Opinions On This Safe?

I think the safe would be ok,, fire is the least of the worries of a coin collector although it happens ! theft is the more likely occurance.

as long as it meets your storage needs and budget .

Metalman

that is the same kind of safes used in some motels for in room safety, I think they would do a pretty good job to deter theft, as long as they weren't determined enough, but if they were determined enough the best bank vaults wouldn't be enough to stop them

In the United States the term "safe" is widely used to cover a variety of products. Some are actually UL listed as "personal security devices" (if I recall the wording correctly) rather than safes. The legal difference between a true safe and a PSD is the amount of time it takes an expert to break into it. My $2700 Ft. Knox "Safe" is actually a PSD, and a pro can get into it in less than 15 minutes.

A true safe provides longer protection times...but any safe you or I can afford is nothing more than something to slow down theft...not actually prevent it!

Reality, of course, is that most thieves are very nervous and anxious to get off your premises ASAP...so even a 15 minute protection time is often adequate. But...a fire axe and a drug-crazed junkie can open a PSD in minutes.

"Safes" of all varieties are heavy because of the steel involved (obviously) as well as the common old sheet rock that is used for fire protection (not so obvious, since it is between the internal and external sheets of steel.

The safe you're looking at weighs about 250#...some of that weight is sheet rock I would guess! Protects your valuables from fire...but not much protection from theft.

As for the temps that will damage coins and coin holders...perhaps manufacturers can give some guidance. I'm sure Dansco has, over the years, fielded calls from collectors wondering at what temps the plastic inserts in their folders will melt.

A good fire safe will hold temps down inside for a significant time. Most house fires are under control within 45 minutes to an hour, if the fire is reported early and the fire department is located within a mile. A safe that will keep interior temps below the char temp for paper for 90-120 minutes will keep most of your valuables from significant damage during a fire, I would guess.

One smart-alecky question...would the coins "tone" under such conditions, and would that be "natural" toning?

Oh...one other thought...in the world of guns, the standard dictum is that no matter how big a safe you get, it will sooner or later be too small. So you should always get one at least twice as big as you think you will ever need! Coins store more efficiently, but I bet it is still easy to fill up a smaller hotel room type safe with a few coin books, rolls of coins, wedding licenses, birth certificates, car titles, insurance policies, etc.

If possible, bolt the safe down, so that a couple of theives can't steal it, drop it out a window onto the patio to break it open, etc.

Regardless what you get...and this safe looks just fine...good luck! Keep the family jewels safe and sound!

I can also get this model for $100, but it is half the size of the one I posted above. (I can get the one above for $250 if the owner still has it.) The specs are about the same, the toning feature wasn't specified however

http://www.sentrysafe.com/products/...il.aspx?s=49

I don't want to pay retail for a safe which is why I'm looking at buying a 2nd hand one. In fact, I rarely buy anything that is new... even electronics. The safes I'm looking at retail for $430 and $200, so getting them at about half price is very attractive! I'm trying to be wise with how I spend my money since my coin collection is small, and I want to get more coins and not spend a bundle on a safe.

Bolting it to the floor is absolutely going to happen! The safes that I can afford are too small to take chances... plus watching the TV show "It takes a thief" has educated me on how strong these guys really are and how much they can carry.

I'm taking a realistic approach since it is a gamble either way you look at it. Calling it a " PSD" is more along the lines of what I'm going for after reading that post. As far as fire is concerned, if it can withstand 30 minutes of a fire then that should be plenty enough protection since the fire department is two blocks away from my house.

Besides, I actually have more valuable toys (car, tv, home stereo) that would make a theft more profitable than what I'm putting in the safe. But the coins are more important to me since they can be considered a family heirloom.

I've received an e-mail back with the smaller safe, but I haven't heard anything back about the bigger one. Hopefully it is still for sale!

I've got great news! The owner of the Fire Fyter safe e-mailed me back, and I'm getting it for $225! It has never been used, even the floor mounting kit and instructions are still new in the original packaging.

This is a GREAT deal and I can't pass it up. Most places have this safe for $425-475, but the cheapest I found this safe new was $400 from Sams. I'm getting a huge discount on this at $225!

Now I need to find some silica gel to keep the humidity down; being in Florida this is a must. Are all silica bags "bakeable" such that when they turn color you can bake them and return them back to their original state?

Thanks for all the advice!

Congratulations, FroDaddy! I'm sure you'll be glad to have that safe over time. The only silica gel product that I've used was "bakeable" to recharge it. Usually you put them in the oven at 250 F or so for two or three hours. That is typically well below the char point, so you don't "burn up" your bag.