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Looking for advice on buying a safe
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Started by Sweet Lou 14,

34 posts in this topic

Sweet Lou 14

Sweet Lou 14

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I recently reached out to my insurance carrier about increasing the coverage for my collection, and was told that I will need to purchase a "qualifying safe" (200 pounds, or bolted to the ground) in order to proceed.  The safe would be located in my attic, which is dry and temperature-controlled.

To be clear, there is no way I'm going to be able to store all of my books (nearly 3,000 slabs and over 25,000 raw books of minimal value).  My goal is to get a safe big enough to store as few as 20 and perhaps as many as 50 of the most valuable books in the collection.  I plan on asking the underwriter to clarify whether I need to make sure all books whose individual value is above a certain dollar value, or books totaling a certain value, are protected in the safe.

There seem to be a lot of options out there, and I'm not really sure where to begin.  Obviously I want the safe to provide an acceptable standard of theft, fire, and water prevention, but other than those features, and the obvious questions of weight and dimensions and capacity, I'm not sure what to look for.  I've heard that some safes feature modular shelving or other features that might be useful.  But I really a starting from square one.

So I'm hoping there might be some people here who have used a safe to store comics and can make recommendations.  Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have!

 

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buttock

buttock

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To cut to the chase on fireproof safes, IIRC, many of them have a chemical in them that evaporates into a liquid/steam when heated and will thus prevent anything inside from burning.  Unfortunately, that chemical seeps out slowly as humidity over time and can lead to rusty staples.  

So bottom line, buy a gun safe that doesn't have any fireproofing. 

Or build a safe room.  

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Sweet Lou 14

Sweet Lou 14

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On 11/20/2022 at 4:00 PM, buttock said:

Also, are you looking at insurance with CIA?  They will often allow an alarm system as an alternative to a safe. 

If by CIA you mean Collectibles Insurance, then yes they did offer a central station alarm system as an alternative.  I may look into that option if the safe doesn't work out.

If fireproofing risks doing more harm than good, I definitely don't need that.  In the event of a fire, I absolutely do not expect my books to survive.  The point is simply to have the collection insured at full replacement value in the event that something this awful were to happen.

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lizards2

lizards2

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On 11/20/2022 at 12:59 PM, buttock said:

 

Or build a safe room.  

This.

There is no happy ending in the safe thread.

I don't believe there would ever be a happy ending trying to collect on the insurance either.

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MAR1979

MAR1979

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^ if you do think about vault solution mentioned please ensure to perform significant due diligence about the vendor.

For you own Safe utilize plenty of desiccant (replaced or recharged on a regular basis) as Safes tend to hold in (and sort of condense) humidity which may lead to rusted staples.

"Obviously I want the safe to provide an acceptable standard of theft, fire, and water prevention" :

When I was attending College I briefly sold Safes for commissions at a small retail outlet. Decide which of those 3 options is your greatest concern and target that. Getting something that does all these of those things at even an average level is a challenge no "off the rack" safe of any decent size will ever truly meet.  Keep in mind water resistance (not proofing) can be achieved in either a Fire or Burglary rated unit by using decent quality plastic "bags". Again don't skimp on desiccant unless you live in near desert like environment.

- Read into how fire Safes actually protect from fire and come to you own conclusion if targeting that option for condition sensitive paper collectibles is best.

- For Burglary Class B at Bare Minimum, Class C is my own personal minimum and it ain't cheap.  Class C is 1/2" body and 1" door. However, Ideally you want 1" (even more pricey) Hardened Body and Door using a quality Dial mechanism. A good burglar safe will buy you time, no home unit is impenetrable. If the thief is prepared, knowledgeable and has a long clock to work with they will get in, only a question of how long. Safe's rated lower than Class C  required a lot less time and preparation to break into.

- Regardless of weight - BOLT the safe down!  That won't work so well with a Fire Rated unit as to do it in the most secure manner, which is from within the safe, will void the fire protection.

 

Anyhow I only sold them for a short while 20 or so years back.  Best of luck!

Edited by MAR1979
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lizards2

lizards2

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On 11/20/2022 at 2:39 PM, MattTheDuck said:

I've heard they're creating "safe spaces" at colleges all over the country, so maybe they would have something that would work.

:D You have to separate the Marvels from the DCs, from the Charltons and ACGs.

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batman_fan

batman_fan

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I would opt for the alarm path.  We have a "custom" safe from this place.  Mostly for my wife's Jewlry, important paperwork, and gold.  I can't remember what it weighed but I think it was ~800lbs.  They had a special stair climber dolly to get it on the 2nd floor.  I keep no comics in it.  To insure her Jewlry we had to have a home alarm and a safe.

https://casorojewelrysafes.com

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Sweet Lou 14

Sweet Lou 14

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On 11/20/2022 at 5:40 PM, Dark Knight said:

There is this too which has been popular recently.  Not for everyone, but it is an option.

https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/vault

With respect, I would never in a billion years give my prized possessions to some random company to hold onto.  Anyone doing that is taking a huge risk if they think that the bros running PWCC are any more responsible than the bros behind FTX.

Edited by Sweet Lou 14
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mytastebud

mytastebud

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I would recommend converting a closet for the job. Depending on your budget, hire a professional and insulate/fire-proof a walk-in closet. Change to a fireproof door and secure it with a high-level locking mechanism. You should have air circulation too. It's what I did:preach:

The only warning, I would give is it's a closet at that's near an entrance and or shares the outer wall you might have to worry about pests and or mold (from water). Speaking from experience, hire a professional with some knowledge. Depending on where you live and who you hire it should cost you $6,000 - $10,000+. Not bad if your collection is north of 6 figures. Plus, you may be able to protect all of your books say $500 or more in the convenience of your own home.

2c

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lizards2

lizards2

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On 11/20/2022 at 4:41 PM, WolverineX said:

This is your answer.  Or hide it in plain random site like under depends box or underwear drawer. 

Used diaper hamper?

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Dark Knight

Dark Knight

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On 11/20/2022 at 3:29 PM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

With respect, I would never in a billion years give my prized possessions to some random company to hold onto.  Anyone doing that is taking a huge risk if they think that the bros running PWCC are any more responsible than the bros behind FTX.

I agree with you, I wouldn't either. Just putting it out there (thumbsu

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