How do Burglars View Miniatures?

[Eques]

Very sorry to ask this but does anyone have experience of what happens to their miniatures in a burglary?

Are they stolen/ignored/vandalised?

Just wondering how secure to keep them. Not really bothered about my TV but would be gutted if something happened to the troops.

[kevinj]

From the experiences I've heard about they tend not to know the value of them, or perhaps the weight puts them off. I've heard of them being thrown aside in the search for something more obviously saleable, such as TVs, jewellery etc, which tends to result in damage.

[hazelbark]

That and / or they mistake them for something else like if you have them in a tool box. They think they are getting a bunch of high end tools but they get toys they don't know what to do with. You can't fence or pawn miniatures and fast bucks does not lead you to ebay.

[mbsparta]

Most burglars are supporting a drug habit. They want items that they can easily sell or pawn. Notebook computers, an I-Pad (with your new V2 rules), phones, other electronics, a smaller TV, coins, nice looking jewlery, firearms, and all the copper they can carry. Box your soldiers in large containers and they will most likely ignor them. Everyone should have the serial numbers of their elctronics and pictures of all home valuables including minis. Burglars want to get into your home quickly and get out quickly. They do NOT want you to be home. They will pass up a locked home but hit a home with an unlocked door. So remember to lock your doors.

There are always exceptions to the above ... but you can't (normally) buy heroin or vicodin with Romans.

McGruff the Crime Prevention Dog

[Scrumpy]

Having a dog around works wonders too, even a small yappy dog will draw attention to a stranger, and burglars don't like that. Besides, if years of tv has taught us anything they only really want armies such as Franks, who would wear the hooped black & white jumpers favoured by all crooks.....

[ravenflight]

they only really want armies such as Franks...

I would have thought Vandals would be more appropriate:

Are they stolen/ignored/vandalised?

[MatthewB]

It depends upon the "burglar."

I had all of my miniatures stolen in 1999 (roughly $100,000 worth of miniatures - many Museum pieces as well as gaming miniatures though).

And it also depends upon why you are being burgled. If it is someone merely looking for valuables, they may overlook them (unless they are well painted and the thief knows that they can be easily sold on eBay).

But if it is someone who is just being a dick, then they might smash them up (I had someone try to do that in the mid-80s. Skinheads who thought that I was not at home... Woe unto them).

I have had a couple of other friends suffer similar misfortunes in San Francisco.

MB

[Drakki]

I had a 25mm army stolen in the 90's. Some of them were unpainted so they may have thought they were a valuable metal.