Security Safes

[Goldhooked]

What safes do people have, if any?

I cant decide whether to get a fairly basic one that doesn't have any insurance or fire rating but acts as a deterrent (most thieves want a quick in/out and easy pickings), or splash out quite a lot more for something that is at least insurance rated (fire rated seems to be even more expensive again)

Any recommendations?

[sovereignsteve]

depends on how much space you have to site it and whether you can bolt it to the floor, hide somewhere etc.

Also how much in value terms you have to protect.

All things being equal, buy the biggest, strongest, most highly rated safe you can afford (equated to the above points).

[Goldhooked]

I can afford bigger/better but I suppose I'm trying to convince myself that I don't need to, so I can get away with being tight and buying cheap just so it's better than nothing!!

I know that it is ultimately my choice (and the one who may suffer the consequences if I make the wrong choice) but I guess I was interested what others have gone with.

I also realise it's not necessarily something people want to openly discuss but no harm in asking.

[sovereignsteve]

you can pick up cheap safes on ebay at times, if you can find a local one.

[HelpingHands]

Don't complete the sale on ebay as they'll have your address.   Ask them to agree to end the listing and you'll pay in cash.

Local auctions are worth a look too.

[Cacc]

Depends on what you will keep in there. You always want it bigger than you need because running out of room is a lot worse than having too much room. For my needs, I have a 6'x3'x2' fire safe bolted to the floor and the wall that I got from Amazon, stored in a room that is full of terrariums with tarantulas and snakes. But once again, it depends on what you will keep in there. If it is just your silver/gold stack then you just have to think how big your silver stack will get in the next 10 years.

[Goldhooked]

Typical!  I convince myself that a more expensive option is best and now I can't find a fireproof safe that fixes to a wall (only floor fixed).  The only concrete floor we have is a kids bedroom (converted garage) all other floors are suspended timber.  The only suitable place is to fix to an internal brick wall.  My only option might be to find someone that can fashion me an L-shaped metal bracket that fixes to the wall and then the safe fixes to that.

[Cacc]

17 minutes ago, Goldhooked said:

Typical!  I convince myself that a more expensive option is best and now I can't find a fireproof safe that fixes to a wall (only floor fixed).  The only concrete floor we have is a kids bedroom (converted garage) all other floors are suspended timber.  The only suitable place is to fix to an internal brick wall.  My only option might be to find someone that can fashion me an L-shaped metal bracket that fixes to the wall and then the safe fixes to that.

Bolting to a floor or wall is just added security. Keep in mind that most of these safes weigh about 450-550lbs empty. Once you start filling them up, especially with something heavy like silver, the weight alone makes it pretty secure. Suspended timber flooring is possible to bolt to, I would just worry about the weight in a single place. Bolted to concrete or bolted to wood beams, anything is penetrable if the criminal as enough time.

Depends on how long you plan on living there as this one is a permanent solution, but a buddy of mine has a safe in his office which has exposed brick throughout. Instead of using bolts on the brick, which is iffy sometimes depending on the brick, he used PC-7 (https://www.pcepoxy.com/products/permanent-repair/pc-7-paste-epoxy/) which after 24 hours of cure time can bond anything to anything permanently.

[Goldhooked]

The size I'm looking at is only around 25kg so roughly a bag of cement.  More than easy enough for a scum bag to run off with if not bolted down!

[GetToDaChoppa]

2 hours ago, Goldhooked said:

The size I'm looking at is only around 25kg so roughly a bag of cement.  More than easy enough for a scum bag to run off with if not bolted down!

My personal experience is that a cheap safe in a well hidden spot is much better than a heavy/expensive safe.

[Cacc]

4 hours ago, Goldhooked said:

The size I'm looking at is only around 25kg so roughly a bag of cement.  More than easy enough for a scum bag to run off with if not bolted down!

In that case you will want to bolt it down and have it hidden instead of showing like a piece of furniture. I have seen those smaller ones hidden at the bottom of a dresser by cutting the middle divider and then gluing the fronts of the drawers together and attaching them back to the dresser with a hinge. So many fun possibilities with those smaller ones. Just make sure that you have enough room for everything you want to keep in there!

[Markh]

I once read an article about safes and it basically said that a 3 layers approach is best ie 

under wardrobe

Under carpet

Under floor board's

You can be as imaginative as you like. The only drawback is how often do you want to access it. 

Or why not have a cheap safe with some high quality fake coins in.

My favourite is buried in the garden with loads of nails buried in tins in several surrounding places. This will only work for gold though.

 

[ilovesilverireallydo]

1 hour ago, Markh said:

Or why not have a cheap safe with some high quality fake coins in.

 

Because I would be worried that if the thieves find the fake coins, try sell them, found out they are fake, they will figure I have real ones and hit my home again - more aggressively this time. 

[kimchi]

17 minutes ago, ilovesilverireallydo said:

Because I would be worried that if the thieves find the fake coins, try sell them, found out they are fake, they will figure I have real ones and hit my home again - more aggressively this time. 

Have a decoy with 'enough' in it (that you can afford to lose) that they think they've got all there is. Keep some copies of legal documents (originals elsewhere of course) etc in there as well so they think it's genuinely where you keep all your valuables.

[Cornishfarmer]

how big is it?   25kg seems light for a fireproof safe.     i didnt go for fireproof in the end because i though if im storing gold and it melts it should still be worth about spot

not sure how hot it has to get to melt it but that will bloody hot for a long time. if storing documents thats a different matter

[Goldhooked]

11 minutes ago, Cornishfarmer said:

how big is it?   25kg seems light for a fireproof safe.     i didnt go for fireproof in the end because i though if im storing gold and it melts it should still be worth about spot

not sure how hot it has to get to melt it but that will bloody hot for a long time. if storing documents thats a different matter

This Yale one is only 26kg -  http://www.safefiredirect.co.uk/fireproof-storage-safes/fireproof-safes/yale-yfm352fg2-medium-fire-safe.aspx

That's the size I'm looking for.  Not everything will be kept in it, I'll be spreading items around other locations.

Good point though on the fact that if it melts then its still worth spot!

[Markh]

2 hours ago, ilovesilverireallydo said:

Because I would be worried that if the thieves find the fake coins, try sell them, found out they are fake, they will figure I have real ones and hit my home again - more aggressively this time. 

That's a fair point. But that could happen instead of just getting burgled anyways.

For example if you had a safe the burgalers couldn't get into. they'll come back and like you said use violence the second time. 

If it's the violence your worrid about you need to store in a vaulting company. 

There's no easy way of home storage.  

The suggestion of a dummy safe with enough in to lose is your best bet. 

But there's no guarantee of it not happening again. 

It's just a case of what are you prepared to lose or not.... Example.... life and PM's

                                      A beating and PM's

                                       A little PM's

                                   No PM's and beating get what I'm saying 

I'm not trying to scare you but this is the reality of stacking. Especially as your stack grows. you'll have to make some hard decisions.

 

[Augustus1]

3 hours ago, Goldhooked said:

This Yale one is only 26kg -  http://www.safefiredirect.co.uk/fireproof-storage-safes/fireproof-safes/yale-yfm352fg2-medium-fire-safe.aspx

That's the size I'm looking for.  Not everything will be kept in it, I'll be spreading items around other locations.

Good point though on the fact that if it melts then its still worth spot!

I have one of theses, its bolted to the concrete floor, under the stairs, I figure as most robbers are quick grab and run merchants they wont hang around to blow up the safe , I also have a house alarm and live in a cul de sac  in populated area, but if I was ever robbed I would change the location of the safe / and or get rid so there would be nothing to steel if the came back tooled up , I feel better for having it not just for my coins its also got will /important documents in there as well with some fire protection . its a  recommendation from me.

dean.m

[TheGoldSovereign]

I've had a few in the past and to be honest these smaller ones wouldn't take too long to pry open, I had a few poorly made Yale ones where you could easily get a bar in the door

It all depends on the value stored, and if you are insuring it check what the insurers requirements are.

Burton/Chubb etc make good high value safes but they do get VERY heavy