Paul Nelson is a salesman and lately he is showing a lot more of his safes, as sales are on the rise.

"They have gone up about 25-30 % in the last two months," says GM of Sportsman Steel Safe Company, Paul Nelson.

And you could say Nelson owes his extra commissions to a combination of a break down in trust and a breakdown in our national banking system.

As banks like this one in California began closing months ago, worried customers lined up outside waiting for access to their cash and valuables in their safety deposit boxes.

Not long after, consumers were looking to stash their worries behind a personal dead bolt, and Nelson has heard all the reasons.

"Bank failures, stock market, fears of joblessness leading to more crime," says Nelson.

But not everyone is shopping at safe wharehouses.

"We purchased one abot three or four months ago," says Derrick Goodwill.

Derrick Goodwill found his peace of mind on this office depot shelf .

"We have this model right here," says Goodwill.

Though he says he and his wife are just starting out, he would rather a personal a safe than a safety deposit box, because he always has access.

"We wanted to have something at the house to put our valuables in," says Goodwill.

Whether you feel your valuables and cash are safer in the bank or your own personal vault , Nelson is still offering his sales pitch.

"Well if the bank is not going to be there tomorrow, then I might as well keep it in my safe."

For extra protection experts say anything less than a thousand pounds should be bolted to the ground and make sure a safe offers both burglar and fire protection.