What idiot puts his DL # on the front of his gear?

I hate the engraved SS numbers and Drivers license numbers on gear. Unfortunately it was a common practice that has for the most part been forgotten about. Yes I take the pieces with the numbers but as shain pointed out it does indeed hurt the value. I have found no way of repairing them once they have been engraved.

Grumpy
 
Hmmm... some interesting points here, but...

I still am not a fan of engraving, and I just don't see the point at all. Reminds me too much of the car alarm effect. Engraved numbers, beeping car alarms, it all just becomes part of the 'white noise' of our so-called civilization. A sad statement, upon reflection, but otherwise ignored in day to day life.

How many times has anyone called 9-1-1 when a car alarm is going off to report a theft in progress? How many times have we checked on a piece of equipment that has a number engraved on it? Beyond the cited pawn shops and repair shops, it doesn't sound like many of us follow up on this. Frankly, in reading through the posts it was only afterwards that I started thinking that perhaps I should be researching the gear that I get that has stuff engraved on it. Of course, deciphering what some of it is supposed to be might be problematic in some cases.

Seems like if there were a standard, and a central registry, then it might be worthwhile. But randomly engraved stuff that I find at Goodwill for $2 doesn't inspire me to spend too much time researching. I guess that makes me part of the problem.

And its not like engraving tools are tightly controlled, now are they? If a drivers license number can be engraved on a front panel, then it can be obliterated in like manner. And if done artfully, it might just improve the asthetics over the number my TX-2500 has on it now. ;)

The workable ideas I heard here were the internal tag ("Help! I have been kidnapped! Call the police!") and recording the serial number and storing separately. Both sound emminently effective, and neither involves desecrating a dwindling resource.

I have used address labels, stuck inside or outside, to help lost items find their way home - like my cell phone, golf clubs, etc. I have always just gone on the assumption that if it is worth stealing, any ID information will be worth obliterating, so its not worth being destructive. A stick-on label will help the honest person reunite me with the wake of effluvia I leave in my travels...and I do leave quite a wake!

Sorry for the $5 answer to a .01 question.

:D
 
I have a yamaha CR-820 that I restored, even veneered the case in an exotic hardwood. But the owner had to scrawl his DL # on the bottom of the faceplate. I had some car striping tape in gold color, so I ran a strip across the bottom of the faceplate and hid the number. It definitely looks "different" but not all that bad, but since I pointed out what I had done in the auction description I got nary a bid. Piy 'cause it is a darn nice receviver.

Rob
 
merrylander....

Pretty much proves my point about engraving ID on vintage gear.

Not too difficult to figure out. ...........If it's defaced, it ain't worth too much to an "audiophile". (thought I'd throw that word in)

Vintage gear is now a "collectible".

As such the value is determined by the item being as near to original as possible. Let alone the brand name, and / or TOTL, etc, etc......

Pretty much true for any "collectible"
 
OK Gang, Here we go. Years ago before the computer age and ID theft If you were in the Military you were REQUIRED to mark all your "High Dollar Items" with your SSN. I have a washer and dryer
from my old boss that has his SSN on them.:eek:

As far as marking on the front face plate:uzi: :uzi: :uzi:

As grumpy said, It used to be common practice........ If you have Vintage gear that is Multi voltage IE PX purchase overseas then
most of it will have a SSN somewhere on it. My SL-Q2 turntable
has my SSN on it because I had to.........:mad:
 
^
|
|
|
Really?

That explains a lot. Thanks for the insight...

P.S., I think I'd put it on the bottom chassis myself if my CO said I had to, but...
 
years ago I painted all kinds on weird designs on a Nakamichi 600 tape deck.

you all hate me now, don't you?

the reason was not security (although that was a considered fringe benefit), but rather I did it because at the time I was really into "personalizing" various mass produced items I owned. I don't regret it either. I still belive in the rationale, even though I don't practice it much anymore. it started when I was watching an episode of one of those James Burke sci/history shows on TLC (Connections, Connections II, etc), and he said something that I had not thought about before: he asked the viewers to empty their pockets, and consider that chances are there is nothing there that is not owned by thousand if not millions of people. from then on I was scrawling, drawing or painting most anything that was new, sterile in apearance, or placed in a hard to miss spot. so that too became the destiny of the Nak I bought off my roomate for ten bucks.

such was my college experience

anyway, why are you guys complaining anyway? you're collectors, dammit! if it weren't for the scarcity of pristine specimens, you'd have to, god forbid, collect purely for the enjoyment of the equipment. the only reason half the stuff that commands high prices in collectors markets does so is because most of the people who owned that particular item originally treated it like shit. if you're in it for the bragging rights/money, then you should be kissing the feet of the anyone who etches a serial number on their shit. if your in it for the love of the piece itself, then you should be similarly thrilled, cause the only other way you'd be able to find it at the price you paid would be if the damage was not merely superficial.

if you want to get into a collectable that is relativly free from such "heartbreakers", then I might suggest you get into the artificially inflated markets of comics, baseball cards and beanie babbies. until then, quit whining about things that provide your hobby with it's reason detre.

p.s. I don't care how collectable it is, a turntable without stickers all over it, is barely a turntable at all!
 
I realized yesterday that the solution to the defaced CR-820 is simply to swap faceplates with the one I use since I use it for the sound and not something to look at.

Rob
 
Originally posted by Wardsweb
This is like carving your name into the statue of Venus, or writing on the Mona Lisa.
:gigglemad

Shouldn't be too hard to find out. Just contact DMV and run a search. :)

Rob
 
The worst case scenario is the cops pull you over,ask for your license and you have to show them your amp!I think this is the main reason for the plastic thingys with your picture on them.

Alan
 
Back
Top Bottom