Safety in Safes?

Protecting precious possessions

Given today's soaring gold and silver prices, plus resulting fears of burglary, Americans are no longer satisfied with stashing their gold jewelry or sterling silver under the bed or in the family's deepfreeze. Increasingly, they are demanding safekeeping in safes. Manufacturers report a spectacular rise in sales both to businesses and to individuals. Says Patricia Johnson of Chicago's McGunn Safe Co.: "Sales have doubled this year to more than $2 million." Sears, Roebuck says that safe purchases nationwide are up 25% this year, and other companies report increases of up to 100%. The safety conscious want their caches out of sight. Some modern safes are built into end tables or bars, serve as furniture or are buried in basement concrete.

A Fort Knox at home can range from a $200 one, 9 in. in diameter and 15 in. deep with a solid-steel door, to the $26,000 British-made Tann safe, complete with glass panels, double doors and maddeningly intricate bolt slips.

But is a safe really foolproof protection? Robert Rosberg of the Hamilton, Ohio, Mosler Safe Co. admits that no safe is burglarproof and 70% can be cracked in less than 20 minutes. As an alternative, Rosberg suggests spending $25 to rent a safe-deposit box. But even that does not offer total protection. Three weeks ago, burglars broke into a Manhattan bank vault and escaped with the contents of 290 safe-deposit boxes.

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