Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP. Mom doesn’t have much disposable income but does have a lot of very valuable items. She tried getting estimates for appraisal and they were high. Sure she could sell a piece and pay for the appraisals but I don’t think I can convince her. I will inherit them but I am too poor to pay either. She has had them for decades. Brought from Austria and through a few house moves. Always at that bank I believe.
Will tell her to continue keeping at the bank and the few pieces at her home hidden. The only reason I started this thread is because I saw someone post the other day about a man getting contents of safe box at bank stolen and no protection or something. But I bet many keep valuables at the bank and few have appraisals?
A straightforward appraisal will run you about $80-$100 per piece. Appraise the most valuable pieces and get insurance on them.
It would probably be less per piece if you have multiple items. I was the executor of an estate and I paid a gemologist around $1,500 to appraise 40 items.
Shop around — you don’t need the best appraiser in town, you need someone certified that the insurance company will accept.
However, if you have a lot of high-value items, you should also see if the insurance company has a dollar limit on what they will insure without providing for additional security (it’s usually a couple of hundred thousand). In other words, to get insurance, your mother may be required to keep the jewelry in a safe deposit box or acquire a security system for her house.