how do you deal with visitors who'd meddle with your displayed toy collections?

i had to deal with these type of people a lot before when my collection was in full view of guests and visitors. there are polite and decent people who'd appreciate them by just looking at them from a distance without touching and just ask questions.
the best way to prevent damage or "missing" items is to have them displayed in glass covered shelves with lock, or just have the shelves away from people who can come in and out of that room.
sometimes visitors with small kids would come over our house and see a few displays on the glass covered shelves. a few times the children would demand to have the figures and i tell them gently it isnt for handling and would give them a figure meant to be given away (you know, the untradables/unsalable LOLOL). but there are brats who would go into tantrums and their parents would try to make me give in, i just tell them promptly to leave haha IM JUST KIDDING. well, most of the time they can be appeased with the free toy i give them. thats why the figure display section of our place is off limits to meddling visitors.

remember: always keep spare figures to give to kids who are interested and might become toy collectors someday

(thankfully these days, the bulk of my collection is in storage)

what's your story?

At my age, even the grandchildren of my friends are teenagers now

But I have a box of lego blocks and well-played-with models for the children that do come here, and everybody understands it.
Fortunately I never met any parents as dull-headed as the ones you mention
Their poor children may have a hard life if nobody teaches them how to behave, and what is yours and what is mine

Hehehe, no problems with that luckily. I have everything upstairs, all my animals. Only friends and family members come, sometimes, upstairs to look at them. We don't have much little children around us, only a couple who have two twin girls around age 3. But they never come by. They all respect the fack that i have model animals and they are really, really careful with them

I have a room, with a door. Everything is behind glass doors. So it is unlikely that someone will go in without that family knowing.

Even the kids have always known that those are the collectables; we have hundreds of animal toys that they can play with elsewhere.

I don't get much company All of my major brand models are in my bedroom, and the model horses are in my office, both of which are upstairs. Unfortunately my SMs and Micro minis are downstairs, and they do get a lot of unwanted attention. I'm very defensive of my Breyers - if someone so much as glances in the direction of my SMs I'm watching them like a hawk. Sorry, no one's allowed in that room without me in there! No touching allowed!

Kids and vintage toys eh?

I'm reminded of the famous line by old US comedian W.C. Fields:

Actress (in one of his movies): "Do you like children?"
W.C.F.: "I do if they're properly cooked."



Luckily for me, I virtually never have any children visiting, so the situation doesn't arise.
Even if I did, almost all of my collection is packed away, with very little on display, and few that are on display are very obviously old lead 'antiques', none being plastic items which a 21st century kid would even think of a being a 'toy'.

I haven't problem with children or any visitors — if they come, they're looking around like in a museum, despite some animals aren't under glass.
In winter/summer I go to my brother or to my other relatives, where sometimes are children too, but no one bother my collection. All my relatives/friends look at collection with accurate and even children do it in that way.
But it is so difficult to say give your collection or not. By one side, children not always understand situation, but by other side, it's your animals, and you didn't buy them for give away to any visitor. Well, I wouldn't give away my animals, I'm greedy XD I can buy any figurine to my friend, but no one from my collection shouldn't go away.

I just came to think of a very effective way to get rid of nasty brats ...

About 30 years ago, my childhood friend and her little son came to visit.
Suddenly I heard my old, clever, beautyful, beloved budgie flap sencelessly round in his cage, - and saw the little *beep* standing by the cage, poking  - hard - at the bird with a twig !

I stampeded over and grabbed the child  - hard - at the arm, and SCREAMED red murder at him !!!

My friend never brought her child to visit me again

...perhaps you should try it ?

Hurray for Susanne! You saved the birdie!

Lol @ Susanne, that's the way to show them! Hats off to you!

I wish I could say I was surprised at these comments, but I'm not. I had hoped it was strictly a symptom of American narcissism, but alas guess not. I worked in pet shops for many years, and saw lots. There was the woman with a set of 3(?) year old twins whose children were banging on the aquariums. This is highly traumatic for fish, who depend on vibration and variations in water pressure for much of their view of the world. It can even kill them. Well, the brats banged, their mother ignored, and I asked for them please not to bang on the aquariums as it could kill the fish. They continued to bang, she continued to ignore, and I kept on repeating louder each time. Finally the mother turned and yelled at me, how dare I try to impose limits on her angels! She even got me in trouble with management for my effrontery (this was a big national chain where the customer was always right and the animals didn't matter, glad I'm not still there).

a Majority of my Collector items are in a curio, and in my room. However, being nitpicky, i had accumulated a toybox full of duplicates that i dont like due to paint issues. so the kids that visit every weekend can have somethings to play with. (Heck, i occasionally use the toys they bring (such as a barbie Doll) for my purposes as well)

In my room, i have my Dinosaurs on display, But i have no problems with kids trying to enter un expectantly and steal one to ruin with child's play, mainly because the kids that visit us are either Scared, or indifferent to dinosaurs.

pipsxlch wrote:

Lol @ Susanne, that's the way to show them! Hats off to you!

I wish I could say I was surprised at these comments, but I'm not. I had hoped it was strictly a symptom of American narcissism, but alas guess not. I worked in pet shops for many years, and saw lots. There was the woman with a set of 3(?) year old twins whose children were banging on the aquariums. This is highly traumatic for fish, who depend on vibration and variations in water pressure for much of their view of the world. It can even kill them. Well, the brats banged, their mother ignored, and I asked for them please not to bang on the aquariums as it could kill the fish. They continued to bang, she continued to ignore, and I kept on repeating louder each time. Finally the mother turned and yelled at me, how dare I try to impose limits on her angels! She even got me in trouble with management for my effrontery (this was a big national chain where the customer was always right and the animals didn't matter, glad I'm not still there).

You worked at Petland! Or at least it sounds like it.

As with the collection, so with my aquarium--I have mastered the art of making the PARENTS feel bad for the behavior. This way, it then becomes 'their idea' to get the children in line.

But in my house, people of all ages know that they are going into a special room--I can bring things out, and most aren't really breakable, so I tend to try and supervise. Only my kids, with permission, are allowed to take things out, and they know the deal. And they've never broken anything (my wife AND my mother are bother different stories).

It was Petsmart lol.

My model collection is new and I don't often have company, let alone with children. At the moment, my figures are residing on my nightstand, where *ahem cough* I do play around with them. Even as a child I didn't play rough with toys though.

My main collection is a line of EXTREMELY fragile cast gypsum figurines. I have had problems with people wanting to handle them. I just get witchy lol. This is adults too, kids are usually nervous of them.

My daughter wasn't too easy on her toys, but she's almost 16 now and past them. I'm tempted to keep at least some of her old dinos as toy box starters for her possible future children when they come visit.

pipsxlch wrote:

It was Petsmart lol.

My model collection is new and I don't often have company, let alone with children. At the moment, my figures are residing on my nightstand, where *ahem cough* I do play around with them. Even as a child I didn't play rough with toys though.

My main collection is a line of EXTREMELY fragile cast gypsum figurines. I have had problems with people wanting to handle them. I just get witchy lol. This is adults too, kids are usually nervous of them.

My daughter wasn't too easy on her toys, but she's almost 16 now and past them. I'm tempted to keep at least some of her old dinos as toy box starters for her possible future children when they come visit.

If you're going to keep them in easy reach, get them behind glass. Ikea frequently has decent shelf-glass door combos for larger set ups (my entire office is lined with them)

My collection is in my room (no other place to put it really) so the only problem I have is when my older siblings come to visit me and their kids come hang out. When I was younger, between 5-14 I was still playing with mine and would play with my collection with them, but then I decided to "shelve" them when I was 12 or 13 and just asked that they didn't I still allowed them to play with them occasionally since I kept my farm buildings and things and I still played with them sometimes too, but I always made them put them back in my room gently and then I would put them back on the shelves. Now I just have to worry about babies occasionally and all of my siblings now understand how much my collection means to me and how some of them would be hard to replace (either because of rarity or sentimental value) and they say they will replace them if anything ever happens. So far nothing bad has happened, and my shelves get comfortably dusty with occasional finger swipes from me moving figures around. No idea what I will do when I have kids or get a dog that chews on them.

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

My collection is in my room (no other place to put it really) so the only problem I have is when my older siblings come to visit me and their kids come hang out. When I was younger, between 5-14 I was still playing with mine and would play with my collection with them, but then I decided to "shelve" them when I was 12 or 13 and just asked that they didn't I still allowed them to play with them occasionally since I kept my farm buildings and things and I still played with them sometimes too, but I always made them put them back in my room gently and then I would put them back on the shelves. Now I just have to worry about babies occasionally and all of my siblings now understand how much my collection means to me and how some of them would be hard to replace (either because of rarity or sentimental value) and they say they will replace them if anything ever happens. So far nothing bad has happened, and my shelves get comfortably dusty with occasional finger swipes from me moving figures around. No idea what I will do when I have kids or get a dog that chews on them.

As long as you have you models off the floor, im sure a dog wont be an issue(it certainly not an issue with my Dogs, and they chew on anything thats on the floor)

Now Cats on the other hand

Paige, if you family are all as kind and gentle as you are, I am sure you always find a nice solution

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

....No idea what I will do when I have kids or get a dog that chews on them.

HIGH shelves , - and just accept the occational loss

Takama, - yes ! Cats !
The worst of all is Simese cats to throw models on the floor & a puppy ready to chew
I am 100% sure my Siamussies did it on purpose

My cat's method for getting attention - brushing his tail against the Breyers on the bottom shelf, trying to knock them all over and cause dominoes. Yep, that's why I put the Ruffians down there so they won't fall over. He can push them all he wants, those girls aren't going anywhere!

LeeAnn wrote:

My cat's method for getting attention - brushing his tail against the Breyers on the bottom shelf, trying to knock them all over and cause dominoes. Yep, that's why I put the Ruffians down there so they won't fall over. He can push them all he wants, those girls aren't going anywhere!

My cat likes bite my animals

I have 4 well mannered cats then. Never did they chew, trow, shove or play with my animals.
But I think they know when they turn their head toward my desk, I will hawk-eye them until they get something else in their mind XD
The fun thing about a curious dog is, when I get a package, Gaell will sit next to me to watch me unpack it. I show him every animal I unpack and he loves to sit and watch. He sniffs the animal and something wags his tail when I'm very enthusiastic about an animal.

A boyfriend on the other hand... He had a little game for himself called: When does Karin notice that I replaced a single animal. Back then I didn't always look at my animals. But since I found a cat among my horses and a wolf among my African wild life I look more often.

NightLioness wrote:

I have 4 well mannered cats then. Never did they chew, trow, shove or play with my animals.
But I think they know when they turn their head toward my desk, I will hawk-eye them until they get something else in their mind XD
The fun thing about a curious dog is, when I get a package, Gaell will sit next to me to watch me unpack it. I show him every animal I unpack and he loves to sit and watch. He sniffs the animal and something wags his tail when I'm very enthusiastic about an animal.

A boyfriend on the other hand... He had a little game for himself called: When does Karin notice that I replaced a single animal. Back then I didn't always look at my animals. But since I found a cat among my horses and a wolf among my African wild life I look more often.

Haha, funny
Once my friend bought a big wolf figurine with a natural fur for me, and everytime when his setter was seeing this wolf, he (I mean dog) look at wolf thinking: «Who are you?», «Why don't you move?» XD
You know, I have two Sideshow timber wolves with mobile body parts, and once I took them to the village. My relatives took with them their chichuachua. Dog was SO scared XD

NightLioness wrote:

A boyfriend on the other hand... He had a little game for himself called: When does Karin notice that I replaced a single animal. Back then I didn't always look at my animals. But since I found a cat among my horses and a wolf among my African wild life I look more often.

I have a very strict "no touch" policy around here. Wouldn't be a pretty sight if I saw something was moved! He wouldn't be doing that again with my collection

LeeAnn wrote:

NightLioness wrote:

A boyfriend on the other hand... He had a little game for himself called: When does Karin notice that I replaced a single animal. Back then I didn't always look at my animals. But since I found a cat among my horses and a wolf among my African wild life I look more often.

I have a very strict "no touch" policy around here. Wouldn't be a pretty sight if I saw something was moved! He wouldn't be doing that again with my collection

You are not seeing my face, but I'm laughing my ... of here XD
I would LOVE to see his face when LeeAnn is running after him creaming: NOT MY HORSES YOU!!!!

Anasta SchwarzeWölfin wrote:

NightLioness wrote:

I have 4 well mannered cats then. Never did they chew, trow, shove or play with my animals.
But I think they know when they turn their head toward my desk, I will hawk-eye them until they get something else in their mind XD
The fun thing about a curious dog is, when I get a package, Gaell will sit next to me to watch me unpack it. I show him every animal I unpack and he loves to sit and watch. He sniffs the animal and something wags his tail when I'm very enthusiastic about an animal.

A boyfriend on the other hand... He had a little game for himself called: When does Karin notice that I replaced a single animal. Back then I didn't always look at my animals. But since I found a cat among my horses and a wolf among my African wild life I look more often.

Haha, funny
Once my friend bought a big wolf figurine with a natural fur for me, and everytime when his setter was seeing this wolf, he (I mean dog) look at wolf thinking: «Who are you?», «Why don't you move?» XD
You know, I have two Sideshow timber wolves with mobile body parts, and once I took them to the village. My relatives took with them their chichuachua. Dog was SO scared XD

I find it very interesting how pets (or other animals) react to their model counterparts.
Haha, Chihuahua doggies aren't that big, so I can imagine the fear he had for those big wolves (which are awesome btw!). Poor dog XD