I'm hiring movers. Need privacy/security advise.

[Avenger]

As far as not declaring or hiding guns in stuff going across state lines, think of this....if something does happen, and the truck gets searched, most likely the police will at least attempt to charge the DRIVER of the truck for the crime, irregardless of any actual guilt on his part. Even if the truck is locked and sealed, he is still in "possession" of the contents. Please don't involve innocents....
As far as the turret goes, use a little maskirovka by taping an old box of drill bits onto the side! Rub the tape with some dust to make it look old, as if it's been taped there for a while. I thought my Dad's old turret was a drill press for years, I never looked beyond the handles on the side.

 

[fulloflead]

Update! I moved!

Update! I moved and it's still a secret what my "hobbies" are.

I bought two good-sized plastic trunks that padlock shut and put my brass in one and most of my cast lead bullets in the other.

The plastic drawers I keep parts, holsters and cleaning equipment in I taped shut and made sure you couldn't see into.

Ammo and bullets, I placed in small 6x10x10 boxes.

I took all the tools off my reloading bench and boxed those up.

I put my two safes (approx 18x16x15 and 18x18x18) and put them in big boxes and wrote "Use dolly only" and "this side up" on them.

There were a lot of boxes marked "Hobby Room"

It went OK; albeit with a lot of anxiety. I should have waited at the bar.

They were some nosy movers too! "Wow, this is heavy, what the $#%& is in this?"
"What are your hobbies?"
"What's that clinking sound?"

My answers were simply:
"Tools."
"Nuts and bolts."
"Mechanical parts. I build things."
"We have a lot of hobbies. Don't worry about it."

One box full of brass in loading blocks that was my "current project" got smashed. I haven't opened it, but it was only sized/primed 38 Special brass in loading blocks waiting for powder charges and bullets. I might have to re-expand a few case mouths.

I was angry that they were nosy, but I think they left here thinking I was a tinkerer and a pack-rat. It's been 4 weeks and I haven't been robbed.

.

 

[GlenJ]

I'm hiring movers next month myself. For my collection and ammo me and a friend are doing that.

 

[mjrodney]

Yup. You did it right.

Two additional things that help:

Limit the marking of boxes (that are owner packed and sealed) to a final destination and an inventory control number, i.e., [Bedroom 1, Closet, 016].

The meaning of the inventory control number and the content of the boxes is only known to the owner.

Boxes also can be sealed with one strip of brown Mylar tape and that strip is covered with the typical and usual clear Mylar packing tape. One can easily see if the brown Mylar has been cut and resealed with clear, and it's a good assumption that very few movers carry the more expensive brown tape.

 

[Jdude]

Rent or purchasing a video camera. Film a personal inventory, the workers packing, and unpacking. This will help prove the condition of any items that were broken or stolen. It also gives definite proof of which movers did the stealing. People won't try much if they know you are recording them.

 

[45Badger]

I used to "self move". Then I got relocated several times by my company. Packing, moving, and unpacking on their dime as part of relo package. Couple lessons/take-aways i had-

1) I WILL NEVER MOVE MYSELF AGAIN! What a PITA, and a joy to have others do it

2) The local moving guys at each end were contracted buy the driver. Nothing broke, stolen, and no robberies. I think that concern is highly over-rated and over-blown. I am sure there are exceptions to my experience and generalization.

3) The guys are "chatty" and friendly. God forbid. My take is that they are looking to develop a casual relationship in relatively short time (couple hours) that will produce a nice tip at the end of the move for prompt, safe, friendly, and caring service. No matter how good the actual service performed, I have never tipped someone who was an anal orifice. OTOH, I have tipped friendly folks who were doing the best they could.

I find that assuming everybody (or all movers) is a thief, criminal, scumbag is a tiring way to go through life. I've got better things to worry about (like those black UN helicopters coming over the border from Canada)

Glad your move went well.

 

[Smurfslayer]

the limits of practicality

I faced this last year. There was no practical way for me to move the safe, but that was the only thing of potential value I left to be moved.

All title 1 items were secured before hand in inconspicuous containers and left in the charge of a known good gal

All the title 2 stuff stayed in my possession and out of the mover's sight.

all the support stuff, powder, primers, components - powder and primers I packed and took.

While I wouldn't want to do it, with the volume of ammunition currently, I would strongly consider a pickup and hand truck for that. All you need is some do gooder mover to 'dime' you
'hey, there's this guy in apt 357 with like 2 million bullets... yeah I'm sure he's got guns too. No, I'd like to be anonymous...'

I wouldn't be too keen on not telling the movers about a box of primers or powder. the move can be less than gentle...

Just use common sense. Don't flash movers with high value items and keep a good track and inventory on your stuff.

 

[fulloflead]

...Boxes also can be sealed with one strip of brown Mylar tape and that strip is covered with the typical and usual clear Mylar packing tape. One can easily see if the brown Mylar has been cut and resealed with clear, and it's a good assumption that very few movers carry the more expensive brown tape.

Brilliant.

The only thing I'd add is that knowing that someone had looked in your boxes doesn't prevent them from looking in your boxes. You can "gotcha" but the cow's already out of the barn.

In other words, I'd make the brown tape obvious to discourage them from opening a box in the first place.

.

 

[W.E.G.]

What is the proper amount to "tip" each of the movers in a crew of five when moving an average-size townhouse, and all items are ready-and-boxed when the movers arrive?

Move distance is twenty miles.

Time required for the job was about five hours, not including lunch - which they stopped and got on their own without telling me while I was waiting at the new house.

Everything arrived fine.

All guns and ammo were moved separately by me on a different day.

 

[W.E.G.]

anybody?

 

[ranger335v]

Move your own guns. Box as much of the rest of the high value items as possible yourself.

Take digital photos of high value items; you will only need paper photos made IF something is missing.

Don't label the boxes you pack at all, just number them and have your own itemised list of contents in each numbered box. The movers will probably also tag and number the boxes, if they ask what the contents are just say shop and hobby items, they need know no more.

 

[Im283]

five hours, not including lunch - which they stopped and got on their own without telling me while I was waiting at the new house.

Yeah, like they were not going through your stuff during that time

How about $25 a head if they did a good job