In response to Mr. John McClure's question concerning obtaining
appraisals of automatic musical instruments for insurance purposes,
I would submit the following.

Many years ago, when faced with this very issue, I prevailed upon
Eddie Freyer to create an appraisal of instruments I wanted to
obtain insurance for.  The insurer did, in fact, accept Mr. Freyer's
evaluations despite the fact that the insurance company had never heard
of Eddie Freyer and had no idea what his expertise in these matters was.
I still have Eddie's original appraisal list, too.

Things become murkier when it comes time to appraise European Cafe and
Dance Organs and orchestrions.  Some insurance firms will accept the
owner's evaluation if he/she can demonstrate a level of expertise in
such esoteric matters.  From my experience, even if one relies upon a
certified expert, you may disagree with the expert's appraisal figure.
In that event, one is better off insuring for the higher value so that
in the event of a loss (fire, theft et al.) one isn't under-insured.
I believe that it is very important to specify the precise condition of
the item in question -- that is, whether or not it has been restored or
rebuilt.

Although trite, it needs to be emphasized that loss prevention is most
important.  So, one should take pains to eliminate, as far as possible,
potentially hazardous conditions, such as improper wiring, nearby
storage of flammables, roof leaks, improper temperature regulation and
so forth.  I believe it's far better to reduce all risks as much as
humanly possible rather than suffer a loss, even of a properly insured
collectible.

Bob Baker