So we've all herd horror stories about people stealing halloween props. It has never happend to me but. However a few more questions run through my mind. So we've been over the basics. Make fake signs for cameras, use fencing, light and motion activation and that's all good but what if the thief is in coustome and baring a mask over there head and they get away? What would you do? How would you find them? If you do catch them what kind of action would you take upon them?
I guess in a sense I figured it would be around halloween time they'd want your goods and they'd wear a mask. So that's just one more thing to thing to think about.
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I'd haunt them till their dieing day! Or maybe, I wait till they put them out in their yard and steal them back...nah that'll back fire on me (The only luck I have is bad). How about marking your stuff with your name so you can prosecute!
I think if something I really loved or worked my @ss off on got taken, I'd bring all of in and not do Halloween that year - and post a sign explaining why... so the rest of the neighborhood would know that some little sh!t ruined Halloween on my street. Let the peer pressure do its magic and I'd hope that the stolen object would find its way home.
Just like with any theft, if they are determined enough there isn't a whole lot you can do other than not put stuff out where it can be taken.
The lights and such would deter MOST theft - the kids that might if they thought no one was looking, or if they wouldn't get in trouble, but the determined thief is going to steal stuff no matter what precautions you put into play.
The harder you make it, the more bold and shameless they'll have to be, and most won't go to that extreme, but a small percentage will. You are gambling that the small percentage won't notice your stuff or want it enough to take the risk.
I prefer not to put too much temptation out for those types, so most of my stuff that I'd be upset about losing doesn't go out till the night of and I'm out there with it until it comes back in.
I have to wonder if people that do big Christmas displays have to worry as much about someone stealing their stuff.
__________________ I'm a Halloween Bride! 10/31/2002
Where there is no imagination there is no horror.
~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
I actually had a reindeer stolen from a bunch of punks in a car. They just grabbed and took off, leaving a trail of lights behind right up to the street because the extenshion cord was frozen to the gound!
I usually just set everything up on Halloween and take everything basck down the same night. Now I'm in a different neighbourhood so we might try staging a few days earlier!
I follow the same routine as Frankie's Girl stated above. I think it's about limiting the opportunity and making it difficult to get away with it. My graveyard and some other deocrations go up about mid-Oct but the big stuff and the animated props go up Halloween afternoon. I've never had anything stolen or vandalized before and the real reason I did it that way was to not 'show my hand' to the ToT's that would soon have to walk up my driveway.
The only exception to that is the previous Saturday or Sunday night when everything goes out for a few hours for all our family who come over and who can't make it on Halloween night, but the big stuff goes back in that night.
I hope none of us have to go to any extreme measures to protect our haunts. I think that would kinda kill the fun.
sorry i started laughing when i saw that title because i have been mad for a week not finding 2 brand new halloween props i bought last december , and i am suspecting dear husband to have by mistake trew the box away with some empty xmas boxes .....i have searched everywhere in the house and the hallowen boxes and have not found them
is there a way to punish dear husband for this ? hehehehe
as for having props stolen so far so good here , i live in the country and our house is further down the road .....our proprety is well lit at night and i have my dog outside that barks when their is activity on the proprety and my husband works 3 pm till 2 am so they would have a good chance to be cought .....if it ever hppens that someone would steal something i dont know what i would so i try to identify all my props for one , and since we have not much halloween props here in store i would know who took what if they would display it on their lawn and they would get an earfull from me and a cop knocking downon their door ....
I had some stuff stolen early last year out of my garage.
Black light, couple skulls, and suffered a few broken items during the theft. I wasn't so much pissed as I was finding it difficult to make more stuff.
Eventually, the perpetrator's mother found the stuff in the kid's room, and they came calling.
What did I do?
I let the kid keep the skulls and black light that he had taken, on the condition he worked them and the broken skulls off....by making me some more skulls.
He learned how to mold and cast his own stuff, he got some decent starting items, and I was repaid for my lost items and have a little protege doing a graveyard down the street. He comes over to ask how to do his own projects, and we're pretty good friends with his parents now. Look forward to seeing their new coffin.
But, that's how I tend to respond to things.
My car is never locked, for instance. And, I used to work in a heavily industrial area near some train tracks. One day, I caught someone going through my back seat. I responded by letting them have the coat and backpack they were attempting to steal, and giving them what change I had in the ash tray. They obviously needed it all more than I did.
Hmm interesting thoughts everyone. I'm waiting to trick people this year when I stick my stuff out on Halloween day. I'm guessing most theft happens at night because it's dark and alot eaiser to get away. Maybe I'll get one of those voice box things that lets you record your messege have it rigged somewhere so if someone cross's the line they'll think someones out side talking to them. Or maybe I'll pretend to be one of my props and come to life all the sudden. Or there's always the dogs that sit in the window and catch everything.
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I had a bad experience 12 years ago. It was my first Halloween after being married, my first house. I went all out. Had a couple of Buckys, complete graveyard, and lots of flood lights, etc. Someone took the entire display in one night. Everything was either brand new, or things had I had collected for several years with sentimental value. It sucked.
I started to drive around the area, looking to see if someone had the balls to display my stuff. I never found it.
The next few years I didn't put much money into my display. It wasn't until I started having kids that I started to gain back my Halloween spirit.
I now have the interior of my house done by October 1st. Then little by little I start to put things out. Nothing expensive until TOT time. Then I take the entire display back into the garage by midnight. Come November 1st and you will see my Thanksgiving wreath on the door, nothing else.
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The Case of the Missing Halloween Props.
I have a website I never knew existed.
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