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Where Do You Keep Hide Pens For Extended Vacation?


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Where do you keep/hide your good pens when they will not be used for extended periods? Any tips without giving away too much information to possible thieves who Google? I don't have a heavy safe so that is not an option.

 

Any tips would be appreciated.

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  • praxim

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I have an alarm system with PIR's in most rooms and I don't leave them in full view. :)

 

I don't have a safe either, but maybe I should consider getting one?

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In several boxes somewhat scattered around the bedroom. They're not hidden, but they're not just laying out in the open.

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Strategies which come straight to mind can include hiding, camouflaging, securing or decoys.

 

It depends a bit on what sort of thief you expect. The simplest way for them to deal with a safe (securing) is to remove it to work on it at leisure, so that is one I use rarely.

 

Hiding can work if you have somewhere genuinely cunning rather than behind books or in a drawer, or in an oven, refrigerator or other whitegoods. Dedicated thieves will simply pull stuff over, sweep it out or up-end it to see what is there, not search neatly like you would. Best places are where you would not expect to find a space, even if you have to construct that space. Do not think too much of convenience for yourself.

 

Camouflage seems unlikely in this context. You need to have few things to hide and many among which to hide it without it standing out, which seems unlikely from most of what I read here.

 

Decoy or sacrificial items can be very effective. Basically, you give the thief a sugar hit of finding something which to you is of of lesser or past value so they are less likely to look further for the real thing which you have hidden as above. This can work even better if you have made an ordinary attempt to hide the decoy while leaving a ballpoint on the table.

Edited by praxim

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Kitchen cupboard, like a pen roll in a stock pot ot slow cooker. The dryer might be a good option if you throw a towel ot two in there over the top.

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Best tip of all? Don't talk about your travel plans online.... Just post the pix when you get back....

Oh, and have someone trusted check on your house every once in a while, stop the mail and newspapers, have lights on timers. Usual sort of stuff. Mind you, none of that helped when our old house got broken into while we were at the movies. Or the times we were upstairs sleeping.... :angry:

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Bring your pens on the vacation with you :P

 

Jokes aside, I would keep them in an hidden place - maybe my wardrobe. Haven't heard of thieves making off with clothes much. Since I don't have expensive mink coats or cashmere sweaters and the like, I think my wardrobe should (!) be safe.

 

 

 

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So, if you were not going to keep your valuables in the drawer marked "valuables" in gold lettering, keep them in the sock drawer (or the wardrobe). After all, it is not as if a thief thinks you have silk socks with gold embroidery so why would they look there?

 

/sarcasm

Edited by praxim

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Its my experience that for the average house there are two types of thieves, the people who break into the house to steal your car or those who know or suspect that you have some goods that they can turn into cash easily, being jewels/gold/watches and maybe game stations. Pens not so much - how would you sell them easily.

 

 

As others have said, alarms are a good deterent but to slow the thieves down whilst the deafening alarm is going off I keep my collection in locked filing cabinets in a locked room upstairs and I am not stoopid enough to let people know what is in there, nearly stoopid enough but not quite.

 

Just think, every time you buy a good pen from ebay you are telling some low life where you live, get yourself a PO Box.

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I'm sorry to say this, but most burglars know of the wardrobe/ drawer hiding place as well as hiding things in "unusual" places like the kitchen. eg jewellery in cookie tins and the like. Just don't leave anything in plain sight and if it makes you feel better (and I think most people feel better when hiding stuff) just hide your precious things where you think the safest place is and pray/ hope for the best!

 

Burglars are in many many cases very skilled..

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All 140 of my pens are in (3) 48 pen pen cases, and all three cases are stored in the least visited room in my home. When I'm away I leave them with my Pastor :) Thank goodness I do not own any MB, Sailor, Viscontis, etc, etc, or I would have to take out insurance.

Edited by Helen350
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I have a five-drawer chest of drawers, the space between the underside of the plank of wood that makes the top, and the top edge of the uppermost drawers, seems to be just enough to accommodate one layer of pens. I'd just need to remove the top, get it hinged at the back, and somehow build a shallow tray there and Bob's your uncle! I'd have to give it some thoughts...

Edited by Seele

No, I am not going to list my pens here.

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A friend of mine was worried that his old room mate would steal his jewelry while he was away. Instead of binding them or locking them up...he threw them away! He filled a trash bag with what seemed like ordinary trash, but was really "clean trash" old papers, shirts ect. Nothing that smelled. Then he put his jewelry in a bag in the middle, and tossed the whole bag in his garage for the week he was away.

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The fact that this thread appears directly below the one titled "Stolen Pens: Tell me if you see these on Sale?" is slightly ironic to me.

 

I'm not telling where I keep them, but to be honest, I sometimes take them all with me when I go on vacation. I only have 5 after all. If I don't take them all, I usually take my two favorites and the other three get dispersed around the house. Surely that's better than keeping them all in one spot?

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Its my experience that for the average house there are two types of thieves, the people who break into the house to steal your car or those who know or suspect that you have some goods that they can turn into cash easily, being jewels/gold/watches and maybe game stations. Pens not so much - how would you sell them easily.

 

 

As others have said, alarms are a good deterent but to slow the thieves down whilst the deafening alarm is going off I keep my collection in locked filing cabinets in a locked room upstairs and I am not stoopid enough to let people know what is in there, nearly stoopid enough but not quite.

 

Just think, every time you buy a good pen from ebay you are telling some low life where you live, get yourself a PO Box.

 

I just have them sent to work. Keeps the wife from knowing more than she needs to as well, LOL.

 

Should one want to use the "decoy" tactic mentioned above, a very convincing fake Rolex can be had for less than 300 bucks. Just saying. I would wager many of us have pens worth more than that.

 

There are also other less expensive options. A fake power outlet in the kitchen or behind a couch is a lovely way to hide things. The outlet face is only the "door" too, one can fit larger things in there; a small pen roll with a string attached could be stuffed into the wall and lowered down, the string then hooked to the outlet frame. Even if the outlet cover is removed, one sees nothing at first glance...

Edited by sirgilbert357
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Burglars will steal other items I have rather than pens. I put the junk pens in a bowl. I don't use these any more. The better ones are. stored around. Burglars are not my worry. I am more concerned with the extended family and associates.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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Put them in your safety deposit box at the bank.

Edited by ac12

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I just have them sent to work. Keeps the wife from knowing more than she needs to as well, LOL.

 

Should one want to use the "decoy" tactic mentioned above, a very convincing fake Rolex can be had for less than 300 bucks. Just saying. I would wager many of us have pens worth more than that.

 

There are also other less expensive options. A fake power outlet in the kitchen or behind a couch is a lovely way to hide things. The outlet face is only the "door" too, one can fit larger things in there; a small pen roll with a string attached could be stuffed into the wall and lowered down, the string then hooked to the outlet frame. Even if the outlet cover is removed, one sees nothing at first glance...

+10 on the reason to have them sent to the office.

 

Your other ideas are creative too. Makes me worry about your neighborhood though. ;)

 

You can also buy fake cleaning product cans that are storage. Pens are small enough to be a good fit in a roll.

Edited by zaddick

If you want less blah, blah, blah and more pictures, follow me on Instagram!

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Looking at this from a different perspective. How many of you have had your valuable pens stolen whilst on extended holiday ?

 

I have not.

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I don't bother... if a burglar, after taking my lap top and HD tv is going to grab fountain pens. Oh well. Life will go on.

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