• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Selling equipment with SS# engraved

Dan Schafer

Dan Schafer

Danny in Cleveland
Hi All
Just wondering about selling audio equipment that has a social sercurity number engraved into the case. Seems like a bad idea to sell an item Id'ed like that. I have a vintage cassette deck I won in an auction lot that has a SS# engraved prominently right on the front panel in the brushed aluminum. How can you get rid of it with out damaging the finish...even though by having those numbers it already is damaged. Anyone's 2 cents appreciated.
Danny in Cleveland
 
Register to hide this ad
I'm gonna watch this one. I've got a reciever I bought a couple years ago I was going to put up for sale, and the same thing.. on the front is a number, it was done very well. but it still detracts.. I coud care less it's someone elses number, just the fact it's mared..
 
in this day and age of identity theft, those who scribed their SSN's into their gear back when are probably kicking themselves now.
 
Dan Schafer said:
... a SS# engraved prominently right on the front panel in the brushed aluminum. How can you get rid of it with out damaging the finish...even though by having those numbers it already is damaged.
Click to expand...

Short answer - you can't.

When I pick up something with a name/number scratched on the back I'll try to scratch off more paint & paint over the whole patch. When something is engraved into the front panel you are just stuck. Almost any attempt to obliterate it will look just as bad. The best that I can think of is to remove the faceplate and machine out the offending section with a milling machine. Or freehand it with a Dremel, but it will be obvious that something was carved out.

Tom
 
HMM, I wonder if you could digitally photo a good section of aluminum print onto a sticker and cover it up. Sounds crazy but better than a ssn. On the back a UL or cover removed by qualified tech will not look out of place.
 
I never understood why some people ruin a new, expensive piece of equipment by engraving something in the front panel. To me it would make much more sense to put and kind of ID in a hidden location (such as inside). An obvious ID # is just asking to be removed by the theif. Simply keeping a record of serial numbers should be enough to be able to claim ownership if it's stolen and then recovered.
 
I think most folks back then thought an "in your face" SSN number etched on the faceplate was a great deterent for a thief. I personally would have etched it on the back panel as some folks have done so.

If it's horribly destracting, you can cover it up with a decal until you locate a replacement faceplate.

I have an project SX-980 that I got from Spiderhead69 that has an ID number etched on the front side of the faceplate. It's distracting but probably less distracting than the mark I'd leave if I attempted to remove it.

sx98028fu9.jpg
 
Back in the older days of the military, when someone bought a piece of stereo gear that could be lifted easily, we were advised to etch you SS# on the unit, someplace easily seen, on a piece of metal. I have gear that have SS#s etched on front or back sides. Looking back, I've sold stuff on-line with these numbers visible, not thinking about it. With ID theft the way it is now, I w/n knowingly sell a piece of gear with anyone's SS# on it. It looks like I'm keeping quite a bit of gear now...:sigh:
 
As a retired Police Officer I know that in the early seventies there was a program instituted to help people reclaim recovered stolen merchandise by engraving your SS# on it.
 
nothing you can do, try making it sound as sweet as possible so you will slowly forget its liabilities in looks and blissfully adore the sound.
 
I'm curious how a series of 9 numbers in a row is some how a risk to anyones security?

You can make up any series of 9 numbers and end up with a Social Security Number. If you don't have the name to go with it it is of NO use what so ever.

I mean unless you are in certain specialized jobs you have no way to look up anyone social security number to see who's it might be. And if you did you sure wouldn't need to get it off a Stereo receiver.

The only place the SSN ID was worth a spit was in the Military since they use the SSN as the service number so there would be a way to match them up.

Back in the day I doubt the local Police had anyway to even look up a SSN?

If you have gear with ID numbers on it and you want to sell it Sell it. If it mars the face or other visible surface. If on wood you might be able to sand it out if the wood is solid or thick enough veneer. you will need to sand the whole surface not just the Numbers or you will just be digging a whole.

If on an aluminum face plate the very best you could hope for would be to carefully sand off any raised area around the number (you will still damage surrounding area) and then fill that area with a silver paint. But all it will do is slightly reduce the visibility of the number. YOU CAN NOT sand away enough surrounding material to reach below the engraved area without a huge amount of extra damage to the surface. So your best to leave it alone.

If you sell a unit so defaced expect a good reduction in it's value. And if buying one don't pay full rate since that will come back to bite you.

And if you have a Pioneer SA-8100 that has a number on the face plate let me know I can help you LOL.
 
Back then engraving the number on the front told the thief to forget it. On the back, bottom, etc. was not as much a deterrent as it did not scream out to the taker. Pawn shops where I lived were instructed when someone was pawning a piece with a SSN to require the person pawning to show his card and the numbers had to match or the broker could not accept it and was instructed to call the police as to a possible stolen unit. Police when recovering units had a problem as many owners did not have s/n records and hence could not positively id the units but with the SSN, not an issue.

Back then the thought of resale was not an issue. Theft deterrent and recovery was. Remember it was still the days when we were not the disposable society we are today. Do you really think they cared about some guy in the 21st century selling the unit?
 
In the case of MAXZ28's Pioneer, you could craft two strips of nice veneer to cover the vertical ends of the face plate as an extension of the tuner glass frame and thus cover the engraving. Two thin brushed aluminum strips with the grain running in the same direction as the faceplate would also be an alternative. At least it would be symmetrical and if done carefully, I suspect it would look reasonably tasteful too. Can always be removed later on.

I've acquired a few pieces of gear that have had a SSN # engraved on the rear. When I asked the seller if they were concerned about potential identity theft, their reply was that folks were welcome to try because the person who had the number had passed away, so in their eyes it was a moot point.
 
I REMEMBER that program/era in the seventies when they were telling everyone to put their social security number on all their valuables. Like many (seemed like most) people at the time, we bought a vibrating engraver and put IDs on most of the valuables in the home. We put them in less-conspicuous places, but it was a commonly-done thing that was encouraged by police departments.

Fortunately, it seems that program was never rolled out here in Hong Kong. It is extremely rare for me to find any gear here with engraved ID numbers like that, although I've seen a few with names scratching into them (maybe one per 100+ pieces of gear). I see a lot more that are "ID'd" with things like Hello Kitty stickers, though! :D
 
Mark W. said:
I'm curious how a series of 9 numbers in a row is some how a risk to anyones security?

You can make up any series of 9 numbers and end up with a Social Security Number. If you don't have the name to go with it it is of NO use what so ever.

I mean unless you are in certain specialized jobs you have no way to look up anyone social security number to see who's it might be. And if you did you sure wouldn't need to get it off a Stereo receiver.

The only place the SSN ID was worth a spit was in the Military since they use the SSN as the service number so there would be a way to match them up.

Back in the day I doubt the local Police had anyway to even look up a SSN?
Click to expand...

Thousand of people here in Oregon can can look your name up with a social security number. I can look up anyone in the state by SS#, name, ODL, license plate and a whole host of other ways.

Social security numbers are unique and I can tell you what state someone received their SS# from by simply looking at the first 3 numbers. Oregon = 540, 541, 542, 543, and 544 etc...

That old social security number can be quite useful to someone who is up to no good.

I'm in one of those specialized jobs Mark mentions....me and several thousand others here in Oregon. I won't be lettin' anything out of my home with SS # on it....that's just me though.
 
" You can make up any series of 9 numbers and end up with a Social Security Number. If you don't have the name to go with it it is of NO use whatsoever" hey Mark W, its sort of like talking to a brick wall.
 
Last edited:
Not just Oregon, try anywhere, even overseas. Go ahead and Google your number and see what you get. I was shocked!

And Google is a LEGAL search engine. Believe me, there are many others...

Don:music:
 
Mark W. said:
I mean unless you are in certain specialized jobs you have no way to look up anyone social security number to see who's it might be
Click to expand...

Wrong. There are a number of info brokers anyone can pay a fee and run a complete background check, and most aren't very ethical, you'd be very surpised what info about you is bought and sold on a regular basis without your knowledge.

Mark W. said:
Back in the day I doubt the local Police had anyway to even look up a SSN?
Click to expand...

Actually there was a program called I believe "Operation Identification", you got the engraver and forms from your loco PD who entered it into a national database so if something were stolen and recovered it could be traced.

Trouble is, police departments are notorious for not returning property to it's rightful owners. I bought an entire Alpine stereo at a police auction, the owners SS number and even name was engraved all over, I called the guy out of curiosity, never heard squat from the cops, I asked the department and they assured me they had tried to contact the owner unsuccessfully.

Took me all of 30 seconds to look up a number and dial it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom