any help from someone who knows insurance

[forcethewill]

So I recently just got hit by mega storm sandy and basically lost my entire collection (Fbb duals, power, random foils...ect).  I am wondering if anyone has had something similar happen to them and if there is any way the insurance can replace them.  I know it's a long shot but of anyone has advice it would be of great help.  Thanks

[AmbivalentDuck]

So I recently just got hit by mega storm sandy and basically lost my entire collection (Fbb duals, power, random foils...ect).  I am wondering if anyone has had something similar happen to them and if there is any way the insurance can replace them.  I know it's a long shot but of anyone has advice it would be of great help.  Thanks

Do you have documentation whatsoever that you own these cards? Ie. Do you even have the destroyed cards in binders/sleeves?

[Demonic Attorney]

The great majority of my collection was stolen when I was in high school. The theft occurred outside my house, on school property. The cards were, obviously, mine and not my parents'. Nevertheless, my parents' homeowners' insurance covered the loss.

So, I think there might be reason to believe that it's worth pursuing a claim. Still, I would second AD's suggestion and get some evidence that you owned those cards. The destroyed cards themselves probably help somewhat. But, it might also help to get affidavits from friends attesting to the fact that they had seen those cards in your possession and can state on firsthand knowledge that you owned them at the time of the loss.  Even better, if you have records of your purchases for those cards, or if you can track down the merchants who sold them to you and get them to write out similar affidavits attesting to the fact that they sold you the cards, that will probably also help your claim.

Just to be clear, this isn't legal advice. This is just a rough analogy to what I did when faced with a similar situation. It doesn't guarantee the same result in yours.

[bactgudz]

I have verified before that my collection is covered by the personal property portion of my homeowner's insurance (Amica), I've been told by others that some other insurance companies may require a rider for collectables.  All that Amica suggested was to have some type of documentation of the expensive cards (receipts, scans, pics, etc) in case of loss.  If, as duck mentioned, you have the remains of the destroyed cards, I'm sure this would be adequate "documentation"...I would suggest going to a wotc dealer with any documentation you have and getting a written quote as to their replacement value and then file a claim.

[Suicideking]

My renters insurance said they would cover any theft of my cards and didnt need me to document it all.  They said it doesnt hurt but it wasnt necessary.

[warr]

First off, sorry for your loss OP.

With the growing concern of theft at major events and a couple close calls with my cards, I specifically asked my renter's insurance provider if my collection was covered completely under my policy.  Even though my other possessions are covered completely, there were loss limits on certain categories of items.  I was told my cards would be considered under philatelic items (i.e. stamp collections) and that the loss limit was $1,000.  They did offer additional coverage, but trading cards weren't considered a coverable category (although stamp collections were, for some reason).

Not liking the answers I was hearing, I went with a company that specializes in collectibles.  I found at least two of them that specifically covered trading cards: American Collectors Insurance and Collectibles Insurance Services.  The premium from either for $20k of coverage was ~$120 a year and well worth the additional peace of mind.  No appraisal required, but they did require photo proof of any single item over a certain limit.  American Collectors also has an online interface that lets me upload inventories and photos for collection tracking which I found to be useful.

Hope everything works out for you in the end.  For everyone else, I recommend you specifically ask your insurance company if your cards are covered and for how much.

[RichardD]

First off, sorry for your loss OP.

With the growing concern of theft at major events and a couple close calls with my cards, I specifically asked my renter's insurance provider if my collection was covered completely under my policy.  Even though my other possessions are covered completely, there were loss limits on certain categories of items.  I was told my cards would be considered under philatelic items (i.e. stamp collections) and that the loss limit was $1,000.  They did offer additional coverage, but trading cards weren't considered a coverable category (although stamp collections were, for some reason).

Not liking the answers I was hearing, I went with a company that specializes in collectibles.  I found at least two of them that specifically covered trading cards: American Collectors Insurance and Collectibles Insurance Services.  The premium from either for $20k of coverage was ~$120 a year and well worth the additional peace of mind.  No appraisal required, but they did require photo proof of any single item over a certain limit.  American Collectors also has an online interface that lets me upload inventories and photos for collection tracking which I found to be useful.

Hope everything works out for you in the end.  For everyone else, I recommend you specifically ask your insurance company if your cards are covered and for how much.

Best advice.

Also, some insurances have appraisers that will come and look at your collection and appraise it for insurance purposes.
I've had my collection appraised and covered by a separate insurance for theft and fire + water damage, because it isn't covered by my house owners insurance.