I had a relative call me over for an outlet that didn't work in the house they just bought... It turned out to be one of these




No, there wasn't any lucre in it

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[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 02-05-2007).]

Took a moment for me to realize what I was looking at, but I'm sure I saw something like this in a (U.S.) home security book years ago.

Is that a separate keyhole to the left of the lower "receptacle" U-ground? I wonder why they couldn't use one of the other slots to avoid the extra hole.

Oh, and aren't those "receptacles" upside down? Or is that so you pick out the safe from all the real ones?

Runs & ducks for cover......

I think a simple drywall saw would make these "cash and carry". I'll stick with the hollow copy of websters dictionary on the bookshelf to hide my pearls, emeralds and rubies in.

The whole idea here is that the thief would never know that the receptacle was actually a safe. Once the "cover is blown", as you said a few strokes with a drywall saw and away you go.

Of course, once a thief knew about your hollowed-out dictionary, taking a book off a shelf is even easier than sawing out a bit of sheetrock, right?

Damn, there goes my patent idea

Ground pin UP! No DOWN! UP! DOWN! UP! DOWN!aarrgggghhh!

You might want to check that there's no cut off piece of romex (with power still on it) inside the wall near that fake outlet. Someone may have replaced a real outlet with this...

I just remembered that I've seen similar safes disguised as British outlets too. A quick search reveals that they're still available:
http://www.thesafeshop.co.uk/products/double-plug-socket-safe.html

Looks like they've already latched on to the hollowed-out dictionary too!
http://www.thesafeshop.co.uk/products/safe-book.html

Actually made one of those, only it was a double duplex affair ( box, receptacles, and cover) and just shoved in the wall.. All " goodies" were wrapped up and sat down in the wall cavity... worked good for the time being.
A.D

They still have those at my local locksmith shop. You don't need to cut it out of the wall, they just open up without a key. Sometimes when I abandon an old fuse box I will gut it out so the HO can use it for a hiding place.

Remember the old oil can that you could open up and hide stuff in?

[This message has been edited by BigB (edited 02-05-2007).]

That seems like a great idea. You could use an old work box for easy access and stability. Hiding everything down in the wall is probably the best place for it. Even though there is only a thin piece of drywall in front of it, Very few people would take the time to even think of that.

I remember as a young kid, seeing ads for a whole range of this stuff.

As well as the receptacles, stores were selling kits of fake soft drink cans, fake vegetable / fruit cans, and fake soup tins all which allowed the HO to put their valuables in the pantry when they went away.

What I remember about them was that some of the "brands" were not available at the grocery stores in my city. So if you were a crook and saw a Van Camps can in a house you just entered there was a good chance of finding something other than asparagus in it.

OK nobody said it yet, so I will... Is that installed in a Gem Box?

I like the idea of the panel safe...

Oh yeah, I remember them. You've jogged my memory of an episode of the TV series "Dragnet" in the late '60s.

Sgt. Joe ("just the facts ma'am") Friday


This supersleuth, upon entering the home of a drug crazed hippie, does not notice a 10 gang switch plate next to the front door They bring in a drug-sniffing dog, a new concept at the time, that did notice. He pulled out 3 or 4 kilos of marijuana attached to a string inside the wall.

Mighty fine detective work, indeed


[This message has been edited by electure (edited 02-06-2007).]

We have a better way.

Denise hides things where no one will ever find them.

Including us.

Yeah,,, my grandfather always quoted some statistics saying far more things get lost from being hidden so well than actually stolen...

Good idea, thanks! Never would have thought...

Funny though how 40 years later there are McMansion places which aren't far off that with all the fancy lighting the owner demands!