Hey all! I was just curious as to how is the situation in your area when it comes to getting props stolen or broken. To be honest I don't trust a soul. Nopw that I am in a small city for sure I will be setting up only that day and tearing it down that night. I really don't want to risk it.
I attach christmas bells (pick up at Walmart cheap) to fishing line on my props and anchor what i can. No problems in 3 years. Big props go out that day
I booby trap some of my things with webbing, that fake barbed wire strung across so that would be thieves think twice before and fencing that sort of thing to not make it easy for people to steal or vandalise, the easier you make it the easier it is to steal or break if someone can get away with a twelve foot fountain or facade , or a bulky Hearse without anyone noticing then they are great theves i try and secure things to make it hard to get at or remove , again dont make it easy for thieve or vandals
I have some stuff up early, but mostly just attached to the house, or things I don't care about too much. All my real props only go out for the big night and come in afterward. I haven't had any problems (yet) but no use tempting fate!
I leave my coffin out front for several weeks.. it weights 150lbs... if they want to steal that they would really have to work to take it... I have a dummy camera up all year round as well as several motions sensors.
I'm like Frosty Don. We haven't had problems either (knock on wood). But again I usually only setup the day of the 31st and tear down on Nov 1st.
I've been lucky so far (fingers xsed). I put the larger more mobile stuff out the evening of and take them back in at the end of the night though. I do constantly worry about my headstones though.
well I see this is a old post but I will reply anyway. I had a bunch of kids ask me one day if i was worried, I told them that if it was wrecked I would stop doing it. I have never had a problem but then again the population is only 600 people where I live.
I find that in my neck of the woods it seems to be more appreciated and respected (maybe it's a "cool" factor?) than any other holidays. Christmas deco's, Easter (surprisingly big in my area) and others seem to suffer at least some damager, but not really many Halloween problems that I can think of. Most people seem to get a kick out of it as they pass by. Smiles, "oohs and ahs" and the like. I'm of the same philosophy as Frank n beans. The neighbourhood kids know that if something happens to it, it goes away. Simple as that. Little do they know I'm not sure I could stop doing it if my life depended on it! Halloween OCD?
