would this Deter you from buying used gear????

My brother-in-law went to the trouble of buying a new Steinway ONLY if he could have the remaining Steinway sign the soundboard. He stupidly bought too large a piano for his square room (oy!). Wonder if his reasoning of increased-resale value will hold here? I was going to scratch my initials on the underside of mine, but its 1200 lb mass may be enough deterrence....
Aren't we talking about small engravings on the back or underside of equipment. Don't really see how it could seriously reduce used value. Maybe the answer is to remove outer casework and add IDs to the INSIDE, where every Susie Creamcheese on the assembly line probably scribbled her QA initials anyway! I dunno. Ern

Marking up our possesions with SS numbers, DL numbers etc.?
Please. Any piece of gear has a serial number. That number is generally written on the bill of sale from the dealer. This, along with a well written rider on your insurance policy is more than enough to ensure payment for a claim of stolen property. Defacing your equipment in this manner will NOT deter anyone determined to steal it, whatever their motivation for doing so might be. If you need to mark your equipment, do what the dogs do: pee on it, to mark it as your territory ;)

Folks have varying levels of tolerance for blemishes on their audio equipment, and for some an owner's engraved name may be enough to reduce the value significantly (especially since it isn't *their* name). If you're considering what the next buyer will think when you go to sell the equipment, then don't mark the equipment since it isn't going to have any benefit for the new owner. OTH, if security is your primary motivation for tagging your equipment, then accept the reduction in resale value and/or interest in the equipment as a cost of ownership. Whatever you do, if you've marked the equipment and then want to sell it, make sure you're upfront about the alterations you've made so the buyer can make an informed decision.

However, I have to agree with Slipknot1. If a serial number isn't enough to deter theft, why would an engraved name be any different?

Twl,

Thanks for sticking your neck out. I agree completely and I will not be forced to submit to such behavior. We are becoming like the countries were once called our enemies! It is becoming more and more "risky" to speak out or to object to certain new policies.

The Hegelian Dialectic leads to such absurdities, just as you state. Bravo!

cp

I can't believe you all are so unsensitive/desentitized to the menace that now threatens us all over the world! And now, in our homes, while pumping gas. If a man can become a sniper right where my Wendy plays, then I and my brethren must do something about it!

My God man, don't you know there's a war going on out there!! Get with it, be a patriot, engrave everything you own, everyone you know, then finally, finally we'll all be safe.

I've got a better idea. While we're out roving for bad guys like snipers at night around suburbia, lets go a step farther, a step that will really help things. If everyone has a small - and yes, it will be small, no messing up our beautiful faces - mica thin computer disc under the skin of my forehead that can be tracked by satellites, then we'll never have anyone get lost from Alziehmer's Disease, and if I get in a car accident then they'll have my full medical records, and...

You know, I just "feel" better knowing that Poindexter - five time felon who said "the buck stops here" when defending his actions in violating US treaties prohibting weapon sales to Iran and having the CIA run coke to raise money for the "freedom fighters" - is now in charge of the Pentagon program that wants to monitor all internet exchanges and create files on everyone they deem a "threat"...

Oh my God, maybe someone just heard what I said!

But hey, at least we're all finally, er, safe.

Yea, putting numbers on boxes to deter serial killers is a great idea!