28 Jul
2004
28 Jul
'04
2:54 a.m.
I am considering having an exhibit at the next Vintage Computer Festival (7.0). I was
wondering what the security is like for the exhibits. Do you need to packup up each night?
I would like to here comment from those who were there (Computer History Museum) last
year.
Michael Holley
www.swtpc.com/mholley
28 Jul
28 Jul
3:59 a.m.
On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 swtpc6800(a)comcast.net wrote:
I am considering having an exhibit at the next Vintage
Computer Festival
(7.0). I was wondering what the security is like for the exhibits. Do
you need to packup up each night? I would like to here comment from
those who were there (Computer History Museum) last year.
Hi Michael.
I can tell you that in the eight years we've been doing the VCF and across
the 14 events we've done, we've never had any problems at all with theft.
With regards to the VCF's held at the Computer History Museum, the
exhibits stay overnight in a locked, secured museum. Attendees are only
allowed in the exhibit area during exhibit hours, which is also when the
exhitors are in there. The only people allowed in there during off hours
are other exhibitors and VCF/Museum staff.
We also have minders hanging out in the hall during open exhibit hours.
You needn't worry about security.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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5:47 a.m.
Security is absolutely not an issue. The museum itself has a very good
security system - they are in the old SGI headquarters building and
those with displays tend to look out for each other as well.
The biggest concern I ever had was during the day when folks were free
to wander the exhibits. I, too, wanted to attend lectures and look
around and was a bit concerned about leaving my stuff unattended. As it
turned out, that concern was unfounded. People were very respectful of
everyone's gear and other exhibitors were minding things anyway.
I've attended the last two VCFs and intend to display again this year
and I haven't had or heard of a security related problem.
If you're interested in some pictures, please browse through
www.vintage-computer.com/vcf5.shtml and
www.vintage-computer.com/vcf6.shtml
Erik Klein
www.vintage-computer.com
www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum
The Vintage Computer Forum
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces(a)classiccmp.org
[mailto:cctalk-bounces@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of
swtpc6800(a)comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 7:54 AM
To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
Subject: VCF Security
I am considering having an exhibit at the next Vintage Computer Festival
(7.0). I was wondering what the security is like for the exhibits. Do
you need to packup up each night? I would like to here comment from
those who were there (Computer History Museum) last year.
Michael Holley
www.swtpc.com/mholley
6:11 a.m.
Michael,
I'll weigh in on this as well. I've been to two VCFs and had no problems.
And, if anyone WOULD have a security problem, it would be me: I collect vintage
handhelds and PDAs which are a heck of a lot easier to steal than someone's
Altair or DEC box. I do take precautions when I want to look around the
exhibit hall or attend a lecture -- for example, I set up my booth as late as
possible before the doors open to the public, to minimize the time when my
stuff is just sitting around; I always ask a nearby exhibitor to keep watch if
I'm going away for food or to the bathroom or wherever; and as my collection
grows, I'm transitioning from using cardboard boxes and suitcases to using
professional / lockable display cases. But I digress... VCF is a super-safe
event and we all look out for each other.
- Evan
--- swtpc6800(a)comcast.net wrote:
I am considering having an exhibit at the next Vintage
Computer Festival
(7.0). I was wondering what the security is like for the exhibits. Do you
need to packup up each night? I would like to here comment from those who
were there (Computer History Museum) last year.
Michael Holley
www.swtpc.com/mholley
6:33 a.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "evan" <evan947(a)yahoo.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic Posts Only" <cctech(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 2:11 PM
Subject: Re: VCF Security
Michael,
I'll weigh in on this as well. I've been to two VCFs and had no problems.
And, if anyone WOULD have a security problem, it would be me: I collect
vintage
handhelds and PDAs which are a heck of a lot easier to
steal than
someone's
Altair or DEC box. I do take precautions when I want
to look around the
exhibit hall or attend a lecture -- for example, I set up my booth as late
as
possible before the doors open to the public, to
minimize the time when my
stuff is just sitting around; I always ask a nearby exhibitor to keep
watch if
I'm going away for food or to the bathroom or
wherever; and as my
collection
grows, I'm transitioning from using cardboard
boxes and suitcases to using
professional / lockable display cases. But I digress... VCF is a
super-safe
event and we all look out for each other.
- Evan
--- swtpc6800(a)comcast.net wrote:
I would expect a normal thief to look for items that are easily sold or
pawned and hard to trace. Do you have the serial numbers written down for
your PDA's and portables? Are they insured? The people you would have to
watch out for are fellow collectors who might snag an item for their
personal collection that very few people would ever know about. At the VCF
how many people in the audience are there just to see old gear (like going
to a museum) and how many are actual collectors of your specific gear?
At the coin and stamp shows I have gone to in the past anything of value is
shows behind a locked glass case. You can always do what stores do and place
RFID tags somewhere in your expensive gear and have a detector at the front
door so if somebody does try to walk out with your gear an alarm will go
off. Is there a list of exhibitors that has an itemized list of what they
brought including serial numbers incase something is left behind by
accident?
7:41 a.m.
On Wed, 2004-07-28 at 18:33, Teo Zenios wrote:
I would expect a normal thief to look for items that
are easily sold or
pawned and hard to trace. Do you have the serial numbers written down for
your PDA's and portables? Are they insured?
Insurance was one thing I checked up on before taking anything to the
CGE show. Items being exhibited there were insured by the organisers
against theft, so individuals didn't have to worry about it. I'm not
sure whether this was under the organiser's policy, or covered by the
exhibition hall itself.
Damage, whether accidental or otherwise, at the hands of exhibitors or
the public, was presumably another matter though. I'm not sure how
things stood had the whole site burned to the ground overnight, say!
The people you would have to
watch out for are fellow collectors who might snag an item for their
personal collection that very few people would ever know about.
Well someone did lose a couple of flat display screens at CGE overnight,
despite the doors supposedly being locked. I can only think that another
exhibitor or someone on the exhibition hall's own staff stole them,
which is somewhat alarming. The nature of the items taken suggests
opportunist theft rather than something planned; there were far more
valuable items left on site overnight but presumably whoever took them
knew they stood a good chance of not getting caught and of being able to
sell the items on...
I'll have to ask the event organiser whether there were security cameras
in place which will have caught the people - I very much expect that
there would be as the show was at a well-established exhibition site...
cheers,
Jules
8:31 a.m.
On Wed, 28 Jul 2004, Teo Zenios wrote:
I would expect a normal thief to look for items that
are easily sold or
pawned and hard to trace. Do you have the serial numbers written down for
your PDA's and portables? Are they insured? The people you would have to
watch out for are fellow collectors who might snag an item for their
personal collection that very few people would ever know about. At the VCF
how many people in the audience are there just to see old gear (like going
to a museum) and how many are actual collectors of your specific gear?
If any exhibitor ever stole from another, I would personally drag them out
to the parking lot and beat them silly.
However, this is moot. I know all my exhibitors (to some extent), and I
know a lot of people in this hobby. I can't think of a single person that
I couldn't trust. This is one of the most honest groups of people around.
Some may be annoying and/or obnoxious, but they are trustworthy.
I do the VCF because I don't have to deal with hassles like theft or
fights between exhibitors or whatever. If this ever becomes a problem,
the fun will be gone and so will the VCF.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ]
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29 Jul
29 Jul
5:37 a.m.
evan wrote:
Michael,
A book Fair on the west coast here, which I won't name in case
it could get me in hot water had $250,000 in theft during the first
day they were in their meeting hall. This was all before the doors
opened to the public.
The theft level declined after the public was let in.
I mention this just as a point of reference. I am glad that the collector
group that attends VCF is not apparently composed of rare book
dealers.
Jim
5:54 a.m.
On Thu, 29 Jul 2004, jim wrote:
A book Fair on the west coast here, which I won't
name in case
it could get me in hot water had $250,000 in theft during the first
day they were in their meeting hall. This was all before the doors
opened to the public.
The theft level declined after the public was let in.
I mention this just as a point of reference. I am glad that the collector
group that attends VCF is not apparently composed of rare book
dealers.
Yeha, me too.
Sheesh.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]
6 a.m.
And thusly jim spake:
evan wrote:
I have heard that the rare bookseller business is extremely cutthroat.
Michael,
A book Fair on the west coast here, which I won't name in case
it could get me in hot water had $250,000 in theft during the first
day they were in their meeting hall. This was all before the doors
opened to the public.
The theft level declined after the public was let in.
I mention this just as a point of reference. I am glad that the collector
group that attends VCF is not apparently composed of rare book
dealers.
I suspect that as machines become even more rare and their value spiking up
will attract unsavory people trying to make a lot of money with very little
effort. :(
But on a positive note: I believe we are all right now in the infancy of
classic computer collecting.
Cheers,
Bryan Pope
8:19 a.m.
On Thu, 29 Jul 2004, Bryan Pope wrote:
I suspect that as machines become even more rare and
their value spiking up
will attract unsavory people trying to make a lot of money with very little
effort. :(
It's called eBay ;)
But on a positive note: I believe we are all right
now in the infancy of
classic computer collecting.
My diaper needs changing.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]
7 Aug
7 Aug
9:22 a.m.
I feel much better now knowing that some of the other exhibitors may be
packing a concealed weapon.
Michael Holley
----- Original Message -----
From: swtpc6800(a)comcast.net
To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 7:54 AM
Subject: VCF Security
I am considering having an exhibit at the next Vintage Computer Festival
(7.0).
I was wondering what the security is like for the exhibits. Do you need to
packup up each night?
I would like to here comment from those who were there (Computer History
Museum) last year.
Michael Holley
www.swtpc.com/mholley
9:28 a.m.
Good!
Lyle
On Saturday 07 August 2004 14:22, Michael Holley wrote:
I feel much better now knowing that some of the other
exhibitors may be
packing a concealed weapon.
Michael Holley
----- Original Message -----
From: swtpc6800(a)comcast.net
To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 7:54 AM
Subject: VCF Security
I am considering having an exhibit at the next Vintage Computer Festival
(7.0).
I was wondering what the security is like for the exhibits. Do you need to
packup up each night?
I would like to here comment from those who were there (Computer History
Museum) last year.
Michael Holley
www.swtpc.com/mholley
--
Lyle Bickley
Bickley Consulting West Inc.
http://bickleywest.com
"Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"
7208
days inactive
7218
days old
13 comments
10 participants
participants (10)
-
bpope＠wordstock.com -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
classiccmp＠vintage-computer.com -
evan947＠yahoo.com -
julesrichardsonuk＠yahoo.co.uk -
jwstephens＠msm.umr.edu -
lbickley＠bickleywest.com -
swtpc6800＠comcast.net -
teoz＠neo.rr.com -
vcf＠siconic.com