Per the suggested guide-lines - Rule Number One

[antique appraiser]

Per the suggested guide-lines: Please Read This Before Opening a New Topic Or Replying In This Forum

Rule Number One

1. Collections are often very valuable and simply letting the public know that one has a large collection of valuable American Long Rifles increases the risk of attempted theft. We appreciate your willingness to share your collectibles with us.

Having been around antiques all of my life with the family involved in buying, selling or trading anything that was old now considered an antique. Firearms was my grandfather and father's main interest. That said the Rule Number One comes to mind, we have seen over the years this happen more than once. 

EXAMPLE:
My mother had her card club lady's at our home and she shows them my fathers gun room with over 400 antiques (guns, sword, spears, swords, etc.). Within a month we have an attempted break-in, a few weeks later another attempt. Now everyone at my mother's card party are being questioned. The thief is caught at another home, his information was coming from one of the ladies children, repeating what mom said at the dinner table.

As Rule Number One states be careful with talking about weapons collections. You don't know who is listening folks.

Buck

[WadePatton]

While we do pick our friends, we don't pick their relatives or their friends, or their friends' friends.  And that is where things can break down. 

Human nature always produces a few bad apples. Sorry for the troubles, maybe word didn't get too far out "on the street".

One rotten thing for stolen antiquities is that often their uniqueness makes them very identifiable and when they're stolen they are no longer in the right hands for them to be shared and learned from.  Or worse they get destroyed by the carelessness of those so twisted as to be thieves.

[Bob McBride]

Hey Buck, welcome. Interesting post, and sorry to hear of your experience. The collection of longrifles represented by members of this forum, many of whom have been collecting for decades, is probably, by a big margin, the largest in the world. Most don't show pictures of their gun rooms, set of safes, or give the location of the storage facilities that hold their collections, for the reasons you describe. This is part and parcel of collecting anything of high value. Common sense, as it were. I, on the other hand, lack such common sense and show mine on YouTube weekly, for the benefit of those who haven't seen guns of this sort before, and accept the risk involved, which says as much about me, on this end of the equation, as it does about someone who won't share a pic of a gun for fear of the thief behind the bush. Most rational folks fall somewhere in between.

If it's not worth sharing, it's not worth collecting, but either way, it's worth insuring....

[Mike Brooks]

Certainly will make an exciting forum with no guns pictured because everyone here is living in fear.

[Dave Marsh]

Mike, that's the name of the game these days.....

Dave

[Tim Crosby]

[Dave Marsh]

Here is what the Duke says. 



Dave

[JBJ]

"Do you have guns in the home?" is now a standard question at the doctor's office around here. I bet you can guess the response!

[Eric Kettenburg]

"Do you have guns in the home?" is now a standard question at the doctor's office around here. I bet you can guess the response!

Hopefully, the response is finding a new doctor!!!!!

Alternately of course there are always profound expletives.... 

[Elnathan]

"Do you have guns in the home?" is now a standard question at the doctor's office around here. I bet you can guess the response!

In certain contexts "guns" can indicate artillery, not shoulder weapons. Jest sayin'....

[Eric Krewson]

At Ft Gordon in 67 it was "this is my rifle, this is my gun" etc.

[FALout]

The army was still teaching that lesson in 1982 at Fort Leonard Wood

[Craig Wilcox]

Squirt guns, rubber band guns.....  I do crave a field artillery gun.

Along with getting a new house, I conversed with my insurance agent re new home insurance policy.  Mentioned getting insurance on the ML's.  She replied that her hubby shot a muzzle loader, and assured me that my firearms would be covered to a value of $10K.  I laughed and told her to add another zero...

[heelerau]

While we do pick our friends, we don't pick their relatives or their friends, or their friends' friends.  And that is where things can break down. 

Human nature always produces a few bad apples. Sorry for the troubles, maybe word didn't get too far out "on the street".

One rotten thing for stolen antiquities is that often their uniqueness makes them very identifiable and when they're stolen they are no longer in the right hands for them to be shared and learned from.  Or worse they get destroyed by the carelessness of those so twisted as to be thieves.

    A late mate of mine had his secure storage broken into and a number of valuable muzzle loading rifles stolen including and un issued Colt Rifled Musket. They were eventually found in a salt water estuary creek near his home town.  Quite damaged by corrosion, most I believe were brought back to shooting condition. His grandson had spoken to the wrong people on his school bus.  Makes you want to cry.  The local police were no help.  My wife always says to me loose lips sink ships !

[AsMs]

In the army I got to work on rifles and guns 

[120RIR]

Like most of us, half the fun of collecting anything is showing it off to friends, neighbors, and fellow collectors/researchers.  There is a fine line between sharing and being at least somewhat cautious.  My collection is small but high-end enough that I have the majority of it in a  top-of-the-line gun safe.  If I were really paranoid I'd have an alarm system on the house but considering where we live (pretty safe and rural and great neighbors) and not wanting to live in some kind of perverse fortress I have the safe and am prudent about letting the word out.

[Cory McArtor]

"Do you have guns in the home?" is now a standard question at the doctor's office around here. I bet you can guess the response!

I've never heard that one.  I'm from Kentucky and would guess if they asked the answer for pretty much everyone would be yes.  Even my most liberal friends and family have weapons of various sorts.

[snapper]

Our boys doc asked the same thing at one of their annual check ups.   I really liked this Doc and have a lot of respect for him in his profession.

I simply told him of my respect, but it was none of his dang business.

One time crossing into CN, I was getting the 5th degree by the officer, he asked me perhaps 8 different firearms related questions.  The last one was "where at home do you keep them"?  I was polite since I was trying to get into their country.  Did not keep me from having my truck and trailer inspected by 6 CN customs agents.

Fleener

[oldtravler61]

  The more I'm around people an the media. The less I show anyone anything.   Getting older an grumpier...this group I trust...! Other's not so much...!

    Oldtravler

[Bill Raby]

Hey Buck, welcome. Interesting post, and sorry to hear of your experience. The collection of longrifles represented by members of this forum, many of whom have been collecting for decades, is probably, by a big margin, the largest in the world. Most don't show pictures of their gun rooms, set of safes, or give the location of the storage facilities that hold their collections, for the reasons you describe. This is part and parcel of collecting anything of high value. Common sense, as it were. I, on the other hand, lack such common sense and show mine on YouTube weekly, for the benefit of those who haven't seen guns of this sort before, and accept the risk involved, which says as much about me, on this end of the equation, as it does about someone who won't share a pic of a gun for fear of the thief behind the bush. Most rational folks fall somewhere in between.

If it's not worth sharing, it's not worth collecting, but either way, it's worth insuring....

   Showing stuff on You Tube is not a problem if you are a bit careful about it. Don't give out too much personal information. I will mention that I am in Minnesota and not get any more specific than that.

[Gerakleo]

Some youtubers show their collection not so that other people can also enjoy his collection, but only to show their social status and how cool they are. It really annoys me! I'm sure everyone on this forum collects guns just out of interest. That's why I respect every user who registers here. I also have a small gun collection, which I appreciate very much. It has one distinguishing feature - I collect absolutely any weapon that has a lucky combination in the number. For example 111 or 222, I believe that such a weapon brings me luck! At first it was very difficult to determine the value of the numbers, but over time I found the site https://www.zodiacsigns-horoscope.com/angel-numbers/angel-number-222-meaning/ and it became much easier for me to continue collecting various weapons.

[t.caster]

"Do you have guns in the home?" is now a standard question at the doctor's office around here. I bet you can guess the response!

They don't ask that anymore here, that was during the Clinton era. But if you answered "none of your business" or "no comment", they wrote down "$#*! yes"!

[WKevinD]

My step son managed to hurt his finger with a pump on a bb gun and when his mom showed up at the ER on the back of a motorcycle wearing camo the doc wanted to call child protective services, he knew we were gun crazed lunatics and bad for the child!
PS her son is now in law enforcement.

[Bob McBride]

Some youtubers show their collection not so that other people can also enjoy his collection, but only to show their social status and how cool they are. It really annoys me!

I see how that could be annoying.

[Tim Crosby]

 LM_O!