Selling, fees & tax
Collection Insurance Calculator
Most home policies cap collectibles at a figure well below what a serious collection is worth, and the cap is easy to miss until a claim. This estimates your exposure, what a rider costs, and the collection size at which a specialist policy becomes the cheaper answer.
The sub-limit is the whole problem
A home policy insures your contents to a large figure, then applies a much smaller sub-limit to categories it considers high-risk — jewellery, cash, and collectibles. A $2,500 collectibles cap on a $25,000 collection means 90% of it is uninsured, and the deductible eats a large part of what remains.
Three ways to close the gap
- A scheduled rider. Named items listed on the policy at agreed values, typically $0.50–$2.00 per $100 of value a year. Usually no deductible on scheduled items.
- A collectibles policy. A separate specialist policy, better for large or fast-changing collections, and normally covering the whole collection rather than named items.
- Storage that reduces the premium. A vault or bank box cuts the rate materially, because it removes fire and theft at home.
Questions people ask about this
Does home insurance cover sports cards?
Only to a sub-limit, which is typically $1,000–$5,000 for collectibles regardless of your overall contents cover. Anything above that is uninsured unless you schedule it separately. The sub-limit is in the policy schedule rather than the headline number, which is why most collectors discover it at claim time.
How much does it cost to insure a card collection?
A scheduled rider typically runs $0.50–$2.00 per $100 of value a year, so a $25,000 collection costs roughly $125–$500 annually. Storing in a bank box or third-party vault reduces the rate materially, because it removes the two risks insurers price most heavily.
Do I need an appraisal to insure my cards?
For a scheduled rider, usually yes above a per-item threshold, and always for the individually valuable pieces. Graded cards make this easier — the slab and certification number establish identity and condition, and recent sales of the same card and grade establish value.
Where these numbers come from
Rates on this page were last checked against the published price lists on . Grading companies change fees and pause tiers without notice — confirm the total on the submission form before you pay.