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Documenting
items
An inventory, or list of your antiques collection, will
be invaluable for keeping a detailed record of each antique
in your collection to prove ownership in the event of an insurance
claim. New purchases should be documented in an inventory
book, and photographed as soon as possible. Keep the receipts
of anything you have purchased with your inventory.
To begin an inventory of your collection make a list of
every object you wish to include. Then, write down the following
information, for each item:
* Where it came from.
* The date it was bought or acquired.
* The price paid for it.
* A full description of the item, including its size, what
it's made from, and any decorative features.
* A report of its condition, including cracks, chips, alterations
or restoration. This should be updated whenever you have a
piece restored.
* Anything else you know about the object's history.
Photographing items
It's also vitally important to have a clear photo of all
your antiques. You may want to enlist the help of a professional
photographer to photograph your collection. However, if you
observe a few simple guidelines it's quite simple to undertake
yourself. It's best to photograph objects using colour film,
outdoors in natural daylight. Choose a day when there's a
light cloud cover, so the sunlight is not too harsh and the
shadows aren't noticeable.
To get the best results, stand with the sun behind you,
level with the object, and close enough to fill the view finder.
If the objects are very small, photograph them against a white
background, unless the object itself is predominantly white,
in which case a grey or black background.
It's also useful to include a scale reference, such as a
ruler placed beside the object. If the object is behind glass,
stand slightly to one side to avoid reflections and glare.
Take a look at the Metropolitan police website for examples
of suitable photographs.
Take at least one shot of each object, as well as close-up
shots of any identifying scratches, bumps or marks on each
piece. These detail shots are especially important if the
object is likely to be similar to many others. As well as
taking individual photographs, it's also a good idea to take
general shots of your room. This will help you remember any
smaller items which may be forgotten.
Remember to keep your photographs together in a safe place.
Ideally they should be filed with your inventory entry for
each object. It's also wise to store a copy of photographs
somewhere else for safekeeping; for example, with your bank
or solicitor.
Arts and Antiques Squad
Photographs of any stolen antiques can be logged via your
local police office with the Art and Antiques Squad at Scotland
Yard. This police department has a national database, which
contains descriptions and photographic images of works of
art stolen throughout the country. When stolen property is
recovered, the Art and Antiques squad can identify the rightful
owner - provided the object has been logged on their computer
system.
Recovering your property
You can assist the recovery of any stolen property by marking
your belongings with a security pen (available through the
Crime Prevention office) which is only visible under ultraviolet
light. However, many collectors prefer not to mark their antiques
in this way, because the pen is indelible; should you want
to sell the item at a later date it could deter prospective
buyers.
Valuing and insuring your collection
As a result of the increasing number of art and antiques thefts,
most insurance companies require a professional written valuation
to cover objects worth more than a certain amount.
There are various ways of having your antiques valued. If
you know a friendly local dealer, and only have a few items,
he may be able to provide you with a valuation, although you
should check with your insurance company that this will be
acceptable. If you have a fairly extensive collection, your
insurance company may prefer a valuation from a specialist
valuer, or one of the larger auction houses, all of whom have
larger valuation departments.
The value placed upon each object will to some extent depend
on where you would go to replace your property. The price
an insurance valuer puts on your collection will probably
be at least 20% higher than what you could expect to get should
you decide to sell. If you feel this will make your insurance
premiums prohibitively high, you can opt for "market
valuations" - in other words auction prices - instead.
But bear in mind if the valuation is too low you could find
yourself unable to replace lost items satisfactorily.
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