Mark Your Valuables for Later Identification

17 June, 2010

If you happen to be the unfortunate victim of a home burglary, chances are the items stolen are at a local pawnshop. However, just walking in and telling the owner that such and such piece of property belongs to you isn't going to fly unless you can prove it. With today's modern technology, there's really no reason not to take the time and effort to identify and log your personal property. This includes guns, consumer electronics, jewelry, computers, tools, and anything else of value.

Here are some great ways you can go about cataloging your property in a way that will make sense if you ever have to prove something to be yours:

When practical, use an etcher and make an identifying mark on your property. This works best on metal objects. You can etch something meaningful into hand tools, power tools, lawn mowers, the back of consumer electronic products, and a host of other pieces of property. A name, birth date, drivers license number, or anything else meaningful or unique will work.

Take pictures of everything you own. One of the best ways you can catalog your property is to take pictures of all of it with a digital camera. Take lots of pictures. Close-ups, full room shots, side shots, pictures of the serial numbers, the make and model, the top and bottom, and any identifying marks, scuffs, imperfections, or other unique characteristics. Be certain to include pictures of you with your valuables, as well as background pictures that can easily be identified as the inside of your house, garage, or tool shed.

A video camera works very well for documenting and inventorying your equipment. One of the great features of a video camera is the ability to record your voice along with the pictures. You can make all the comments necessary while recording, and your voice will serve as further proof that the items are indeed yours.

Use a computer spreadsheet or database to log each item by name, description, serial number, make, model, colors, identifying features, date purchased, where purchased, and any other piece of information you deem relevant.

One of the clear advantages to keep meticulous records is the credibility it would build for you with law enforcement, your insurance company, your home warranty company, and any other third party involved. Meticulous record keepers are seen as very responsible people in these eyes of these types of individuals, and when making insurance claims or filing police reports, credibility goes a very long way. You will also be helping your own efforts because the more information you have about the items stolen, the more identifiable they become, which makes it infinitely easier to recover should the show up in pawn shops, flea markets, or even online in an auction.

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