Frequently Asked Questions

Will CIS insure my gun collection?
The names are part of history: Smith & Wesson firearms. Garand rifles. Luger pistols. Thompson machine guns. Bowie knives. Colt firearms. And many more. CIS offers a full arsenal of protection for your gun collection because iconic objects like these demands a special understanding of their unique status and the needs of those who collect them. Collectibles Insurance Services has been helping protect cherished collections since 1966. Our decades long experience in protecting antique to modern gun, knife and edged weapon collections of all sizes, including ammo, accessories and gun safes, translates into superior protection that values your collection as much as you do.

Why should I choose CIS to insure my treasured collectibles?
CIS is a company founded by collectors, so we understand that your collection is often more of an emotional investment than a financial one and that each collection is worth far more to its owner than money alone. As experts in collectibles insurance, we have been protecting valued collections since 1966—offering not just coverage, but the kind of peace of mind that standard homeowners insurance simply cannot provide.

Why doesn’t my homeowners policy cover my collectibles?
Collectibles Insurance Services was created by an avid stamp collector who realized that ordinary homeowners insurance simply couldn’t provide the coverage his rare treasures demanded. For everyday, easily replaced personal property, homeowners insurance is all most people need. But for prized possessions you may have spent a lifetime collecting, it doesn’t go nearly far enough. That’s why we offer a collection of benefits that less specialized insurance doesn’t often provide. For example:

• Homeowners coverage is typically based on the actual cash value of your collection—not its current market value.
• Homeowners can limit coverage of all the contents in your home to a percentage of your home’s total value (usually between 50% and 70%).
• It may not cover losses caused by floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes.
  Homeowners may have limited or no coverage for valuables like silver, guns, stamps, and other collectible items.
• You may be required to appraise and schedule all items individually. And new items must be reported and scheduled within 30 to 90 days of acquisition.
  

What does CIS insure?
Like most collectors, we’re specialists. Providing collectible insurance is all we do. So we’re able to passionately focus on servicing the needs of collectors like you. Generally, if you can collect it, we can insure it. (The list of what we provide coverage for is a lot longer than what we don’t.) Some of the most popular categories we insure include comics; guns, knives and accessories; sports cards and memorabilia; stamps and toys.

What does CIS not insure?
The following are excluded from our coverage: Government seizure or destruction of property; war and nuclear hazards; gradual deterioration such as fading, creasing or denting; nesting, infestation or discharge or release of waste products or secretions by insects, rodents or other animals; dampness or dryness of atmosphere; changes in or extremes of temperature other than fire; fraudulent, dishonest or criminal acts; voluntary parting with covered property; loss or damage while being worked on by you or others working on your behalf; and mysterious disappearance. This is not a complete list of exclusions and exclusions can vary by policy.