Insurance & valuations
We keep two numbers apart. The collection estimate comes from recorded sales of the exact edition. The declared value is the replacement figure you set on your private insurance schedule.
Reference data, not a formal appraisal. Rare Bindings is not an insurer, and we can't guarantee what your insurer will accept.
Every estimate is matched to the exact edition and shows its evidence
Your numbers
The collection estimated value follows the market and moves as sold records come and go. The insurance declared value changes only when you change it.
We build it from eligible eBay sold records matched to the exact edition, and we show you the low, median, and high, how many records sit behind them, and how much of your shelf they cover.
The replacement value you enter comes first. Leave it blank with automatic estimates switched on, and we’ll suggest one from retailer offers for the edition.
Collection estimate
We start from the edition, not a loose title match. Only valid sold records for that exact edition count, lots are excluded, and we show the number of records beside every figure.
The estimate reflects recorded sales of the edition, whatever condition those copies were in, not the condition of your own copy. All figures are illustrative.
Insurance schedule
Your schedule follows a short order of precedence, and your own figure sits at the top of it.
Enter a value yourself and that is the declared value. It stays in the currency you entered it in.
If you leave the field empty and automatic estimates are on, we use the midpoint of a complete 12-month retailer-offer range in the same currency.
Without a complete 12-month range, we use the current best in-stock retailer offer. If there is neither, the record stays without a value.
| Copy | Declared value | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Poppy War setFine · signed | £240 | Manual | Complete |
| Seven HusbandsNear fine | $185 | Rare Bindings estimate | No receipt |
| Poetry and TalesRecord not started | — | None | No record |
Your private record
Your insurance records describe the physical copy on your shelf, and they’re private to you. Capture what an insurer may ask to see, then confirm the exact requirements with them.
Book and jacket condition, flaws, purchase details, provenance, appraiser details, and replacement value.
Photographs, receipts, appraisals, provenance documents, and other files that support ownership and condition.
A PDF or CSV schedule, plus a ZIP of the evidence, organised so you can review it or send it to your insurer.
Limits
A number is a reference point, not a guarantee. Markets move, comparable records can be thin, and your copy’s condition or provenance may differ from the records behind an estimate.
Questions
New sold records enter the window, older ones age out, and exchange rates move your display currency. The history view tracks the trend over time rather than treating one snapshot as final.
Then that edition has no estimate from sales. You can switch on Include retail for the collection, which uses the lowest active retailer offer as a fallback, or leave the edition uncovered rather than treat an asking price as a sale.
Yes. Enter your own replacement value and it takes precedence. If you clear it later with automatic estimates still on, our estimate can reappear.
We flag records worth 2,000 or more in their own currency (£2,000, $2,000, €2,000) so you can raise those books with your insurer separately. The flag says nothing about what your policy covers.
We organise the schedule and evidence, but each insurer decides what it accepts. Confirm the format, appraisal rules, and supporting evidence they need before you rely on the export.
Your private record
Add condition, evidence, and a declared value for each copy, then export a schedule to review with your insurer.