Does anyone know how to.............

[dora]

Hi all!! I have a question I never would have even thought about if it weren't for the fire. The adjusters were asking if I had my collection insured. I do not....YET, .but how does one go about finding the right "expert" to figure out the worth of a collection??? Of course not all shells are worth much but the many I do have that are worth something I want to protect. Even the adjusters are not sure how that works with shells collectors. And even with the fire I still will be buying shells, so the value will continue to grow. And God forbid if there is a "next time" I may not be so lucky!! Any info would be of the greatest help!!<img src="images/smiley/wink.gif" alt="" border="0" />)  Thanx so very much!!   Dora

[dave r]

Hi Dora, I don't know how things are done in the U.S. but here insuring a collection is a nightmare. Most insurers will only insure it as a collection i.e. if part is destroyed they will not pay out, only if the entire collection is destroyed and even then they will want evidence of what you had.This means photographing every single specimen. There are some shell dealers who will assess a collection for you but they usually charge a lot. Likewise there are a few insurance companies that specialise in collections but the premiums for those are astronomical. You can insure individual specimens of particular rarity but, like antiques, the premiums are sky high. What most people do here in England is make sure the house contents insurance is sufficient to cover the loss of a collection.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Dave

[dora]

Hi Dave!! Any information is help!!) I have a feeling it's probably a nightmare over here too. I may even continue to just pray everyday that God will continue to watch over and keep safe what is really his. I certainly can't afford expensive and risky coverage. It really is a shame that shell collectors have a hard time insuring what I consider to be the most precious things on the planet. For some reason I can't put a title so I will thanx very much for your help here. Take care, Dave!!<img src="images/smiley/wink.gif" alt="" border="0" />)   Dora

[dora]

Hi Dave!! Any information is help!!) I have a feeling it's probably a nightmare over here too. I may even continue to just pray everyday that God will continue to watch over and keep safe what is really his. I certainly can't afford expensive and risky coverage. It really is a shame that shell collectors have a hard time insuring what I consider to be the most precious things on the planet. For some reason I can't put a title so I will thanx very much for your help here. Take care, Dave!!<img src="images/smiley/wink.gif" alt="" border="0" />)   Dora