What collectors hate most?
Paul Spierings – Art Glass Specialist
Knowing that what they’re after isn’t for sale.
Challenge accepted.
Here at VintageDesignVault we strive to be more than just a quick stop shop.
We are all about the human connection. Collectors are people with a story after all, and we understand.
That’s why we try and help you not just building your collection, but also offer our expertise in protecting it in case anything happens to your curated display.
More often than not, clients reach out to us to let us know that they’re after something very specific that they haven’t been able to find anywhere yet.
Sometimes they even know where their dream piece is located but can’t get a deal done regardless. We are happy to find specific pieces for you using our extensive network of clients, dealers and fellow collectors.
Feel free to reach out to us and inquire after the possibilities.
The same naturally goes for collectors that would rather have an intermediary act on their behalf on the acquisition of a specific piece. As collectors first and foremost, we understand the need for privacy and will help you safeguard your identity. Let us know what you’re after and we’re happy to assist you!
Insurance coverage – something to consider
More recently, the items we love and collect have seen a significant correction of their value in the marketplace, better reflecting their rarity or the iconic positions they hold in this area of collecting.
Understanding, identifying and accurately denoting your collection for insurance has thus become a must.
The biggest issue with very specific collections (i.e. German ‘Fat Lava’ Pottery, Italian Decanters or Swedish Art Glass) is that there’s a very large gray area where high value unique designs and collectibles intersect with production pieces. Being able to adamantly tell the difference and put the correct value on your coveted pieces makes all the difference when unfortunate events do come to pass.
If your only option is having to rely on the ‘expertise’ of your designated insurance expert that normally deals with Murano Glas or Czech laminated work, then surely you have done your collection and your family a grave disservice.
But how can you tell? Truth is you don’t know who is valuing your collection nor if they are true experts in this field.
Often times insurance companies will cover damages to your collection on a ‘replacement value’ quote as decided by an expert, especially when there are no appraisals on file for any of the pieces in your collection. If you caught a really bad break, they’ll even try and offer you indemnity value for the pieces in your collection. Outrageous!
Most of the times, these quotes end up being highly inaccurate, or evidently outdated in terms of market development. We offer our clients the option of having (parts of) their collection appraised, providing you with an expert valuation report that you can provide to your insurance agent.
Let us offer you an example of just how quickly we forget that these collections need professional representation.
One of our clients has a collection of roughly 80 rare and hard to replace Italian Glass Decanters.
Part of this collection was sadly lost in a fire when a kitchen appliance overheated and caught fire.
The insurance company expert dealing with the damages, denoted ‘various pressed glass bottles $150’ in his report and didn’t feel that production pressed glass could hold any significant value. Quick Google searches had confirmed his belief that these bottles are ‘sold on every corner and thrift shop’ and their average price was set at $25.
Our client reached out to us and requested we provide counter-expertise and proper appraisal on the items she had lost in the event. The very first bottle we were presented with, represented a $1800 fair market value.
All in all, just 6 bottles lost in a kitchen fire coming from a broken toaster, represented over $3500 in value.
Based on our appraisal, our client received a $3500 coverage payout instead of the $150 offered by the insurance company. Naturally the cost of our counter-expertise was also covered by the insurance broker.
We can’t expect insurance experts to know all there is to know about these items just as much as we can’t claim to know all there is to know about them.
We do however have a legacy of decades of collecting and trading, and our appraisals have helped countless collectors in safeguarding their collections to a degree that they can sleep safe at night.
Knowing that their insurance agent is aware of what their collection represents and that they have confirmed beforehand that they accept the value of the items from an appraisal report, brings tremendous peace of mind.
So please, if you are in possession of a serious collection of WGP/Fat Lava, Italian Decanters, Swedish Art Glass, feel free to reach out to us so that we can help you decide if they should be properly documented.