Best fireproof safe for cards?

[natsturner]

Hey folks. So I've been using a few SentrySafe safes for a number of years to store most of my cards securely, and be happy with them, but am looking to upgrade/get something more functional. Currently the model I have is just a big open space inside the safe so I just end up stacking a bunch of cards in towers and sliding them into the safe (and have had more than one accident where I accidentally topple over a stack when removing or putting them into the safe).

Has anyone had a good experience with a specific make/model of a fireproof safe that happens to be functional for storing a bunch of largely graded cards? (both PSA and BGS)

I'm thinking something that has potentially trays that happen to be sized for graded cards, or something like that.

Let me know if you have any suggestions! Happy collecting,

-Nat

[theLUCKYshow]

How about these boxes?
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/graded-trading-card-box

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[6celtics33]

I don’t want this to sound like a smart butt answer but with your collection and resources I would have something custom built and bolted to the floor. You should talk to a gun store owner or someone that specializes in that and have something we don’t know about put in.

[Vladdy Jr]

Just put your top 15 slabs in a safety deposit box and call it a day.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by 6celtics33

I don’t want this to sound like a smart butt answer but with your collection and resources I would have something custom built and bolted to the floor. You should talk to a gun store owner or someone that specializes in that and have something we don’t know about put in.

this.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by Vladdy Jr

Just put your top 15 slabs in a safety deposit box and call it a day.

not this.

[theLUCKYshow]

Originally Posted by Vladdy Jr

Just put your top 15 slabs in a safety deposit box and call it a day.

Not a fan of safe deposit boxes for cards. I had a safe deposit box 6-7 years ago that fortunately had no cards in it but water leaked into the box and damaged documents/passport I had in there.

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[arod305]

Question, I hear a lot of people say fireproof safes can be harmful to cards due to the chemical properties that make the safe fireproof? Just curious if anyone actually has knowledge of this.

[CitizunKane]

Originally Posted by arod305

Question, I hear a lot of people say fireproof safes can be harmful to cards due to the chemical properties that make the safe fireproof? Just curious if anyone actually has knowledge of this.

I've heard that as well, and I also know that safes can be pretty humid, even if you throw some desiccant packets in there. I wouldn't worry about putting slabs in a safe, but I wouldn't put raw cards in one. Anyone have any long-term experience to share?

[Siberian13]

You got all that money and nice cards, you should already know We all just jelly

[Dnic]

I keep mine in a Liberty gun safe

[THE(NEXT)LEVEL]

Originally Posted by Dnic

I keep mine in a Liberty gun safe

Ditto, the Presidential gives the best protection from heat.

[RogerGodahell]

Be careful with those cheap safes. They can be opened with earth magnets pretty easily.
This guy says Sentry Safe's are the worst and the company hates him for exposing them.

[JeremyNick]

I would recommend a high quality gun safe. Stay away from a sentry safe, as they are not high quality. Liberty safes or their equivalent will provide reasonable fire protection. You can bolt them to your floor as well and if most are customizable on the inside so you can take the shelves out and stack/store any way you want.
But expect to pay $1500+ for a good, reliable safe
And as I always tell people shopping for gun safes, don't buy a safe big enough to fit your guns because it'll already be too small for your needs. Buy one bigger than you'll think you need.

[CicadaMound]

A fireproof safe won't protect graded cards from the heat of a fire. Plastic melts at a lower temperature than paper burns, so in a fire any slabs, penny sleeves, toploaders, or binder pages would melt around the cards you want to protect, while raw cards in shoeboxes would be totally fine.

This isn't a hypothetical. Last year, a coin collector lost his house in the Paradise Fire in California and had to abandon his safe full of slabbed coins. When he was able to return, he found all of the holders warped and melted by the heat, like so:



The grading companies were able to get the coins out of the melted holders and put them in new ones, but cards wouldn't fare so well.

Here's a post of his from the Collector's Universe forum about how collectibles fare in extreme heat:

Originally Posted by crazyhounddog

I would like to say this.
IF you have your coins, or anything else, you want to protect in a fire like we went through with EXTREME heat I would like to make some recommendations. When I get the time I will post a thread about this but for now here we go.
Paper envelopes will protect your raw coins more than any other way. I had way too many coins I was going to submit for grading that were in a pcgs blue box in my safe. The safe is “Fire Proof” so paper will not burn and it didn’t. Mylar flips of any other plastic will melt and melt itself around your coin. Unfortunately I had many coins in Mylar flips.
The next and maybe even better is bubble wrap. The air in between really insulates. It was amazing to see one of my beautiful old commemorative coins in its original ( museum quality ) box still as it was before the fire because it was wrapped in bubble wrap. So, if you have a (Fire Proof) safe and you have raw coins those little paper envelopes are the ticket. Also as a note my, Kimber 45 still fires. I will still send it in to maybe have the springs replaced as they perhaps have been tempered, just a precaution.
When I get the time I’ll do a thread with pictures to show what I’m talking about. Just remember, Fire Proof, not melt proof. My 1942 Jewelers safe did it’s job.
Happy hunting, Joe

[DajuanWagner]

Originally Posted by natsturner

Hey folks. So I've been using a few SentrySafe safes for a number of years to store most of my cards securely, and be happy with them, but am looking to upgrade/get something more functional. Currently the model I have is just a big open space inside the safe so I just end up stacking a bunch of cards in towers and sliding them into the safe (and have had more than one accident where I accidentally topple over a stack when removing or putting them into the safe).

Has anyone had a good experience with a specific make/model of a fireproof safe that happens to be functional for storing a bunch of largely graded cards? (both PSA and BGS)

I'm thinking something that has potentially trays that happen to be sized for graded cards, or something like that.

Let me know if you have any suggestions! Happy collecting,

-Nat

If you need someone to guard your collection, I volunteer. Just sayin'...……...

[Boo]

Originally Posted by CicadaMound

A fireproof safe won't protect graded cards from the heat of a fire. Plastic melts at a lower temperature than paper burns, so in a fire any slabs, penny sleeves, toploaders, or binder pages would melt around the cards you want to protect, while raw cards in shoeboxes would be totally fine.

This isn't a hypothetical. Last year, a coin collector lost his house in the Paradise Fire in California and had to abandon his safe full of slabbed coins. When he was able to return, he found all of the holders warped and melted by the heat, like so:



The grading companies were able to get the coins out of the melted holders and put them in new ones, but cards wouldn't fare so well.

Here's a post of his from the Collector's Universe forum about how collectibles fare in extreme heat:

That has always been my concern, the heat not the fire.

[JeremyNick]

Originally Posted by Boo

That has always been my concern, the heat not the fire.

Anything preserved in plastic is not going to fair well in anything under fire for a significant amount of time. A safe is your best bet to preserve your collection, but you have to temper your expectations and have insurance to cover the losses that will happen in cases of prolonged fire.

[Grid]

Best option, for most any collection, is to avoid a safe since it becomes an oven.

If you have a spare closet, High Temp refractory board, some double layer fire code drywall, maybe a nice layer of concrete board and a nice heavy fireproof door, which is basically a better exterior door to a home.

Add an exhaust fan to the space, not just to vent in case of fire but to keep air moving in there any way. Any time you proof a room you can trap humidity and what not in there.

Cheaper than a giant safe, more room if you have a decent sized closet, and you can build out the space exactly as you want, with racks, shelves etc.

[brettmik59]

Originally Posted by Dnic

I keep mine in a Liberty gun safe

Yeah I've got a nice sized Liberty premium home safe, bolted to the floor. Get one with enough space where you can insert whatever trays you want. They come with adjustable shelves. Best $1200 I ever spent.

[arod305]

Soooo if someone really isn't wanting to spend $1500 on a safe for 10 slabs then they should just go safety deposit box option?

[CaliCollector87]

Safest=Safety deposit box bank.<---read banks liability policy.
next sefest= remote consigned location kinda like comc but with insurance
next= a custom built gun safe combined with a small fireproof safe. (most practical)
next = small fireproof safe
worst==no safety at all

I myself have two gun safes Remington and cannon(i dont hardly put s__t in this one). For gun safes you have to look at the burn time and class rating. Obviously you want both of them to be the highest possible.
The way i look at it is would i want to spend $2500 to protect $25000 worth of cards or more. I would say add the value of your cards you want to protect then come up with something you'd be willing to spend for that protection.

[SPauthentic84]

Never thought of the heat aspect.

I have my cards in a fire safe box, now I'm worried haha

So what do you think is the safest at home method?

[smanzari]

Originally Posted by SPauthentic84

Never thought of the heat aspect.

I have my cards in a fire safe box, now I'm worried haha

So what do you think is the safest at home method?

Honestly, probably a good bolted-down safe with the knowledge that it won't be heat protected. I wonder if burying one in the crawlspace or basement floor (like having the door on top) would help with fires

[brettmik59]

Originally Posted by arod305

Soooo if someone really isn't wanting to spend $1500 on a safe for 10 slabs then they should just go safety deposit box option?

Depends how much those slabs are worth and whether you trust a 3rd party (bank) to hold them for you.