A friend of mine 'hid' some gold chains and bracelets in the lining of his living room curtains. He said the weight of the gold made the curtains 'hang better', much like the lead weights or big coins people use to weigh down drapery. Six months later he sold the house, including the curtains and carpets in the sale and totally forgot to retrieve his £3000 worth of hidden gold. He called the buyer of his house months later, explained his predicament and asked if he could get his gold back. The buyers had took all the curtains down and donated them to a charity shop. His living room curtains were really long, old-fashioned floral things which the charity shop said probably wouldn't sell, but they'd use them as dust sheets in their warehouse. Anyway, my friend, as a last hope, visited the charity shop and his long, ugly curtains were hanging over a rail with the other not-so-ugly curtains. He didn't have the nerve to go searching for his hidden gold in the linings, so he bought them and took them home. Guess what...the gold chains and bracelets were still in the linings after many months. £3000 worth of! He was delighted, and relieved in equal measure! The curtains were redonated and returned to the charity shop and are to this day probably still there, gathering dust but a few ounces lighter in the metallic content.😅
@@bc_usa Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on my 'story'. I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to share your thoughts. I appreciate you truly. I acknowledge that, in this busy World of ours, where time is valuable, you gifted my story a few precious seconds. This touches my heart and restores my faith in humanity. I wish you all good things in your life and will forever hold dear the connection you and I made through the very magic of the Internets. Awesomeness. True. 😉
My dad was a sheriff's deputy for many years. He told me one thing a lot of thieves do is toss all the bookshelves looking for stuff hidden behind the books.
@@henrybourdon6712 You'd sure be disappointed in my apartment; not only do I not have any up to date electronics, nor jewelry (hate wearing it), nor cash, but I don't even make ice cubes nor ice of any kind! 😁
@@jb6712 Yes i would never think of breaking into an apartment because if a person can not afford a house nothing in an apartment would be worth the risk to valuable ratio. Just saying! Other than expensive hotel's that resemble small high end apartments , then one would risk climbing up the balcony for expensive objects to "borrow".
Yeah. When my Grandmother died one my cousins (pretty sure it was him), now deceased himself, searched through all her books for money. He didn't know that her money was iced into the back of her freezer wrapped in aluminum foil and plastic, labeled meatloaf, dated 5 years before she died. After my Aunt and I found the mess he left in Grammy's apartment, I told her where the money was and let her chisel it out.
there are none. not really. You hide it based on trying to lower chances - nothing more. To secure it, buy a safe, properly install (concrete and bolts) and have it in a tight fit area so someone would have difficulty working on it. Other than that, safe deposit box.
The way you hit the keys under that Little Rock was pretty clever but most of the other methods don't really seem that good. The hollowed-out book and the safe behind a picture on a wall are the oldest tricks in the book, no pun intended.
Chances of those valuables ever being stolen from a the back of a wardrobe 1% Chances of those valuables eventually being thrown away with the other paint tins 99%
LOL! Professional burglars will tell you, the first place they go is the master bedroom. The closet, wardrobe and dressers is where most people hide their valuables. Guns, coins, jewelry etc. They will rip clothes down to look for safes and other hidden items.
Chances of you coming home and finding open paint cans and paint all over the floor because your local burglar watched this video is? ........ I have no idea.
not at all... mail to yourself a registered letter telling yourself where you hid all of the stash... and keep it with your regular mails ...but DON'T open it until you need it.... If you find the envelope opened ..... you have problems then
Some times you don't hide them but socks will stick to blue jeans or other clothing on the inside so may not find them when they are in the laundry. They can also fall off dresser or table and get stuck between that and bed.
My sister pasted a few years ago and she had hid her expensive jewelry "somewhere". She told no one where her special hiding place is and as a consequence it has not been found. It's always wise to leave a message in your important papers where you secured your belongings.
After my grandpa died, my grandma gave me all his old clothes because I was about his size. I dutifully accepted them, though I had no intention of ever wearing anything. Before I took them all to a resale shop, I went through the pockets and found $300.00 in the pocket of a one-piece, powder blue Leisuresuit from the 70s. Look it up. It was fabulous! P.S. I gave the $300 to my grandma. 🙂
Never put all your valuables in one hiding place, have several different places in different rooms or outdoor places. Then if your house gets broken into you won’t lose everything.
That's fine, but for extra security you could get a decent sized rat, have it eat a key, have the snake eat the rat and there you go. Spare house key inside of your snake. Oh shit wait - you keep your snake in your backyard right?
The importance of an actual safe: 1. water protection in case of a flood; 2. fire protection in case of a home fire. 3. large capacity to put in computers, cameras, not just small items. I loved your Do It Yourself wall safe with framed art in front of it! Beautiful job installing this. Again, my only concern, such a safe is not deep so I can't put in larger items. Thanks so much, very cute ending to video!
Just a warning though "fire safe" safes may not actually protect your items. The interior of them, although the fire itself may not get thru, may get up to 500-800° in a bad house fire. That probably wont bother jewelry. But its def enough to destroy electronics and important papers or cash. If you have important documents, keep them in an off site safe deposit box like you can get at a bank.
Its just the 2 by 4s holding the safe, you could cut through both of them in less than 2 minutes. I'd limit the contents of that safe. A concrete basement floor is a much more secure location
Your hiding place under a kitchen drawer reminded me of my great-grandmother, who married her sweetheart in secret and then went to her family home to wait for a good moment to tell everyone. She thumbtacked the marriage license up inside the cupboard under the kitchen sink, where it was eventually found by a plumber.
If you want to hide your valuables, just fill your house with mostly junk until there is nothing but junk piles with tunnels like hoarders do. Thieves will have a very challenging time finding anything valuable enough to be worth stealing amongst all the useless junk and just leave disgusted. Works for my dad, lol.
ALWAYS put a stash of valuables in a place commonly used (MASTER BED ROOM CLOSET). SACRIFICE a $1000 in cash, get a large CZ solitaire in a substantial ring box, put a valuable watch inside, String of pearls, sliver spoons, baby shoes, photos, altered birth certificates, make altered copies of bonds, etc. Silver coins. Go to a flea market and purchase coin collection or a stamp album. Family photos (they don't have to be yours). Put as much in it as you have elsewhere, just faux. The best $1200 you will ever loose. In the case of a home invasion that is the space you reluctantly reveal.
These are all great ideas, but you are probably forgetting the most important thing - people (mostly older people) often forget where they hid their valuables. So the second tip is to always email yourself (or a trusted family member) a photo or note that can remind you/them where the valuables are hidden. Maybe set up an email folder for Important House Stuff. You hear too many stories of people accidentally donating or throwing away "useless" stuff not realizing that just gave away the family jewels.
I prefer "old school" "scramble coding" the information to a trusted family member or friend in a registered letter.. Any actual financial information I never leave in a computer. Already had one stolen from me, and with todays "hacking" who knows what hackers can read in your personal files.. A close relative of mine was the victim of a home invasion and ended up zip tied to a lightpost after the thieves took all that they could through the ATM..Some say it was an inside job because he had just received a settlement payment but who knows.. right?
When my nan died my mother was going through all her stuff then off to thre charity shop. She checked all the pockets and in the lining she found £800 engagement ring. 18ct gold and 3 diamonds...that was back in the 70s......Oh one more thing if you find a big tin of chocolates and they were in the old nans wardrobe don't eat them. 😝 ( mothball flavour anyone)
Something you could do with the paint cans is add a heavy rock or weight in the bottom of the can and put your valuables or whatever you are hiding; then add foam padding inside to make sure if it's accidentally moved it will feel and sound like a regular can of paint with no tin sounds from stuff bouncing around inside of it.
@@odomisan not good, paint is basically water so most valuables you wouldn’t want wet. Even a sturdy plastic bag wouldn’t hold up over time. Plus, most ppl want their valuables at least somewhat accessible. That sounds more like a literal version of freezing your assets! Lol
@@larsonfamilyhouse speaking of freezing your assets, there are people that go through estates after old people die and the freezer is one of the places you want to check for stuff because they have found cards frozen in blocks of ice and little baggies of bills at the bottom of ice trays.
I have two safes in my home. I keep a gun safe and a floor safe. I do live in an apartment but there are almost 2 feet of space between my floor and the ceiling below me. The beautiful aspect of keeping two safes is everybody thinks I keep my valuables in the gun safe and think that is my only safe. I do find these hiding places interesting, but the BEST way to hide something is to use deception and have people looking in spots where there is nothing at all. I will also HIGHLY disagree with that hidden key thing. I have seen people walk and kick rocks looking for them. I don't recommend ANYBODY keep a hidden key within 50 feet of their doors!
Grandpa used to keep a hidden key in one of those (obvious) fake rocks, and another hidden key above a door. Funny part was that neither key went to anything he still had. His idea was that anyone looking for a hidden key would find one of those and, upon realizing it didn't work, figure the locks had been changed and nobody had replaced the old key. His actual hidden key in case he got locked out or if we came over and needed to get in was in the old shed out back, in a spot that would take someone a bit of time to get to, since they would have to move everything from a lawn mower to some old bikes to boxes of old Christmas decorations, before they could even reach it. (And he's long-since passed, and the property sold, so I'm not giving away his secret now.)
Yep I got tipped off I had stalkers found the old keys from my rekeys all dumped out , they had been trying them on the house, it's welll over 150 ft from house
Of course a crook (if they had the time) is going to lok for the fake rock keys, I'd hide them in an impossible to find/figure out place like inside hedges, nowhere near the door. Or better yet, in a neighbors' yard (if you're cool with them) if crooks found a key, it would be to the wrong house!
#5: When I worked in a charity shop I always checked the back and underside of any drawers even though it was supposed to be done by others. Paid off a few times, the best being over £100 in £20s in a jewellery cabinet. No way of getting back to the donor as it hadn't been donated under a scheme we have in the UK called Gift Aid.
If you live in a location that experiences low outside temperatures, don't remove the insulation in an outside wall and replace it with an un-insulated wall safe unless you want to open it and find water inside (or even ice) ruining everything inside the safe due to condensation during the cold days/months of the year. It's better to install the safe in an interior wall. And, unless it is fire resistant/proof, don't put anything in it that you don't want destroyed if your house burns down -- use a safe-deposit box instead.
Obviously, you've never read anything deeper than a comic book if you don't realize these ideas have ALL been around for many decades, and some of them for more than a hundred years! There's not one thing he showed that's new; he just gave the same advice and hiding places that Popular Science magazine gave way back in the 1950's, and many women's home magazines gave at least 100 years ago, probably more.
Number one priority is don't let them get into your house. Fit good quality doors and windows with strong hinges and many locking points. They don't want to hang around to be seen forcing a door. I have no large opening windows downstairs. Fit an infra red motion detector outside with a light or alarm. Fit a burglar alarm indoors. Make things hard for them at the rear of the house by fitting tall gates and fencing. I have a lockable six foot steel vertical bar gate. Grease the top to deter them climbing over.
Exactly! I have only a couple of inexpensive valuables but I’m adding windows bars and door metal reinforcers so I don’t have to deal with a creep breaking in my house..
@@CatsAreNiceMeow Yes, make them look for an easier target elsewhere. I did these at the rear for home security but also to keep my motorbike secure, in a shed out of the weather and not instantly visible.
@@bill-2018 Sone people say some criminals can be enticed thinking you have things in your house if you put up window bars but I think most all would not bother finding a way to disassemble them. The ones I’m putting up will be made professionally so they will be even tougher to disassemble.
You have to be careful with things under mattress, on shelve (including books) planters and drawers. The first things they do is take out drawers and empty them, clear shelves so loose items will fall out and generally ram sack the place to find hidden objects.
I agree, these tricks are for keeping stuff from the average person. A professional thief knows about this. When the cops search your house, they tear it to pieces if they don't find something right away. Even rip out the drywall. Best not to keep anything they're looking for anywhere near your property.
Note: Make a map of all these hiding spaces and seal it in an envelope and give to someone you trust to open upon your death. If something happens to you, these things may get thrown out.
The map could be made into gps or self assigned numerical coordinates. No drawing, just numbers. The area code or any set of numbers can be the room number in a mental that makes sense to you. Put the whole thing as fake phone numbers and names, or email addresses, or any combination into your phone.
Reminds me of trying to coax the hiding spots from my father after he developed dementia. I'm sure I missed items that will never be found until the house is demolished.
appreciate the video.. That said.. you have to distinguish between the quick and quiet burglar and the burglar that tosses your place. Many of the things mentioned here are probably fine if you are expecting a "cat burglar" that sneaks in with a flashlight and looks through your home... In reality most burglars wait until you are just leaving your house (ensuring them some time) and they literally toss your house. They pull out and flip every drawer, pull down any books on bookshelves and knock pictures off of the wall. All of that can be done in about 5 minutes in a normal sized house. And that for the most part would negate all of the hiding places except the rock outside. So I'd kind of stay away from hollowed out books, things taped to drawer backs and safes behind paintings. The rock one was very good though and I did like the paint can idea.. I'd probably put some bubble wrap or foam in it so that it doesn't rattle.
If you have lots of rocks, use one of those plant tags that identify your plants and put it next to the hidden bottle with the rock on so you know which one it is. Best place for long term is to pull up a bit of carpet at the corner, cut out a piece of the floorboard between the joists and you can then simply hide your stuff under the floor in a box, container or whatever. even if burglars gutted the place they're extremely unlikely they'll ever pull the carpets up. For short term, while you're away for example, hide stuff in the washing machine with a few clothes over the top. It's the last place they would look and one of the last things that's likely to be stolen.
nice washing machine might get stolen... but def it would be the first place that you forget that you hid things in, you put some more clothes on top and start program.
The people who broke in my parents' house pull all the books out to the floor so I guess the book tricks are well known. Same as the paint. If you keep a spare key outside, I would leave it far away from the door because they'll look around in close areas.
If i ever get into the robbing thing...I'll remember to bring a portable reciprocating saw (or a big dude and hammer) to remove those two flimsy studs and just carry the safe out. Good knowledge to have just in case lol
@@Flav_M You would have to switch off the breaker because you could get zapped pretty bad if you hit a wire. Most burglars won't stay longer than a few minutes in the place, they'll go as fast as possible to the most obvious valuable things. If you give them a bit of trouble, they usually don't stay around trying to figure it out. Books are easy to pull out of the shelves and a quick look on the floor will show a hollow one. If the book stays closed though, they probably won't see it in a rapid glance.
I found a perfect hiding place for my valuables... I know because my nephew, who has been in and out of rehab MANY times and has a rap sheet longer than Webster's dictionary, came to visit. He knew I had some heirloom jewelry and went looking for it while I was out (it was quite obvious that he had looked). He never found it. It was in a baggie taped onto the top of the exposed duct-work in the basement (There were spiders down there!). I've moved since then and have it in an even better (IMO) place now.
Thieves are not going to take time to search through every book and fake plant. Speed is of the essence and they will check the usual places that they find things of value, where MOST people leave them.
@@charleslytle7529 We have over a thousand books and one holds my back up drive. Even after watching this video they are not going to search every book just in case I also saw the same video. NO crook will look for a rock in a rockery. However, the safe behind a large painting is in almost every crime film so that is a little obvious. Most crooks are the dumb ones and want to be out ASAP so just look, as mentioned above, in the obvious places.
Lived in houston texas kelsey rae ct..called cops told me response time about 8 minutes so hide things that takes longer.. Got a care package to never go to atm at night. dont get gas at night.. If you get a flat drive to police station.. welcome to houston.... Still cracks me up.. but honest..
@@TheRealScooterGuy Well, that would be the best place, but with some things you have to have them available frequently and the bank isn't always open for the SDB.
Don't keep your will in your safe deposit box. The bank freezes the box when you die. It will take a court order to drill open that box. Keep your will at home. And a copy with the lawyer or the executor.
@@user-hm5zb1qn6g Exactly. We left copies with the executor and two of our grown children as there are no surprises in the Will, but your comment makes me want to verify with the bank what the drill is. The point is to keep a copy of your stash places. I used to keep my few valuable pieces of jewelry in a hollowed out book on the shelf with an extensive book collection, but then realized (a) I might become so addled I forget which book and (b) the kids will probably cart all the books off to the thrift store without looking in any of them. :(
@@wyominghome4857 That's what would surely happen at my house, too. I'd probably go into maniac cleanup mode and things would get tossed, including all these goofy hiding places. I have a safe deposit box for my valuables. Nobody's breaking into that climate-controlled bank vault and nobody's accidentally throwing out my stuff.
The hollow metal post of a chain link fence has a cap held on by friction. It can be driven off by blows applied to an upward-angled screwdriver. Then a soft drink can or plastic bottle with its top removed and a metal bail attached can be lowered down. To retrieve, a hook from a modified coat hanger can be used to snag the bail.
Quite a few years ago, we bought a large deceased estate house on a very large lot, sort of on a hill overlooking the city, that had been sitting dormant for many years. There were no traceable relatives, so the government got the proceeds from the auction. We researched the history of the home ourselves and also employed a private investigator. It had been owned by a wealthy family that had all passed away one by one. We thoroughly cleaned the house and the separate garage and began to renovate, starting by removing all the internal doors and taking them into the garage for a total stripping and refurbishing. The taller and larger than normal solid timber doors each had a very well made internal cavity ( at the top ) that contained galvanised boxes, 18'' X 1½'' X 24'' deep, and were a very firm fit, so that if the doors were slammed, there'd be no rattle. The top covers were a tight timber inlay that had one screw at each end, which, when the screws were backed out a little, freed the cover allowing access to remove the boxes, obviously made by a true craftsman, they were barely noticeable - the screw heads were less than a ¼'' wide and hidden by a timber plug. There were 15 doors and the boxes were not at all empty, most of the contents were wrapped in material to facilitate a firm fit and to prevent any rattling.
@@jb6712 Most internal doors in houses are hollow today, so it's even easier to do what the op is describing. I guess you're cranky because your hiding place just got revealed.
@@jb6712 Clearly and sadly you have an intellectual handicap and so are unable to grasp the concept that any door may be modified to achieve the same result. Deriding other people's ideas or relevant comments are indicitive of my earlier assessment. It is a shame that I cannot post a cartoon-like diagram that perhaps would be easier for you to visualize and then apply to your situation - perhaps when you actually get your very own door that you're able to modify without getting permission to do so.
Great Video clip! Excuse me for the intrusion, I would love your initial thoughts. Have you researched - Mahorrla Defence Wisdom Method (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now)? It is a great one of a kind product for securing your home from danger minus the headache. Ive heard some decent things about it and my cooworker at very last got astronomical success with it.
Interesting but: first, putting stuff in "empty" containers. A family member is looking for paint, finds the "empty" container, and helpfully throws it out (happened to us with some valuable stuff). Second, this is why burglars tear a place up; they figure that you have hidden stuff somewhere and just tear the place up. Worth reading: Edgar Alan Poe, "The Purloined Letter" a great short story on hiding (and finding) valuable stuff.
I worked in an apartment building for many years. When we painted a place, we always removed things instead of taping and painting around them. A great hiding place was behind the stove/oven unit. We had a game going on where I would remove a medicine cabinet from the bathroom wall that fit between the wall studs. Behind it was a cavity where things could be hidden. Remove 4 screws, the mirrored cabinet came out easily. The game was to hide insulting notes, filthy pictures, someone's car keys, with the date on it and see which one of the helpers would find it first. One time I found what I thought was a rubber glove decayed and stuck together with my name on the note. Nope, it was a several year old pile of condoms. Who the hell removes a medicine cabinet or a stove/oven unit when they rob a home?
Your post made me think of a similar story that happened in France, I dont remember the place but here it is. They were renovating the floor of an old church and upon removing the floor planks they noticed writing on the underside. The writings were a chronicle of the small village that related the lives of the villagers. One story stuck out, it was about about a baby born from an affair that was , buried in secret.
If burglary is your main concern, you're probably better off leaving your valuables out in plain view in the hopes that the thieves will just take them and leave. That's what insurance is for (be sure to keep proof of what you had just in case they try to get out of paying). While insurance can pay for items stolen or destroyed, it cannot adequately compensate you for things with a more personal value (your grandmother's antique teapot collection for example), nor will you ever truly recover from the psychological damage suffered as a result of the violation or your personal space. If a thief wants your stuff, they will get it no matter what you do to hide it. To prevent them, you may have to never leave your home, always keep a large caliber hand gun with you, and not be afraid to use it. The family of the deceased felon may want you charged with 2nd-degree murder and the jury may be dumb enough to convict you (while secretly being very happy that their neighborhood is now a safer place because of your actions). I forgot where I was going with this, but if that's the state of society who wants to go on living anyway. Hell that got dark in a hurry.
Or leave some valuables in plain sight. They'll take what they easily find and ignore hiding places. Yes...you lose some. But you don't lose all. If they can't find valuables easily they will tear the place up looking.
@@johnchestnut5340 "if they just leave this jewelry and cash out, they must have some really good stuff hiding. Let's torture them and find it" congrats. You just killed your family.
Agree with documenting what you have for insurance purposes. Walk around with a camera and get clear video of model#'s and serial#'s. Make sure you are in the video too. Otherwise the insurance company WILL claim you lived in an empty house. And it is your job to prove them wrong. This applies to any type of claim for property loss.
Many of these ideas are useless for the pro burglar. But most are not pros. Often we see drug addicts trying to be burglars, or someone you let into your house trying to be a sneak-thief -- e.g. the electrician or phone company repair person -- and putting things out of sight is the best way to discourage impulse-thefts.
One thing to keep in mind is that virtually everyone who has books pushes them all the way to the back of the bookshelves, and books vary in the width of their pages and covers, which means that their depths on the shelf are varied. The bindings are not all the same distance from the back wall of the bookcase. So a multi-book safe would look more natural if it were made with staggered bindings.
Year's ago I had to go away for a few weeks for work, I put my cash under the bottom drawer in the kitchen. Some years later while redecorating I found a several hundred dollars under the bottom drawer and realised that I had totally forgotten I had hidden the money there.
I offered to loan my sister $ 1000 , which she was too proud to accept. I put it in an envelope under my mattress , waiting to take back to deposit in bank. Anyhoo... At least 6 months later, flipping mattress to air and find the $$$😂
Decades ago my grandparents went out of the country for business. They were gone about a year and while they were away their house was burglarized. Jewelry, cash, etc was stolen. A police report was filed and an insurance claim. A year or so later they took down the drapes and my grandmother found that she had sewn the really valuable jewelry in the curtain hem. Not sure if they reported the discovery to the insurance company. 🤔
...and when you suddenly die, most (if not all) of your treasure ends up at a Goodwill donation collection site (or the dump), where the dedicated employees will secretly thank your relatives who all pulled together to clean out your house and garage. The stuff under the floorboards, well, the new homeowner might find some of that when they do the inevitable remodel.
Here's a hint-Purchase old vintage furniture that would take 6 men to move...with dresser drawers that, if a potential thief did manage to pull one out, he's going home with smashed toes.
I bought a safe and put dirty underwear in it. I put valuables someplace else but if anyone ever breaks into my house they're going to spend time trying to get into the safe.
Put a bunch of metal washers and hard paper in it, so if the shake it, it will sound like money. And as much other heavy stuff as possible, because they can only carry so much, and will leave other things, they would have taken.
Have old photo, negatives in small safe and it is never locked. Worst case, they would do in out looking for valuables. But then they cannot steal what you do not have.
Do NOT put a hard drive in a paint can that you are going to hammer close. Both fine mechanical and electrical solders really do not like the short shocks induced by hammering.
I leave my doors unlocked and don’t own anything that would be valuable to a stranger. If they need food, a coat, a book to read, they are welcome. I have peace of mind which is the most precious thing of all, and I won’t forget where I put it!
I drive an old beat up vehicle for the same reason. I live in a place where burglary isnt very high but car theft and people breaking in cars is thru the roof. My car is mechanically sound, but 20 years old and has body damage and isnt a valuable or easily stolen model, no stereo at all. Ive seen nearly every car on my block get hit, but mine and 2 others. All old, no stereo.
The key (pun intended) is to find a hiding place/method that is easily memorable, but inconvenient. Like behind something that you might have to break to retrieve it. Or have to reach awkwardly, or even kneel or lay on the ground to get it. After all, if a thief is determined to get your stuff, he will. But most would just as soon choose an easier target. So the first step to not getting your stuff stolen is to NOT make it obvious you have stuff worth stealing.
I once used to use a similar method in my previous home. I got an empty Godiva metal chocolate box about 1"x1.5"x3", put my spare house key into it, wrapped the box in a sealed polythene bag, and then buried it half a foot deep in the soil right next to a certain fence post. And then I kept a small shovel hidden in a nearby flowerpot so I wouldn't have to mess up my hands digging.
As a geocacher for ten years, I can assure you that gluing a rock to a pill bottle and hiding it in your garden is a terrible idea. There is no such thing as a waterproof pill bottle. They all leak and eventually whatever you put in it will be a mess. I have found thousands of pill bottle geocaches that were left outside, and they are fine for a while, but they do not last. Water seeps in, critters chew on them. Eventually they all get gross; they get wet, and ants get into them. If you really want to be sure you don't lose your key, don't use key locks. For thirty-five years we have used pushbutton locks and they work very well. We would never go back to key locks.
To be fair an alloy or aluminium or stainless key which is what most keys are made of would be completely fine in the container. I understand your point of moisture but geocaching has a log book made of paper a key is metal won't matter if it gets wet
"Get in and get out. 3 minutes max." Anything is better than nothing. I know a lot of smart people will have better ideas, but it depends on who your "clientele" is. I don't care what you hide or where you hide it, it can be found. It will be a friend or family who will rob you.
Also leave out decoys, stuff that isn't valuable but looks valuable. Buy some cheap not working laptops, or some costume jewelry and keep that in a jewelry box on the dresser and hide the good stuff, burglars are usually in a hurry and will take what they find quick. Always leave a $5 bill on the table with a note that says, 'back in a minute, be sure to feed the dog'.
You're foolish if you think these are new ideas. Every one of them has been around for many decades, and all were taught in print long before the Internet was ever thought of.
The hollowed out books and/or book safes should be in titles that no one would ever think of pulling off a shelf. An especially good one is, "The Collected Humor Of Al Gore".
If you ever been robbed you know that most will rip your place apart. If you’re hiding something it better not open up if it’s thrown around. Plus they know the places that honest people use to hide things. Keep safe…
That was my thought. Your bookcase contents go on the floor. The picture, paintings, mirrors get ripped off the walls. Burglars not as dumb as people think they are. And they know all about those flag/coffee table/nightstand compartments, and tactical walls faux mantles lol.
After my brother's ex girlfriend made yet another fake police report against him, (very long story) the police searched thru the house and found my late father's hidden stash of valuables my mom knew nothing about. She remembered that stuff existed, but considered them lost. Good thing he was having just the regular stuff there and not the weapons. If there were weapons, my brother would have been in a big trouble.
... or you can do what my first wife did many years ago. When we left the home for a few days to visit her parents, she hid all her expensive jewelry (including 1000's of dollars of gold chains) in the pocket of crappy old coat that she figured no-one would take a second look at it. Then she forgot she had hidden them there and gave the old coat to a thrift store.
The average burgular is probably smarter in locating loot than the average person is in hiding it. That is why I store valuables in a bank safe box, except emergency cash which I keep in a second bank account known only to my daughter and me and identified in my will kept by my attorney. If you want to keep "cash" in your bank safe box, buy from a reputable dealer some gold coins that are graded and have about half their cost in gold metal and the other half as collectibility premium. Every one should have a bank safe box for important documents. Usually, there is surplus space for a few collictible coins.
Warning: During hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the towers went down. Anything in the bank was not available for over 3 weeks. Also bank cards do not work without towers. You HAVE to have cash. Many people traded the jewelry they were wearing for water. For a bottle of water. Cash is king.
For the rock and bottle, make sure NOT to put it near your termite bait stations since you will have a technician out near those often as they check them for activity.
Man, these are the most unimaginative ideas you could have possibly come up with. Really, a hollowed out book, brand new idea. So good let’s do it over and over. Oh, and I know, let’s make the next one even bigger. And behind a picture! Wow.
Electrical box. Install a plastic electrical junction box in the wall, at about the height of other electrical outlets. Cover it with a blank cover plate. AC vent. Remove an AC vent cover. Put whatever you want in there. Replace the vent cover.
I’m going to start opening old paint cans I find at the dump. The worst place to hide things is inside something people are going to throw away without opening, like paint cans, trash bags, etc., because if someone is helping you clean they are going to toss those things!
The best hiding spots are: a safe deposit box down at the bank; a large, heavy safe bolted into a floor or wall; hidden paneling or flooring in the house - Make sure a trusted family member knows about this so the house is not sold along with those items; an outdoor safe - these are nice as you can access them even if the house is sold.
Lenny Bruce used to say the best place to hide drugs was inside live power outlets or switches. He said the "narcos" didn't like to poke around anywhere there was "juice.'
A friend of mine 'hid' some gold chains and bracelets in the lining of his living room curtains. He said the weight of the gold made the curtains 'hang better', much like the lead weights or big coins people use to weigh down drapery. Six months later he sold the house, including the curtains and carpets in the sale and totally forgot to retrieve his £3000 worth of hidden gold.
He called the buyer of his house months later, explained his predicament and asked if he could get his gold back. The buyers had took all the curtains down and donated them to a charity shop. His living room curtains were really long, old-fashioned floral things which the charity shop said probably wouldn't sell, but they'd use them as dust sheets in their warehouse. Anyway, my friend, as a last hope, visited the charity shop and his long, ugly curtains were hanging over a rail with the other not-so-ugly curtains. He didn't have the nerve to go searching for his hidden gold in the linings, so he bought them and took them home. Guess what...the gold chains and bracelets were still in the linings after many months. £3000 worth of! He was delighted, and relieved in equal measure! The curtains were redonated and returned to the charity shop and are to this day probably still there, gathering dust but a few ounces lighter in the metallic content.😅
Nice fake story.
@@bc_usa What would the motivation for that be?
@@bc_usa the fact that lame youtube comments exist doesn't mean that all youtube comments are lame.
Great story! It's good to hear that sometimes things really do work out to the good, even when we mess up.
@@bc_usa Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on my 'story'. I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to share your thoughts. I appreciate you truly. I acknowledge that, in this busy World of ours, where time is valuable, you gifted my story a few precious seconds. This touches my heart and restores my faith in humanity. I wish you all good things in your life and will forever hold dear the connection you and I made through the very magic of the Internets. Awesomeness. True. 😉
My dad was a sheriff's deputy for many years. He told me one thing a lot of thieves do is toss all the bookshelves looking for stuff hidden behind the books.
As a ex thief i agree. I also look in the freezer and ice cube trays for diamond rings and cash etc.
@@henrybourdon6712 You'd sure be disappointed in my apartment; not only do I not have any up to date electronics, nor jewelry (hate wearing it), nor cash, but I don't even make ice cubes nor ice of any kind! 😁
@@jb6712 Yes i would never think of breaking into an apartment because if a person can not afford a house nothing in an apartment would be worth the risk to valuable ratio. Just saying! Other than expensive hotel's that resemble small high end apartments , then one would risk climbing up the balcony for expensive objects to "borrow".
Yeah. When my Grandmother died one my cousins (pretty sure it was him), now deceased himself, searched through all her books for money. He didn't know that her money was iced into the back of her freezer wrapped in aluminum foil and plastic, labeled meatloaf, dated 5 years before she died. After my Aunt and I found the mess he left in Grammy's apartment, I told her where the money was and let her chisel it out.
@@Foolish188 That's wild. Sounds like Grandma was a pretty crafty lady!
The best genius hiding spot anywhere is the one that is NOT talked about on social media!!!
loo i was thinking the same..all the would be intruders home invasionist and cops know exactly where to look
That's the one I use. 😎
there are none. not really. You hide it based on trying to lower chances - nothing more. To secure it, buy a safe, properly install (concrete and bolts) and have it in a tight fit area so someone would have difficulty working on it. Other than that, safe deposit box.
Hillary Clinton's nether regions? "To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before."
Exactly!
I once woke up to a thief in my house searching for money...I quickly got up and started helping.
This would be me too! I sometimes joke to my girlfriend that a thief would leave us something out of pity!
😆
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You guys too?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The way you hit the keys under that Little Rock was pretty clever but most of the other methods don't really seem that good. The hollowed-out book and the safe behind a picture on a wall are the oldest tricks in the book, no pun intended.
Spend less than 100, replace it to a keypad where you get alert whenever someone opens the door. It even locks itself after too many attempts.
Chances of those valuables ever being stolen from a the back of a wardrobe 1%
Chances of those valuables eventually being thrown away with the other paint tins 99%
Well once the stuff inside the paint can rattles around when you lift it up you probably are going to look inside ;-)
Whole family has to be in on it. “Hey dad! Give me $50 - I cleaned out the garage and gave a bunch of old books! to poor kids.”
@Tom absolutely.
LOL! Professional burglars will tell you, the first place they go is the master bedroom. The closet, wardrobe and dressers is where most people hide their valuables. Guns, coins, jewelry etc. They will rip clothes down to look for safes and other hidden items.
Chances of you coming home and finding open paint cans and paint all over the floor because your local burglar watched this video is? ........ I have no idea.
It’s super easy to hide things….but it’s impossible to remember where you hid them all…
not at all... mail to yourself a registered letter telling yourself where you hid all of the stash... and keep it with your regular mails ...but DON'T open it until you need it.... If you find the envelope opened ..... you have problems then
I write it in my notes on my phone
Some times you don't hide them but socks will stick to blue jeans or other clothing on the inside so may not find them when they are in the laundry. They can also fall off dresser or table and get stuck between that and bed.
@@mikemasters4382 lost or stolen phone.... maybe a note in the safe deposit box, or in an email you save.
My sister pasted a few years ago and she had hid her expensive jewelry "somewhere". She told no one where her special hiding place is and as a consequence it has not been found. It's always wise to leave a message in your important papers where you secured your belongings.
I kept my spare house key on my wolf/german shepherd. Never a problem as he hated strangers.
That's actually genius, and i'll prolly do that because i have one of those "big scary" dogs
Brilliant!
We had a husky mix. Dad had one rule.
When us girls were home alone overnight THE DOG COMES INTO THE HOUSE AND NO BOYFRIENDS!
Genius!🐕🐕🐕
Good one
After my grandpa died, my grandma gave me all his old clothes because I was about his size. I dutifully accepted them, though I had no intention of ever wearing anything. Before I took them all to a resale shop, I went through the pockets and found $300.00 in the pocket of a one-piece, powder blue Leisuresuit from the 70s. Look it up. It was fabulous!
P.S. I gave the $300 to my grandma. 🙂
You should have worn the suit to grandma's house and found the money in front of her.
Never put all your valuables in one hiding place, have several different places in different rooms or outdoor places. Then if your house gets broken into you won’t lose everything.
That's probably the smartest comment in this entire video.
Very good idea!
I hid some money in a jacket pocket in my wardrobe. Years later I found it when having a clear out. It made my day as I was broke at the time.
Im tied, I read this as you hid stuff in a jacket potato in the wardrobe.
I hid 100 bucks in my High School yearbook. I found it 15 years later after I found it in a box. Woo--Hoo!!!!
I found $500 rolled up in a big floral wall hanging I got it at a thrift store months prior . It was New Years and I bought goodies yea !!!
I was cleaning out from under my bed last year and in a cassette case I found $300. Made my day! I was broke!
I opened a large storage container I'd forgotten about and found $72 million dollars in cash. Made my day.
When i used to keep snakes as pets I used to stash valuables inside a fake rock and keep it in their enclosure
That's fine, but for extra security you could get a decent sized rat, have it eat a key, have the snake eat the rat and there you go. Spare house key inside of your snake. Oh shit wait - you keep your snake in your backyard right?
Lmao
I like that idea!
I used to give my money to my ex wife, never saw it again 🤣🤣🤣
that's a good one unless they took the whole snake habitat!
now i just need some valuables
Great reverse psychology, so nobody will come looking for your valuables 👍
Right? Whenever I have any extra cash, I give it to Bezos for cases of canned beans and tuna.
i said that once, now i forgot where i put them ... dont bother hahahahahahhaha
I know of this one house with all kindsa great hiding places you can go to steal their swag....;
You’re spot-on!
My thoughts, exactly! 🤣
The importance of an actual safe: 1. water protection in case of a flood; 2. fire protection in case of a home fire. 3. large capacity to put in computers, cameras, not just small items. I loved your Do It Yourself wall safe with framed art in front of it! Beautiful job installing this. Again, my only concern, such a safe is not deep so I can't put in larger items. Thanks so much, very cute ending to video!
Just a warning though "fire safe" safes may not actually protect your items. The interior of them, although the fire itself may not get thru, may get up to 500-800° in a bad house fire. That probably wont bother jewelry. But its def enough to destroy electronics and important papers or cash. If you have important documents, keep them in an off site safe deposit box like you can get at a bank.
Put it in the safe in the cage in the panic room safe!
Its just the 2 by 4s holding the safe, you could cut through both of them in less than 2 minutes. I'd limit the contents of that safe. A concrete basement floor is a much more secure location
Your hiding place under a kitchen drawer reminded me of my great-grandmother, who married her sweetheart in secret and then went to her family home to wait for a good moment to tell everyone. She thumbtacked the marriage license up inside the cupboard under the kitchen sink, where it was eventually found by a plumber.
If you want to hide your valuables, just fill your house with mostly junk until there is nothing but junk piles with tunnels like hoarders do. Thieves will have a very challenging time finding anything valuable enough to be worth stealing amongst all the useless junk and just leave disgusted. Works for my dad, lol.
That's what I do.
Hahaha clever!
A water tight container in a fish tank works great also ;)
Works for my dad made me lol.
Yea hiding in a messy storage room,I've done that
So excited to see this and then realized I have nothing to hide 😞
Only the food the starving people want. Nov 2021.....😲😨
Well find something to hide
That's the best way to hide things, tell everyone you have nothing 😏
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣I'm so sorry
Me too!!
"Look honey, I cleaned out the garage for you. I even got rid of all those paint cans of yours".
If you're not trying to hide stuff from your wife, it is best to let her know where you hid stuff from burglars. Otherwise this could easily happen.
And let your trusted next of kin know to look inside that rusted old cooler box in the attic
Years ago I have read a newspaper story of this kind. 200 000$ if I remember correctly... Should have used a bank.
Well , I completed all the projects , now all I need is a couple of gold bars , some cash and jewelry, and I am good to go 🤓🤓🤓
That was really funny. 😄
ALWAYS put a stash of valuables in a place commonly used (MASTER BED ROOM CLOSET). SACRIFICE a $1000 in cash, get a large CZ solitaire in a substantial ring box, put a valuable watch inside, String of pearls, sliver spoons, baby shoes, photos, altered birth certificates, make altered copies of bonds, etc. Silver coins. Go to a flea market and purchase coin collection or a stamp album. Family photos (they don't have to be yours). Put as much in it as you have elsewhere, just faux. The best $1200 you will ever loose. In the case of a home invasion that is the space you reluctantly reveal.
@b. walker5955
This is pure genius! Like having a junk wallet with chump change. After cleaning@et's hope they're good enough to let you go!
These are all great ideas, but you are probably forgetting the most important thing - people (mostly older people) often forget where they hid their valuables. So the second tip is to always email yourself (or a trusted family member) a photo or note that can remind you/them where the valuables are hidden. Maybe set up an email folder for Important House Stuff. You hear too many stories of people accidentally donating or throwing away "useless" stuff not realizing that just gave away the family jewels.
I prefer "old school" "scramble coding" the information to a trusted family member or friend in a registered letter.. Any actual financial information I never leave in a computer. Already had one stolen from me, and with todays "hacking" who knows what hackers can read in your personal files.. A close relative of mine was the victim of a home invasion and ended up zip tied to a lightpost after the thieves took all that they could through the ATM..Some say it was an inside job because he had just received a settlement payment but who knows.. right?
I hid some jewelers and i could not find it for a year. So now I email location to my son in a different town.
When my nan died my mother was going through all her stuff then off to thre charity shop. She checked all the pockets and in the lining she found £800 engagement ring. 18ct gold and 3 diamonds...that was back in the 70s......Oh one more thing if you find a big tin of chocolates and they were in the old nans wardrobe don't eat them. 😝 ( mothball flavour anyone)
If an older person can't remember then I am quit sure he/she has no clue what e-mailing means
@@kevinrehberg8758 Def an inside job lol
Something you could do with the paint cans is add a heavy rock or weight in the bottom of the can and put your valuables or whatever you are hiding; then add foam padding inside to make sure if it's accidentally moved it will feel and sound like a regular can of paint with no tin sounds from stuff bouncing around inside of it.
Even better, put your valuables in waterproof bag and dunk it in the paint. No one would dare to fish around real paint.
"Honey, I threw out all those old paint cans. They were so heavy!"
@@odomisan not good, paint is basically water so most valuables you wouldn’t want wet. Even a sturdy plastic bag wouldn’t hold up over time. Plus, most ppl want their valuables at least somewhat accessible. That sounds more like a literal version of freezing your assets! Lol
Can even pour a thin layer of the same color paint over your sealed, padded items, so it really looks like it inside.
@@larsonfamilyhouse speaking of freezing your assets, there are people that go through estates after old people die and the freezer is one of the places you want to check for stuff because they have found cards frozen in blocks of ice and little baggies of bills at the bottom of ice trays.
My first step would be to get some items that are actually worth stealing.
😂 Right.
I have two safes in my home. I keep a gun safe and a floor safe. I do live in an apartment but there are almost 2 feet of space between my floor and the ceiling below me. The beautiful aspect of keeping two safes is everybody thinks I keep my valuables in the gun safe and think that is my only safe. I do find these hiding places interesting, but the BEST way to hide something is to use deception and have people looking in spots where there is nothing at all. I will also HIGHLY disagree with that hidden key thing. I have seen people walk and kick rocks looking for them. I don't recommend ANYBODY keep a hidden key within 50 feet of their doors!
Grandpa used to keep a hidden key in one of those (obvious) fake rocks, and another hidden key above a door. Funny part was that neither key went to anything he still had. His idea was that anyone looking for a hidden key would find one of those and, upon realizing it didn't work, figure the locks had been changed and nobody had replaced the old key. His actual hidden key in case he got locked out or if we came over and needed to get in was in the old shed out back, in a spot that would take someone a bit of time to get to, since they would have to move everything from a lawn mower to some old bikes to boxes of old Christmas decorations, before they could even reach it. (And he's long-since passed, and the property sold, so I'm not giving away his secret now.)
And you just told the Internet about it. Good going, giving your name along with your comment.
Yep I got tipped off I had stalkers found the old keys from my rekeys all dumped out , they had been trying them on the house, it's welll over 150 ft from house
Now we all know where you hide things ,thanks
Of course a crook (if they had the time) is going to lok for the fake rock keys,
I'd hide them in an impossible to find/figure out place like inside hedges, nowhere near the door. Or better yet, in a neighbors' yard (if you're cool with them)
if crooks found a key, it would be to the wrong house!
6:20 she flipped that gold bar like it was a little gold painted cardboard box ! LoL 😂
Good one!
#5: When I worked in a charity shop I always checked the back and underside of any drawers even though it was supposed to be done by others. Paid off a few times, the best being over £100 in £20s in a jewellery cabinet. No way of getting back to the donor as it hadn't been donated under a scheme we have in the UK called Gift Aid.
You could have helped the poor with it
a friend works in a factory that cuts open and recycles mattresses , they have found wads of cash a few times.
@@elizabethiloveelohim137 so right, people with bad intentions have excuses for bad behavior
@@elizabethiloveelohim137 Maybe he did help the poor by keeping it. It appears he worked a low wage non-profit job.
I worked as a driver for a charity and was stunned at the valuables some people gave me, saying that it was either for the charity or the bin!
Just leave the valuables by a pile of job applications. They'll never look there.
Oh snap! Lol
@@jeffdude6088 Like that one.
or inside a pair of work boots.
Or inside a can of Comet cleanser
Hide your valuable in work boots and they will never find it too.
My problem is that I would forget “what” I “hid” where. Hahaha
Then it is a good hiding spot.
What's with the quotations? Is whatever you hid not real? And is it not actually hidden? That's some pretty slick psychology there, partner.
If I put something in a "special" spot, it's usually lost FOREVER!! I know I just need to get organized, but I NEVER get around to doing it!!
If you live in a location that experiences low outside temperatures, don't remove the insulation in an outside wall and replace it with an un-insulated wall safe unless you want to open it and find water inside (or even ice) ruining everything inside the safe due to condensation during the cold days/months of the year. It's better to install the safe in an interior wall. And, unless it is fire resistant/proof, don't put anything in it that you don't want destroyed if your house burns down -- use a safe-deposit box instead.
I put my wedding ring on a wreath hanging on my wall when I left for vacation. It took me 6 months to remember where I put it.
I wrapped cash around the glass bottle of a thermos and screwed the bottom back on--it works great!
Thanks, I now know 7 hiding places never to use, because everybody knows about them! Appreciate your post! 👍👍👍👍
thanks for taking drugs.
Obviously, you've never read anything deeper than a comic book if you don't realize these ideas have ALL been around for many decades, and some of them for more than a hundred years! There's not one thing he showed that's new; he just gave the same advice and hiding places that Popular Science magazine gave way back in the 1950's, and many women's home magazines gave at least 100 years ago, probably more.
A thug watching this video: "Humm next time I'll rob books, fake plants and empty paint cans..."
That's what those thugs are busy with: they watch RUclips hacks.
Love how Daughter just strolls in and helps herself...just like mine!
Good video, thanks
Number one priority is don't let them get into your house.
Fit good quality doors and windows with strong hinges and many locking points. They don't want to hang around to be seen forcing a door. I have no large opening windows downstairs.
Fit an infra red motion detector outside with a light or alarm.
Fit a burglar alarm indoors.
Make things hard for them at the rear of the house by fitting tall gates and fencing. I have a lockable six foot steel vertical bar gate. Grease the top to deter them climbing over.
Exactly! I have only a couple of inexpensive valuables but I’m adding windows bars and door metal reinforcers so I don’t have to deal with a creep breaking in my house..
@@CatsAreNiceMeow Yes, make them look for an easier target elsewhere. I did these at the rear for home security but also to keep my motorbike secure, in a shed out of the weather and not instantly visible.
@@bill-2018 Sone people say some criminals can be enticed thinking you have things in your house if you put up window bars but I think most all would not bother finding a way to disassemble them. The ones I’m putting up will be made professionally so they will be even tougher to disassemble.
@@CatsAreNiceMeow Yes, keep them out.
Big dogs work very well
You have to be careful with things under mattress, on shelve (including books) planters and drawers. The first things they do is take out drawers and empty them, clear shelves so loose items will fall out and generally ram sack the place to find hidden objects.
And you know this how?
It's "ransack", and with a name like "Shockley" you should KNOW that.
I agree, these tricks are for keeping stuff from the average person. A professional thief knows about this. When the cops search your house, they tear it to pieces if they don't find something right away. Even rip out the drywall. Best not to keep anything they're looking for anywhere near your property.
@@johnkirby6700 -- The best hiding places are in plain sight.
Especially in Los Angeles! Their Quarterback gets Ram sacked in almost every game...
Note: Make a map of all these hiding spaces and seal it in an envelope and give to someone you trust to open upon your death. If something happens to you, these things may get thrown out.
The map could be made into gps or self assigned numerical coordinates. No drawing, just numbers. The area code or any set of numbers can be the room number in a mental that makes sense to you. Put the whole thing as fake phone numbers and names, or email addresses, or any combination into your phone.
A friend died unexpectedly; we knew he had a safe deposit box at the bank. We FINALLY found the key hidden in the hem of his bedroom curtains!
Reminds me of trying to coax the hiding spots from my father after he developed dementia. I'm sure I missed items that will never be found until the house is demolished.
@Bobby Baucom ...often old keys were used as weights in curtain hems if they were too sheer and to help them hang properly
@@Wguy56 That's why everyone should make a "If I die..." pack, given to someone you trust, with info that would be needed in the event.
Pro-tip; make sure you are sober when you hide your stuff, otherwise you wind up doing an Easter Egg hunt to find your stuff.
I hope I remember this comment when I sober up! 🍺
I hope you don't die and books get tossed, furniture gets sold etc....hint..write it down or tell one person
You too!?
@@rmd8873 I'm just commenting to help - hope you're sober now.
@@CONEHEADDK Kind person, I spoke in jest. Peace
appreciate the video.. That said.. you have to distinguish between the quick and quiet burglar and the burglar that tosses your place. Many of the things mentioned here are probably fine if you are expecting a "cat burglar" that sneaks in with a flashlight and looks through your home... In reality most burglars wait until you are just leaving your house (ensuring them some time) and they literally toss your house. They pull out and flip every drawer, pull down any books on bookshelves and knock pictures off of the wall. All of that can be done in about 5 minutes in a normal sized house. And that for the most part would negate all of the hiding places except the rock outside. So I'd kind of stay away from hollowed out books, things taped to drawer backs and safes behind paintings. The rock one was very good though and I did like the paint can idea.. I'd probably put some bubble wrap or foam in it so that it doesn't rattle.
If you have lots of rocks, use one of those plant tags that identify your plants and put it next to the hidden bottle with the rock on so you know which one it is.
Best place for long term is to pull up a bit of carpet at the corner, cut out a piece of the floorboard between the joists and you can then simply hide your stuff under the floor in a box, container or whatever. even if burglars gutted the place they're extremely unlikely they'll ever pull the carpets up.
For short term, while you're away for example, hide stuff in the washing machine with a few clothes over the top. It's the last place they would look and one of the last things that's likely to be stolen.
great idea-plant name tag!!!
Well it was the last place but now they know so it’ll be the first place 😂
nice washing machine might get stolen... but def it would be the first place that you forget that you hid things in, you put some more clothes on top and start program.
The people who broke in my parents' house pull all the books out to the floor so I guess the book tricks are well known. Same as the paint. If you keep a spare key outside, I would leave it far away from the door because they'll look around in close areas.
Good points! I feel like I can't actually use the first 6 because my video is on RUclips, but the wall safe is really nice to have :)
If i ever get into the robbing thing...I'll remember to bring a portable reciprocating saw (or a big dude and hammer) to remove those two flimsy studs and just carry the safe out. Good knowledge to have just in case lol
@@Flav_M You would have to switch off the breaker because you could get zapped pretty bad if you hit a wire. Most burglars won't stay longer than a few minutes in the place, they'll go as fast as possible to the most obvious valuable things. If you give them a bit of trouble, they usually don't stay around trying to figure it out. Books are easy to pull out of the shelves and a quick look on the floor will show a hollow one. If the book stays closed though, they probably won't see it in a rapid glance.
I planted 10 fake keys. They found and tried them all.
@@hillaryclinton2415 Were the keys to Bill's chastity belt? I know who my first suspect would be. 🙄
I found a perfect hiding place for my valuables... I know because my nephew, who has been in and out of rehab MANY times and has a rap sheet longer than Webster's dictionary, came to visit. He knew I had some heirloom jewelry and went looking for it while I was out (it was quite obvious that he had looked). He never found it. It was in a baggie taped onto the top of the exposed duct-work in the basement (There were spiders down there!). I've moved since then and have it in an even better (IMO) place now.
That is where I hid my Playboy mags years ago!
The big question is why a person would allow a career criminal with a drug habit to enter their home?
@@doghouseriley4662 My question exactly!
@@doghouseriley4662 Exactly what I was thinking!
I love how he says "no one can tell." (All except for the 350K people who include home thieves.
'xzactly!
Thieves are not going to take time to search through every book and fake plant. Speed is of the essence and they will check the usual places that they find things of value, where MOST people leave them.
They won't check every rock. Unless the special one stands out, they probably won't find it.
you just told all crooks where to hide in the house-now they can come rob my house-thanks for being dumb
@@charleslytle7529 We have over a thousand books and one holds my back up drive. Even after watching this video they are not going to search every book just in case I also saw the same video. NO crook will look for a rock in a rockery. However, the safe behind a large painting is in almost every crime film so that is a little obvious. Most crooks are the dumb ones and want to be out ASAP so just look, as mentioned above, in the obvious places.
Lived in houston texas kelsey rae ct..called cops told me response time about 8 minutes so hide things that takes longer.. Got a care package to never go to atm at night. dont get gas at night.. If you get a flat drive to police station.. welcome to houston.... Still cracks me up.. but honest..
I actually hide all my valuables in a really good hiding spot outside my house. It’s such a good spot I doubt anyone could find it.
Little known fact: Most burglars are only there because they hope to find love letters to Whitney Houston.
What ??? Your kidding right???
made me Laugh
Whenever I want to hide something from my wife, I put it in the oven. 😜
Lol
@@paulv7217 My wife hates to cook hahahahaha
I bet she hides it in the washing machine.
@@aldunlop4622 That wouldn't work in my house I want my laundry done right so I do it myself
Did you literally mic drop after you typed that? Lol
Rent a safe deposit box and keep a list of your stash places there along with your will and important papers.
^^^ This
(Although you could just keep that stuff in the box.)
@@TheRealScooterGuy Well, that would be the best place, but with some things you have to have them available frequently and the bank isn't always open for the SDB.
Don't keep your will in your safe deposit box. The bank freezes the box when you die. It will take a court order to drill open that box. Keep your will at home. And a copy with the lawyer or the executor.
@@user-hm5zb1qn6g Exactly. We left copies with the executor and two of our grown children as there are no surprises in the Will, but your comment makes me want to verify with the bank what the drill is. The point is to keep a copy of your stash places. I used to keep my few valuable pieces of jewelry in a hollowed out book on the shelf with an extensive book collection, but then realized (a) I might become so addled I forget which book and (b) the kids will probably cart all the books off to the thrift store without looking in any of them. :(
@@wyominghome4857 That's what would surely happen at my house, too. I'd probably go into maniac cleanup mode and things would get tossed, including all these goofy hiding places. I have a safe deposit box for my valuables. Nobody's breaking into that climate-controlled bank vault and nobody's accidentally throwing out my stuff.
The hollow metal post of a chain link fence has a cap held on by friction. It can be driven off by blows applied to an upward-angled screwdriver. Then a soft drink can or plastic bottle with its top removed and a metal bail attached can be lowered down. To retrieve, a hook from a modified coat hanger can be used to snag the bail.
Quite a few years ago, we bought a large deceased estate house on a very large lot, sort of on a hill overlooking the city, that had been sitting dormant for many years. There were no traceable relatives, so the government got the proceeds from the auction. We researched the history of the home ourselves and also employed a private investigator. It had been owned by a wealthy family that had all passed away one by one.
We thoroughly cleaned the house and the separate garage and began to renovate, starting by removing all the internal doors and taking them into the garage for a total stripping and refurbishing. The taller and larger than normal solid timber doors each had a very well made internal cavity ( at the top ) that contained galvanised boxes, 18'' X 1½'' X 24'' deep, and were a very firm fit, so that if the doors were slammed, there'd be no rattle. The top covers were a tight timber inlay that had one screw at each end, which, when the screws were backed out a little, freed the cover allowing access to remove the boxes, obviously made by a true craftsman, they were barely noticeable - the screw heads were less than a ¼'' wide and hidden by a timber plug.
There were 15 doors and the boxes were not at all empty, most of the contents were wrapped in material to facilitate a firm fit and to prevent any rattling.
So what did you find!? This is the best story ever!
Very clever, that's upstairs for thinking, downstairs for dancing.
All that blather to say....what???? By no means are houses built that way today, so that was utterly useless!
@@jb6712 Most internal doors in houses are hollow today, so it's even easier to do what the op is describing.
I guess you're cranky because your hiding place just got revealed.
@@jb6712 Clearly and sadly you have an intellectual handicap and so are unable to grasp the concept that any door may be modified to achieve the same result.
Deriding other people's ideas or relevant comments are indicitive of my earlier assessment.
It is a shame that I cannot post a cartoon-like diagram that perhaps would be easier for you to visualize and then apply to your situation - perhaps when you actually get your very own door that you're able to modify without getting permission to do so.
update - he later discovered that one of the books he cut up was a rare first edition that is worth over $175,000 .
actually or just jokes
@@anthonyperez2289 just kidding .
Great Video clip! Excuse me for the intrusion, I would love your initial thoughts. Have you researched - Mahorrla Defence Wisdom Method (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now)? It is a great one of a kind product for securing your home from danger minus the headache. Ive heard some decent things about it and my cooworker at very last got astronomical success with it.
@Sirios Star
LOL good one.
Salaam to you and to all.
I don’t recommend the envelope on the back of the drawer. My house was robbed, and the burglars took out every drawer and dumped them out.
Yeah. It sucks getting robbed as is. Imagine the additional humiliation of them knowing my confessed love for whitney.
So rape alarms and pepper spray booby traps then?
Happened to me too. Stole everything but my work boots.
@@asktheetruscans9857 that’s just opposite for me ! All my 50 shoes, clothes and kitchen GONE !!
Yeah, and every book off of every shelf.
Interesting but: first, putting stuff in "empty" containers. A family member is looking for paint, finds the "empty" container, and helpfully throws it out (happened to us with some valuable stuff). Second, this is why burglars tear a place up; they figure that you have hidden stuff somewhere and just tear the place up. Worth reading: Edgar Alan Poe, "The Purloined Letter" a great short story on hiding (and finding) valuable stuff.
Where would one hide 15 boxes of classified papers? Asking for a friend.
In a bathroom next to the toilet?
No? 😀
I worked in an apartment building for many years. When we painted a place, we always removed things instead of taping and painting around them. A great hiding place was behind the stove/oven unit. We had a game going on where I would remove a medicine cabinet from the bathroom wall that fit between the wall studs. Behind it was a cavity where things could be hidden. Remove 4 screws, the mirrored cabinet came out easily. The game was to hide insulting notes, filthy pictures, someone's car keys, with the date on it and see which one of the helpers would find it first. One time I found what I thought was a rubber glove decayed and stuck together with my name on the note. Nope, it was a several year old pile of condoms. Who the hell removes a medicine cabinet or a stove/oven unit when they rob a home?
Your post made me think of a similar story that happened in France, I dont remember the place but here it is. They were renovating the floor of an old church and upon removing the floor planks they noticed writing on the underside. The writings were a chronicle of the small village that related the lives of the villagers. One story stuck out, it was about about a baby born from an affair that was , buried in secret.
The first thing I would steel would be that cool Star Wars picture!
Where my kitchen cabinets meet in the corner is an open/hidden place. With a screw attached up inside I can hang a small bag for silver/gold/whatever.
If burglary is your main concern, you're probably better off leaving your valuables out in plain view in the hopes that the thieves will just take them and leave. That's what insurance is for (be sure to keep proof of what you had just in case they try to get out of paying). While insurance can pay for items stolen or destroyed, it cannot adequately compensate you for things with a more personal value (your grandmother's antique teapot collection for example), nor will you ever truly recover from the psychological damage suffered as a result of the violation or your personal space.
If a thief wants your stuff, they will get it no matter what you do to hide it. To prevent them, you may have to never leave your home, always keep a large caliber hand gun with you, and not be afraid to use it. The family of the deceased felon may want you charged with 2nd-degree murder and the jury may be dumb enough to convict you (while secretly being very happy that their neighborhood is now a safer place because of your actions). I forgot where I was going with this, but if that's the state of society who wants to go on living anyway. Hell that got dark in a hurry.
Nah. You started dark. You wanted to sound clever by taking into account things that others shy away from. Textbook.
Or leave some valuables in plain sight. They'll take what they easily find and ignore hiding places. Yes...you lose some. But you don't lose all. If they can't find valuables easily they will tear the place up looking.
@@johnchestnut5340 "if they just leave this jewelry and cash out, they must have some really good stuff hiding. Let's torture them and find it" congrats. You just killed your family.
Agree with documenting what you have for insurance purposes. Walk around with a camera and get clear video of model#'s and serial#'s. Make sure you are in the video too. Otherwise the insurance company WILL claim you lived in an empty house. And it is your job to prove them wrong. This applies to any type of claim for property loss.
Many of these ideas are useless for the pro burglar. But most are not pros. Often we see drug addicts trying to be burglars, or someone you let into your house trying to be a sneak-thief -- e.g. the electrician or phone company repair person -- and putting things out of sight is the best way to discourage impulse-thefts.
No thief would ever think to look behind the framed pictures, good idea.
I loved the “moon landing studio footage“!
Ah thanks! I was trying to figure out what that label said. It looked like Studk footage
My Spicer and Pegler book on taxation would have been ideal for this application and provide such pleasure in pushing it thru my table saw.
One thing to keep in mind is that virtually everyone who has books pushes them all the way to the back of the bookshelves, and books vary in the width of their pages and covers, which means that their depths on the shelf are varied. The bindings are not all the same distance from the back wall of the bookcase. So a multi-book safe would look more natural if it were made with staggered bindings.
Using these exact tips...I was able to hide a ski mask, pair of gloves, and a bloody knife.
I’ll bet O.J. Wishes he’d known that trick..
Lol
OJ was a MURDEROR FACT
Hope you got reimbursed for the cleaning bill by the person(s) you used those things on.
Lol!
thieves smashed my home windows and my door was open then stole my broken computer which looked new and left the dirty one which worked.
FANTASTIC VIDEO
GREAT IDEALS.....THANK YOU FOR SHARING
I hide things so well, even I can’t find them a day later!
A day? I just leave things in one room, walk into another, walk back again 5 minutes later and can't find them already!
Yep, still haven't found my pre 98og kush..... But when I do, yahoo, yahoO
If you have wife, children or housekeeper they may have moved it.
It may have fallen from where put it if socks might have stuck inside pants or other clothing.
because you take drugs.
The #1 'genius' hiding place is a safe behind a painting (poster)??? Well, absolutely GENIUS, that has NEVER been done.... This made my day :)
The first place a thief will look for a safe.
Now I understand how and why when my wife bought a fake plant at a yard sale, she found a diamond necklace in it months later when she dropped it.
Did she remember which yard sale and return it to the elderly person?
@@thisismagacountry1318 -- No she was a republican, dishonest, no values or integrity.
@@Erin-Thor Talk about irony.
Ahhh... so that was the story she gave you about that diamond necklace...
Love how she twirls that gold bar up in the air with one hand and then catches it with one hand.
If you're hiding stuff from your teenage kids, hide it by the vacuum or cleaning supplies. They'll NEVER find it!
Good one!
Hiding candy just went to another level...I bet one could find the perfect size book for their preferred bar. An ammo magazine of chocolate :D
As someone that grew up with stoner parents, this works well.
Year's ago I had to go away for a few weeks for work, I put my cash under the bottom drawer in the kitchen. Some years later while redecorating I found a several hundred dollars under the bottom drawer and realised that I had totally forgotten I had hidden the money there.
Great feeling to find money you forgot about having.😁
I offered to loan my sister $ 1000 , which she was too proud to accept. I put it in an envelope under my mattress , waiting to take back to deposit in bank. Anyhoo... At least 6 months later, flipping mattress to air and find the $$$😂
First world problems.
Decades ago my grandparents went out of the country for business. They were gone about a year and while they were away their house was burglarized. Jewelry, cash, etc was stolen. A police report was filed and an insurance claim. A year or so later they took down the drapes and my grandmother found that she had sewn the really valuable jewelry in the curtain hem. Not sure if they reported the discovery to the insurance company. 🤔
Best place to hide stuff is in a safety deposit box at a bank.
What if the Illuminati shuts down the banks?
Thank u. Agree & I have a larger one I rent,. 🙂. & At approx. $150 year for rentals. Smart safe idea!
Hard to find where I live- Mpls. The old banks downtown have become boutique hotels, or whatever, and the suburban banks don't have them.
That is until the bank cleans it out for you declaring you haven't paid for the service, only to be an 'accounting error'
Thief: Now I will find them…Thank You for the video !! 😂👌🏼
Use soft foam in the paint can so when it's shaken, it doesn't rattle
...and when you suddenly die, most (if not all) of your treasure ends up at a Goodwill donation collection site (or the dump), where the dedicated employees will secretly thank your relatives who all pulled together to clean out your house and garage. The stuff under the floorboards, well, the new homeowner might find some of that when they do the inevitable remodel.
All I've found here were a pair of glasses in the loft and some clothing hidden behind the hot water tank.
Here's a hint-Purchase old vintage furniture that would take 6 men to move...with dresser drawers that, if a potential thief did manage to pull one out, he's going home with smashed toes.
I bought a safe and put dirty underwear in it. I put valuables someplace else but if anyone ever breaks into my house they're going to spend time trying to get into the safe.
hahaha that's great. I had a buddy do that at his business. The crooks used chains and a pick-up truck to rip out the empty safe.
Put a bunch of metal washers and hard paper in it, so if the shake it, it will sound like money. And as much other heavy stuff as possible, because they can only carry so much, and will leave other things, they would have taken.
Has your mother in law called yet wanting her underwear back?
@@brianmorgan1354 what do you do with your mother's underwear? Man, keep that stuff out of public forums, whatever it is you do.
Have old photo, negatives in small safe and it is never locked. Worst case, they would do in out looking for valuables. But then they cannot steal what you do not have.
Do NOT put a hard drive in a paint can that you are going to hammer close. Both fine mechanical and electrical solders really do not like the short shocks induced by hammering.
Have you ever put on a paint can lid? You don't wail on it like you are building a workbench. Hard drives can withstand far rougher treatment.
I leave my doors unlocked and don’t own anything that would be valuable to a stranger. If they need food, a coat, a book to read, they are welcome. I have peace of mind which is the most precious thing of all, and I won’t forget where I put it!
I drive an old beat up vehicle for the same reason. I live in a place where burglary isnt very high but car theft and people breaking in cars is thru the roof. My car is mechanically sound, but 20 years old and has body damage and isnt a valuable or easily stolen model, no stereo at all. Ive seen nearly every car on my block get hit, but mine and 2 others. All old, no stereo.
When I was in the Navy, we made a false front out of cereal boxes and hid our liquor behind it.
So, where did you keep the cereal? Was it hidden behind a false front of liquor bottles? Just messing with you. Cheers.
@@gwarlow We gave it to the guys that didn't drink. We found two of them.
I made my hide spot in a AJAX can and hid under sink with sponge on top
coo-coo 4 Jager Pops, were ya?
What makes you so sure that they never found out? That kind of places have strictly forbid it and then ignore it policy concerning many things.
The rock glue in the bottle method works real well when the ground is frozen and there is snow on top of it.
They also float out above ground with it rains. You have to find a good way of counteracting the buoyancy of the air in the bottle.
The key (pun intended) is to find a hiding place/method that is easily memorable, but inconvenient. Like behind something that you might have to break to retrieve it. Or have to reach awkwardly, or even kneel or lay on the ground to get it.
After all, if a thief is determined to get your stuff, he will. But most would just as soon choose an easier target.
So the first step to not getting your stuff stolen is to NOT make it obvious you have stuff worth stealing.
I once used to use a similar method in my previous home. I got an empty Godiva metal chocolate box about 1"x1.5"x3", put my spare house key into it, wrapped the box in a sealed polythene bag, and then buried it half a foot deep in the soil right next to a certain fence post. And then I kept a small shovel hidden in a nearby flowerpot so I wouldn't have to mess up my hands digging.
Yep...key in a fake hollow rock. Needed it in January in MN.
Oh yea we just publish every good hiding place for the crooks, great idea.
As a geocacher for ten years, I can assure you that gluing a rock to a pill bottle and hiding it in your garden is a terrible idea. There is no such thing as a waterproof pill bottle. They all leak and eventually whatever you put in it will be a mess. I have found thousands of pill bottle geocaches that were left outside, and they are fine for a while, but they do not last. Water seeps in, critters chew on them. Eventually they all get gross; they get wet, and ants get into them. If you really want to be sure you don't lose your key, don't use key locks. For thirty-five years we have used pushbutton locks and they work very well. We would never go back to key locks.
To be fair an alloy or aluminium or stainless key which is what most keys are made of would be completely fine in the container. I understand your point of moisture but geocaching has a log book made of paper a key is metal won't matter if it gets wet
@@anonymouswhite352
But the container you pull it out of may be so gross you don't want to open it.
Hiding in the paint cans and identifying which one. You could simply write on it and say "contains jewelry etc".
🤣🤣
"Get in and get out. 3 minutes max." Anything is better than nothing. I know a lot of smart people will have better ideas, but it depends on who your "clientele" is. I don't care what you hide or where you hide it, it can be found. It will be a friend or family who will rob you.
My kitty takes enough junk and her stash is the litter box. When I loose the keys I clean it out. ( she also likes to drop them in my shoes)
Also leave out decoys, stuff that isn't valuable but looks valuable. Buy some cheap not working laptops, or some costume jewelry and keep that in a jewelry box on the dresser and hide the good stuff, burglars are usually in a hurry and will take what they find quick. Always leave a $5 bill on the table with a note that says, 'back in a minute, be sure to feed the dog'.
This is why a safety deposit box is the best place for valuables. If you do get robbed they won't get much
Thieves, robbers and burglars would like to thank you for the fresh, new ideas.
All old ideas that burglars know about.
You're foolish if you think these are new ideas. Every one of them has been around for many decades, and all were taught in print long before the Internet was ever thought of.
Lighten up JB! This was just my weak attempt to be funny. I too have long been aware of these hidey-holes.
@@barbarajenkins5571 Not such a weak attempt because 😂 it was a silly video.
The hollowed out books and/or book safes should be in titles that no one would ever think of pulling off a shelf. An especially good one is, "The Collected Humor Of Al Gore".
If you ever been robbed you know that most will rip your place apart. If you’re hiding something it better not open up if it’s thrown around. Plus they know the places that honest people use to hide things.
Keep safe…
That was my thought. Your bookcase contents go on the floor. The picture, paintings, mirrors get ripped off the walls. Burglars not as dumb as people think they are.
And they know all about those flag/coffee table/nightstand compartments, and tactical walls faux mantles lol.
After my brother's ex girlfriend made yet another fake police report against him, (very long story) the police searched thru the house and found my late father's hidden stash of valuables my mom knew nothing about. She remembered that stuff existed, but considered them lost. Good thing he was having just the regular stuff there and not the weapons. If there were weapons, my brother would have been in a big trouble.
... or you can do what my first wife did many years ago. When we left the home for a few days to visit her parents, she hid all her expensive jewelry (including 1000's of dollars of gold chains) in the pocket of crappy old coat that she figured no-one would take a second look at it. Then she forgot she had hidden them there and gave the old coat to a thrift store.
To be honest I'd probably forget most the hiding places and toss em out during spring cleaning!!😜
No problem there….I don’t do Spring cleaning 🤣
@@Geekiezoid 🤭😄
The average burgular is probably smarter in locating loot than the average person is in hiding it. That is why I store valuables in a bank safe box, except emergency cash which I keep in a second bank account known only to my daughter and me and identified in my will kept by my attorney. If you want to keep "cash" in your bank safe box, buy from a reputable dealer some gold coins that are graded and have about half their cost in gold metal and the other half as collectibility premium. Every one should have a bank safe box for important documents. Usually, there is surplus space for a few collictible coins.
Warning: During hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the towers went down. Anything in the bank was not available for over 3 weeks. Also bank cards do not work without towers. You HAVE to have cash. Many people traded the jewelry they were wearing for water. For a bottle of water. Cash is king.
For the rock and bottle, make sure NOT to put it near your termite bait stations since you will have a technician out near those often as they check them for activity.
Better still live in the UK. We dont have termites.
Man, these are the most unimaginative ideas you could have possibly come up with. Really, a hollowed out book, brand new idea. So good let’s do it over and over. Oh, and I know, let’s make the next one even bigger. And behind a picture! Wow.
So what are your ingenius ideas?
This man hates books. Doesn't he ever want some to read?
Electrical box. Install a plastic electrical junction box in the wall, at about the height of other electrical outlets. Cover it with a blank cover plate.
AC vent. Remove an AC vent cover. Put whatever you want in there. Replace the vent cover.
Used the dummy electrical outlet here only last week.
@@Graham_Langley The AC vent has been used in way too many movies.
I’m going to start opening old paint cans I find at the dump. The worst place to hide things is inside something people are going to throw away without opening, like paint cans, trash bags, etc., because if someone is helping you clean they are going to toss those things!
The best hiding spots are: a safe deposit box down at the bank; a large, heavy safe bolted into a floor or wall; hidden paneling or flooring in the house - Make sure a trusted family member knows about this so the house is not sold along with those items; an outdoor safe - these are nice as you can access them even if the house is sold.
Lenny Bruce used to say the best place to hide drugs was inside live power outlets or switches. He said the "narcos" didn't like to poke around anywhere there was "juice.'