Are Safe Deposit Boxes Ok for Comics?

[rodan57]

While we're on the topic of safety deposit boxes, what size box do collectors use? The largest I could find in my local area (and the boxes all seem standard) allows me to store 10 slabs.

[silverseeker]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

I passed this along to my friend and it turns out her dad recently donated the comic (as well as a Playboy #1) to a charity for some uninsured person with steep medical bills. So in a way, Superman saves a life!

 

And for the record I did read the thread on safes, and preferred not to make the assumption that safe deposit boxes were an identical situation.

 

That is way cool of your friend's dad! :thumbsup:

 

I don't have a SDB, but would assume that banks have some kind of climate control in place because of the sheer volume of paper and metal objects that are probably stored in their SDBs...

 

Just my

[silverseeker]

Look at the 3rd topic down in the ask CGC section.

 

Russ...

 

 

It has come to CGC’s attention that certain safes may be harmful to comic books.

 

Over a year ago, CGC received a call from a collector stating that he had some books with rust growing on staples of a few comics. There had been no rust when he last saw the books. We asked that the owner send the books to CGC for inspection. When the books came in, we were very surprised to see extremely rusty staples that had not been rusted a few years prior. After a long investigation and with the help of the collector, we learned that rust could have developed because of the chemical compound used to make his safe fireproof or fire resistant. But because information was limited, at that time, we suspected that heavy moisture in the room where the safe was located contributed to the poor storage conditions for these books, not just the safe itself, since we have never heard of this happening before.

 

Just a few days ago, we received another call.

 

A collector, well-known to CGC, called to ask about the same problem affecting a single book. He was told to send his book in so that we could see it. After thinking about it that evening and remembering the “safe” incident from the year before, I called him the very next morning. I asked him if his comic was stored in a fireproof safe, and his answer was “yes.” I then asked him if it was a safe made by the same company. His answer again was, “yes.” Subsequent examination revealed that not just a single comic book was affected, but a few had rusted staples.

 

Coincidently, both reported incidents involved the same brand safes. We have strong reason to believe that ANY fireproof or fire resistant safe might create a harmful storage environment for your comics. Yesterday, we also learned that fireproof/fire resistant safes are prone to develop moisture. Many fire resistant safes contain insulation, which in turn, contains water crystals; thus the high content of moisture.

 

The collector who recently contacted us furthermore revealed this statement from the owner’s manual for his safe: “Inside of the safe is subject to humidity. If you wish to store stamps or other items which may be affected by moisture, place them in an air tight container before storing”.

 

If you have a fireproof or resistant safe, or if you are thinking about buying one, PLEASE do as much research as possible to determine if it can be harmful to non-precious metals.

 

 

Was the brand ever mentioned in this thread?

[AussieRuss]

I hope Bruce does not mind me re-posting some of his comments here. This discussion revolves around storing comics in a safe. In short some of the fire retardent chemicals/padding in the walls are not very nice when mixed with humidity.

 

Also an important note is that silica gel is great but once it absorbs moisture over a few weeks/months it is useless and needs to be re cooked to get the moisture out.

During my time as an aircraft engineer we would use bags & bags of silica to keep moisture away from raw metals. After a few weeks we would have to place the bags for 24 hours into a heat treatment oven to re-set the beads & cook the moisture out. Not doing this will only create an even higher humidity environment for your books.

 

Now for Bruce's comments. (Taken from the ask CGC thread)

 

I am the unfortunate one Steve speaks of.

I will be commenting more and posting scans this weekend.

 

For the record, I WAS using a Sentry Fire-Safe Model A3810. Ironic since I enjoy the new marvel character the Sentry. To be fair, it may very well not be the manufacturer, but any fire-proof safe for reasons explained below* in more detail.

 

When researching and comparing safes prior to purchase, this one appeared to me to be specifically for storing papergoods safely and providing longer protection from heat and/or fire. Despite the warning about firearms/ammunition, there was no specific warning about ANY non-precious metal (staples) being at risk to rust in the manual and other verbiage that IMO supports its use for CGC protected comics.

 

*It may not be the humidity and moisture levels the safe locks in that caused the damage. In my "post rust" conversations, it has been suggested that the anti-fire chemical(s) used to produce the safe may aid in accelerating the rusting process or be corrosive to metal all by themselves. I have to post on the NGC boards and see what I can find from the coin collectors.

 

The safe was opened semi-regularly and silica gel packets were used also. There was never even the most remote indication of moisture within (beading, etc.) to the naked eye... although that may not be relevant.

 

So far (1) book appears to be totally shot. One of my prized personal favorites Hulk 182 9.8 oww Winnipeg that was in the safe the longest. 3 others have a very minor amount apparently just starting and are not visible from a front scan. Steve mentioned that there is a possibility that this minor amount could be brushed off without "cleaning" the staples in a manner that would render them conserved or restored. So I am holding out hope that my loss will be just the 1 book worth around $2,000.

 

I am sending CGC all books that were in the safe just so they can examine them closely and see if there is anything else to discover.. god forbid. All the books that are determined to be harm-free will be reholdered regardless.

 

I will find out as much as I can and will be distributing all information as far and wide as I'm able with the assistance of CGC, GPA and Gemstone. My hope is that I can help others that may have their CGC comics similarly stored remove them from the harmful environment before they suffer any losses as I have.

 

For the record, I will exercise "full disclosure" when/if any of the 3 books that have minor rust starting on them (and hopefully can have it removed within the rules) are ever sold whether they are lowered in grade or not.

 

[AussieRuss]

Some more comments & Pics.

 

Yes, since the fellow that first reported this had 2 safes...1 fireproof, the other not. The CGC books in the non-fireproof safe were fine back then. Steve called the guy back after hearing about my misfortune and I believe the other fellow reported that his CGC comics still within the non fireproof safe to be OK.

 

Aman, if your safe is fire-resistant or fireproof... get your books the [embarrassing lack of self control but understandable if one of your prized comics suffered a fate like that poor Hulk 182] out of there until we know more. I'd hate to see anyone else's prized comics meet a similar fate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AussieRuss]

Posted By Zipper68.

 

From the Sentry website: [bold emphasis is mine]

 

#######

 

Q: Why is there moisture in my fire resistant safe?

 

Sentry Fire-Safe products which offer fire protection have a patented insulation. Any fire resistant safe contains insulation, which in turn, contains water crystals; thus the high content of moisture. In addition, the Sentry advanced safes close airtight to offer water resistance, which may also cause moisture to accumulate inside your safe.

 

We suggest that you open the safe at least once every two weeks for approximately 20 minutes. To alleviate any musty odor, we suggest that you remove the items from the safe and wipe the interior with a paste of baking soda and water.

[Designer Toast]

I stored some cash in a brand-new Sentry fireproof safe a few years ago. Months later when I opened the safe, the bills had foxing all over them and you could smell the mold. The odor was pretty bad and one bank told me they would not accept the bills for deposit.

[Mr. Zipper]

I'm in NY (very humid summers; otherwise relatively dry) and have used a safe deposit box for at least a decade with no apparent issues. Also, if the bank has a good/modern central air conditioning system, it should remove a lot of the humidity.

 

My wife works in a bank. They turn off the air over the weekends. Come Monday morning, it's very hot and humid in there. Especially in the vault where the SDBs are.

 

My bank is open both days on weekends.

 

Does you bank have "sperm" or "blood" somewhere in the name?

 

I lived in metro NY for 15 years and never saw any bank opened on a Sunday.

 

[RareHighGrade]

I thought that the inner CGC casing was air-tight. Is that not so? If it is air-tight, how did the moisture get in?

[EastEnd]

I'm in NY (very humid summers; otherwise relatively dry) and have used a safe deposit box for at least a decade with no apparent issues. Also, if the bank has a good/modern central air conditioning system, it should remove a lot of the humidity.

 

My wife works in a bank. They turn off the air over the weekends. Come Monday morning, it's very hot and humid in there. Especially in the vault where the SDBs are.

 

My bank is open both days on weekends.

 

Does you bank have "sperm" or "blood" somewhere in the name?

 

I lived in metro NY for 15 years and never saw any bank opened on a Sunday.

 

 

You obviously haven't been here in a while. Commerce Bank changed all the rules by having evening hours and yes Sunday hours. Many banks have followed their lead to compete.