After a great deal of procrastination (and some consternation) I have finally decided to sell off a large portion of my personal collection. At least for the time being, I'm going to hold onto my Met and City items but I'm putting most everything else up for sale. I hope to continue enjoying my interest in British police history and true crime so I also plan to hold onto my books, photos, and the paper ephemera.

Why sell? ..... Well, it was truly a 'gut-wrenching' decision that's been weighing on my mind for the better part of several years. Rather than bore you with the details, let me just say that basically it all boils down to three factors ... (1) personal satisfaction, (2) practical space utilization, and, (3) changing interests. I am not desperate for the money, nor am I in any hurry to dispose of the items … I absolutely will not sell any item unless I am completely satisfied with the terms of the offer/transaction.

Some Q & A and some Comments ……

Contacting me: Please DO NOT TELEPHONE me … forgive my rudeness, but I will not return telephone messages concerning this sale as I have neither the time, the budget, nor the inclination! I can be contacted via email at johnt@constabulary.com or johnt@technodev.com. You may send regular postal mail to me at: John Taylor, P.O. Box 755, Scottsville, TX 75688 USA, but I cannot reply unless you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Museum Inquiries: Sorry, but I have no intentions of giving any of these collectibles away for free. If you are a museum curator who needs time to raise the subscriptions to purchase an item, then you should contact me and I’ll work out some arrangement after receipt of a deposit.

Is this everything? I'm not exactly sure how many items I'll end up putting into the sale but I suspect the number will easily top 100+ pieces. I suggest you check the list frequently as items will be added periodically as I have time to scan or photograph them.

Lots vs Individual Items: Many of the items may initially be offered in lots because they are currently affixed to a board and displayed behind glass in a deep, heavy oak frame. The purchaser will receive only the collectible items and the board (if requested); due to shipping costs it is not practical to try and mail the frame and glass. If, after a respectable period of time, the items don’t sell as a lot, then I’ll take apart the display and sell the items individually.

I need more info or photos! If you are a serious buyer and require more information or photos on a piece, just send me an email request and I'll try to accommodate you. Don't wait till the last minute though, because it may take me a few days to put together a response.

What is the "Minimum Offer"? The minimum offer is necessary to identify or differentiate the "serious buyers" from the "just curious" ones... The minimum offer is just a starting point or a guideline; it is not, by any means, the lowest price that I'll accept on an item.

What happens after I make an offer? After I receive your offer I will do my best to send you a response within 48 hours. Each item entry has a "Last Updated" date posted in the format, year/month/date ... Within approximately 30 days of the posted date I will review the bids for that item and contact the person making the highest offer to finalize the transaction. Please Note ** if I am not satisfied with the offers received within the 30 day period then I may choose to continue the sale for another 30 days. Also Note ** I can decide to sell an item at any time during the sale ... for example, if, on day 2 I receive an offer that I think is fair and to my satisfaction, then I may go ahead and contact the person making the offer and finalize the transaction thus removing the item from public sale.

Authenticity: My collection has undergone the scrutiny of numerous so-called 'experts' … To the best of my knowledge all of the items being sold are genuine and authentic according to their description. Any buyer who doubts the authenticity of his purchase can simply return it according to the “Return Policy”.

Return Policy: Any item can be returned if the buyer is not satisfied with the purchase. The buyer must notify me within 10 days of receipt that he’s making a return. The returned item must be in the same condition as when it was sold and any lot must be intact. After I receive and inspect the returned item, a refund of the original purchase price will be mailed to the buyer in the form of a US money order in US dollars; the cost of shipping WILL NOT be refunded.

Shipping: Unless you specify some acceptable alternative, I will ship all items using the USPS (United States Postal Service) via “Insured” “Airmail” … if available for overseas shipments, I will use the “Small Packet” designation. The buyer is responsible for all actual postage costs; I do not charge for “packaging and/or handling.”

Making Payment: All payments must be in the form of money orders commonly accepted in US banks (I suggest American Express or Thomas Cooke) written in US dollars. Your money order must clear my bank before the order will be shipped. Once I’ve determined shipping cost (actual postage) and notified you of the total price of the transaction, you should send your payment to: John Taylor, P.O. Box 755, Scottsville, TX 75688 USA

Why a P.O. box instead of my residence address? Post Office boxes are much more secure than residential mailboxes so it makes the transaction safer for both of us. To assure you that I’m not hiding my residence address, here it is: John Taylor, 102 Cedar Circle, Marshall, TX 75672 USA. Please note that I assume no responsibility for mail sent to my residence since anyone could remove it from the insecure, rural mailbox located out on the public street.