The following information is provided to educate and inform. eBay is not liable or responsible for any type of damage or loss caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information below.

If you are a new collector, you may not be aware of the true value of your collectibles. Your collection may not be very valuable, or it may be worth much more than you ever might have imagined. First, you need to determine the value of your collection. Appraisal services, and local or national clubs specializing in particular types of collectible are a few sources that can help you determine the value of your collection.

Once you know how much your collectibles are worth, you should make sure that you have enough insurance to cover accidents and theft. Standard homeowner's policies cover the contents in your place of residence but to varying degrees. For example, there will typically be limitations on the loss you can claim. Most homeowner's policies limit the amount you can claim as a whole and by merchandise category. Additionally, there are restrictions on the source of the damage. For example, if your house burns down, you could be covered. However, if your basement floods, you might not be covered. It is important to check your policy and ask your agent about the specifics. You may have to purchase special policies to cover especially valuable or irreplaceable items.

Save any receipts for your collectibles, along with a photograph of each item. Keep the receipts in an inventory file along with a detailed description of each item and how you acquired it (if you don't have a receipt, include from whom and when you purchased the collectible). Keep track of any repairs or enhancements that you make to the collectible. Don't throw away any part of the original item. If you make repairs or improvements to an expensive item, you will likely need to provide proof to your insurance company that your new, improved collectible is still the same one that you purchased previously.

Insurance can be expensive. Sometimes, the policy for a valuable collection will exceed the amount that the collector actually spent for the collection. Therefore, some collectors choose to insure only their most valuable items. Be careful not to confuse the value of the item with the amount of the insurance premium. For example, a $10,000 trading card may have a higher insurance premium than a $10,000 hutch, simply because the chance the hutch will be lost or stolen is a lot lower than the trading card.