how to secure your collectibles.
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How To Secure Your Collectibles.

Collecting is a hobby many people around the globe enjoy. Whether it’s art, jewellery, records, comics, trading cards, or anything else you fancy, collecting scratches a certain itch that nothing else is able to. If you love your collection, you obviously want to keep it safe against theft or damages. With this in mind, let’s consider the question of how to secure your collectibles.

What Collectibles Need Extra Security?

While you may wish to see your favourite things protected, the fact of the matter is not all collectibles need extra security. This begs the question of which do, however. While there’s no one answer to this, you’re generally better off just getting extensive protection or using security measures for things that are already worth quite a lot. Additionally, it can pay to do the same for collectables that may increase in value significantly over time, though this is a gamble and could end up being a waste of money if things don’t pan out the way you expect them to.

What’s Your Budget?

The intention of preserving your collectibles is, for most people, to prospect of earning money on their resale at some point in the future. With this in mind, how much should you be willing to spend to ensure your collectables stay in good condition? A good rule of thumb is to never spend more than your collectables are actually worth as they’d be required to appreciate significantly in value for this to be a good investment. Sticking to a reasonable budget with regard to what you own is key here, as is relying on tried and true security measures like safes that are worth their cost. Security cameras are also an option but can be quite pricey to have installed. DIY security cameras can be cheaper, but the quality tends to not be as good as others.

What Type of Security?

Once you’ve worked out a budget, it’s time to decide what type of security you might want to employ. As mentioned before, safes and security cameras are two basic options for keeping your collectibles safe but may come at a financial cost. A cheaper option would be to store your things in a safe deposit box, letting others handle your security for you. This does mean you won’t be able to oversee your collectibles yourself, however, which can be distressing if you’re not the trusting type.

What Can Preserve Collectibles in Storage?

All the security in the world won’t do you any good if the things you’re working so hard to protect crumble between your hands due to wear and age. This is why it’s necessary to think about how you can preserve your collectibles while they’re in storage. For sturdier things like jewellery, statues, or similar objects, there’s usually not much you need to do. For things like paintings, climate controlled environments are a must to keep humidity and mould from destroying your precious artwork. Something like a comic book should, at minimum, be bagged and boarded, though any true collector will tell you to have it graded by a professional agency to both increase its value and ensure it’s protected from everything short of the apocalypse.

What Happens After Theft?

Part of security is preparing for failure. In this case, you have to decide what to do in the event of a theft. Obviously, the first step should be to contact the police and tell them what’s been taken. However, you should also be prepared for an outcome you’re not exactly happy with; namely, that your collectibles are gone for good. Because of this, it’s a wise decision to prepare for this kind of thing early and have your collection insured, both against theft and things like natural disasters and other damages. That way you’ll at least be able to “cash in” on your collection’s value in some way even if you’ve lost the things important to you, giving you the chance to rebuild.

Collecting for fun and profit can be a rewarding hobby or a job all its own. You can find some great collectibles that you will treasure for a long time. If you’re looking to get into collecting or just increase your existing collectibles collection, consider these six questions when deciding how to secure your collectibles.

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