Expert: Terry V Andreasen (Andy) - 2/9/2012

Question
QUESTION: My dad gave me this safe he aquired from an old business. It means a lot to me would like to restore and use it. I have the combo and it works. I have read that the Hall-Marvin Co. did not make their own safes can you help me identify the manufacturer and aprox. date of the safe. Would it make a secure safe for my families valuables, compared to today's home safes. Where would I find replacement hinge caps, only one left. Dimensions  are   
27w x 22d x 32h

ANSWER: Michael,

the safe appears to be a "Cary Safe" from Buffalo New York.

You are correct in that the "Hall-Marvin Company" was not a manufacturer.

Cary manufactured safes from around 1878 until the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929.  As far as the date of manufacture of your safe, I will need to see it to determine the time frame.

As far as its use to protect your "valuables", safes over 50 years old DO NOT meet current standards for fire or burglary resistance.  There is no way of telling if the fire resistance will still hold up in a fire as it is probably cracked and severly broken.

I don't recommend overnight storage of cash, jewelry or valuable documents in this safe.

In order to answer questions, identify, evaluate or appraise your safe, I'm going to need photos.  They should include full exterior and interior.  Detail photos should include pictures of the dial, handles, hinges, artwork, locks, bolt work, castors, cabinetry and any special details or damage.  Note:  You may have to remove the back panel on the door to gain access to the lock & bolt work – I will need these pics.
 
If you have a particular detail that you have a question about, I will need a photo of it along with your question.

I will also need to see any documentation that you have in regards to your safe.  If your safe has a unique historical perspective, you should be able to document this with letters, newspaper articles or photos, if not it is simply a story and will have no bearing on the value of your safe.

Please use as high a resolution as possible so that I can examine details of your safe.  Pictures which are low resolution, out of focus, or from a distance don’t help when we try to evaluate the container.  Note:  with higher resolution, you may only be able to send 2-4 pictures per email, depending on the size of the file, I have a 7mb limit per email.  If photos are larger than 2mb each, you may only be able to send 2 or 3 photos per email, requiring several emails.  Please don’t send me “cell phone” photos.

Please send all of the requested photos to:  andy@securitysafeusa.com

Note:  As I am in the field several days each week, covering a huge service area, I may not get back to your photos immediately, but I will respond as soon as I get an opportunity.

Our informal evaluation is at no charge, however if you feel you need a formal evaluation or appraisal for insurance, estate sales, donations for tax write offs, or to establish it as an antique, there is an administrative fee for this service.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I understand the fire ratings being questionable, what makes the older safes not a secure.  They seem well built is it the lack of technology like relockers and digital locks?  I have really found an interest in old and new safes and find it fascinating.  Thanks for all the help.

ANSWER: Michael,

You have to remember that "back in the day", power tools were non existant.  Many of the battery operated tools that we take for granted at most hardware stores can rip through most of the older safes.  Safe manufacturers even 50 years ago didn't have to contend with these tools and so the way they manufactured the safes did NOT take this into account.
These locks did not incorporate safety devices like relockers etc.
Safes that were built to tougher standards like jewelers chests and bankers safes were built out of really thick steel and built to protect against explosives etc.

While these are great old safes, they DO NOT meet current standards today.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Where could i get replacement hinge caps for my cary safe and how could I know its approx. age.  As for the lock it does not have a relocker and it is a 4 number combo if that helps with dating it.  thanks again  Michael

Answer
Michael,

I will need the serial number off the safe to come up with an approximate date of manufacture.  Knowing the TYPE of lock will give us an approximate time frame that the LOCK was used, which could easily be a 20 year period.

As far as hinge caps, I might have a couple but I will need to see a sample (with measurements) of yours, so that I can look through my old parts.  My recommendation would be to have a machinist use yours as a sample to have new ones made so that they will all look the same.  This WILL NOT lower the value of the safe.

Depending on the material that you use, and the type of plating or finish these will cost you around $125 to $200 but WILL make the safe look much better.