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JKHere is how Collectibles Ins. answers Barry's question (by the way, I have no affiliation to them, just a customer):
Q. How can you pay a loss if you don't have a complete inventory of my collection?
A. A collectibles inventory is rapidly outdated; new purchases, other acquisitions and disposals of unwanted and duplicate material are the reasons. A collector who suffers a loss, particularly when the collectibles are gone, may not have a complete inventory of the lost property. Even so, our experience is that every collector is able to reconstruct an inventory based on records and knowledge of their own collection. Since April 1966 we have not declined a valid claim due to a collector being unable to provide an inventory.
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Q. How do you know I own the collectibles I claim are lost?
A. Yes, it is your responsibility to prove your loss. We have found that if you acquired some of your collectible property from dealers, auctions or similar sources you can provide proof of a reasonable sample of your purchases. A sample is what we require, not complete documentation of every purchase or acquisition. Probably our biggest advantage over other insurance providers is that since we have over 30 years experience in this specialized business, we have a good sense when additional documentation is needed to prove a loss.
FWIW, I keep detailed records of each item in my collection as well as scans (both on my computer and on a back up disk that I store elsewhere) so that I can prove ownership if necessary.