Insuring your collection

[Martin Milner]

Has anybody here insured their Playmobil collection?

My wife and I are going over house insurance details for our new property, and I have the option of insuring a "Toy Collection" for $1 annual premium for every $100 of value. It's hard to put a true value on my collection, because most of it would be impossible to replace like for like anyway, but I'm guessing around $5,000 would be ballpark.

Has anybody suffered an Playmobil wipeout disaster, or am I being paranoid? Barring fire or theft I can't see a way of losing the whole collection in one go. My Klickies laugh in the face of floods and earthquakes. 

[Justindo]

Hi Martin,

I personally wouldn't insure my Playmobil collection.  My reasoning is that nobody is going to steal them and if there is a fire, the destruction of my klickies is probably the least of my problems.

[Bill Blackhurst]

I added my collection to my insurance due to weather, storms, fire, etc. My insurance rep. asked me if I had a "collection" & I told them yes, with an approximate value using Ebay as a price basis for replacement due to alot of items being rare & irreplaceable! It has taken me years of effort to amass this crazy collection, & if something were to happen to it I would at least like to be compensated for its value & not just loose everything. You would be surprised of your collections value like some people that collect Dept. 56, Snowbunnies, Snowbabies, Matchbox cars, Hot Wheels, Coca Cola or Pepsi memoribilia, & those collections are high dollar too!

[playmofire]

Has anybody here insured their Playmobil collection?


Has anybody suffered an Playmobil wipeout disaster, or am I being paranoid? Barring fire or theft I can't see a way of losing the whole collection in one go. My Klickies laugh in the face of floods and earthquakes. 

I recall that MansionBuilder lost his collection in a fire.

[playmofire]

Hi Martin,

I personally wouldn't insure my Playmobil collection.  My reasoning is that nobody is going to steal them

With the prices Playmobil can command on eBay and new in the shops, I wouldn't bet on that.

[macgayver]

I lost my collection I had as a kid in a fire and it was a lot

When My collection was at my parents attic shewas insured for fire and teft

I cannot remember how much I payed but it was a lot

[Indianna]

Hi Martin -

My opinion is that this type of insurance is all about your own peace of mind.  If insuring your collection would increase your peace of mind, then definitely consider purchasing it.  You could also "self insure" by putting the annual cost of insurance into a savings account.  Or you could just spend the annual insurance premium on more Playmobil!   

[Martin Milner]

Thanks Indy and all for your replies.

I think as Indy says it's about peace of mind, and for around $1-2 a week it's worth it, after all that's less than I spend on new Playmobil to extend the collection. I insured the Playmobil on its journey over from the UK, so I may as well insure it again now it's here.

When I have everything in one place it'll be easier to judge the value, I may be well under in my assessment of how much I really have, and with klickies costing around $2-3 each (unless you get a bargain blister) it soon mounts up.

The whole question of insurance started because our most valuable single item is my wife's hand-built anglo concertina, which we reckon would cost about $9000 to replace, and anyway there's a four year waiting list. I have several off the peg instruments, the most valuable my $2000 melodeon. We never insured our instruments separately from the house insurance in the UK, but we probably should have.

[Bill Blackhurst]

Hi Martin -

My opinion is that this type of insurance is all about your own peace of mind.  If insuring your collection would increase your peace of mind, then definitely consider purchasing it.  You could also "self insure" by putting the annual cost of insurance into a savings account.  Or you could just spend the annual insurance premium on more Playmobil!   

I thought about putting money back to self insure too, Indianna, but I was never able to reach the point that a 3526 fire engine going for over $185.00 in good used condition was going for to replace the 10 that I have, along with all of the other items I have obtained! Alot of the items I have are now retired with their boxes still intact, & when I see them appear on ebay it amazes me of the selling prices they command  so replacement would be near impossible without being insured!

[Wolf Knight]

Has anybody suffered an Playmobil wipeout disaster, or am I being paranoid? Barring fire or theft I can't see a way of losing the whole collection in one go. My Klickies laugh in the face of floods and earthquakes. 

Back in 1998 i lost all the boxes from a flood in my parents country house. Home insurance is not widespread in Greece, meaning it is not even obligaory by any law as i think it is in the UK.
Thankfully all my playmobils were intact but covered in moist...It took me a couple of days clean up sets like the 3740 schooner, the 3750 pirate ship, the 3799 pirate island, 3055 pottery house, 3445 castle tower and loads of knights and police sets... still mourn for those boxes...