I'm on the board at Boulder Community Cycles and one additional suggestio is that we buy open end wrenches and screwdrivers and adjustable wrenches...the more common tools, at Harbor Freight. They don't say PARK on them but they work as well and their low prices give us budget to get the specialized Park tools that we need. 
And as someone has mentioned, we color code our tools and mark their spot on each work bench, so at the end of the day...a place for everything and everything in it's place...or a 
blank spot that draws attention and folks try to track it down. 

On Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 12:45 PM, Jonathan Morrison <jonathan@slcbikecollective.org> wrote:
I like to think in terms of the 80 / 20 rule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle), and completely agree and recommend Bob Giordano's statement, "We decided living with a tool taken now and then is quite easier than some kind of checkout system."

Therefore, do what you can (within reason) to prevent tool theft / loss, but there is a point at which your efforts have diminishing returns.  At that point determine the cost of your tool theft / loss, create a budgetary item for it, make sure that when you either charge the patrons or raise funds that this budget item is included.  Simply put, tool theft   / loss / misuse / replacement is a line item on any community bike shop's costs of doing business.

Let karma take care of the dishonest, don't waist your mental energy on them -- stay positive and focus those precious brain waves on your organization's mission.  

Sincerely,

Jonathan Morrison
Executive Director
Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective
2312 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
w: 801-328-2453
c: 801-688-0183
f: 801-466-3856
www.slcbikecollective.org

The mission of the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective is to promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society. The Bicycle Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households.


On Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 12:06 PM, Jerry <danceswithcars@gmail.com> wrote:
Wondering about using RFID tags for more expensive tools

---
Please excuse the typing, very small keyboard...


On Apr 9, 2012, at 13:29, "Bob Giordano" <mist@strans.org> wrote:

> We paint tools, and put a grinder mark on them, such as a 'FC'.  We put
> trust into people and almost every tool gets returned.
>
> We have 8 colored tool boards with colored tools.  At some point we might
> paint all boards and tools just one color.
>
> We decided living with a tool taken now and then is quite easier than some
> kind of checkout system.
>
> Specialty tools are sort of similar, and the really expensive tools have
> to be asked for.
>
> -Bob g, Free Cycles Missoula
>
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