How are big ticket items delivered?
 

I get nervous with a $50 transaction. I can't imagine sending a $1000 or $10,000 card through the mail. How are REALLY expensive items delivered?
Is a one million dollar item hand delivered? I know I would! If so, what is the threshold for hand delivery?

USPS registered mail.
Also, having a collectors insurance would help, but follow their rules.

I've been talking with Collect Insure this week and the girl was very clear that if I was shipping an item I sold, it was not covered unless I had a dealer policy. I was kind of surprised to hear that.

It varies greatly. I have had a $1500 card show up in a PWE and had a $15 card packaged that would survive a truck running over it.

That shouldn’t be entirely correct. If it’s something you bought for resale, that’s the case, as it’s considered Dealer Stock by them. But if it’s “incidental trade of your unwanted property” it should be covered. This is language from their actual policy documents.

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Thanks! I've been talking with Jeannie Stanca who told me clearly that a collector policy does not cover items for sale. I'll see if I can talk to somebody else! You made my weekend!!

Great. Yeah, reference that part of the policy and see what they say. Let us know.

when I purchased my policy I was told that since I am not a dealer, I am covered. I rarely sell, only when I have duplicates -maybe 3 or 4 times a year.

If you are being shipped anything worth a large sum of money, my suggestion is that no matter how you have the item delivered, try to be home when it arrives.

I had a bad experience recently with Beckett and FED-EX. Dropped off an Ohtani autographed card at a show for grading and I paid over $40 to have it shipped by FED-EX with signature required at delivery. We have a camera at the front door, so I can telly you that not only did the delivery person NOT knock on my door and ask for a signature, but they never CAME to the door as evidenced by lack of anyone appearing in the RING video. Instead, they had to have tossed the package on our front doorstep. Thankfully, though the package had a ding, Beckett packed the card very well (it graded much higher than I thought and is worth a few thousand dollars) and it was not damaged. Luckily I was at home and went out to check the mail and found the package shortly after it was delivered. I contacted Beckett, and despite having paid them for the delivery service and the fact that FED-EX was working to deliver the item on their behalf, they simply told me that I needed to go through FED-EX to lodge a complaint and that they had nothing to do with it. Not satisfied with this, I called Beckett to talk to a manager, who apologized, said they have been hearing similar things about FED-EX, and offered a $7 credit which I'm not sure ever made it into my account! Again, the moral of my story: Try to be home when you think the package will arrive!

In person hand delivery.

I told her I'm bot a dealer, that I have something wrong in my head causing strokes (true) and don't want to leave a mess for my wife if something happens, and she told me no coverage for anything I sell. I'll get with somebody else tomorrow. Thanks!

I had a similar problem with FedEx.but I think it's more the carrier than the company. I worked at USPS and we had problems too!

Does the policy define "dealer" or "dealer stock" anywhere?

I've had a policy for with them for over 10 years and I'm pretty sure that the person that you spoke with is wrong or you misinterpreted what they said.

A few years ago I called to get clarification on a class 2 signature required shipment and the person told me if it's shipped USPS with signature confirmation that it is covered up to $2500 A class 1 is covered up to $60,000.

Yeah, good question. There is a definition page that defines Dealer Stock. No definition of “dealer”, but probably because this is a “collector’s” policy.

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When you send registered mail with USPS, you can buy insurance, and the limits are high. My experience is that the price isn’t exhorbitant.

I’ve sent high priced items this way with insurance up to $25k. Last time I sent an item with insurance at this level, I think it cost like $75.00.

That;s great, thank you. But what is class 1 and 2 and aare they both covered? I have no cards worth anywhere near 60,000 but maybe a few might bring over the 2500.

Class 1 - Signature Required Shipment Sublimit (Registered Mail, Express Mail, FedEx and other carriers except UPS. Covers up to $60,000

Class 2 - Signature Required (USPS insured, Certified and signature conformation mail and UPS. Covers up to $2500

Class 3 - No signature Required (USPS First Class, Priority Mail, Air Mail, Global Priority, Parcel post, Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail (Book Rate) covers up to $200

The part I bolded is what I called to ask about because it reads like you have to purchase USPS insurance which makes no sense and I was told you don't it just needs to have signature confirmation.

I think the limits vary on whatever your policy is.

Thanks!!

I'm always concerned about sending a card registered mail with a lot of insurance. Basically advertising to anyone who sees it it's something worth stealing.

I've sent a few $50k cards to AHs. Usually fed ex next
morning delivery and hold my breath. Never a problem.



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I have sold several 4 figure items (including on the the BST) and I just pack well and use usps registered as well.

Sent 5 figures worth of cards to Lee at Sterling (great experience FYI) for auction a few months ago and pleasurably his insurance was covering them after shipping confirmation.

I try not to panic too much as long as the right precautions are met. If shit is going to happen, well it’s just going to happen no matter what I do.

If memory serves, at least one AH will cover you with their policy when you ship to them and follow their guidelines. Could be that other AHs have similar policies.

The other alternative with a valuable consignment is to have an AH rep pick up the item. I've had reps from a few companies come to my office to get consignments. Once they sign a receipt, it is on them.

If you have high value items every major auction house should insure your consignment from the time you ship it to them until the time it is sold or returned unsold to you. If you ask they will almost surely cover your shipping costs to them.

Last time I got an expensive card it came FedEx along with a dog bone so the box wouldn't bend.

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The girl from CollectInsure called me back and said absolutely if it is not a dealer policy then cards sold and shipped are NOT covered and she would be glad to convert me to a dealer policy. If I had insurance with them I would be talking to my agent!

Wow, crazy. Did you mention that section of the policy I showed above? What is the cost increase to go to a dealer policy?

Emailed them this morning:

Sent:
“I had a question about whether on not simple sale/trade of items I own are covered during shipping by this policy.

I was under the impression that items would be covered during shipping (following requirements listed in policy) even though I am not a dealer. Sold items are few and far between but it does happen, maybe once a month. Looking for clarification on the following line as what “incidental sale or trade of your unwanted property” actually means.

“We do not pay for loss or damage to “Dealer stock”, however, incidental sale or trade of your unwanted property or duplicates from your personal collection is NOT “Dealer stock”

Response:
Thank you for your email. You have up to $60k in coverage for shipping as long as major shipper is used and a signature is required. If any item is over the $60k limit a rider can be purchased to cover the difference.

If you have any other questions please let me know.


So it looks like collectors policy does cover shipping…

Agreed that this is the right answer based on the text in my policy, which is the text also shared above.

Regardless of what anyone says over the phone or even over email, the policy coverage is only what is spelled out in the docs. And since the docs above (and my own docs) say that it is included, at least when the conditions are met, then it is included.

I just spoke to one of the underwriters and she confirmed that the shipping on anything I sell is covered up to the limits of the class I ship it in and that
shipping coverage is one of the things that they specialize in so unless you're a dealer but and you don't have a dealers policy I don't know why you wouldn't be covered.

Did you speak to an underwriter and give them your policy number?

I don't have a policy yet. The agent I'm stuck with really is positive about it, whether she's right or wrong :(

I had a long conversation with her and she said that she couldn't imagine Jeannie (she said she's one of the top people at the company) saying that about the coverage but without knowing all the circumstances she couldn't say for sure but she did suggest that you call and ask for an underwriter

I have delivered 6 figure items in person and I have sent them USPS overnight, as well as registered.
.

USPS priority mail has a near-immaculate success rate. Any extra service is silly and alerts everyone to the value of the package