We’ve all heard stories about the Hollywood stars and athletes who take out insurance policies to cover specific body parts. World War II pinup model and actress Betty Grable was famous for having a $1 million insurance policy on her legs. More recently Proctor and Gamble insured the flowing locks of its shampoo spokesperson (and former professional football player) Troy Polamalu for the same amount. With MiniCo’s broad appetite for collectible items, we have insured some really interesting risks over the years. Let’s take a trip down memory lane:
1. Thomas Jefferson’s Desk
In 1801, Thomas Jefferson was elected the third president of the United States, twenty-five years after he penned the Declaration of Independence. Though Jefferson wasn’t known for great oratory skills, he was an avid reader and prolific writer. One can just imagine him scribbling away for hours at his desk—a desk that we helped insure!
2. Leather Pants Worn by a Rolling Stone
Your standard homeowners or renters insurance policy typically covers lost, damaged, or stolen items up to a specific (and often low) dollar amount. But if your collectibles are highly prized or particularly valuable—like the leather pants that once strutted on stage and now reside in a private collection—you’ll want to take additional steps to secure an all-risk policy with coverage for the full collectible (and appreciated) value.
3. Vintage Beer Can Collection
Love combing through antique malls, junk yards, estate sales, and thrift stores? Keep your eyes peeled for vintage beer cans. You might find a hidden gem that commands a price of hundreds or thousands of dollars from shrewd collectors. Thinking about starting a beer can collection of your own? Pass over cans with the more common pull-tab tops and keep your eyes peeled for cans with cone-shaped tops or flat-top cans that need to be opened with a “church key” can opener.
Have a vintage beer can collection of your own and want to protect it? We’ve got you covered. Just ask one of our clients who insured his collection with MiniCo’s specialty monoline policy designed for fine art and collectibles.
4. Hand-Drawn Sketches by Michael Jackson
Turns out Michael Jackson was more than just a talented singer and entertainer—he could draw, too! Insuring a collection of the King of Pop’s sketches was a real “thriller” for our team. So hang onto those back-of-the-napkin doodles you’ve been working on. They might just be worth something one day!
5. A Lace Wedding Handkerchief
The Victorian-era tradition of having “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” on your wedding day is meant to bring good luck to brides. Once believed to thwart the curse of infertility (who knew?), in present-day these cherished wedding items take on a more sentimental value. We helped one family insure a particularly special heirloom that you’d never find on a wedding registry: a lace handkerchief once owned by a queen, and passed down from bride-to-bride for many generations.
6. Salsa Collection
Did you know that salsa has beaten out ketchup as America’s most popular condiment every year since 1992? Whether you like your salsa extra spicy, slightly sweet, chunky, fresh, or jarred, there’s a salsa for every palate. You probably haven’t met a die-hard salsa fan who loved their salsa so much they insured it, but we have! That’s right—we helped one client take out a policy for their jarred salsa collection. We can’t share the ingredients to their secret sauce, but we’re pretty sure they won’t be popping open those jars for Taco Tuesday!
7. A Used Cigar from a Celebrity
Americans smoke an estimated 13 million cigars each year. And while luxury cigars can sell for staggering amounts, one wouldn’t expect a used and discarded cigar to be worth all that much. Unless, of course, that cigar was smoked by someone famous—in which case, the cigar butt might be worth more than a whole box of brand new stogies. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and we helped one client protect a celebrity-smoked cigar butt with an insurance policy that won’t go up in smoke.
When it comes to insuring unique or unusual items, standard policies often fall short. MiniCo specializes in customized insurance solutions for complex, unique, and niche collectible risks. Whether your client needs fine art and collectibles insurance or coverage for another unique risk, MiniCo’s exclusive programs have you covered.
