Insuring your ASL collection

pensatl1962

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Just curious - has anyone insured (or attempted to) their ASL collection? I'd hate to have to replace it out of pocket if something happened. Would an insurer even do this? If so, I imagine it'd be like coins or a model railroad collection, with a rider provision. And how would you do the valuation?
 

Honza

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A full collection would be worth at least $10,000.
 

Michael Dorosh

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Just curious - has anyone insured (or attempted to) their ASL collection? I'd hate to have to replace it out of pocket if something happened. Would an insurer even do this? If so, I imagine it'd be like coins or a model railroad collection, with a rider provision. And how would you do the valuation?
There are some good discussions about this at boardgamegeek or in the Wargamers group on Facebook. The first step would be to talk to your insurance company.
 

Sparky

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Just curious - has anyone insured (or attempted to) their ASL collection? I'd hate to have to replace it out of pocket if something happened. Would an insurer even do this? If so, I imagine it'd be like coins or a model railroad collection, with a rider provision. And how would you do the valuation?
never would have considered it until you mentioned it. Oh my guitars for sure but ASL can be replaced, incrementally and relatively easily to get playing again, and those things that can't be. Do any of us still ever play ABTF or just admire it sitting on the bookshelves these days. I could live without that or the other old school long out of print, likely never to be reprinted, HASL which haven't been touched much less played in years. I should just sell those off anyway. However finding a Rickenbacker 4001CS for under 5 figures or a 61 Precision. Not so easily, but at least I'd have a wad of cash to cry into.
 

Spencer Armstrong

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Along with computers, financial documents and our art collection, it is always driven by me when we move rather than being entrusted to movers, since so much of it is nigh irreplaceable. But never considered insuring it.

Honestly, if I lost it all at this point, I might feel relief more than anything. I certainly wouldn’t attempt to re-buy it.
 

Robin Reeve

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We have mandatory State fire insurance over here, which makes it very cheap.
If I lost my gear, I would buy at least the core modules again and any in print HASL, favorite TPP packs, etc.
Most of my scenarios are scanned.
ASL being my lifetime game, I could live without it, but with some frustration.
 

pensatl1962

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  • Scan everything
  • Keep a core set at a separate location
Scanning is a great idea and I've done this for all scenarios and rules (and with a separate back-up drive), so at least I've got those bases covered. The counters and maps would be the portion I worry most about. VASL alleviates this concern a bit. But there's nothing like having the actual product at-hand for FtF games.
 

Rooster2k

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I wish I had thought about insurance prior to mine being submerged in basement flood waters some years ago.
 

jrv

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I wish I had thought about insurance prior to mine being submerged in basement flood waters some years ago.
I think most standard insurance like homeowners and similar won't cover flood damage. You have to make sure your particular policy will cover it. I also have to wonder about how much you would get for your claim. You certainly won't get e-bay prices.

JR
 

Sparky

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^ no doubt. Its insurance (companies)man. They'll let you die in the street if the numbers don't look good to them. One's ASL collection? hah. No chance in hell you get anything more than its retail cost, circa when it came out.
 

Sparky

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Versus getting NOTHING .. retail price ain't bad.
hmmm
I don't remember know how much Red Barricade cost back in the day, but it was cheap enough that complete drunkards with musical dreams and love affairs with elicit substances and not a bunch of money considering paying the occasion bill to keep the utilities on, and the occcasional convenience store meal had no problems fitting in into the budget
 

Rooster2k

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I believe the original game was $35 and add-on modules were $15-20 back in the olden days (SL). I remember being shocked the ASL rule book was almost more than the games up to that point.
 

JAGgamer

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You'd get fair market value minus depreciation. Or, you could find a company to write a policy with an agreed value of the items. Companies do that with classic cars all the time. You just have to shop around for a company that will do policies with the features you need. I would imagine that you'd find the additional rider on your homeowners policy to be just a few additional dollars per month.

The areas for dispute are the aforementioned "fair market value" and "depreciation." How would you value those and justify same? I'd research the various game sale sites and ebay and Amazon. I've even asked experts about the value of "show goats" before in order to determine their fair market value.
 
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witchbottles

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If you're dead set on paying someone for coverage that can include appreciation - you're probably best off to go with a company like this:

https://collectinsure.com/what-we-insure/collectibles-we-insure

You can find dozens of them online in about 10 minutes of looking or so.
Not for me, but if you really want to pay someone for that kind of insurance, its out there.
 
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