Just bought a house with old Yale wall safe

[Gilby81]

https://i.imgur.com/oQTOFzm.jpg
I do not have the combination. locksmith believes it’s spring loaded and shouldn’t cost more then 100 bucks to open but it may get ruined in the process. Need some expert advice thank you. It’s approximately 18”x 15” x 8” deep. I would like to pardon the pun but save the safe

[MartinHewitt]

I am not sure this safe is worth an investment of 100 bucks. You can probably determine its sturdiness much better than I can if you knock and pull here and there, but from your photo it looks to me like a thin-walled metal box. I don't think this thing would stop a burglar. (I wonder if this is one of the very rare cases, where the hinges actually secure the door.) But it still can be a decoration or a piece of the history of the house. It can also be a challenge like a quiz. Depending on your interest and persistence you could manipulate it open, but this can't be discussed in this forum. With your locksmith some damage, but not necessarily destruction, is inevitable as he doesn't sound to be someone who manipulates.

[sign216]

Martin raised some good points. The locksmith should be able to open it by damaging it a little, but not destroying it. I like his idea of looking at the hinges. That may be an easy attack.
Joe

[bitbuster]

The lockbox is made by Meilink, the Fleur-de-lis hinges are the giveaway.Some are labeled Sears Tower and Hamilton Safe Equipment Co., among others.They came with dials or were key operated. The lock for either type will have a spring latch 99.99% of the time. The dial version operates in similar manner. I think the $100 is a tad high.