I was wondering how the big dogs store their valuable cards. The stories I hear lately make me wanna vault but I’m on the fence
Castle and moat.
28 Likes
Like the other big dogs here, i bury my cards in the backyard
20 Likes
but water intrusion
1 Like
but diglett
8 Likes
Might i interest you in the magic of cardboard boxes? These revolutionary items can also then be placed within plastic boxes for added water protection in case of emergency.
2 Likes
Honestly if PSA vault was faster with their retrieval process, I’d probably use them much more.
I just store my cards in boxes with silica packets.
3 Likes
Yes in the event of a break in, this magic cardboard you speak of will save the day. Let us celebrate.
This has been super helpful and I fully regret asking
16 Likes
I would go home safe if you own a home and can bolt that puppy into the foundation. Not being able to see all my cards in person is big sad.
PSA/Fanatics Vaults serve a great purpose, and I’m thinking about shifting more of my collection there.
3 Likes
Vault the very expensive cards.
Unfortunately a vault is the best option, in my opinion.
Most home safes aren’t truly burglar-proof, unless some serious bolted down setup, but a nice house with a fancy safe is a magnet for thieves anyway.
2 Likes
I will give you a serious response since it was my comment which lead the thread down the alleyway to get jumped.
A home-safe is mainly for fire and water damage protection, but as a security device it is only as good as the other things you do to keep things secret. What I mean is, a safe is only as good as your ability to hide it, your home, and your mouth.
A safe should be heavy enough that 1 person cannot reasonably carry it.
A safe should be hidden enough where a thief/passerby is not going to be able to view it easily. People should never be able to see your safe and know where it is without having to search for it.
A safe is worthless if you willingly/freely give out your home address to strangers or people you barely know. This means having a PO Box for deliveries, not talking about your expensive Pokemon cards you own with anybody, yes even your friends saying they have a buddy(you) who has valuable Pokemon cards is a potential security problem. Your friend may be trustworthy, but their friends they tell it to probably aren’t.
I promise you when you see those stories of people having break-ins in their home that seemed to be targeted and knowingly looking for Pokemon cards, it’s because either they have or someone they have told has talked about your collection to somebody else, and their home address is readily available.
11 Likes
Most home safes are not effective against house fires anyway. 
3 Likes
Gotta do your research and specifically buy one that is fire-rated.
1 Like
I just tuck mine away in a discrete spot if I’m going to be away for an extended period of time.
It would be terrible if it happened but I think the risk of someone breaking into a house and stealing Pokemon cards is pretty low unless you make it convenient. Most criminals aren’t the most savvy people in the world and target the usual suspects (laptops, video game consoles, power tools, jewelry, firearms etc).
I’m sure it happens but I’ve never heard of someone getting cards stolen in a break in. Cards getting stolen and/or lost in transit seems to be much more common.
1 Like
If it’s question of whether big dog collectors use a physical safe or a vault then the answer is yes
1 Like
PSA or Fanatics Vault has been my preferred choice and peace of mind. Just be mindful of the fee structures on each platform. Also on a side note if you are the type of individual that likes to take your cards out often and see them, you won’t be able to do that once they are vaulted
If you go with a home safe, drop the money needed and make sure you buy one that’s entirely made in the US.
No safe is entirely full proof, especially if someone comes ready with the right tools. A safe is more so meant to buy you time to act in the face of a robbery. Obviously a safe that’s harder to break in and takes longer to crack, the better.
With that being said, most safes that are affordable or that you’ll find on Costco, are made in China. These typically can be broken into within minutes, if not seconds. You can find youtube videos from the more legitimate safe companies showing how easy it is to break into these types of safes.
Spend the $1000-$3000 for a quality safe, or just send it all to a vault.
9 Likes