To insure my lion? Photo

[ebonylion]

I've name changed
My grand dad got this lion a long long time ago. I am thirty and I used to sit on it when I was a child. When he died 15 years ago, I got this lion. It is a really loved and treasured trinket. He is made from ebony. My nanny always tells me that it is very valuable. She is now coming to the end of her life and I am feeling devastated about the end of those links we have 🥹🥹
I've got a few trinkets from her over the years and I suppose insurance would defeat the purpose because I couldn't replace it.

My husband said that these things are precious for so many reasons but that people often miss them off their insurance and then they are very sad when they can't get something to replace it, especially if it was expensive or rare to replace in the first place. He said this could be genuinely very valuable and best to insure? I am shy to ask the insurer as know nothing about these type of things. Insurance due for renewal and I want to add some purchases we have made in the last few months to it.

Thank you

No idea where I would get a replacement lion and if it would be replaceable..

*will not respond to comments that I'm being unreasonable to have such a funny lion 🦁 or that I tricked you here with something that sounds like a real pet

You'd need to have it valued first I would think. Have you done that? Our local auction house values items and they have specialists in different areas.

Don’t ask your insurer if you should insure it. You want an impartial valuation and insure it based on whether that valuation indicates it’s worth it or not.

Yeah I think best to get it valued first, then take it from there. Its worth getting the valuation in writing and taking photos of the lion in case anything happens to it and the insurer asks.

You need to get a valuation so you know how much to insure it for.
Your local auction house is likely to offer a "valuation day". Take it along.

That's a really good idea maybe I should go and visit an antique shop. We do have a lot of them here in Margate
I feel so embarrassed asking this 🥹 I just thought he was a funny looking amusing statue with sentimental value but now that my nanny is in her condition I feel terribly sad and worried about my links with my dads parents and their side of the family. She is my last grandparent, I never met my moms parents and it is so so sad x

You’d have to have it valued, not being mean but I doubt it’s worth much although it is a lovely lion!

Is it the same as this one on Etsy?

God I didn't even think of that, really good point.

I'll call some shops and go to see them this week. We have had some very valuable antiques over the years that i didn't realise were so precious.
My husband loves antiques however I think this lion is a Pakistani or Indian antique and he doesn't know anything about that culture and its history.

Ask your Nan for the history of the Lion and write down what you remember too and keep it somewhere (ie with your Will) so others have the background info.

You'd have to have it valued and then add it to your insurance as a 'specified item'. I've done this with my engagement ring (not worth loads, but was over the single item limit on jewellery if I remember correctly)

Funnily enough this is the one I showed my husband whilst laughing at him and my dear nonna who told me it was very valuable!!
I've also got a painting but that is supposed to be really valuable too, it's covering my Nonna's safe so I don't have it yet (nobody else likes it, it's garish too!) and so when I get that I would have to insure that
It feels so clunky and cold to talk about insuring items when they are sentimental
But all my cousins and I rode that lions back and now my children ride it too.
I feel sad and protective. Thankfully not likely to ever be stolen. But if the house burned down or flood.
Anyway I think I'm being anxious and dramatic

Also, it is a lovely lion. How big is it? It must be the angle but it only looks a couple of inches high in that pic!

Yes I had to do that too with my watch and ring!!
Good point x

It's about 1.5 ft tall? Then about 2.5ft long ?
It's small! But not too small

This might be a clearer angle

@bloodywhitecat no. It's very different.

It looks really small there. Please include a golf ball for scale.

It is a lovely lion, but Ive got one similar and I dont think its valuable - although mine is definitely not ebony.

and mine is about a quarter of the size

Very similar but not identical. So probably worth no more than £50.

How did you manage to sit on that as a child? Looks too small even for a baby to sit on. Also not old or valuable, there’s thousands of identical ones out there?

Specific 😆

Another really good point. Thank you x

😆😆 I don't play golf and the garage has spiders in it!

You need to get it valued professionally, then discuss with your insurers.

Every insurer I've ever had requires any valuables worth more than £X, to be individually listed on the policy .