I've just returned from a short trip, and have waded through the digests,
and read several questions and answers about engraving. I was able to avoid
this pitfall, but others weren't.
This began here in bucolic Kansas in the late seventies, I think. It was
during the time that the Hunt brothers were cornering the market on silver,
raising the price to astronomic levels. (you remember the Hunt brothers.
They're the same Texans that are currently funding Tom's attempt to corner
the market on OM's. But I digress...)
Small time criminals were breaking into homes at an alarming rate, stealing
silver flatware and serving items, and picking up other goodies along the
way. These were then taken to gold and silver places, that were just thinly
disguised fencing operations. They would get cash, usually less that a
quarter of the value. The police were unable to stop the flood of break-ins.
This engraving business was supposed to be the answer.
Our local police department started the now common neighborhood watch
program, where people were supposed to call the cops at the first sight of
something shady. They would have meetings at someone's home, where they
would give advice on how to avoid theses break-ins, things like don't leave
your doors open. They then produced an electric engraving tool, and
demonstrated its use. It was then loaned to the neighborhood for use.
The primary target was silver trays, coffeepots, and the like, but many
people went off the deep end, marking everything but their underwear. The
idea was to prevent the items from being resold. When the scofflaw went to
fence the swag, it was presumed to be valueless, as it could be traced back
to an owner.
The efficacy was limited. It served better for cameras, TV's and the like,
since these items were usually taken to a pawn shop. The gold and silver
places were less affected, as the whole point was to melt the stuff down for
the silver. The ultimate remedy was the fall of the Hunt brothers and their
scheme to corner the silver market.
Two things come to mind: First, how many of us shot photos on film made with
stolen silver, and second, will the Hunt brother fail again, and the price
of OM's fall?
Bill Pearce
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