Putting cgc books in a bank vault...

[MrBedrock]

Richard;

 

Did you bother to put a silica gel pack in there or nothing at all?

I had silica in there initially but over the years I found that they really didn't have to do much work so I removed them. From '95 or so onward I didn't have them and i never had a problem.

[lou_fine]

Thanks Richard;

 

That's good to know since I had never bothered with the silica gel packs right from the start. No point starting now, I guess.

[Sqeggs]

I have a safety Deposit box and pay close to the same, I put in some silica packs in it just in case with a couple slabs. I have the box since 2010 and started using silica in 2012 after reading this thread:

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1140967

 

I have yet to see any problems with my comics or any metal object placed inside.

 

Although you most likely need them for your personal home safes, I wonder if you actually need the silica gel packs for the safety deposit boxes inside the banks?

 

I don't use anything in them and I have not noticed any changes in PQ or rusting of the staples after a couple of decades. Probably a good idea anyways, but what's the point of changing now.

 

Being that the bank and Safety Deposit area are temperature controlled it is doubtful that the silica has any real work to do, though it lets me sleep better at night. So I think it is worth it.

 

You hope they are and my bank assured me that there's is. But as someone pointed out once, who knows what they really do at night and on the weekends?

 

In any event, I haven't had any problems.

 

I think you are much better off using a bank safety deposit box than a home safe -- an alternative some people use. Depending on the safe, I think the books have a greater likelihood of suffering humidity damage and most home safes can be opened in short order by an experienced and determined burglar.

[lou_fine]

 

Being that the bank and Safety Deposit area are temperature controlled it is doubtful that the silica has any real work to do, though it lets me sleep better at night. So I think it is worth it.

 

You hope they are and my bank assured me that there's is. But as someone pointed out once, who knows what they really do at night and on the weekends?

 

In any event, I haven't had any problems.

 

 

That's a very good point you made and glad to hear that you have not had any problems.

 

Yes, some of the smaller bank branches just may turn off their temperature controls in an useless attempt to try to save some money.

 

My safety deposit box is in a Head Office branch where companies sores a lot of their paper documentation. So, I have been told that they keep their temperature controls on 24/7.

 

Hhmmmm.....maybe I should break in one night just to double check on this.

[TheSurgeon]

Great info in this thread. Thanks everyone.

[clarkkentdds]

I have had several large safe deposit boxes at the local B of As in my area for 10+ years. I keep my one of a kind top census stuff in them- books that even if I had insurance are not replaceable.

 

Of course I get worried about them, but I have never seen any changes in the staples or page quality. It is probably as safe an environment as you can find. It is not humid where I live in the Bay Area so a safe deposit box in California may not be the same as one in Georgia...

 

I have not used dessicants. I think the boxes are open to the air, which I believe is a good thing.

 

I am not an expert, and I'd be interested in hearing other opinions.

 

I used to collect high grade AFA carded vintage star wars figures. However, the plastic was definitely starting to degrade. I think the plastic in those old figures deteriorates faster and is less predictable than the paper in our hobby. (Which is unfortunately why I sold my primo Star Wars stuff.)

[SushiX]

I have had several large safe deposit boxes at the local B of As in my area for 10+ years. I keep my one of a kind top census stuff in them- books that even if I had insurance are not replaceable.

 

Of course I get worried about them, but I have never seen any changes in the staples or page quality. It is probably as safe an environment as you can find. It is not humid where I live in the Bay Area so a safe deposit box in California may not be the same as one in Georgia...

 

I have not used dessicants. I think the boxes are open to the air, which I believe is a good thing.

 

I am not an expert, and I'd be interested in hearing other opinions.

 

I used to collect high grade AFA carded vintage star wars figures. However, the plastic was definitely starting to degrade. I think the plastic in those old figures deteriorates faster and is less predictable than the paper in our hobby. (Which is unfortunately why I sold my primo Star Wars stuff.)

thanks for theverything reply! I also live in the bay area so I really don't have to worry about humidity at all..

[NoMan]

Has anyone done a google search for bank safe deposit box theft? I have. It seems to happen from time-to-time. I got OCD for sure. Paranoia, a little.

[gadzukes]

I store my GA like Ben Affleck in "The Accountant". In a drawer in a trailer with no pesky mylar to protect them. This way they can breathe in the natural fluctuations of air and temperature.

 

I thought that was a pretty funny scene in that movie.

[Sqeggs]

Has anyone done a google search for bank safe deposit box theft? I have. It seems to happen from time-to-time. I got OCD for sure. Paranoia, a little.

 

Nothing is completely safe, I guess. Your bank could also be hit by a meteor. But bank safe deposit boxes strike me as the best bet for your high-dollar books.

[Robot Man]

I used to have two safe boxes at a local Bank of America. They cost about $400 each per year and each box was big enough to fit two CGC boxes side by side with a small gap in the middle. Basically 60 golden age CGC cases per safe box. I had books in there for 25 years and never had a problem.

 

Now he just keeps them by the John. I'm sure nobody dares to go in there.?

[The_SandMan]

I also live in the bay area

 

 

Which naturally begs the question, how the hell can you afford comics ?

[skybolt]

Been storing my books in a bank safe deposit box for over 10 years without any problems. I've also had a couple of books pressed and regraded by CGC and they've all come back with the same page quality and no grader comments that raised any flags. I pay around $150 per year to store about 20 books. It's definitely a tight squeeze in the box, so I'm not exactly sure if it actually helps or hurts the books.

[Cat-Man_America]

Please hear me out.

 

Collecting comics is like caring for loved children. You cherish them, look after them, hold them, protect them while they're in your home and hope they'll stay the same, but grow in respect with no ill befalling them.

 

Maintaining your collection in a safe deposit box is like a custodial arrangement after a divorce. You still have parental rights, but now you can only see your kids on certain days and are required to pay child support at risk of losing visitation privileges.

 

Banks are like boarding schools, your "kids" protected by folks who have no personal investment in them. You send them there for a fee, hoping that a bank vault can do a better job of caring for them and insuring their safety than you can, but you're never 100% sure. And the trade off is estrangement since you only get to see the children when it's convenient for the boarding school.

 

Feel free to pick apart my analogy (let the floods begin!).

[woowoo]

Please hear me out.

 

Collecting comics is like caring for loved children. You cherish them, look after them, hold them, protect them while they're in your home and hope they'll stay the same, but grow in respect with no ill befalling them.

 

Maintaining your collection in a safe deposit box is like a custodial arrangement after a divorce. You still have parental rights, but now you can only see your kids on certain days and are required to pay child support at risk of losing visitation privileges.

 

Banks are like boarding schools, your "kids" protected by folks who have no personal investment in them. You send them there for a fee, hoping that a bank vault can do a better job of caring for them and insuring their safety than you can, but you're never 100% sure. And the trade off is estrangement since you only get to see the children when it's convenient for the boarding school.

 

Feel free to pick apart my analogy (let the floods begin!).

 

:

 

 

 

[Silver Surfer]

I agree with Kat. Leaving your precious books in a bank vault [unless it a major, major purchase] is pointless, like owning a scan only of a book and that's it.