Not usually but if there is something small that doesn't take away from the overall feel and explore of the house than I may consider. There are those that straight up loot locations and, regardless of what others may say in regards to these being abandonments and anything inside will eventually be destroyed anyway, I don't think that's right. I realize it's somewhat of a grey area anyway since we are already trespassing but there should be some type of standard.

I personally don't like to take things.
I like exploring because of all the neat things that I find. It's like a decaying time capsule and I want the stuff to stay there for either others to find, or out of respect for who the items belonged to.
That being said, when exploring things other than empty buildings, I love collecting bones and rocks.

My thing is old books. But only if they're A- in good enough condition for it to be possible, and B- rare or on a topic I've already got interest in. Sadly given the nature of paper it's extremely rare for me to find an intact book in an abandonment in the first place.

Posted by Cross- Not usually but if there is something small that doesn't take away from the overall feel and explore of the house than I may consider. There are those that straight up loot locations and, regardless of what others may say in regards to these being abandonments and anything inside will eventually be destroyed anyway, I don't think that's right. I realize it's somewhat of a grey area anyway since we are already trespassing but there should be some type of standard.

Many times trespassing isn't a crime in its self unless you take or damage something.
If arrested best to be in procession of images only.

Do what you say, say what you do...

The way I look at it is these places are either going to be trashed or demolished some day, guaranteed. Taking things from abandoned places (especially places like institutions) is a way of preserving history, especially if it is something significant. Yeah, others won't be able to enjoy it for their photos, but surely some kids will end up trashing the spot and destroying everything, fires break out, developers come, etc.

In one hospital near my area there was a beautiful cornerstone to a hospital that had the name, date, and governor's name engraved in the granite. It could have been taken and preserved, but it wasn't. A few years have gone by, it is now covered in graffiti dicks and other crude writings, and has a portion bashed out by a sledge hammer. No saving that.

I guess the way I see it is preservation, plus I love having pieces of special places come with me, and I hang them on my walls and in display cases so myself and my guests can enjoy them, tell stories about their origin, etc. Otherwise they just sit in a dingy dark abandoned place waiting to be destroyed or taken by someone else.

But hey, personal preference.

Posted by deadly_nightshade The way I look at it is these places are either going to be trashed or demolished some day, guaranteed. Taking things from abandoned places (especially places like institutions) is a way of preserving history, especially if it is something significant. Yeah, others won't be able to enjoy it for their photos, but surely some kids will end up trashing the spot and destroying everything, fires break out, developers come, etc. In one hospital near my area there was a beautiful cornerstone to a hospital that had the name, date, and governor's name engraved in the granite. It could have been taken and preserved, but it wasn't. A few years have gone by, it is now covered in graffiti dicks and other crude writings, and has a portion bashed out by a sledge hammer. No saving that. I guess the way I see it is preservation, plus I love having pieces of special places come with me, and I hang them on my walls and in display cases so myself and my guests can enjoy them, tell stories about their origin, etc. Otherwise they just sit in a dingy dark abandoned place waiting to be destroyed or taken by someone else. But hey, personal preference.

Well lots of really great legal advice in this thread for sure let us know how this excuse works out for you when The Man catches you leaving the property with something significant lol "but officer Im not stealing it Im just preserving it"

Also at your hearing be sure to tell the judge some kids will just end up destroying everything solid defense strategy there.

Most of us already know the answer I just want to hear it from someone experienced in petty theft like you.

UER used to ban members that admitted to stealing from sites, ahh the good old days

I used to take a trivial piece of a place - like a rock or a small chunk of brick, etc., and write the date, time, and a couple memorable words on it. At first, the idea was kind of cool, but after several dozen locations, then a hundred... well, you get the idea.
I have most of my first explores memorialized in a bowl filled with these little mementos, but I quit doing this for obvious reasons. I don't have the desire (or the room) to accommodate this practice anymore. There have been a few exceptions, like for places that were demolished and had a special meaning. I've taken rubble once or twice after a demo, but I try to avoid more clutter in my life whenever possible.

Posted by Dee Ashley I try to avoid more clutter in my life whenever possible.

This ^
my goal is to reduce stuff not drag more of it home

In my stone house there is a stone fireplace, allegedly one piece is from the Berlin wall when it was brought down but at the end of the day I think its just another piece of rock oh well..

(all the pics Ive seen the wall was mostly concrete)

Me and some friends took an 8 track player from a factory that was scheduled for demolition so we could smash it later. But if I'm not absolutely certain that a place is going to be destroyed imminently, then yeah, take only pictures, leave only footprints.

Posted by Ciano Me and some friends took an 8 track player from a factory that was scheduled for demolition so we could smash it later. But if I'm not absolutely certain that a place is going to be destroyed imminently, then yeah, take only pictures, leave only footprints.

Taking pictures and videos without leaving a trace of me has always been a principle for me. I try to touch the least stuff. I look with my eyes, and I take nothing to avoid any temptation. If you take something you liked, you will not allow the next group of explorers to enjoy it. Then, at that moment, it's a line that you go through. It is already clearly illegal what we do unfortunately, do not draw even more attention to our community please.

I've been known to help local museums recover small artifacts like a small test piece of steel from an old mill. I also have taken old original artificial drawings. I say as long as it isn't for money and you aren't taking away something big or important then it's okay to take a nick-nack. Again like the small test piece of high-grade stainless steel sitting on my shelf and on the museum's display case

Posted by coten22 Taking pictures and videos without leaving a trace of me has always been a principle for me. I try to touch the least stuff. I look with my eyes, and I take nothing to avoid any temptation. If you take something you liked, you will not allow the next group of explorers to enjoy it. Then, at that moment, it's a line that you go through. It is already clearly illegal what we do unfortunately, do not draw even more attention to our community please.

I'm not sure why our community is really against taking small remembrance pieces that don't matter. I knew a building was going out the window so I took an old piece of there letter stock just to remember to times I had there. I also do ask. Most of the places I visit I go to a lot. I am known to explore a place several times. So it ends up meaning a lot to me. It's almost like a second home and persevering little bits of history isn't a bad thing. But if you are scrapping for-profit you should have your hands cut off and get a real job. Scrapping and taking a little thing is to very different things. One is destroying the place the other is remembering. So I think we should be a little more open to taking things like an old VHS tape.

Posted by G10 Photography I'm not sure why our community is really against taking small remembrance pieces that don't matter. I knew a building was going out the window so I took an old piece of there letter stock just to remember to times I had there. I also do ask. Most of the places I visit I go to a lot. I am known to explore a place several times. So it ends up meaning a lot to me. It's almost like a second home and persevering little bits of history isn't a bad thing. But if you are scrapping for-profit you should have your hands cut off and get a real job. Scrapping and taking a little thing is to very different things. One is destroying the place the other is remembering. So I think we should be a little more open to taking things like an old VHS tape.

Stealing is stealing.
I've shot multiple large demos including the MAB Paint factory in Reading PA.
Much was left behind there.
A standing rule with the contractor was I took nothing unless I cleared it with them. I asked for a few technical relics including a 1930's paging chime array.
However the privilege to shoot and roam about freely outweighed
any relics there. Therefore I didn't waste time scavenging and gave one small 80 year sign old sign I had wanted to one of the equipment operators. It caught his eye and he never had time to go inside the buildings.
He gave me many a good action shot that normally only demo employees witnessed. He deserved it... I took a few pics of it.

After cleaning out my house I realized what happens to most of what you collect over the years; it gets throw out.
I still have all my images and glad I wasn't a site hoarder.
Been arrested at a site as well and not having any stolen items saved me a lot of time and legal consequences.
Cops don't like thieves; pic taking they can usually identify with; no crime, no foul.

When you start looting you open yourself to harsher legal consequences.
It makes explaining your motives to the owners and police complicated at best when that day arises.
Do this long enough and it will... be honest with yourself.

Posted by G10 Photography I'm not sure why our community is really against taking small remembrance pieces that don't matter. I knew a building was going out the window so I took an old piece of there letter stock just to remember to times I had there. I also do ask. Most of the places I visit I go to a lot. I am known to explore a place several times. So it ends up meaning a lot to me. It's almost like a second home and persevering little bits of history isn't a bad thing. But if you are scrapping for-profit you should have your hands cut off and get a real job. Scrapping and taking a little thing is to very different things. One is destroying the place the other is remembering. So I think we should be a little more open to taking things like an old VHS tape.

For the record I am not against you taking stuff. I just dont do it but I encourage you to. Go ahead, fill your pockets with small "remembrances" when ever you go UERing...

Posted by Skye_Ann Step 1: Go to Paris Step 2: Locate & Enter Catacombs Step 3: Take Skull Step 4: Post about it like a moron on UER Step 5: Stick dick into holes of skull (Preferably the eyeball socket, but any hole will do) Step 6: Post about it like an even bigger moron (With an average sized dick) On 4chan Step 6: ??? Step 7: Party with Dead. Aka, Profit.

That poor woman. Imagine living your life expecting a funeral someday, being respectfully buried by your family upon your death, only to have some fuckwit shove his dick in your eyesocket for laughs two hundred years later.

Posted by blackhawk Stealing is stealing. I've shot multiple large demos including the MAB Paint factory in Reading PA. Much was left behind there. A standing rule with the contractor was I took nothing unless I cleared it with them. I asked for a few technical relics including a 1930's paging chime array. However the privilege to shoot and roam about freely outweighed any relics there. Therefore I didn't waste time scavenging and gave one small 80 year sign old sign I had wanted to one of the equipment operators. It caught his eye and he never had time to go inside the buildings. He gave me many a good action shot that normally only demo employees witnessed. He deserved it... I took a few pics of it. After cleaning out my house I realized what happens to most of what you collect over the years; it gets throw out. I still have all my images and glad I wasn't a site hoarder. Been arrested at a site as well and not having any stolen items saved me a lot of time and legal consequences. Cops don't like thieves; pic taking they can usually identify with; no crime, no foul. When you start looting you open yourself to harsher legal consequences. It makes explaining your motives to the owners and police complicated at best when that day arises. Do this long enough and it will... be honest with yourself.

As I stated I do clear it with site representatives or property owners. I'm not saying hey take what you want. But persevering little bits of history from a building that has already been mostly scrapped and is getting axed in the next month isn't a terrible thing. A former steel mill I did a project on, I took a few small steel test pieces. They kept them for testing in the lab each batch of steel they ever made, would have to have a few squares cut off for record's sake. I gave a few to the former workers I spoke with, they appreciated it, after all, it was their life's history. They spent their whole life working in that mill. Many of them have passed and I like to think that a little 2inch sliver of stainless steel made them chuckle a bit and remember the good times. Besides I wasn't taken from the few others who saw it before it was axed. There were thousands of these 2-inch slivers. Some round, some sharp and others encased in black plastic. One sits on my desk. It reminds me of the "Humble" beginnings of my obsession with industrial sites like this. Again, I'm not saying go ahead and steal a 100-year-old machine that made for really cool photos. I'm just saying save what you can. Just don't be an asshole who scraps copper or other metals from abandoned buildings ; )

Posted by G10 Photography As I stated I do clear it with site representatives or property owners. I'm not saying hey take what you want. But persevering little bits of history from a building that has already been mostly scrapped and is getting axed in the next month isn't a terrible thing. A former steel mill I did a project on, I took a few small steel test pieces. They kept them for testing in the lab each batch of steel they ever made, would have to have a few squares cut off for record's sake. I gave a few to the former workers I spoke with, they appreciated it, after all, it was their life's history. They spent their whole life working in that mill. Many of them have passed and I like to think that a little 2inch sliver of stainless steel made them chuckle a bit and remember the good times. Besides I wasn't taken from the few others who saw it before it was axed. There were thousands of these 2-inch slivers. Some round, some sharp and others encased in black plastic. One sits on my desk. It reminds me of the "Humble" beginnings of my obsession with industrial sites like this. Again, I'm not saying go ahead and steal a 100-year-old machine that made for really cool photos. I'm just saying save what you can. Just don't be an asshole who scraps copper or other metals from abandoned buildings ; )

Do what you want but it's a waste of time as far as I'm concerned when you could be sploring and shooting instead.
Asking permission to take things other than pics can easily change how owners view you. One reason I've gotten repeat demo shoots is all I ask for is the shoot. Just allowing you to be on a site is a huge leap of faith on the part of the owners.
Clouding the waters only makes them more murky...

Framing up some good shots of it where it should be is more productive.
Once removed from its point of origin it looses its meaning... and purpose.
&
In a few decades or less it most likely will be thrown out or as you loose interest or control, be grabbed by someone else.
So you brought a piece back... will it really enhance your life?

I've had over half a century sploring to learn it's best to take only pictures, for many reasons including personal integrity.

Posted by blackhawk Do what you want but it's a waste of time as far as I'm concerned when you could be sploring and shooting instead. Asking permission to take things other than pics can easily change how owners view you. One reason I've gotten repeat demo shoots is all I ask for is the shoot. Just allowing you to be on a site is a huge leap of faith on the part of the owners. Clouding the waters only makes them more murky... Framing up some good shots of it where it should be is more productive. Once removed from its point of origin it looses its meaning... and purpose. & In a few decades or less it most likely will be thrown out or as you loose interest or control, be grabbed by someone else. So you brought a piece back... will it really enhance your life? I've had over half a century sploring to learn it's best to take only pictures, for many reasons including personal integrity.

Again, I work for a historical society and have permission. I'm not saying steal. Just saying something like taking a small chunk of brick or a small piece of stock letter to remember your first explore isn't a bad thing. I am not saying stealing is okay, but persevering history with, the keyword here: *PERMISSION* is a different story. I can see how I didn't clearly explain that I have permission and work with local historical societies clearly. So I am just clearing that up. But yes, Unless you have permission don't take anything besides pictures