Retro game insurance

[chocklo]

Feeling a bit concerned about leaving my beloved retro collection if i go on me jollies. Especially since it's notching up some value now and scallies are on the increase.

What do you peeps do? Are your games insured? Does normal content insurance cover retro games? Is a £300 snes game valued as a £300 item or a £2.50 item? If your games get nicked, how do you prove what they're worth and that you actually owned them?

Does someone do specialist insurance?

I think storage may be a better option...

[Lorfarius]

Take lots of pictures and dated pictures to provide proof of owning the goods. You will have to get specialist insurance on the high value stuff but it should all come under home contents. Best thing to do is drop them a line and explain your situation.

[Jay]

You will have to get specialist insurance on the high value stuff but it should all come under home contents.

By this do you mean anything worth more than the usual single item limit? Or something else?

[Max P.]

Sone insurers will cover 'collections' under normal wording - others will specifically not. As above check with the individual insurer and be sure to photograph/list everything.

[Colin]

I had seperate "videogame collection" insurance added to my contents, it came to nearly as much as the main contents insurance to add it though! (This was when I had all the NEO-GEO and PC-Engine stuff though)

[Lorfarius]

By this do you mean anything worth more than the usual single item limit? Or something else?

Depends on the item and it's value. A copy of AES Metal Slug for examlpe is worth over a grand so I would class that as specialist insurance requirement. Best thing to do is just ask.

[Jay]

Depends on the item and it's value. A copy of AES Metal Slug for examlpe is worth over a grand so I would class that as specialist insurance requirement. Best thing to do is just ask.

Cheers for the clarification. I don't have any single item worth a fortune but the sheer amount of games I own means my collection is still worth a fair bit. I just recently changed insurance company and both this and previous companies have both been a bit vague when I've mentioned the collection.

[Lorfarius]

Cheers for the clarification. I don't have any single item worth a fortune but the sheer amount of games I own means my collection is still worth a fair bit. I just recently changed insurance company and both this and previous companies have both been a bit vague when I've mentioned the collection.

Document everything. A mate of mine who had a gigantic DVD collection turned on his TV and set Teletext going (this was a few years ago) filmed the date and time then panned over the whole collection slowly. Insurance company were happy with this as proof, he needed after filling up 3 walls shelf by shelf.

[Brats]

You can cover retro games under a standard household policy, but be aware that many contents policies have inner limits within their sums insured. The definitions of these inner limits are key. It is not uncommon for an insurer to list 'valuables' as having an inner limit of a third of the sum insured or say ?5,000, but you need to check the definition of valuables as there is no standard (equally there is no standard name - sometimes it can be called high value items or something similar).

Some insurers will list 'collectables' within the definition of valuables. I would argue that Metal Slug AES is a collectable and so is Radiant Silvergun, but are games that today value for less than ?20? Possibly not, but you should check with the insurer and get the answer in writing.

Some insurers will list 'media' as valuables or high risk items and this would include all games.

If you can let me know who you are insured with and the name of the policy (they are usually called something like Home Protect), I can probably find the policy wording online and check it for you. I work in insurance so I know which bits to check quickly.

[Strider]

Brats advice is sound. It's better to be safe than sorry.

[Mayhem]

My contents is currently covered fine, with a total of £30k and no item over £1,500... so I haven't exceeded that yet heh...