We really are Stewards of Stuff and our Antiques and Collectibles are Stuff. We are the protectors of our ancestors' valued treasures. This means we should insure some of that stuff. We are caretakers of our life's collections. The antiques and other objects we keep are often filled with memories of those we have loved or lost; of other times and places.

We should regularly appraise the value of our precious antique porcelain, grandma's silver, old photographs and engravings, paintings, gold and silver jewellery or hand crafted furniture. However, a professional Appraisal is more than the sum of all parts of our life's journey and our family stories.

Too many of us have lost our treasures and endured losses through fire, or other devastation only to find our possessions were not really insured adequately for their full value.

In times of great and unbearable stress, and we need to make a claim, we have to make endless lists of all that we have lost- from memory. On top of that, we are asked to place a value on those things we feel are priceless and we're not trained to appraise them. We need an expert, a professional. But how do we find someone we can trust?

We cannot imagine how difficult this process will be, or how many hidden costs there'll be just to replace what we have lost - and then we have to prove to the insurance adjuster, not only that we actually owned those things before the loss, but that they are really worth the value we say they have. Neither do we know how to choose the best cleaning or contracting company to restore or replace what was lost or damaged. And then months and sometimes even years later, we receive a check that doesn't nearly represent what we thought our antiques and collectibles were worth, let alone all the rest of our household contents.

Devastating. Life Altering. An unbelievable setback.

These are some of the things you need to know- and do -so you'll be prepared should any loss through fire, theft, flood or other disaster, ever happen to you. You also need to know how to care for your stuff, or how to dispose of it when you no longer need or want it or how to leave some of it to someone special.

Here are 5 things that may help you prepare ahead of time.

1) You need to know How To IDENTIFY your Antiques and Collectibles.

2) How to INVENTORY those Antiques and Collectibles along with the rest of your household items.

3) Questions you need answers for in order to PROVE the VALUE of your stuff.

4) Learn the best ways to get rid of your stuff, whether you Donate it, Will it, or Sell it.

5) Know when you NEED an APPRAISER and How to find the best one for your needs.

Your Insurance company will ask you to provide PROOF of what you have and what it is worth if you ever need to make a claim. Be careful not to say that it can't happen to you, because it can.