A more appropriate question than How many kits do you have?

[mike 51]

Think about it.... if indeed one of our houses burned, there would be this black plume of toxic smoke from all that plastic!

Yep...few things are funnier than a house fire Tom

[Pete J.]

Ok, this has gone on long enough and is getting a little of course. I have to admit that I engaged it a little subterfuge in starting this thread. I have always found it interesting that modelers are very proud of how many kits they have. Some even in the thousands. It is as if it is some badge of honor. The antitheist of that is ,how much you have wrapped up in their collections.? I understand the security concerns but it has always baffled me as to why so many are almost embarrassed to admit how much they have spent on the collection. As an observer of the human condition, I am always a bit baffled by this oxymoron.

[Pete J.]

Think about it.... if indeed one of our houses burned, there would be this black plume of toxic smoke from all that plastic!

Tom, I've often thought about that. It's not just the plastic going up but the gallons of thinner and paint as well as all the other solvents that I have as a normal part of doing this hobby. No Mike it is not funny, but I think if the Fire Marshal knew what any of us had in the garage, they might be tempted to have us put a hazmat stickier on the garage door!

[Tom Geiger]

Exactly Pete! If I had the same 50 cans of spray paint and a gallon of lacquer thinner at work, they'd be in an explosion proof cabinet.

And ignore Mike 51. He just follows me around the board and makes snide comments after my posts. That's his contribution to the board.

[Ace-Garageguy]

And ignore Mike 51. He just follows me around the board and makes snide comments after my posts. That's his contribution to the board.

And all this time I thought that was me.

Your paranoia is showing, Tom.

[Harry P.]

And ignore Mike 51. He just follows me around the board and makes snide comments after my posts. That's his contribution to the board.

You do know you have the option of putting anyone you want on "ignore," right?

[chris02719]

You do know you have the option of putting anyone you want on "ignore," right?

True, but then you can't see what they're saying behind your back....

[Harry P.]

True, but then you can't see what they're saying behind your back....

But if what they're saying about you bothers you... why would you want to read it?

[chris02719]

"The devil you know is better than the one you don't know".

[Harry P.]

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, right?

[chris02719]

You're 100% correct. Although the flip side to that would be "ignorance is bliss", but not totally sure I'd buy into that cliché.

[rsxse240]

This hobby is supposed to be FUN, and keeping a ledger on how much I've spent on this hobby since the late 50's is not part of it. I have better things to do with my time.

I agree with you, however, if you, God forbid, ever have a disaster and need to claim it on insurance, it would certainly be nice to have that ledger at that time.

*edit*

I posted this before reading all the way to the end, I now see that my post has been covered.

I also see, as usual in open forums, the topic has gone....off-topic, lol.

I can't get my insurance agent to take me seriously, but I can't afford to go to another company that does. Last I counted I was well over 400 kits in my stash. I've only about 12 or so on the shelf completed, so I guess you could call me more of a collector of buildable kits than builder of collectible kits. Since I only buy kits that I can afford or just REALLY have to have, I generally have the run of the mill collection with just a few kits that might be considered as collectible.

All in all, if I were to put a replacement value on everything in my hobby room, I'd be close to about $20,000 USD, but I've been building and buying models and supplies since 1986. So, yes, I strongly suggest getting your hobbies insured.

Edited July 12, 2015 by rsxse240

[Harry P.]

I agree with you, however, if you, God forbid, ever have a disaster and need to claim it on insurance, it would certainly be nice to have that ledger at that time.

Assuming that you actually had your models insured in the first place.

Not many people do.

[IceMan Collections]

I do t think anyone's embarrassed of how much we spend on Thai but starting to keep track of everyone my you spend on this hobby would probably take the fun out of it. I know a ballpark figure but I would never go around saying I have $x invested. It's funnier to say I have x many kits!

[Pete J.]

A little over a year ago , Pete J ( the O.P. ) gave me some really good advice about insuring my model collection , I'm not sure if I thanked him properly but I will now-Thanks Pete !

After I talked to my insurance agent about buying a policy to insure my collection , I could tell he didn't take it seriously at first . He dismissed the hobby as ' kid stuff " .

I took a lot of pictures then sent my agent the link to my Photo Bucket - he then looked at eBay and a few other places that sell vintage and collectable kits . The next time the agent called me he said he never would have guessed that model cars had become so valued .

Now I have my collection insured and pictures documented .

The best advice I could give at this point is : IF you have a large collection , whether you rent or own your home - even if you have the collection in storage , check into a separate policy .

Thanks again , Pete !

Chris, you are most welcome. Glad I could be of help. Let me clarify for a moment and perhaps it will help some of you with larger collections. If you pull out your homeowners or renters policy and go to section 1-property coverage's, subsection C.-personal Property, paragraph 3. Special limits of liability, you will find special types of property that have limits placed on them. These items are things that you should have a "Personal articles floater" issued for if you have more than the limit specified on them. These are things such as jewelry, silver, art work, business property etc.

What is important is that things like models are not here. They are there for covered as regular "personal property". However, the down side of this is that in the event of loss, you are responsible for proving that you owned them and the value. Also, the full value will only be reimbursed when you replace them and present the company with a reciept. Before you get new ones that it will be your cost less depreciation.

How is the best way to prove that you had them? Inventory and photos. No reputable insurance company will decline a claim if you have both. However, now you must try to replace them. Good luck with that! That is the advantage of a floater. You provide all this information at the time the company writes the policy and the company agrees to this list and more importantly agrees to a value at that time. Now, in the event of a loss, they only need to see proof of loss and they will cut the check for the amount you have them insured for. Down side is you are responsible for adding new items and over time, keeping the value accurate.

For most people a quick trip through the model room with a video camera every couple of years is a good idea.

While we are on the subject, that is a good idea to do for your whole house. Video everything! Open every drawer, cabinet, box and closet and video every thing. Make a copy and throw it in the safe deposit box at the bank. Talk about a house fire being not funny, imagine your house burnt down, you are sitting in a hotel room and the insurance company hands you a list and asks you to tell them every thing you lost. That is what is going to happen.

Ok, now the disclaimer: Insurance contracts vary from state to state. Your policy may be different to conform to your state laws as well state laws governing loss. I have given general information based on standardized ISO contracts used in most states with modifications. Your best source is a licensed agent who is familiar with personal insurance contracts. A good agent is worth finding. Spend some time and question them. Just because they have a license to sell doesn't mean that they are familiar with all aspects of the contract. The best agents in this field with have a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter certificate.