appraisal help?

[Simmons Nation]

hello all,
i have a relatively modest memoribilia/card collection, but wanted to get a little extra insurance coverage in case of fire/theft/etc. i have a rough idea of what its worth, but my insurance agent said i need to get it appraised before i can get additional coverage... problem is, he had no idea how to get a sports memoribilia collection appraised. and i don't either. i'm assuming many of you have gone through this same process and would like to know how to get this done as easily as possible. advice? thanks!

[Leon]

Many of us do this hobby almost every day. What kind of things do you have and we can go from there? regards

[Simmons Nation]

hi leon, thanks for the reply....
its not that i don't know what my stuff is worth... i am very comfortable with my own estimate... the issue is that the insurance company needs some "formal appraisal" before covering it.

is my insurance agent just giving me a hard time? maybe i'm being naive? i just assumed most of you would have some protection against fire/floods/etc and would have been through the same process?

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by Simmons Nation

is my insurance agent just giving me a hard time?

Sounds like it, although I've never been asked to have my collection appraised. It seems reasonable to me that a detailed video of your collection (along with maybe a spread sheet of what you have) would suffice.

[DerekD]

You should look at Collectibles Insurance Services (www.collectinsure.com). I've used them for a number of years. I did not have to do any appraisal for them. The only requirement I remember is anything over $5,000 had to be itemized.

[rdixon1208]

I use Collectibles Insurance Services. Here's a link:

http://www.collectinsure.com/

They don't require a formal appraisal. Just that you document what you have and can provide sales history data, proof of purchase, or some sort of way to verify value in the event of a claim. It's not very expensive, and I know of at least one board member that has had to file a claim. He said that they settled quickly and pain free. Hope this helps.

[campyfan39]

Agree.
I have State Farm Home Owners and was just asked to include it in replacement costs along with the rest of the contents of my house. My agent then asked me to photograph/video my collection as well as make a list, which I was happy to do. I keep those items in a safety deposit box at the bank.

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Sounds like it, although I've never been asked to have my collection appraised. It seems reasonable to me that a detailed video of your collection (along with maybe a spread sheet of what you have) would suffice.