs to make sure my door was closed as my collection is in there.

I also tell my brother and parents to be careful what they say and to whom.

It's also a hobby I don't mention to anyone unless I know them well. For example when the receptionist at work asks "did you do anything at the weekend". If I have been to a fair or done something collection related, the answer to her will be "not alot".

For example, say my brother's girlfriend says to someone "my boyfriend's brother has bombs in his house". Then they panic and call the police. Imagine the trouble that it could create: road sealed off, houses evacuated, police helicopters, anti-terror police, news reporters etc.

They all think I'm being paranoid and don't take my advice seriously. I keep telling them that I know people who have been raided and it is a very real possibility. They would break the door down at 2am and pull everyone into the street first, then ask questions.

Also, Imagine the news headlines "arsenal of military ammunition found in suburban London home".

I think I am being rightfully cautious here. Does anyone else follow a similar way of thinking?
 
I do not think you are being overly cautious.
I do think it is unfortunate that we have to be carefull about who knows about our collections, but given the two levels of ignorance/misunderstanding & media fed paranoia about `bullets & bombs` there is also the value of our colections - both from a collectable & scrap value point of view.
I am carefull about who knows about my collection & am looking at moving most of it to a more secure location this year, mainly due to value but also as too many people that I would rather didn`t know, know of it`s existence - this isn`t helped by the raid several years ago & village gossip!!
 
Falcon said:
I still live at home with my parents (I am in my early 20s and can't afford to move out).

The other day my younger brother's girlfriend arrived. I said to my mum that I was going upstairs to make sure my door was closed as my collection is in there.

I also tell my brother and parents to be careful what they say and to whom.

It's also a hobby I don't mention to anyone unless I know them well. For example when the receptionist at work asks "did you do anything at the weekend". If I have been to a fair or done something collection related, the answer to her will be "not alot".

For example, say my brother's girlfriend says to someone "my boyfriend's brother has bombs in his house". Then they panic and call the police. Imagine the trouble that it could create: road sealed off, houses evacuated, police helicopters, anti-terror police, news reporters etc.

They all think I'm being paranoid and don't take my advice seriously. I keep telling them that I know people who have been raided and it is a very real possibility. They would break the door down at 2am and pull everyone into the street first, then ask questions.

Also, Imagine the news headlines "arsenal of military ammunition found in suburban London home".

I think I am being rightfully cautious here. Does anyone else follow a similar way of thinking?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about a 2am raid, they'll normally let you lie in till a least 0530!

I know what you mean though, a good few years ago, I lived in a flat with a garage outside (obviously). I had never bumped into anyone in the two years I had lived there through the back door, but sure enough, the evening I decided to bring my Bren gun up from the garage, I bumped into two of my neighbours who instantly turned white! Took some explaining.
 
Falcon,

I agree with you, and there are a number of problems. Number one is that the girlfriend would call them "bombs" instead of militaria, inert ordnance, etc. If you were to make a nice looking sign and put over them that said "Militaria" or "Inert Ordnance", or "Certified Inert Ordnance", then anyone seeing it would at least see that instead of letting their moron brain come up with "bombs"

Another insurance policy would be to make friends with the local police, and let them know ahead of time that you have it. Therefore, you are not trying to hide anything, and if they do get a call they say, we know, it's OK.

When U.S. Subs finished his Bombatorium, he had an open house for all police, military, and friends for that purpose, so that they all knew the stuff was well investigated. All of these are good insurance policies to have. My local sheriff has been through my building along with a number of deputies, along with our state Attorney General, who I knew before he took office.
 
Absolutely right your thoughts, Falcon.
Particularly those collectors with frequently changing girlfriends must be extremely careful!
 
BMG50 said:
In this day and age its better to be cautious than not.
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Fully agree with caution, but it has been my experience that transparency with law enforcement and first responders can go a long way. I have hosted all of my Local, State and regional Federal response officers, local fire department, etc, doing everything possible to keep them at ease and confident that the collection is as it should be.

At the same time I do not advertise the presence of the collection - no ordnance outside, no signs, nothing "cute" to draw the attention of passer-byes. Significant effort has been taken to ensure that everything blends in and does not attract attention. When attention does come however, and local law enforcement is called, they react in a positive manner, advising the caller that they are aware, all is safe and in compliance and that there is no safety issue. Caution in a proactive manner.
 
Hey Falcon,

Unfortunately, nowadays caution and being discrete won't hurt a bit. It is a good idea however to let your local police know about your collection.
Another point you could take into consideration is the presence/absence of live ammo in your collection, iff you have any live ammo, make sure of secure storage, otherwise it might end up being a problem for someone else if stolen.

regards,

Menno
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.

HAZORD said:
Falcon,

I agree with you, and there are a number of problems. Number one is that the girlfriend would call them "bombs" instead of militaria, inert ordnance, etc. If you were to make a nice looking sign and put over them that said "Militaria" or "Inert Ordnance", or "Certified Inert Ordnance", then anyone seeing it would at least see that instead of letting their moron brain come up with "bombs"

Another insurance policy would be to make friends with the local police, and let them know ahead of time that you have it. Therefore, you are not trying to hide anything, and if they do get a call they say, we know, it's OK.
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I think that even if the sign was there, if someone else was told, the "Inert" part may get left out. Also, I doubt she has a clue what the phrase "inert ordnance" even means. I haven't really spoken to her much.

The room is arranged in such a way that only some items can be seen from outside when the door is open. I might just move them.

As for making friends with the local police, I don't think that would work as well here in the UK. I live in London so the police aren't really "local" when your'e talking about a city with a population of 8 Million plus.

I appreciate your advice though.
 
pzgr40/42 said:
Hey Falcon,

Unfortunately, nowadays caution and being discrete won't hurt a bit. It is a good idea however to let your local police know about your collection.
Another point you could take into consideration is the presence/absence of live ammo in your collection, iff you have any live ammo, make sure of secure storage, otherwise it might end up being a problem for someone else if stolen.

regards,

Menno
Click to expand...
Here in the UK you need permission from the police to collect live ammo. I don't have this as the rest of the family don't want live ammo in the house so I can only collect inert.

If you are a registered collector of live ammo, it is mandatory by law that it is securely stored. The police will inspect your secure storage before they grant you the license.
 
I think that it depends on location and political climate. I don't hide the fact of what I collect and have even had a display including grenades and mortars etc at a huge local primary school. I braced myself for a call from the police but none were forth coming. Both times it all went off very well. I look at it as an exercise in education the community and hopefully they will have the right "Mind Set"

At every garage sale I always ask if people have anything hidden away etc. I also occasionally also advertise on the local community notice board for any unwanted garden shed finds.

If people know that you collect and are interested then it helps to increase the chance of adding to your collection.

Here in Queensland I am a licensed Ammunition Collector which allows anything up to 25.4mm to be live and also allows grenades, mortars, and mines etc. I have been audited by the Department of Mines & Energy and in fact I gather that they are the only ones that are allowed to inspect my collection and not the police.

After all what have I got to hide? I am legal!!

PS If only the Australian Customs had the same "Mind Set" as the Queensland Government.
 
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I find this thread interesting as it shows the different levels of legislation, understanding & regard that our hobby brings to bear given different countries & governments & even the disparities within those countries at different levels. By this I mean from joe public up to presidents/prime ministers etc!
 
There is another side. Wives and girlfriends should be aware that wasting Police time is a criminal offence. So think again before making that malicious call about a perfectly safe and legal collection.
 
It's not a bad idea to have a small display of "harmless" items- like a small display of badges, a cap or helmet, and a framed picture or 2, and leave these somewhere more "public" for casual guests (like a relatives' girlfriend) to find; this way, the guest tells others that you are a "military history buff", or an "insignia collector", instead of using the word "ordnance". The rest of the collection? Display cabinets that can be closed, and CLEAR labels (in case someone does see them) might help.
 
To be very honest, I don't like people in general. I have a collection and i don't show it to anyone. It is for me to admire and no one else. There are not many members on this site compared to others, and they are spaced all over the globe. Keep things to yourself and the VERY few select people you choose to trust. Unfortunately humans are by nature, not to be trusted.
Bu don't fall in to the same trap as I did. There are many good people in this world, you just have to be careful.
 
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