Card Storage: Home vs. Safety Deposit Boxes

gosteelers

I wanted to get everyone's opinion on the above question I've been thinking about. How do you store your cards? There are pros and cons to both methods, I guess. Storing them at home is so convenient and you get to actually look at them every once in awhile, but you have the theft factor. The safety deposit box is safer, but is that really any way to keep and enjoy your collection? Thoughts?

Carew29

I personally have two safety deposit boxes and a large gunsafe( weighs about 1,000 lbs) that i use as well. Lately i have been thinking about getting rid of the boxes.

ndleo

I keep mine in a lockbox and store it in an old toilet paper box I got from Sam's Club. I figure that a thief won't steal a box of toilet paper. The best security is not letting too many people know about your collection.

If someone steals your collection, it will be probably someone you know.

A761506

I have a large safety deposit box which I keep a lot of my more valuable stuff, and I have 2 "fireproof" safes that have a little under 2 cu. ft. storage space in them which I keep the lesser stuff. I do not carry any collectibles insurance, my home owners policy - like 99.9% of them, would not cover any of my collection (maybe $100 or something meaningless around that amount) if there was theft or damage, so for the cost of the safe deposit box, it negates the need to purchase a separate insurance policy for the more valuable stuff and I take my chances on the lesser stuff.

I personally think a safe deposit box is the best way to go if you have items of significant value (the definition of significant value is up to you) that are small enough to store in that manner. Theft and fire are the two biggest concerns that most people would have and the safe deposit box reduces both of those possibilities to a miniscule fraction of a percent.

I believe I pay $150/year for the safe deposit box and it's one of the largest ones you can get... inside it is a large plastic bin which is about 12 inches wide, 12 inches tall, and 24 inches deep... there a lot of room in it for storing cards.

iamthegreatcornholio

I keep all my cards in a gunsafe... and I keep my guns in my night table and under my bed

lowstartmick

I keep some of my more valuable vintage in the bank. The only thing I don't like is that its like visiting a loved one in prison.

schr1st

Home safe.

Brian48

Been thinking about getting a gunsafe as well. They're large enough to put just about anything, jewelry, documents/deeds, etc...

tkd7

Along these lines, I've been thinking about getting special insurance for my collectibles. Anyone have any experience with this? I know my basic coverage does not include high value collectibles.

onefasttalon

Me? ... No gun safes, no fire-proof boxes, no safety deposit boxes either. I can imagine, I'm not alone... there are several of us out there with ungarded/un-protected cards just laying around.

I have an entire room dedicated to my hobby (my hobby-room) filled pretty much to the brim with cards on shelves, in boxes, and general piles.

I don't have any special insurance either... I'm not a big fan of special "insurance" anyway, I'm of the opinion that just about all insurance is a raquet anyway. I also believe even if you have such special insurance and something were to happen, your insurance company would find a way to 'stick it to you' and get out of responsability.

What I need is a fire-proof safe... or several of them. I'm not too worried about theft, I don't live in the ghetto, so break-ins are somewhat unheardof where I live. My hobby-room is on the second floor, so no available windows for people to look in... unless they're REALLY tall, in which case I wouldn't want to mess with them and they can take what they want without a fight!

I pretty much keep my collection under wraps around the neighborhood... no need to show off to anyone that might want to start a string of break-ins anytime soon.

... Nope, for now I just have three trained attack cats protecting the premises. GET'EM KITTY!

poppie

I like the Gun Safe idea ! How do you get a 1,000 pound safe in your house ?? I hope Gander Mountain delivers !

magellan

This is one option for insurance, I believe some of the members here use it. Insurance

I personally have my cards pretty much like fasttalons......my homeowners agent knows I have them and most are on CD but if someone I know wants to rip me off they could.

PhilG

Personally I use rattlesnakes. For hi value cards one rattlesnake per thirty. For lesser value cards one per fifty. Poisonous snakes work really well and have a side benefit of keeping the mice population down.

Underwriters Laboratories
The most common fire rating is the Underwriters Laboratories (U.L.) 350 degree 1 hour rating. In order for a safe to earn this rating, the manufacture must submit the safe to U.L., it is then heated in a furnace at 1700 degrees for one hour. The inside temperature cannot exceed 350 degrees, or the safe fails the test. While the safe is heated, it is dropped to simulate a second floor collapsing, the safe cannot burst open, or it fails. The average house fire is 1200 degrees, and paper chars at approximately 450 degrees. Some safes will have a 2 hour 350 degree U.L. fire rating, this means the safe passed the same test, with the time being 2 hours instead of 1 hour. If you wish to store computer disks, picture negatives, tapes, etc... in your safe you will need a safe with a special fire rating. The most common is the U.L. 125 degree 1 hour fire rating. This means the inside temperature did not exceed 125 degrees, also, did not exceed 80% relative humidity during the same test mentioned above.
Look for a label or tag on the safe like the one pictured above
Manufacturers Ratings
Some manufacturers conduct there own fire tests. These are usually done along the same guidelines as the U.L. tests

Safe Info Linky

Bicem

Safe Deposit box (for theft and fire) and plastic bin within the safe deposit box to prevent against a flood. I kinda like having to make special trips to visit my high-end stuff, it's fun going into that little room behind the curtain.

calleocho

Brian48

I actually looked at some of the "value" safes for long arms offered by Browning. Although I don't own any rifles or shotguns, I think these are the best bet. They’re fairly fireproof and if elevated enough, should be OK in the event of minor flooding. The large size offers plenty of room for lots of cards and other valuables. Also, the size of it appears to be just right if you own a lot of game used or autographed bats. I couldn't measure it to be sure, but I think the only drawback is that you can't fit a hockey stick in it.

TRACKER1115

I put a fake wall in back of a deep closet. well it doesn't look deep anymore looks normal. in there I have several fire safes for coins, stamps, ect. If I die my kid doen't even know it's there. but it is in my will.

GoRedbirdsGo

I've got my stuff in an old library card catalog.

If the house goes up in smoke, I'm screwed.

The rest is on my wall at work or on shelves.

Nothing worth more than 20-30 bucks is at work.

NewJerseyMeatHook

Overrated

.50 calibur SMITH & WESSON WORKS FOR ME, BETTER TO JUDGED BY 12 THAN BE CARRIED BY 6!!!!!

poppie

<< <i>.50 calibur SMITH & WESSON WORKS FOR ME, BETTER TO JUDGED BY 12 THAN BE CARRIED BY 6!!!!! >>

I want Meathooks guard!