Insuring your toys

After a theft this weekend, I am super paranoid. I want to get my collection of toys and artwork appraised and insured. Has anyone done this?

 

There was someone selling insurance at SDCC, but I dont have any contact info. Maybe your homeowners insurance?

 

I definately know some Home Owners insurance covers toys.

Chris, I hate to ask but what got stollen?

 

It wasn't toys, it was miniatures I use for playing wargames. They were stolen from my car but I figure I should get off my ass and make sure my valuable things are insured. I will contact my homeowners insurance and see what they say.

 

chris, or anyone else that might be interested, check out http://www.collectinsure.com

I got a pamphlet from them at a comic/toy show a while ago and meant to sign up, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. seems like a pretty good deal. their rate tables are being revised, but the information I had was fairly cheap for the coverage you get.

 

thanks for the link! This looks quite comprehensive, and I think I'm going to look into it a bit further.

Also a good idea for folks (mainly because a lot of my friends don't do it) is renter's insurance. Some friends of mine lost everything in a fire a few years ago, and apartment insurance is something like $75 (and that's a high estimate) a year here in MA.

 

We discussed this over at Toybox recently:

http://toyboxst.inwards.com/phorum/read ... 814,137814

The toughest part is assigning value to the toys. Since there aren't price guides for most of the toys we collect, you're probably better off showing what you paid for them. Save those Paypal and eBay reciepts!

 

Thanks Skylar. I'll check out those dudes.

 

i've been thinking about this alot.

so many of us are sitting on minor fortunes (when considered by the appropriate assessors, or something, lol)

and i don't even have such a badass collection, OR vintage toys!!

i'd hate to see something bad happen to them AND not have any financial back up

hope that made sense...

 

There are so many different risk/collection situations, too. Earthquake? Well, you should be okay if your vinyls fall off the shelves. Fire? Enjoy your multicolored PVC puddles. Got chogokin? Good, hope you never get water damage.

 

Insurance Adjuster: "I'm sorry sir, but these "Hedorah" look the same to me in this "Before" picture as they do after your house fire..."

 

well... after you get your insurance, PM me your addy and leave the back door unlocked.

 

um, i don't think home insurance covers much in the way of "collections". I know at least as far as records and such. I think they require seperate policies. I should probably find out about mine...

 

insurance is sort of like gambling and the bible says we shouldn't gamble.

 

Actually - you can do that but if you got a deal on the toy they will only cover that cost not replacement cost!! Say you got a GID Skullwing for $100.00. Try finding one for that now. You need to get replacement cost on your items. When I had my shop I use to get people coming in for estimate of thir collections all the time and I use to get calls from Insurance agents looking to get current prices on some collectibles.

If they were stolen out of your car AND you have home owners insurance I believe it covers a third of the total coverage of your Home owners. BUT be careful - make sure it is a large amonut you want to make a claim for because if you put in a bunch of smaller claims and it adds up to more then your premium - they will more then likely consider yo ua high risk and either drop you when you renewal comes around or charge you up the ass on your premium. I know cause I lost my stores insurance one year when I put in on a stolen computer and a broken plate glass window (about 8" x 6" plus the vinyl lettering). They dropped me.

Cavet the guys irruptor!!!!

 

i don't know if it works for toys, but i know people who've had the values of their record collections assessed by 'experts.'

 

I haven't gone all the way along to actually getting insurance, but I was told haveing photos of your collection - as a collection and individually - can help for proof. I guess they should be uniform in the way they look too. That's why many of my pics are on that wooden table with black behind them.

 

And if you take photos, store a copy somewhere else other than where you live in case where you live burns to the ground.

Aside from a CD w/ images in a safety deposit box, seems like photobucket of some other online service would be good for this.

This is on my "to do" list.

Please do not burn down my place until I get to this.

 

in your expert opinion are handpainted skullthings worth anything?