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Posted on 16 Oct 2008

One of the best ways to keep your art investments safe is to insure them, ie, get art insurance. Following is what you have to do to get the most art insurance at the best price.

The Art of Fine Art Insurance: What You have to Do to Insure Your Art Investments

Following are some insurance tips for art investors.

Art Insurance: Photograph Your Collection. This is one of the first things you have to do when seeking art insurance. Take multiple sets of photos - at least two. Be sure to take shots from different angles so that you'll be able to definitely prove the authenticity and condition of a piece if it's lost, stolen or damaged.

Put one set of photos in a safety security box and keep one at home. You may even want to take a third set of photos to give to your attorney and/or the executor of your will. The key to remember is to take multiple sets of identical photos, not only one.

Art Insurance: Photograph/Store Additional Paperwork. In addition to taking photos of the actual art piece(s), you should also photograph supporting documentation. for example, original sales receipts, paperwork that supports its provenance, appraisals and anything else that supports the value of a piece.

Art Insurance: Create E-Files. As a backup to photographing supporting documentation, where possible, its also a good idea to create e-files. for example, you can scan sales receipts, turn them into pdf files and store them on your computer or on a remote server.

Art Insurers: What You have to Know

There are insurance agencies that specialize in offering coverage only on art and antiques.

Or, you can take the alternative route and get your art insurance from the same company that provides your homeowners insurance. Many insurance companies offer discounts when a customer carries more than one policy with them (eg, a homeowners and an auto policy).

Depending on what you're having insured, and for how much, it will most of the time only cost a few more dollars per month if you add coverage for your art to your homeowners insurance policy.

The final thing to remember about art insurance is that it can be negotiated. don't just accept the first quote. Shop around, ask questions and be sure to know exactly what you're getting. Like all insurance, there are loopholes in policies. You don't want to find out after the fact that a particular instance or situation wasn't covered.

Bottom line on Art Investments: If you make an investment in art, you need art insurance.

About the Author: Have old oil paintings, pastels, prints, photographs, furniture and/or jewelry sitting around? You could be sitting on a fortune and not know it. Art-Care.com is a community of art conservators, art appraisers and other art professionals. Find an expert, industry- certified art appraiser to tell you the value of your items at Art-Care.com. We provide an extensive list of highly regarded professionals in many fields - all for free.