Catalogue For Insurance Purposes

[andykelli]

Hi All. I plan to catalogue my fountain pen collection, with pictures and descriptions for insurance purposes. Does anyone have a pro-forma for this or any background experience of what might be necessary in case of a claim?

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

Kelli.

[Doug1426]

I'm in the process of doing the same thing. Unfortunately, I got behind by about 10 years, so I'm playing a lot of catch-up.

I'm using EXCEL to enter all the data, and inserting a photo in one cell of the record. Most of my pens are in cases of 20-24 pens per case, so I'm inserting 4 photos per case (one of all pens capped, one all pens uncapped, and two trays per case). Unfortunately, this makes for a very large file. So you may not want to use EXCEL. I don't know much about using databases like ACCESS, but I think it may be a more efficient way to store everything. Hopefully other members will chime in with their greater knowledge.

 

Regardless, I think the more information you document, the better off you will be if you ever have to file a claim. I know there is at least one company that specializes in collectibles insurance. There is also the option f adding it as a rider to your homeowners/renters policy, but that may be more expensive. Again, I think there are members with a much better knowledge in this area, and hopefully they will see your post and add their wisdom.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

I put forward the notion that one should contact their insurance agent / broker / underwriter to determine what is necessary to make a successful claim, then proceed in compliance with their requirements. i.e. Define your goal, then determine requirements to meet that goal.

 

I lodge any documentation with those parties (and in a Cloud), so if there is catastrophic loss of my documents, data and property, things can go quite smoothly.

 

An on-the-fly update is especially useful if one sells or purchases. e.g. Selling an MB149 and purchasing a Parker 75 for X amount, (include transaction records - do not depend on 3rd parties, such as PayPoodle, to retain records or make them available to you.)

 

Should you have collectable pens, then having them appraised on a routine basis is necessary. e.g. I was shocked to learn the current market value of my mint in box LE Pilot myu 90 - more than a bushel of turnips!

 

Bye,

S1

Edited September 13, 2017 by Sandy1

[Federalist Pens]

All good advice mentioned above.

 

You also want to keep receipts for purchase/repair/etc...

 

I also recommend that you shoot a video of your collection. You should do an overview of your collection, and then you should briefly describe, and explain any specific item that you feel could be difficult (if not impossible) to replace. This video does not need to be a full documentary. It is a "Self Deposition", if you will, of you describing a vintage/modern collection as a pen expert.

 

Among my talents (and Certs) is that of a Legal Videographer. If you are objective, and provide documentation, insurance companies will have a difficult time objecting to this proof of assets. (A legal professional should have better guidance on this topic)

 

Frank

CDVS/AGCV

[BT_Summers]

UK insurance companies usually seperate losses cover from inside the house and things you take around with you.

 

It is commonplace to have an item for unspeciifed personal effects up to £2000 commonly, which should be enough for the pen in your pocket.

 

Larger collections inside the home should be specified, assuming that you are looking at £10K+, ask your insurer to record a 'Fountain pen collection £xK', and provide a group photograph and an XL list if requested with price paid and current values. They may want to know what you do as regards keeping it safe.

 

If you have a particular item that is of exceptional value, a one off pen or a pen with a history, for example my father has a pen that was a gift from Ike to a naval commander, then you should look at having this valued when cover is arranged.

 

There have been instances of UK burglaries where pen collections have been stolen - and nothing else. Insurance is only one part of the problem and keeping the pens locked away may give you peace of mind.

Edited September 13, 2017 by smiffy20000

[andykelli]

Very many thanks to All. Some great advice there...I certainly hadn't considered a video catalogue! Prices paid and receipts is a good call too!

 

DOUG1426 - I don't suppose you're able to post an example of your Excel worksheet(s) so that I can see the fields you've chosen to record? In my case I think an Access database would be a sledgehammer to crack a nut...the amount of disk storage would be the same overall (the images would still have to be saved somewhere).

 

Does anybody catalogue their collection regardless of the insurance angle, if so do you include pictures, what sort of information do you record?

[andykelli]

Very many thanks to All. Some great advice there...I certainly hadn't considered a video catalogue! Prices paid and receipts is a good call too!

 

DOUG1426 - I don't suppose you're able to post an example of your Excel worksheet(s) so that I can see the fields you've chosen to record? In my case I think an Access database would be a sledgehammer to crack a nut...the amount of disk storage would be the same overall (the images would still have to be saved somewhere).

 

Does anybody catalogue their collection regardless of the insurance angle, if so do you include pictures, what sort of information do you record?

[soapytwist]

Someone made a database on here ages ago - try searching because it was uploaded on the site somewhere. Not sure if it still is.

 

Edit: here it is

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/29624-fountain-pen-database/

Edited September 13, 2017 by soapytwist

[Federalist Pens]

Someone made a database on here ages ago - try searching because it was uploaded on the site somewhere. Not sure if it still is.

 

Edit: here it is

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/29624-fountain-pen-database/

 

Jonro's database is great!

I still use it for my vintage pen collection...

 

Frank

[inkstainedruth]

I'll admit that I keep wondering whether I need to think about doing this. A couple of years ago I had some pens appraised at a thing that's like Antiques Road Show (but local -- supposedly I was on an episode, in one of the man on the street quickie bits between the actual in-the-studio interviews, but I missed an episode because it's shown sort of sporadically; I showed the reporter the Parker 41 I'd bought the day before at an estate sale, and a 1926 Duofold Lucky Curve ring top I'd picked up a couple of months before). The actual appraisal was for about 18 pens, and I got a ballpark total figure for more than I'd paid, including repairs, and then when I got home my husband was wondering if we needed to get a rider on our homeowners insurance.... At the time, I didn't have any super expensive pens, and I mostly brought vintage ones even then (I saw no reason to bring, for instance, any of the cheap Chinese pens). And of course that was a couple of years ago now, and I have a LOT more pens....

I have a file on my computer with with list of pens that were appraised, as well as a spread sheet of all my pens with what I'd paid for them. I also have another file, which lists the pens with information about the nib width, color, price I'd paid (including for any repairs), when I got them (roughly in the case of the first few,) and notes such as date codes, what people have told me about provenance or info about the model, and if there are engravings. I don't always have receipts, though, especially if I bought a pen at a pen show and paid cash. And of course a number of them were free -- either they came with ink, like the Preppies and the Charlie eyedroppers, or were gifted to me for one reason or another (PiFs, trades, and -- in the case of the Wearever a dealer gave me at an antiques show "because I can't sell it" (yeah, literally that's what he told me, after I told him what little I could about the pen, which was basically "Third tier brand, nib looks good, needs a new sac..."; go figure).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[jhataway]

I use Word. Each pen is described, estimated current value, and personal or historical notes.

Then I add photos. If you have a lot of pens, it will take time, and the file will get large.

[praxim]

Without any significant cataloguing intent, when I started buying pens, in a WP document (Nisus, as it happens), I tabulated basic information like brand, model, nib info, weights, price paid and [estimated] year, then wrote a text note about each pen in which note I discussed from whom and the circumstances of purchase, any interesting features about the pen, identification marks and where to find them, a note on its quality and a broad estimate of whether its value was likely to go up, down or nowhere. These various notes are intended as much to allow my heirs & successors to flog the stuff off at fair prices as for reference. Photos are coincidental, on disc because I have posted about the pen on FPN.

 

From an insurance perspective, this and my detailed financial records would be ample for claiming, allowing that I may hit some limit for value of a collection.

 

Systematic, annotated identification photos are probably a good idea for both insurance and for H & S.

[Greenie]

I have an excel spreadsheet. It is easy to add lines for pens bought, or to reorganize lines anytime I want. You an also easily add or remove columns if you change your mind about what you want to track. I also have a column to note if there are pictures of the pen, and I link that to a "pen pictures" folder, with sub folders for each pen.

 

My columns are:

Brand, Model, pic link, color (or pattern), length, size (full, demi, etc), nib imprint, stroke, est year, fill type, amount paid, shipping, restoration costs, restoration notes or other comments

 

Then I can group brands, and then models, and reorganize easily. I can also color code regarding restoration status, or a color to indicate pens I am thinking of selling, etc.

 

I blacked out prices to avoid getting bogged down in good deals or silly overpriced purchases

 

 

 

[andykelli]

Thank you so very much everybody! I have enough information now to go ahead and make my own catalogue :-)