Collectibles Universe

Whether you begin collecting with high hopes of raking in a profit at a later date, or begin your days of collectibles as a kid, vintage collectibles have the potential to be worth a boatload of money. There comes a time in anybody interested in antiques collectibles asks themselves ‘When do I schedule insuring collectibles’? Many believe that it is not possible to insure collectables while still being able to enjoy them, but there are a few things that can be done when you reach this point in your collecting days. Here are a few tips and precautions you can use to protect your antique collectibles while still being able to enjoy them.

Protecting Collectibles

Physical protection is one of the most basic forms of collectibles protection. Keeping your antiques and collectibles safe from fire, falls, heat, cold, and so on is extremely important for priceless works of art. Condition is a large aspect that buyers look into when determining the price of collectables.

There are many different ways to protect your items physically, and there can be a combination of precautions taken to insure your investment. Hard core collectors such as museums go to great lengths to protect their one of a kind works of art that include state of the art burglar alarms, heat resistant casing, and even on location vaults for the extremely pricey items.
Most home collectors don’t have the kind of cash to spending in intricate alarm systems and underground vaults, but there are a few common sense measures one can take in order to protect their vintage collectibles and ensure a higher selling price in the secondary market.

• Keep your collectibles away from windows, pipes, and other heat sources. This is pretty basic, extreme temperatures can damage antiques and collectibles, greatly reducing their value.
• Install a smoke detector to insure fair warning of emergency and formulate a plan to preserve your collectibles should the unthinkable occur.
• Install or designate a safe area to keep your antique and collectibles that is secure, free of extreme temperatures, and easily accessible for you and those willing to enjoy your collectibles.
• Always handle your antiques and collectibles with care. It’s best to limit the amount handling your antiques and collectibles to reduce the natural wear and tear, but if you must touch them, many collectors suggest using sterilized gloves to protect the items from dirt and oil on the skin.
• When collecting books, cards, or other paper objects, be sure to buy plastic sleeves for them to better protect them from the elements. Always keep these items out of the sunlight as well as they will dull most illustrations.

Insuring Antiques and Collectibles

So now that you’ve protected your investment with common sense methods, are there companies that will insure you monetarily? There are collectibles insurance companies out there, but most of the coverage is included in homeowner’s insurance along with your lamps, furniture, etc. If you believe you’ve got a collection worth taking out extra coverage on, talk to your insurance agent and see of they offer special coverage for collectibles. It may also be a good idea to ask if it’s possible to take out an extra policy on your collectibles. If your homeowner’s insurance doesn’t protect your collectibles, it might be better to go through a collectibles insurance company in order to protect your investment.

The most important differences appear to be rates, claims on breakage/theft of multi-piece or pair items and deductibles which vary depending on the individual collectible insurance company. These special collectibles insurance companies will insure certain antiques and collectibles items for an affordable rate. Two of the most popular collectibles insurance companies are American Collectors Insurance and Collectibles Insurance Services, LLC.

As far as these two companies are concerned, what they cover, the rates, and other aspects vary dramatically, but here are some rough numbers to give you an idea of much insuring your collectibles might cost as well as what is covered and what isn’t.

Insurables Include:
Classic/antique cars and motorcycles, action figures, advertising memorabilia, animation art, automobilia, plates, die cast, dolls, figurines, jukeboxes, militaria, model trains, ornaments, pottery, sports memorabilia, teddy bears and villages.

Not Insured:
Coverage is not currently available for “paper” collectibles such as stamps, cards, paper dolls and documents, nor for record albums/video cassettes, china/flatware, watches/jewelry, coins, modern firearms, furniture or fine art.

Natural Disaster Collectible Coverage
American Collectors Insurance offers coverage against floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes, while many other collectible insurance companies do not. Depending on where you live, this might be a necessary step to take while protecting your antiques and collectibles.

Collectable Riders

Check your insurance company to see if they offer riders to cover collectibles. Most regular companies will cover many of the items listed above, but it is important to find a safe place for them either way. Coins, stamps, jewelry and other small items can be easily lifted, therefore it is best to keep them hidden in a safe, while larger pieces such as artwork can be kept in larger areas. Both should be insured just in case, and it’s most beneficial to discuss these terms with your agent before taking the next step in collectible insurance.

When deciding whether or not to cover your antique collectibles, it boils down to whether or not you want to put them on display or would rather have them put in a safe deposit box. While the latter cuts down on the amount of exposure and enjoyment of your collectibles, those who are keeping the collectible items for profit may want to consider this option.

Whether you are the casual collector or make a living off of the art, there are many options available for you to protect your investment. Those familiar with the nature of collecting know that sometimes simple precautions aren’t enough. Talk with your agent or collectibles insurance companies to find the plan and premium that fit your needs and budget. When it comes to collectibles memorabilia, one can never be too careful in making sure their investment is secure.

If you are involved in the world of antiques and collectibles, there are a few different elements that go into finding out how much your items are worth. Many collectors begin their collectable careers before they are aware that the items will fetch any sort of real profit. If you’ve ever looked around at your collection and wondered ‘how much are my vintage collectibles worth’, you are definitely not alone. Here are some tips to finding out how much your antiques collectibles are actually worth.

• The retail price is how much your collectible item sells for in a store
• The wholesale value is the price that a retailer pays for the vintage collectibles and it is usually about 33-50% less than the retail price
• A price in the secondary market is determined by the buyer and the seller reaching an agreement. All aspects of the item should be revealed to the buyer and the seller should be offered a fair price for their collectable.
• Collectibles insurance is normally the highest value given to a collectible and represents the cost of replacing the item if it were damaged or stolen.
• The tax or estate value is determined by an average auction price of the same or similar pieces.
• Auction value is how much the piece would normally go for at auction if neither the buyer or the seller were in a forced position to buy/sell.

In addition to these pricing guidelines, other factors may change the price of the antiques and vintage collectibles.

• The price the owner of the collectible thinks it is worth.
• The price the buyer wants to pay for the item.
• The price that is listed in a current Price Guide.
• The actual price the item sells for regardless of whether it sells at an auction, is sold to a private buyer or is sold to a dealer.

There are a couple of aspects unique to each antique collectible to consider when determining the price of antiques and collectibles as well.

• The law of supply and demand
• Condition
• Provenance
• Rarity
• Aesthetic appeal

When asking yourself how much your vintage collectibles are worth, all of these elements go into determining a final price. Different items have skyrocketed in value, while some antiques and collectibles that were popular in earlier days fetch a much lower price in the secondary market. Sports collections seem to fluctuate in value, while comic book collectibles of a certain era are always in demand. The many aspects that go into collectibles makes it hard to determine a baseline price, but a variety of different markets are available for selling your collectibles including:

• Auction selling prices
• Online price guides
• Written price guides
• Appraisal services on and off line
• Local antique and collectible dealers

Collectibles Price Guide

There are also many websites that provide online price guides. One of the most popular is Kovels with more than 600,000 current prices listed for antiques and collectibles. Other excellent online resources include:

• Beckett provides price guides for trading cards and other sports related collectibles.
• Downtown provides prices for back issues of collectible magazines.
• Collect provides current pricing for comic books, records, militaria and much more.
• Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums by Neal Umphred
• House of Collectibles Price Guide to Star Wars Collectibles by Sue Cornwell
• The Official Price Guide to Dolls by Denise Van Patten
• Gus and Duncan’s Comprehensive Guide to Star Wars Collectibles by Duncan Jenkins and Gus Lopez
• Ebay is also a great place to determine the price of your collectibles and acts as the largest online auction house in the world

It can be very time consuming and difficult to find out exactly how much your collectibles are worth, but the payoff can be worth the effort. Here are some more tips to help you organize your collection and find out exactly how much it is worth in the secondary collectables market.

• Check identifying tags, marks, or serial numbers to get a good idea of what exact item you are dealing with. Look for items of similar construction or serial numbers and compare prices. There is never a baseline price for the secondary market, but by picking out certain labels or knowing how many of the items were crafted, one can get a better idea of what to expect as far as price goes.
• Use the Internet to find similar items and see what they generally go for. Many collectors utilize the Internet for pricing and chances are even the serial number of your item has been indexed in Google’s search. Searching the web or images can give you a good idea of exactly what you have and how much you will be able to get for it.
• Scan the item for a patent number. Many creations have patent numbers that can be easily tracked at the United States Patent and Trademark Office web site. If you are able to find the patent number, there is a ton of information available on the item.
• Check the books. The books listed above are only a few of the thousands of books that have been written about antique and collectibles. Collectibles are nothing new, and people have been engaging in the art for decades. If your collectible is worth anything, it’s probably been documented throughout history. From collectible dolls to collectible stamps, there are books that have been written covering all types of collectables and their prices.
• If you still can’t find your item, try check forums on the Internet as others may have run into this problem before. Once you find out exactly what you’ve got, it’s time to find some publications and establishments that have dealt with your item.

Lastly, it’s important to keep your eyes open for reproductions or fakes within your collectibles. Check to see if the item has been reprinted, remade, or if fraudulent items have been discovered around the world. Authorized reproductions of many items wills till hold value, but those that are unauthorized or have been made to deceive are worth very little if anything at all. The key to finding out how much your collectibles are worth is all about gathering as much information on the product as possible. Not only will you have the knowledge and information to fetch the best price for your collectible, but you will have a rough idea of the market trends and be able to more accurately predict weather to sell the piece immediately or hang onto it for a few more years.

Civil War Collectibles are an example of a piece of history which collectors go simply bonkers over. The historical and cultural relevance of such items as civil war uniforms, pins, weapons, canteens, and even bullet fragments hold a special place in the collectibles world and more specifically enthusiasts of this historical event.

The attack of the United States military base at Fort Sumter in South Carolina divided the young United States in half. Collection of civil war artifacts has become one of the largest practices in the world of collecting. The impact of this war upon the divided country can even be felt today, some people in the South still believe in the confederate mentality that the southern army fought for.

Responsible for more American casualties than any war, the bloodbath that was the U.S. civil war has historical relevance which is deep rooted in what made America the country that it is today. The war which pitted brother against brother has created an entire subculture of enthusiasts which engage in mass collecting of Civil War artifacts and frequent re-enactments of the bloodies war in American history.

Most civil war and other historic collectibles are accumulated through auctions which allow specialized collectors to receive items particular to their specialization at discounted prices. Types of civil war collectibles in which people specialize in include, cartridges, bullets, uniforms, artillery, swords, and guns, each with a myriad of sub-categories in which they can more specifically specialize. Civil war collectables not only fetch a decent price if sold, but are a part of American history which is as deeply rooted as the Constitution.

Historical collectibles are unlikely to diminish in popularity among collectors due to the antique nature and part that they play in defining who we are as a nation. Whether you wish to hold a piece of history or make money from Civil War collectibles, opportunities don't come up very often. Unless you plan on tripping over an authentic union army bayonet during your next trip to Antietam, don’t miss the next civil war auction near you.