I am a member of many numismatic organizations for both collectors and dealers.  There is a very scary reality that everyone should pay attention, it is called theft.  No one is immune from theft and there are more and more victims I am hearing about every week.  This was never the case in the past.  With the poor economy and the real unemployment numbers growing, crime is becoming more prevelant than ever before.  There are many things you can do to protect yourself.  Please continue reading and I will explain.

1.  Never keep your coins in your car.  There are so many people who think because their car is locked, their coins are safe - wrong!!!  Many coins have been taken from cars when the owners have left for only a few minutes.  This leads me into point #2.

2.  Never leave your car if you are carrying coins.  It is becoming very common for theives to follow collectors and dealers after coin shows.  Always watch your surroundings and never take anything for granted.  There are dealers who drive 400+ miles to set up at a show.  I have been hearing about more and more thefts happening 200+ miles away from the show.  This means the theives have planned and followed these dealers.  This by itself is a scary thought.  The dealer thinks they are safe because they have been traveling for hours when they are unaware they are being followed.  They stop to get something to eat and before you know it, their car is broken into and the coins are taken.  This type of story is not made up or exaggerated.  This is reality after many shows.  

3.  Drive with your doors locked and windows never more than 1/2 way down. 

4.  Never talk about your coins, especially if you keep your coins at your house.  You never know who is likely to break into your home to take your coins.  Keep everything away from your home.  Safety deposit boxes, vaults and depositories seem to be the safest.  Use common sense and once again, be aware of your surroundings.

5.  Never open your door unless you know who is on the other side.  If you do not know, don't answer.  Look at it this way, many coin shops are being remodeled to create a safer environment.  You should create your own safe environement by having a set of rules and following them.  Many dealers are now carrying concealed weapons to protect themsleves.  This is done our of necessity due to everything I have been menitoning. 

6.  Do not keep coins with you just for the sake of showing these coins.  You become a moving target if bad people know you are carrying coins.  We never have coins with us, never.....  Everything is transported by professionals.  Think about this the next time you leave your house with some cool coins you wanted to show some friends. 

7.  I already mentioned this but I have to keep mentioning this, be aware of your surroundings.  If you do not recognize a person, stay away.  Remember information about the person; height, hair color, distinguishing marks, etc... Get into a crowded area and seek help. 

8.  If you think you are being followed, drive to a police station.  Try to record the license plate along with make and model of the vehicle following you. 

These are a few tips to being safe.  I am sure more can be listed but these are the first that came to mind.  The world as we know it is changing and we have to change if we want to protect ourselves.

Please contact us with any questions or comments.  Your feedback about our blog section is what gives us the ideas to write about.   

                      COLLECT - INVEST - BE SAFE -  HAVE FUN.......................