O/t - Safes

[Leon]

I have a 1200 lb jewelers safe, bought it used but new condition, and when I had a more expensive collection I always used a bank safe deposit box. Best money I ever spent (and it wasn't much) for the peace of mind. I think I paid around 1100 dollars and I don't think they have gone up too much (when you can find a good used one they are cheap, many times). I got mine at a safe store that had new and used ones.

[rainier2004]

Originally Posted by Leon

I have a 1200 lb jewelers safe, bought it used but new condition, and when I had a more expensive collection I always used a bank safe deposit box. Best money I ever spent (and it wasn't much) for the peace of mind. I think I paid around 1100 dollars and I don't think they have gone up too much (when you can find a good used one they are cheap, many times). I got mine at a safe store that had new and used ones.

What store did you go to? Mom and Pops or was it a chain? It seems like a lot of places don't keep too many safes on hand.

Can I ask what thought/preferences you put into the purchase? A heavy ass safe sounds like great peace of mind and Id agree that is priceless.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by rainier2004

What store did you go to? Mom and Pops or was it a chain? It seems like a lot of places don't keep too many safes on hand.

Can I ask what thought/preferences you put into the purchase? A heavy ass safe sounds like great peace of mind and Id agree that is priceless.

I put a lot of thought into it and the safe I got I couldn't be happier with.

https://www.a-1locksmith.com/plano/ is where I got it.

I wasn't here when it was delivered but understand it had to have a tow truck to bring it in. It is rated TL30, which I think means that it's going to take someone at least 30 minutes to get into it under their best circumstance with normal tools. It also has another small safe built in the inside too. It is fire rated Class 350 2 hours, and is probably 2-4 inches of solid steel all the way around it. That all said when my collection got too valuable to leave at home (safes don't protect from people with guns, God forbid) I got the Bank box. I had the Safe Deposit box for at least 10-15 yrs along with the safe at home. The bank safe deposit box, a very large one, was around 125 per yr. I strongly recommend one if you have a valuable collection. Good luck.

[Snapolit1]

I put minimal thought into it and bought a Sentry safe from Amazon. Brand has a solid reputation. Heavy as hell and some dude carried it into my house. Works fine.
Flood and fire rating? If my house burns to the ground my collection will be the least of my worries. And is insured. Flood a little more important as I did have a terrible flood on the other side of my home.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I put minimal thought into it and bought a Sentry safe from Amazon. Brand has a solid reputation. Heavy as hell and some dude carried it into my house. Works fine.
Flood and fire rating? If my house burns to the ground my collection will be the least of my worries. And is insured. Flood a little more important as I did have a terrible flood on the other side of my home.

If some dude carried it into your house, that implies some dude could carry it out of your house, no?

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If some dude carried it into your house, that implies some dude could carry it out of your house, no?

Some dude stronger than you Peter.

[RedsFan1941]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If some dude carried it into your house, that implies some dude could carry it out of your house, no?

he put minimal thought into it.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If some dude carried it into your house, that implies some dude could carry it out of your house, no?

Ha. Well it was in the box. When I took it out to the box my son and I had a hell of a time carrying to together. I guess they make the plastic shell very hard to carry. Very slippery. And I did bolt to the floor.

[Joe_G.]

I opted for Liberty Lincoln Safe years ago, built into closet which would require walls to be torn down to remove it. The safe will stay with the house Not a guarantee against theft but another layer of protection. I also have the safelert service which allows me to check on temperature, humidity, door open/close status etc. It has a very sensitive "shake" feature that when triggered texts me. If I lay a hand on the safe I receive a text within ~30 seconds. If wifi mysteriously goes down I receive a similar notice. I can also set custom triggers on temperature and humidity which is helpful if you are, for example, in a high humidity environment. This feature can remind you to turn on the dehumidifier (safe has its own dry rod dehumidifier, one of several accessories you can consider). Tornado and fire are more likely than theft in Iowa; the Liberty safe provides some protection from all (heavy, quite a few layers of fire board, ball bearing steel hardplate, 14 bolt, etc.).

http://www.libertysafe.com/safe-linc...html?tab=specs

http://www.libertysafe.com/accessory...-17-pg-85.html

[Tennis13]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I put minimal thought into it and bought a Sentry safe from Amazon. Brand has a solid reputation. Heavy as hell and some dude carried it into my house. Works fine.
Flood and fire rating? If my house burns to the ground my collection will be the least of my worries. And is insured. Flood a little more important as I did have a terrible flood on the other side of my home.

I cannot believe how deep we are into this thread and nobody has posted this video. I think safes present the illusion of safety, and if someone wants in, they'll get in and it may involve you nicely opening it for them against your will. They protect to varying degrees and stop probably nearly every petty criminal. That said, some are just a joke. The Sentry safe is a giant POS that if someone is even moderately motivated to go to work, they can:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TBhfnIu9lTw

[Snapolit1]

I had no illusion I was protecting myself from a home invasion. Really just to put a few things so they would be out of eyesight of workers and other visitors to my home.

[Stampsfan]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I had no illusion I was protecting myself from a home invasion. Really just to put a few things so they would be out of eyesight of workers and other visitors to my home.

+1

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by Tennis13

I cannot believe how deep we are into this thread and nobody has posted this video. I think safes present the illusion of safety, and if someone wants in, they'll get in and it may involve you nicely opening it for them against your will. They protect to varying degrees and stop probably nearly every petty criminal. That said, some are just a joke. The Sentry safe is a giant POS that if someone is even moderately motivated to go to work, they can:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TBhfnIu9lTw

2 Things:

1) It's a Sentry safe. Really I can stop right there and my point is made without saying another word.

2) It's an electronic locking mechanism which sucks as I mentioned in post #7 (although I tried to be nice about saying it).

[Tennis13]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

2 Things:

1) It's a Sentry safe. Really I can stop right there and my point is made without saying another word.

2) It's an electronic locking mechanism which sucks as I mentioned in post #7 (although I tried to be nice about saying it).

Yes. I just want to make sure that people didnt just buy one at Wal Mart or amazon and think they were good for like $300. Spend the extra $500 or so and get something legit rather than flushing $300 down the drain. I mean i imagine there are low level safe thiefs that have this nailed down. Would be a shame to lose the lottery to them if they choose your house some night.

[deagleii]

There are numerous types of safes from jewelers to gun safes. The biggest problem with them for us as collectors is water. Be careful when you bolt it down that is likely where the water will come from. You will hear myths about self-sealing doors during a fire. What if there is no fire and your sump pump backs up?

Liberty makes one called a fatboy that is about $1000 on sale delivered. They usually run $1500. It is big enough that your average fella will not be moving and big enough to hold all of your valuables from guns, cards as well as rings and bullion. Water will get in if not the inside will be steam anyway.

Below is a link to talk about water proof safes.

https://blog.safeandvaultstore.com/a...es-waterproof/

[NonSportDaniel]

Mine is a Johnson Safe. Johnsonsafes.net. The BR series are really nice. I'm going to approach them about making one with only shelves and not the long gun half as I need another one now. I'd like a pull out lateral file drawer for my hanging binders.

[vintagetoppsguy]

There's two aspects to the fire rating - temperature and duration. The fire rating on that Stackon sucks.

Other things that make a difference in the price are the materials of construction, locking bolts, locking mechanism and hinges.

My guess is that it's not constructed that well. My safe is about the same dimensions, but weighs a lot more. It doesn't appear to have many locking bolts. The locking mechanism is electronic. Personally, I don't like electronic. I really can't give an opinion on the hinges without seeing it in person.

As someone else mentioned, go with the Liberty.

[pokerplyr80]

Curious as to why the safe in your link would need an extended warranty. If the manufacturer won't even stand behind a safe for 3 years I don't think I'd be interested.

[ZiggerZagger]

Having explored this topic as a complete novice in the past year and coming out of it much wiser, I'd throw in a few key tidbits:

--If you want more than to keep out nosy neighborhood kids, then do NOT buy anything rated as a RSC (Residential Security Container) which is anything from Costco/Walmart/etc. or labeled as a 'Gun Safe'. You need a "Vault".

--Any determined individual with a prybar will have nearly any Safe open within 60 seconds. (Check out YouTube for examples if you don't want to sleep well at night...)

--Layering of security measures is key, with a conventional Alarm/Motion/Camera system as well as concealment both effective layers of security in addition to the Safe itself.

--Best rule of thumb is to invest in Steel -- Use your $$$ to buy as thick of steel gauge for the body and door of the safe as possible. This is all that truly provides resilience to an attack. This also necessarily increases the weight of the safe. A decent Vault is going to be 1000 lbs plus. Anything less will fall under an RSC definition, typically.

--I would strongly recommend enlisting a local safe/security company who specializes in this area of work.

--Be sure to bolt the Safe to your foundation/floor once mounted. All Safes of even modest size have pre-drilled holes in the bottom, and not bolting it down will allow the Safe to be tipped and attacked from the side, where the Body is typically much thinner gauge steel than the Door.

--If the collection is too valuable to be held safely at home with peace of mind, use a Safety Deposit Box at the Bank.

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by ZiggerZagger

Having explored this topic as a complete novice in the past year and coming out of it much wiser, I'd throw in a few key tidbits:

--If you want more than to keep out nosy neighborhood kids, then do NOT buy anything rated as a RSC (Residential Security Container) which is anything from Costco/Walmart/etc. or labeled as a 'Gun Safe'. You need a "Vault".

--Any determined individual with a prybar will have nearly any Safe open within 60 seconds. (Check out YouTube for examples if you don't want to sleep well at night...)

--Layering of security measures is key, with a conventional Alarm/Motion/Camera system as well as concealment both effective layers of security in addition to the Safe itself.

--Best rule of thumb is to invest in Steel -- Use your $$$ to buy as thick of steel gauge for the body and door of the safe as possible. This is all that truly provides resilience to an attack. This also necessarily increases the weight of the safe. A decent Vault is going to be 1000 lbs plus. Anything less will fall under an RSC definition, typically.

--I would strongly recommend enlisting a local safe/security company who specializes in this area of work.

--Be sure to bolt the Safe to your foundation/floor once mounted. All Safes of even modest size have pre-drilled holes in the bottom, and not bolting it down will allow the Safe to be tipped and attacked from the side, where the Body is typically much thinner gauge steel than the Door.

--If the collection is too valuable to be held safely at home with peace of mind, use a Safety Deposit Box at the Bank.

I echo the above sentiments completely. Did a lot of homework too. Put all the good stuff in safe deposit box. Have house alarm and cameras.