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PRESENTS FROM THE PAST BOX RIVER NEWS. Your monthly Antiques and Art column from Art Expert, Iain Brunt.
Posted by Trudi on 01/04/2021
Hopefully as you read this we will be starting to see the country opening up again. Lockdown, whilst obviously a huge inconvenience to all our lives, did have one positive
side-effect though - during 2020 burglaries dropped by a huge 20%. By remaining in our homes we all became a highly effective home security system. Now that lockdown is ending, how do we continue to keep our antiques and art safe?
There once was a terrible incident in our gallery where due to the amount of false alarms being triggered from the vibration of passing buses and trucks, the sensitivity of the gallery alarm system was lowered. Some time after this thieves ingeniously cut a hole in the glass window not much bigger than the copy of the BRN you are holding now and used a special ultra-thin rod and hook to whisk an original Renoir out of the hole and off into the night without alerting a soul. It truly was a daring real-life heist worthy of an Ocean’s Eleven storyline!
Upmarket galleries aside, not all of us have Renoirs displayed in our windows. Sadly though some of us still suffer the occasional theft of our most precious treasures. For research I once interviewed former convicted burglars and asked them what they were most likely to steal when breaking in. The favourites of course were anything that could be quickly sold on such as laptops, cameras and jewellery. However, a surprisingly large number tended to take a more considered approach and thoroughly researched properties containing visible high-value targets such as art and antiques before planning the optimum method of extraction. Anything visible through windows is seen as fair game, so naturally artworks on walls, especially those lit-up, are high risk items.
Without resorting to science-fiction laser-beam security systems
there are some simple tips that we can follow to minimise risk. With silver and jewellery avoid leaving them in view of the out- side. Instead, keep them out of sight or better still in a secure box tucked away. You can always take them out when guests come round.
With paintings and larger items, think carefully about position- ing with regard to the outside. Take the time to think like a burglar and walk around the exterior of your house, looking in from all angles. Can you see anything worth the effort? If yes, then reconsider the placement.
Modern CCTV cameras have plummeted in price. Not only do they provide you with evidence, the newer cameras allow you to see your home live on your phone and even talk to any would-be intruder to let them know they’re being watched before they get the chance to get close.
Security-marking your valuables is a good idea. Using inexpensive invisible-ink pens may well help get stolen goods back to you. Don’t put the mark on an area that can be easily removed. With paintings make sure you mark the reverse and the frame itself – often they are sold individually.
It always pays to insure your valuables. Pay attention when doing this: standard house and contents policies will typically only provide limited cover for antiques and works of art. A quick way of ensuring you have a provable record of your contents is to video around each room in your house with a smartphone. Take pho- tos of your high-value items and ensure you hold the camera still when doing so – often when valuing we have seen photos of items that look like they’ve been taken during an earthquake and insur- ance companies won’t accept them as proof of ownership. Make sure they are clear so the police and loss-adjusters can identify them easily. Important: store a copy of your evidence either online or away from your property so that you have proof even if your phone or computer are lost.
You may need to declare high-value items and provide proof of worth, so a recent valuation will pay dividends. Art and antiques are sometimes hard to value but if you have an inkling of its history and can take a good photo of all sides then consider sending it to our valuation department for a fast 48-hour appraisal without having to leave your home – https://www.antiques.co.uk/valuations
https://www.boxfordsuffolk.com/_files/BRN/2021_04.pdf