Hmm...I just had this discussion with my home insurance company, wondering what, if anything, is covered, and if we needed to buy a rider for music gear, and they said I was covered for up to $50,000 worth of entertainment/hobby/collectible "stuff". That certainly covers everything.

It's a smart move if you own enough equipment to justify it. Most people don't even think about insurance until it's too late. I think you did the right thing. I'm like caddywampus in that my homeowners insurance allowance for personal property already covers the value of my instruments.

John

In my opinion you really can`t trust insurance companys of any kind, as they all know the ropes of the so called 'reading in between the fine lines'.However... when you`re dealing with a specialized insurance company such as the link you sent-you will always be able to sleep at night, cause you know they`ll be good for it.. Good investment and a safe one too !

Wayne

First off, I'd like to say a big hello to everyone as I haven't posted in a while, but I had to chime in on this one. I too have the $50k hobby, etc. thing included in my homeowner's insurance policy just like caddy has. I called them up about a year ago and asked if it would specifically cover my drums, and the answer was yes. I explained that I have vintage drums and that some of them would be quite difficult to replace or put a value on as they just aren't made any more. They then advised me to catalog everything that I have with as much information as possible (including pictures). They also highly recommended appraisals for all of the rarer pieces (local drum shop appraisal would be fine). They mentioned that the average person might have 1 or 2 of something, but if it gets to be something like a collection, that it's best to document it to avoid any disputes. How does one prove they had 10 or more drum kits after a fire or theft? The documentation makes sense to me. Come to think of it, this forum would be great for proof and documentation... Years of posting questions and pics of our kits... What better proof is there ?

Mine are covered under my homeowners Ins. And by colt, smith&wesson, and Beretta, and Remington :)

Let me know how they pay off in case of fire. LoLoLoLo

Don't bet on it. My Taurus .357 offers no protection against theft when it's locked in the gun safe and I'm 20 miles away at work. There's just too many professional burglers nowadays driving up to houses mid-day in commercial vans that are painted to look like contractors, plumbers, electricians, and custom kitchen remodelers (sorry Jeff). They ring the door bell to see if anyone's home, and when no one answers, they simply walk around to the back of the house and break one window in the back door and let themselves in. They then open up the garage door and start loading the van up with all your stuff. I know four people this has happened to. Because of this type of burglery, many of us up here in snow country have our driveways plowed regularly when we go on extended winter vacations. Nothing signals to theives that your house is empty like a driveway that sits unplowed for 5 days.

And take pictures and get appraisals on your drums even if you're covered for $50,000! Your insurance adjuster is not going to look at a charred, melted snare drum and take your word for it that it was a $2500 wood Dynasonic.

My lesson learned on this one was that I was surprised when I finally took inventory of how much it all added up to be-you forget what a stand here or a bag there would cost if ever had to be replaced all at once-the homeowners insurance people just turned me off when they said they wanted appraisals on everything and when an alternative came to my attention that was way easier to deal with and covered everything, it was a no brainer-as I am sure with most of us, our collections have been gathered over time-I had never really stopped to take pics and record serial numbers so it was a good excuse to take inventory-I am usually paying attention to what snare I am going to use, not counting the number and type of cymbal stands I have to support all the Zildjians!

I'll jump into this, since I've done it all before...

I've got riders, kinda... I spoke to my insurance guy about my antique clocks over thirty years ago. What he had me do, was increase the value of my personal property and reduce the amount of the deductible 'on that portion' of my homeowners insurance. While I sold most of my clocks years ago, I still keep the extra coverage, since it's cheap. I just got the bill, and for a years 'extra' coverage ($50k to $100k) with a $200.00 deductible was $44.00 more than normal. Insanely cheap IMHO.

What many have said is on the mark, as well. Record everything you own... get a binder, and put it in it.

Each item we own that costs more than $50.00 goes in the binder, on its own separate page. The page includes a picture (or more than one), serial number(s), identifying marks (if any), value and the date and source of the valuation.

It sounds daunting, but really isn't all that big a deal. Don't forget ***elery, watches... anything you want to include.

I make three copies of the binder: One stays here, one at the inlaws and another with a daughter. Oh, and a copy on my computer.

That's how you make insurance companies cover your loss... dazzle them with data, and loads of it. They can't argue after a loss if you supply them enough information to gag on.