Tips for Obtaining the Best Insurance for Your Antique Collectibles

Are Your Antiques Properly Insured?

Cara Surdi
Most homeowner's insurance policies cover the items inside your home but you probably do not have enough insurance for antique collectibles to cover to total value of your treasures. If you are a collector, you need to be sure your collection is properly insured.

What You Need to Know About Insurance for Antique Collectibles

The first thing you need to do is contact your homeowner's insurance agent and go over your insurance policy. Find out if your insurance for antique collectibles are insured for their replacement cost. You do not want your antiques and collectibles lumped in with other household items. Make sure your collectibles are insured no matter how your antiques may get lost, damaged, or at the worst, stolen. Also, make sure your insurance for antique collectibles policy cover your treasures no matter where you take them. Find out what things are excluded from your policy and how the claim will be settled if you cannot find a replacement for the antiques or collectibles or if you decide not to replace the item.

Separate or Specialty Insurance for Antique Collectibles

Your homeowner's policy will only cover part of your valuable collection and it may only cover it under certain conditions. To protect your antiques and collectibles properly, you need to insure them under a separate policy or with a company that specializes in insurance for antique collectibles. If you collect anything unusual, valuable, or special, you will need specialized insurance for antique collectibles. Agents in a specialized antique collectible insurance company have more knowledge of the value of your antiques and collectibles. Your collection should be insured with an "all risk" or "special perils" antique collectible insurance policy. The cost of such a policy is generally between $48.00 and $75.00 for every $10,000.00 of coverage. American Collectors Insurance and Collectibles Insurance Services are two sources for this type of insurance for antique collectibles.

Value of Insurance for Antique Collectibles
In order to provide sufficient insurance for antique collectibles, you will need to have a qualified appraisal of the antiques or collectibles completed. The things you can do to help put a value on your antiques or collectibles is to take pictures of the items and write down everything you know about them. If there are any special markings on the antiques or collectibles, take a close up photograph of the marking. Keep your dated receipts from the purchase of your collectibles or antiques which might help establish its age and place of origin. Keep any family documents, such as letters that refer to the antiques or collectibles.

These are just a few tips that can help you provide the proper insurance for antique collectibles.

Published by Cara Surdi

I'm open minded, not judgmental, no one is perfect. I'm a licensed adjuster, background: administrative, report writing, proof reading, medical payments, medical terms, pharmaceutical experience, and handlin...  View profile

1 Comments

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  • David A. Reinstein, LCSW3/15/2010

    My homeowners coverage (AAA) tells me that everything in the house - even if it is out of the house - is covered and need not be seperately documented... I asked the question re some rather valuable instruments I own. Is AAA unique in this was do you think?

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