Storing Cards in a Fireproof Safe
 

I am a 2nd Amendment man, and last Christmas asked my now-fiancee for a fireproof safe for guns and other important documents. With guns, there is the issue of rust when it comes to storing them in a safe, so most people get a dehumidfier for the inside.

I got a second safe (identical) this Christmas for my cards, and was wondering if anyone else stored their more valuable cards in a fireproof safe. If so, do you use anything to keep moisture out? Does moisture in a safe even have an effect on cards?

Edit: I should add that I also keep a couple autograph memorabilia in this safe. Any fear of moisture in the safe damaging the autographs on the item(s)?

really? What well-regulated militia do you belong to? Or did you mean you just like guns?

My rank is "Citizen" in the "United States of America".

And I like guns.


Any input on my question?

Don't forget to consider water - fire and heat are important considerations, but smoke and water normally do more damage than the actual fire. So whichever safe you consider, please look into its ability to keep water from seeping in.

1 step ahead of ya. :) This is what I have.

http://www.sentrysafe.com/Products/4...tion_Fire_Safe

I have used a 32-gun fire safe for my cards for 5-6 years. The safe is in a temperature regulated area of my home. The cards in this safe are all graded and I have never seen any signs of any moisture in the safe, on the cards, etc. I have a second fire safe (non-gun) which I have used for 15+ years for my raw cards and have never seen any signs of moisture in the safe, on the cards, etc.

Upon the expansion of my collection, I opted for the gun safe, because as far as space, I got the most "bang" for my buck.

Excellent to hear.

So you don't use any dehumidifying materials?

About 25 years ago, I purchased a large, HEAVY Browning gun safe. The door is actually a little loose when locked to allow air to circulate. It has a seal which melts at a certain temperature and seals the door air-tight (although I really don't know how you would get it open after a fire). In 25 years of collecting high end .44 magnum handguns, I have never had any issues with moisture or rust. Now the top is filled with firearms and the bottom with cards. The only problem I had was moving it to my new house.

I do not use any dehumidifying materials .....never felt I needed to, possibly (as Robert mentioned) the door's seal has helped with this.

I use silica desiccant packs and humidity indicator cards within my waterproof safe.

Where is your safe stored? Basement or a more temperature-controlled area of your house?

Where can one buy these locally? At a hardware store?

Hi Sam,
Not aware of a local source for humidity indicators. Very small desiccant packs may be available at shoe stores. I prefer the larger size desiccant pouches and bought them on eBay, similar to this offering: https://goo.gl/TPvU23

PM sent on amount of desiccant.

Huh? WTF, is this suppose to be funny? Lots of us have guns for many different reasons, none of which should concern you. The question asked was about storing cards anyway.

I'm not anti-gun, my point wasn't political. My point was don't reference the 2nd amendment unless you know it. I was going to let it drop.

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

I see the can of worms slowly opening here..............

Chris- thanks for the eBay link, I've been looking for these. How many do you put in the safe? How often do you change them? Thanks.

Thank you for your response.

All of my cards in the safe are slabbed. Has anyone ever had an issue with moisture penetrating a slab?

I have a smaller fire-proof(?) safe that I store my graded stuff in. I have had it for 5+ years. I once used a colorometric desiccant in it, but no longer do - doesn't seem to be a need to.

The safe is in a climate controlled area of the house, tho.

:confused:

No need to open cans of worms here. Too cold to fish in OH right now anyways.

Chris can probably answer the quantity question, but I do know that they are rechargeable and can last up to 3-4 months before being recharged.

Before anyone gets all excited thinking their cards/collections are safe from theft, think again.
I was very close to purchasing a safe myself, and still may for the fire protection side of it, but not for stopping thieves.

I know nothing is a 100% fool proof and if someone wants something bad enough, they'll get it, but this was a real eye opener for me.

Not sure what the alternatives are but something has to be out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3p5KUNfDG0

Pretty much all locks are super easy to open. I used to love those Master Lock commercials. They would show the lock getting shot with a high power rifle and say it is still locked.LOL Yes but a small sliver off a soda can will open it as fast as that guy did the safe. Locks only keep honest people honest.

Safe deposit box the best, insure the rest. Forget about the safe. Besides, if you keep all your valuable stuff in a safe you just packed it all up nicely for a burglar or gave a robber something to force you to open while he holds a gun to your kid's head.

Both fireproof safes I have are 95 lbs empty. Granted I'm not that big and can lift it myself, but it definitely takes some effort and you're not going anywhere quickly or easily. Thieves are going to go after easily accessible stuff - my Xbox, TV, etc. I want to protect more against the fire/water damage side of things, though. Mistakes happen more often than theft, and I'd rather not bet against my human-error nature.

Also, if you get a very large gun safe (64 guns), especially a Liberty Safe, you're pretty much set. If someone does steal it, commend them - they have truly mastered theft. Those things weigh around 900-1000 lbs and have a great security system on them. You could store A LOT of cards on one of those bad boys.

Not to further open the previously opened can of worms, but this is one reason why I have firearms.

I have 2 of the Fort Knox Defenders that I use to house my grandmothers "strings to short to use for anything" collection. Each of these safes weigh in at over 1500 lbs. We had to crane them in when we were building.

Matt

As previously stated...safes & locks are for HONEST folks...

Tell no one that you have one. Don't open it in front of people. Conceal it in a location that is NOT obvious. Bolt it to the walls or floor, if possible. (SOME fire-proof safes allow for this WITHOUT jeopardizing their integrity.)

You do not get a quality safe without paying for quality.

Just my 2 cents...

For large gun safes you can mount a dry rod that plugs in (safe needs to have holes for electrical cord, most do.) This keeps interior of safe at a consistent degree or 2 over outside area to expel moisture.

For smaller safes you can buy a rechargeable desiccant pack such as the Stack On cordless dehumidifier. The beads change color when it needs recharging (not all that often, depends on climate and size of area it's working in).

https://www.farmandfleet.com/product...FQdXDQodq-EBJQ

I am generally with Adam, in post 23 on this one.
I have a 1200 lb jewelers, fireproof safe but if the plastic gets too hot inside the slabs could still melt. When I had a bigger (more valuable) collection I had a bank safe deposit box. I doubt moisture seeps through good slabs, as in humidity, unless there is something extraordinary going on. (being submerged :))

I bought a freight-damaged fireproof Sentry floor safe and lugged it into the basement. I got bulk dessicant sold at Michael's for flower drying and placed it in an open container inside. The basement isn't very dry, but if I take the dessicant out and bake it once in a while the inside of the safe stays dry. Loaded up, the safe is too heavy to leave the basement in one piece.

Leon,

Did you take any measures to protect your cards from the extraordinary in the safe deposit box? Poly bags?

I don't keep cards in my gun safe, but I do have two different reusable desiccants in it. One is a can that you can put in the oven to recharge (a couple of hours at a low temperature) and the other plugs into the wall to recharge. I assume that there is some type of resistance heater contained in the package.

They seem to do pretty well.

Kyle, you are assuming you are home when a break-in occurs, you can get to your gun, you can use your gun successfully, and you are not going to get caught in a hostage situation or one in which you place your family in a cross-fire. I assume the opposite and plan for that scenario. If someone gets in under those circumstances, I would rather have them take whatever it is and get the hell out of the house as quickly and quietly as possible. That's why I keep the good stuff in the bank and buy insurance. Someone wants my 1981 Donruss set, don't trip on the way out...

No. The few bank safe deposit boxes I use, and have used, are very "safe" looking. :) I guess you can never be too safe but it has never been an issue...

I have a Liberty Presidential safe, and it was so heavy, I didn't know how they were going to get this thing into my house. I love it, and I highly recommend this brand of safe. I think it was close to 1300lbs.

I see a few of these my safe weight too much to carry out threads. I hate to tell you guys this but they do not want the heavy safe. They want what is inside of it.

I have a life long friend that is a locksmith and I have watched him open every type of safe imaginable in a few minutes or less. Just like any job once you know how to do it, it is easy.

That's where you have a nice home security system in place, not to mention, I also have safe deposit boxes. I would never have just a safe w/o other security measures. I understand that they can break into a safe within your domicile.

Absolutely true that I might not be home when a break-in occurs. I am definitely planning on having a security system in place when I buy my house (hopefully this year). I also, however, plan on getting a couple VERY large Liberty safes - 1 for guns/ammo, and 1 for sports cards/valuables/important documents.

The thing is, if they can't get inside of it, they won't get anything. These newer LARGE safes, such as the Liberty safes (I swear by this brand), are designed to be pretty much fool-proof, with extra security measures added to their designs.