Who Needs Collectibles Insurance?
Anyone who owns a collection that’s valuable, rare, or hard to replace needs a collectibles insurance policy with coverage that reflects both the financial and personal value of their collection.
Distinguished covers a wide range of collectible types, including:
- Coins
- Video games
- Comic books and graphic novels
- Trading cards and sports memorabilia
- Musical instruments (including rare and antique)
- Vintage wine and spirits collections
- Rare books and manuscripts
- Action figures and rare toys
- Antique furniture, firearms, and pottery
- Glassware, furs, and fashion accessories
If your client’s collection has an established market value and insurable interest, our underwriting team can help. Not sure whether an item qualifies? Contact us for quick guidance.
Why Choose Collectibles Insurance Over Coverage From a Homeowner’s Policy?
A standard homeowners insurance policy may provide some protection for personal property, but it’s not typically designed for high-value collections. Coverage caps, restrictive valuation methods, and steep deductibles can leave collectors financially vulnerable if they experience a property loss.
Specialized collectibles insurance through Distinguished offers:
- Lower, more flexible deductibles
- Agreed value and expanded valuation options, including extensions to market value
- Full-value coverage for transit, accidental breakage, theft, and natural disasters
- Automatic coverage for newly acquired items
- Separate protection that doesn’t impact a homeowners policy
See how these options compare in our guide: Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Collectibles?
What Does Collectible Insurance Cover?
Among other risks, Distinguished’s coverage can protect you from common causes of loss like:
- Theft
- Accidental damage
- Damage in transit
For nearly all kinds of collectibles, the biggest risk occurs when they move between stored locations. That’s why we offer a comprehensive worldwide transit policy. If your client transfers a piece from one of their homes to another, it’ll still be covered for the move’s duration.
You can learn more about the specifics of our travel coverage in our guide to Distinguished’s Art Transit Insurance.
Examples of Collectibles We Cover
We insure a wide range of unique and highvalue collections. Here are three examples that highlight how our policies adapt to the specific needs of different collectors:
Collectible Guitars
From vintage Fender Stratocasters to rare Gibson acoustics, guitar collections can represent decades of history and substantial financial value. Our collectible guitar insurance guide explains how to protect these instruments, whether they’re kept in climate controlled storage, displayed at home, or traveling between performances.
Antique Duck Decoys
What began as practical hunting tools have become prized artifacts for collectors, appreciated for their craftsmanship and historical significance. Our duck decoy insurance guide details how we safeguard these fragile pieces from theft, accidental damage, and loss.
Video Game Collections
From rare arcade cabinets to limitededition consoles, video game collections combine nostalgia with tangible value. Our Video Game Collection Insurance guide shows how our coverage protects these items at home, in storage, in transit, and when showcased at conventions or events.
What Are The Benefits of Partnering With Distinguished for Collectibles Insurance?
At Distinguished, we strive to be an ideal partner for all of your Collectibles Insurance needs. To do this, we offer in-depth knowledge spanning diverse collectible niches, flexible underwriting, comprehensive coverages, and so much more.
Here are just a few of the benefits you’ll get by partnering with us:
- Expertise: Our team of experts understands and is familiar with a wide variety of collectible niches, including lending or consigning a collection and how this may affect insurance needs.
- Flexible deductibles and payment options: Our underwriting team can design each policy to fit your client’s unique collection, budget, and risk tolerance.
- Convenience: Our policies include things your clients will need, like automatic coverage for newly acquired items (up to 25% of the limit) and worldwide transit coverage.
- All risk policy: Our policies are comprehensive, with only a handful of causes of loss excluded.
- Smart valuations: We’ll value your collection at an agreed value with an option to extend to market value up to 150% of the agreed amount (with additional underwriting review).
- Passion: Our team is passionate about what your clients collect and is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that these pieces get the coverage they need.
- Superior service: Our dedicated claims and underwriting teams are always ready to handle applications, endorsements, or questions, making both you and your client’s lives a little easier.
These benefits make it easier for brokers to provide clients with tailored protection, reliable support, and peace of mind for the collections they value most.
How Much Does Collectibles Insurance Cost?
The cost of a collectibles policy can vary greatly based on several factors, including the nature of the collection, its value, and more. Our underwriters will typically consider:
- Collection type: The kind of items that make up the collection
- Value: The overall worth of the collection and how that value is dispersed among its items
- Risk distribution: The geographic spread of the collection
- Deductible: The preferred deductible will influence the final insurance premiums
- Storage location: The physical location where the collection is stored and its susceptibility to floods, fires, etc.
- Past loss record: History of safe storage and handling
- Transportation: The frequency of moving, packing, and transporting the collectibles
- Coverage type: The choice between blanket or scheduled coverage
The best way to know how much collectibles insurance might cost for your client is to sign up with Distinguished. Once registered, you get access to all of our insurance programs, including our Fine Art and Collectibles Program.
Sign Up With Distinguished Today
Brokers new to Distinguished can get started by registering and getting their login details.
For collections with limits up to $500,000, submit your client’s business through our online portal, and we can get you a bindable quote right away. For larger collections, submit via our downloadable form to [email protected].
At Distinguished, we offer Collectibles Insurance policies through our wider Fine Arts and Collectibles Program, which can also help you insure a wide variety of other clients. Learn more in the links below:
- Art Dealers and Galleries Insurance Program
- Artist Insurance Program
- Corporate Collections Insurance Program
- Exhibitions Insurance Program
- Museum Insurance Program
- Private Collection Insurance Program
If you have any questions about our Fine Art and Collectibles Insurance Program, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Distinguished’s Collectibles Insurance FAQs
Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our collectible insurance.
Will it cover property at my client’s houses, offices, or other secondary locations?
Yes. We provide insurance coverage for property worldwide (except as prohibited by law). Any permanent locations — such as second homes or storage facilities — should be listed on your client’s policy.
How do you figure out what a collection is worth?
An independent appraisal is the best way to determine your client’s property’s value. When selecting an appraiser, look for the following:
- Credentials like a USPAP certification
- Membership in appropriate professional associations
- A good reputation
- Experience or specialization in the kinds of collectibles your client needs to be appraised
When agreeing to a value for your client’s property, we typically request an appraisal completed within the past three to five years, or an invoice/receipt if the piece is newly purchased.
Do we require an appraisal to get a quote or policy?
It depends on the collection. As a general guideline, appraisals are recommended for single items valued over $100,000 or for the top 10–25% of the collection value. In some cases, we may accept invoices, purchase receipts, or letters from sellers
Can I include multiple types of collections on a single policy?
Yes. We can insure multiple categories of collectibles under one policy, providing streamlined insurance coverage through a single insurance company.
