Picked up a new safe tonight.

CardsFan

My old safe was getting a little cramped so when I saw this Sentry at Sam's club Safe I decided to get it. I thought the $300 price tag was pretty cheap comparable to other similiar safes I had looked at so I thought I would share. The main problem was trying to get the 200 pound box in my back seat.

greymars

Let me know how this all works out. I plan on buying the 1.2 cubic ft safe at Wal-Mart for 129. in a short time

mr3holesinone

Office Max in St. Louis has a Sentry Fire-Safe Waterproof Advanced Security File safe that is a great bargain at $70. They run them on sale from time to time; they're usually $100. I like that it is water proof in addition to being fire proof. This safe weighs almost 100 pounds empty....load it up with your goodies and it is awkward to move.

Here are the stats from the catalog:

Model F3300
Fire rating: 1 hour UL Classified
Lock system: tubular key lock
Exterior dimensions: 14" x 20.25" x 17.5"
Interior dimensions: 11.5" x 11" x 13.875"
Bolts: none
Weight: 90 lbs.
Capacity: 1.3 cu. ft.

1946Hamm

I would not recommend a Sentry safe for valuable coins unless they have changed their construction. The fireproof material used in them will draw moisture and ruin things inside if left unattended for a time. I know, I had one and the inside swelled up and contaminated the contents. It also ruined all the photographs I had inside. I kept the safe in a closet.
If you have a nice and valuable collection, Get a real safe.
I learned the hard way.

Tomy

You get what you pay for. Do not store a $1000 coin in a $100 safe. And, be sure to secure it to the floor/wall, etc.

MadMonk

<< <i>I would not recommend a Sentry safe for valuable coins unless they have changed their construction. The fireproof material used in them will draw moisture and ruin things inside if left unattended for a time. I know, I had one and the inside swelled up and contaminated the contents. It also ruined all the photographs I had inside. I kept the safe in a closet.
If you have a nice and valuable collection, Get a real safe.
I learned the hard way. >>



Absolutely correct...please listen to this advice.

thebeav

Yea, watch out with those little safes guys. If you can carry it so can the next guy. A 200 pound safe is like a neon sign, "TAKE THIS".....
I wouldn't be comfortable unless it takes 3 guys to move it.....

Paul

D

I've got that same safe, it comes with a few large silica packets inside, and I added some of my own. It weighs a good amount and when it's full of coins and in a closet... I'd like to see less than 4 people carry it out with ease...

-Daniel

Hedger

Price is good but Made in China doesn't jive with me.

MadMonk

Any thief that break into a house is going right for the safe, always.
I leave mine unlocked, with no coins in it. Coins are kept in a safe deposit box.
Collectors insurance is probably a better deal than a fire safe when it comes to coins.

CardsFan

The safe is mainly for cheaper coins I like to look at and documents I keep at the house. I usually get into my safe frequently to look at the goodies so I'm not as worried about the moisture. As far being able to carry it out- it will take two guys I tried to bring it up stairs with just my wife helping and have a big hole in my wall now as a reward.

ibzman350

"and have a big hole in my wall now as a reward. "



Sorry, coudn't resist.



Herb

21Walker

I bought a safe exactly like cardsfan. The thing is great. 228 pounds empty, another 150 in stuff.....quite heavy and does the trick.....also bought it from Sam's..............Rick

LittleBitOEverything

Darn about 2 years ago at work a guy was selling a pre 1900 Toledo Blade safe for 500 bucks.This thing was a monster, if I had to guess on the height and width now I would sat it was at least 6ft tall 3-4ft deep,and he said he would even have it delivered to where you wanted,if I remember right he said it was well over a 1000lbs.Looking back boy I pased up a hell of a deal, being I dont know what something like that was actually worth?and I could of put all kinds of goodies in there.

DennisH

Delivery alone on that monster would be a couple of hundred bucks easy. As for value, my WAG would be over $1000.

grip

Yup
You ahould have bought it for 500,heck of a deal,plus an antique.
...............
AL

xbob

I took a look at your link and the other Sentry safes for sale at SAMS.

This seems like a typo to me, look at this one: The Sentry Steal Safe Link

After a google search I found the name is correct "Steal-Safe" but due to it's size, you get the impression that it's easy to steal.

I agree with the other posts that if you can lift it, it screams "Steal me!". So it better be well hidden.

A 200 lb. safe is not going anywhere in the case of most home robberies.

greymars

I was considering buying the Sentry 1.2 cubic foot safe at Wal-Mart...after reading the posts about the moisture and such, I feel it would not be a real good idea right now? I currently have a small type (blue color) Sentry strong box...

Questions:

Is the Sentry safe secure, and if so, what is it made of, that would draw moisture? Will this moisture damage slabbed coins? Does anyone have the smaller size Sentry strong box? Are there any recommendations about a better safe?

Thanks

Gary

Barry

Get a REAL safe, one with a UL rating. Sentrys are a joke.

Look under Safes in the Yellow Pages. A used/refurbished safe is usually a good deal, costing 1/3-1/2 the price of a new one.

I have one roughly 22x22x34 inches. It weighs 1200 lbs and took 2 linebacker types and a motorized cart to bring it in.

mrearlygold

<< <i>Get a REAL safe, one with a UL rating. Sentrys are a joke.

Look under Safes in the Yellow Pages. A used/refurbished safe is usually a good deal, costing 1/3-1/2 the price of a new one.

I have one roughly 22x22x34 inches. It weighs 1200 lbs and took 2 linebacker types and a motorized cart to bring it in. >>






Agreed and insurance will generally only cover tl-15 or tl-30 rated safes which are also backed by a much better than average alarm system ( for burglary)

Tom

grip

Tom,not only a good point ,but one very important one>>>>>Agreed and insurance will generally only cover tl-15 or tl-30 rated safes which are also backed by a much better than average alarm system ( for burglary

ElectricEye

I have to agree with Barry on this one. I am not familiar with that particular model, but I will say, every Sentry I have opened was a fifteen minute job.

Blade

I visited Sahara coins in Las Vegas and they have many refubished safes from the 1860's to early 1900's. Real beauties, with new ceramic surfaces, some with gold plate, etc.

There was a serious bad boy, about waist high and 3 feet by 3 feet width/depth. It weighed 2,200 pounds! It was on rollers, but still, good luck to a couple theives. I think it was close to $4,000 but a real masterpiece.
---------------
I have heard many times that the fireproof materials in those safes is deadly to coins because of the moisture it releases. Proceed at your own risk if you want to keep coins in there long term.

Nickelback

Not an issue where I live, but I've always heard that an in-ground safe is better than anything someone might be able to carry out of your home.

CoinOnTheCob

I bought my safe at Sam’s a couple of years ago. It says Winchester on the front, but that’s not who made it. At five feet high, it weighs over 800 lbs. empty, and probably 1,200 or 1,300 lbs. now. Where would I look to see who built the thing?

Gemini

Lift it up and look on the bottom




Just kidding try here Winchester linky

zzzz

When upgrading your safe make sure of the dimensions of the door it will go through to get into your home. The safes look smaller in a display area. I picked out a vault and had them deliver it. It weighed I think around 2,200 lb's empty. It was tested in a furnace at 1850 degrees for 2 hours .. The interior didn't exceed 350 degrees for 2 hours .. Tool resistant ... TL 30 Burglary ... all the things I thought I needed ... The diminsions of the safe were 31 x 29 1/2 x 61 1/2.

Well the safe was too large to go through the door I wanted it to gain access to my home ... LOL ... The six guys it took to move it didn't really want to manuver it to the rear of the house where the doors were wider.
After nixing their idea of just leaving it in the garage we ended up taking the door and door jams out and it just made it through.
Then came the obsticale of putting it in the room I wanted. No can do they couldn't make the corner ...
So, Now my vault sits in my living room ... LOL ... It is there for ever now .. LOL .. If someone breaks into my home and can carry it out .. they can have it .. LOL ..

On a side note if you have your coins insured check with your insurance agent. I believe you'll find that your coins stored in gun safes aren't/won't be covered .... I believe they have strict minimums for the safes to be covered.

If someone breaks into your home you have to expect they will have time on their side. No one home so no one to hear them. Assume the burglers know what they are doing.

I would go to a locksmith and ask him how long it would take HIM to open your safe with the right tools.

I was told by the locksmith I purchased my vault from that if I lost the combination and key it would take him, using the right tools, 7 or 8 hours to open it.

My extra key and combination I sent to my sister in Tennesse so if there was a mishap at least I'm not SOL.

mrdq

storage points to be made

repost of another thread of a bunch of threads it's important!!!

ER

Where will you be keeping your safe again?

greymars

ConstellatioCollector

If you are going to have a safe in your house then make sure that it is very heavy (3000lb) and make sure that it is secured to the floor.

saintguru

Here's the one flaw...The one thing that can bust even a 3 TON safe....two guys with a gun to your 8 yr. old daughter's head in the middle of the night saying "Open the DAMN safe or we kill you all".


The term SAFE is an oxymoron if I have ever heard one. Try a bank...they have guards who can get shot instead of your family. Make the mistake ONE TIME and it lasts a lifetime.

ConstellatioCollector

I understand your concern of a 1.5 ton safe and the children... Safe deposit box is the way to go!!!

MFH

As much as I'd love to have my collection at home, its just not a prudent thing to do, as Saintguru mentions.

ZZZZ - that's one funny story !

My local branch bank loves me, I have six large 10x10 safety deposit boxes. The money I've spent over the years, I could have had a bank vault installed in a spare bedroom by now !

My family's security means too much to me to have anything of my coin collection around. If theives break in, they'll find a state quarter map with "first find's" in it, and they really arn't worth anymore than face value. Heck, my "Penny" jar has more face value in it !

Sequitur

This was a useful discussion. Hopefully CardsFan doesn't feel like we're ganging up on his Sentry safe purchase.

The straight talk was good. I'd been thinking about upgrading the little storage safe I have, but after reading the wisdom here I've decided it's a total waste of money. Instead of paying for and shipping a 2,000 lb behemoth, I probably can continue to rent a safe deposit box for another 10, maybe even 20, years and pay no mind to the "invasion" scenario described above (no matter how unlikely, and I admit it's unlikely in the extreme). Thus the discussion solidified in my mind what I had inherently known was the right decision.


I have six large 10x10 safety deposit boxes.

Is there any room left in the vault for others?