Won't the graded card slabs melt below 350?
 

I've been looking into different fire safes to store my more valuable cards. I don't want to get a safety deposit box at the bank because I want to actually look at my cards. And I've found a few that are reasonably priced, offering an hour of fire protection for fires up to 1700 degrees. Sounds great, right? Well, it keeps the internal temperature at or below 350 degrees.

If I've got graded cards in this safe, they'd melt, wouldn't they?

I know different kinds of plastics melt at different temperatures. I'm not sure what kind of plastic PSA, SGC and Beckett slabs incorporate, so I can't tell what their melting point is.

Do any of these safes offer any real protection against fire? I know some of these questions might get too scientific, but I figure that you guys have some nice collections, and this kind of question has to have come up before.

I only live a few blocks from the nearest fire department. Assuming there was a fire, you'd think they'd respond pretty quickly, and get the fire under control. But how long does it take for a fire to get hot enough to heat a fire safe to a point where the contents are placed in harm's way?

Outside of spending several thousand dollars on a custom built safe, or storing them at a bank, what kind of options do I have that will provide some protection? I don't need a huge safe. 2 cubic feet should be plenty.

I guess I'm just looking for some input from you guys, seeing how you'd have the same concerns I do.

Thanks.

Safes
 

Bill---I have a safe and a safety deposit box but do not use either for cards. Because I collect sets, and lots of them, and display them all in binders, it is not a viable option for me. Insurance and a lot of pictures is the route I have gone.

But I think you should get a cheap slabbed card, put it in you oven at 250 and then up it by 50 degrees ay intervals until you find it's meting point. And then report back. To be thorough you may need to get a cheap slab from each major grading company and report which one holds out the longest :)

Bill as much as you like to look at your cards, I would personally vote SDB. Even though there is very little chance that your house or the bank burns down, I would personally feel safer with higher dollar items sitting in a vault even if it takes me 20-30 minutes to drive there to get them out. I figure you have to have a bank /w safety boxes fairly close

If you have some super expensive one of a kind items, i'd probably store those in a safety deposit box until...unless of course you can afford some type of custom safe/room with ample fire protection.

Otherwise, if its just "nice" ebay-able stuff, I would just protect them with a nice, easily found fire safe. If the house burns down, I think your baseball cards will be pretty far down the list of concerns, compared to your family or even truly irreplaceable items like photos and heirlooms.

Take pictures of what you own and upload them to photobucket or something and make sure that the items are insured and then move on.

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Let me ask you a different question, as I am looking at a more substantial safe (but none that would have built in water resistance). I know some of our members have the bigger safes. What do you guys do as far as protection against water? I'm not so much concerned about standing water, as the safe would be on the second floor. But in the event of a fire, if the fire dept blew water in, I don't want that getting into the safe.

I'm looking at something like a Mesa Safe Co, or even a Ft. Knox safe. They'd be pretty substantial steel safes, with at least an hour of fire protection.

You could use watertight boxes within the safe.


As for the melting of the slabs, I'm pretty sure that I have a graded card or two that I need to "free", and upon doing so, rather than just tossing the slabs I will run them through the oven to see how they stand up under different temps and let you know.

As for insurance, it is great to have insurance, but it is even better to never need it. I would much rather take the precautions necesssary to make my insurance premium a waste of money, then to have to collect on the policy.

I wonder would happen to the card itself at 350 for an hour. Would it discolor? Perhaps swap in a beater card to see :)

Refer to this forum (collectors universe) Theres actually some good points to read and some good questions asked there.
http://forums.collectors.com/message...hreadid=802186


Quote:
Rough numbers:

cardboard will start to burn around 250 F, amd I'm betting it shows heat damage (singed) even lower.
plastic will melt somewhere between 300 and 450 depending on the type.


Kiinda different, but heres a SLABBED COIN that got melted: http://www.cointalk.com/t209641/

Be careful that you have a fan or open window--there could be an awful smell.

Not so sure it's wise to put plastic in an oven. Burning plastic will produce at least 600 times more smoke than wood, and it is much more toxic. Also there is always danger of a fire. Dave. ps it can also produce toxic fumes BEFORE it actually ignites. Bottom line....Don't do it!