We’ve all heard the crazy stories about singers who insure their vocal chords or athletes that take out policies to cover specific body parts. But we’re willing to bet that some of the items Jencap and its affiliate companies have insured over the years will be news to you. You be the judge:
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. Jewelry Owned by a Famous Victoria’s Secret Model
Your standard homeowners’ or renters insurance policy typically covers lost, damaged, or stolen jewelry up to a specific (and often low) dollar amount. But if your jewelry collection is extensive—like a certain Victoria’s Secret model we’ve worked with —you’ll want to take additional steps to secure a scheduled and comprehensive valuable articles policy. This ensures that your valued items are insured with all-risk, worldwide coverage up to the limit of their worth – and some policies even include inflation factor percentages for additional protection.
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 “churchkey” 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 took out a monoline personal article floater policy.
4. Hand-Drawn Sketches by Michael Jackson
Turns out Michael Jackson was more than just a talented singer and entertainer—he could draw, too! We’re “thrilled” (see what we did there?) to say we insured a collection of the King of Pop’s sketches. 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
Did you know that at one point, salsa actually beat out ketchup as America’s most popular condiment? 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. We can’t share the ingredients to their secret sauce—but we’re pretty sure they won’t be popping that jar open for any ‘ole 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 even be worth more than the whole cigar brand new. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and we helped one client secure his celebrity-owned cigar-treasure with an insurance policy that won’t go up in smoke.
When it comes to insuring unique or unusual items, standard markets may fall short. At Jencap, we specialize in the complex, unique, and niche needs of our agency partners and we thrive on the opportunity to provide customized insurance solutions. Have a client with a unique insurance need? Reach out today to learn about what Jencap and our family of insurance companies can offer. You can read more industry insights here.
