Avoid problems by keeping an inventory of your valuables

Why take an inventory of your valuables?

The majority of individuals do not do this — and unwittingly expose themselves to complex, expensive and time-consuming situations that could have been easily avoided. Over the past eighteen months, through our exchanges with customers, collectors, families and partners, we have been confronted with numerous revealing cases. These experiences fuelled the development of Objectory, the first application dedicated to the management and inventory of valuables.

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In this article, we have chosen to summarize eight concrete situations, experienced in the field, in order to demonstrate how simple it is to guard against these difficulties through a structured inventory.

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When it comes to valuables, this is a very broad field. This includes everyday goods — furniture, clothing, equipment — as well as more valuable items such as watches, jewelry, musical instruments, works of art, or collectibles. Together, these assets make up what is called the moveable heritage, often underestimated in global asset management.

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Our experience also shows that when our customers start drawing up an inventory of their goods, surprise is common. Some objects immediately come to mind — like the piano in the living room or a watch that is worn daily. Others, more discreet, are often forgotten: comic books loaned to friends, objects stored in a second home, or belongings that have been stored for years without real documentation.

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Creating an inventory of valuables is today a pillar that is all too often overlooked in modern asset management.

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Without inventory, it is not only the objects that risk being forgotten, but also their essential documentation: invoices, certificates, guarantees, proofs of ownership or elements of origin. As long as no incidents occur, this lack of structure goes unnoticed. But at the slightest problem — disaster, litigation, transfer or administrative procedure — shortcomings appear suddenly, leading to loss of value, conflicts or long and complex procedures.

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Based on our field experience, we identified eight key situations in which the absence of an inventory of valuables turns a simple setback into a real ordeal.

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1. The disaster: when memory is no longer enough to prove the value of your objects

After a robbery, fire or water damage, the shock is initially emotional. Then comes the relentless administrative time. The insurer asks simple, almost cold questions: What did you own? What was the value of these objects? Can you provide proof of that?

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Without an inventory of valuables, the answer becomes a real quest. You search your memories, cardboard boxes, hard drives, old emails. We find a blurry photo, an incomplete bill, an outdated estimate. Each oversight weakens the case. Every uncertainty delays compensation and complicates the relationship with the insurer.

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In these situations, a clear, structured, and documented inventory becomes a central asset and insurance management tool. It makes it possible to prove ownership, to justify the value of the goods and to speed up the procedures. It does not remove the shock of the disaster, but it does avoid a double penalty: emotional and administrative.

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2. A collection without origins is a fragile collection

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A work of art, a collector's item or a rare piece only fully exists because of what comes with it: its origin, its origin, its history, its context. Without these elements, even the most beautiful collection loses some of its meaning — and its value.

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Many private collections operate in a gray area: a few photos stored on a phone, approximate memories, scattered or partially lost documents. Over time, this information is diluted. The value is becoming questionable. Reselling is complicated. The transmission of assets becomes a source of tension or uncertainty.

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Documenting a collection of art or precious objects means giving it a sustainable heritage structure. It is an essential prerequisite for any long-term management of valuables, whether the objective is conservation, resale, insurance or transmission within the family.

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‍3. Art professionals: when managing collections wastes precious time

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Gallerists, experts, curators, art dealers know this reality well: spend more time looking for information than advising their customers. Reconstructing an inventory based on email exchanges, scattered messages, old photos or multiple versions of the same document is becoming a daily exercise.

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This mess is not only uncomfortable. It consumes considerable time, generates errors, slows down decision-making and can, in the long run, damage professional credibility. In a sector where trust and precision are essential, the absence of a structured tool becomes a real obstacle.

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Conversely, have a clear and secure inventory tool makes it possible to professionalize the customer collections management, to centralize key information and to strengthen the quality of heritage advice. The time saved can then be devoted to the essentials: expertise, customer relationships and the valorization of the works.

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4. When the history of objects disappears, part of their value is lost

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An object without a story becomes interchangeable. An object with a story becomes irreplaceable.

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Who bought it? At what point? In what context? For what reason? These stories, often transmitted orally within families or between collectors, disappear silently. Sometimes a single generation is enough for them to disappear.

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Preserving the history of valuable objects means preserving a heritage memory as well as financial value. These intangible elements reinforce the interest of a work or object, whether it is to preserve it, transmit it or resell it. Without documentation, this essential dimension is lost — and with it, part of the meaning and value of the object.

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5. Succession and donation: when the vagueness about valuables feeds conflicts

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Valuable items are often the blind spot for successions and donations. And yet, they are the ones who crystallize the most tensions. Not because they represent the most important financial part of the heritage, but because they are steeped in history, emotion and symbolism.

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Without a precise inventory of movable heritage, discussions quickly become subjective: who inherits what? On what basis? What is the real value of such an object? The lack of a clear framework opens the door to misunderstandings, frustrations, and even long-lasting family conflicts.

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A structured inventory of valuables makes it easier to transmission and allows notaries, asset advisors and other professionals to intervene on the basis of reliable information, to provide their expertise in an objective framework and to secure inheritance decisions, in the interests of all parties

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6. Resale, expertise and valuation: the importance of a complete file

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A well-documented object immediately inspires confidence. Its history, its origins, its descriptions and its visuals facilitate expert work and allow objective valuation. It then circulates more easily on the market, whether in a private or professional setting or during a transaction.

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On the other hand, an object without a structured folder sees its value discussed, sometimes questioned, or even reduced. The expert has to deal with partial information, the analysis time is getting longer and uncertainty weighs on the final price.

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Quality photos, detailed descriptions, origin, acquisition history, certificates or invoices: these elements are essential levers for the valorization of movable heritage. A rigorous inventory thus becomes a strategic tool for any process of resale, expertise or optimization of the value of valuable objects.

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7. Incomplete asset management leads to a biased vision of heritage

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Modern wealth management can no longer be limited to financial assets alone. Ignoring valuable objects — works of art, jewelry, watches, watches, collections or significant movable assets — is tantamount to accepting a partial and biased vision of one's global heritage.

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However, these objects represent economic, insurance, emotional and sometimes strategic value. Not integrating them into a global wealth approach means missing out on key issues: insurance, transmission, arbitration, valuation or protection.

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Sharing a structured inventory of valuables with a heritage advisor makes it possible to adopt a a more coherent, more strategic and more sustainable approach. This facilitates dialogue, refines decisions and places movable assets in a global asset vision, in the same way as other asset classes.

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8. Blended families and new family realities: clarifying to avoid tensions

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Divorce, family recomposition, new unions: family structures are changing, and with them, wealth issues. In these contexts, Clarifying the ownership of valuables is becoming essential. Who does what belong to? In what legal framework? On what date?

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Without clear documentation, objects quickly become a source of disputes, misunderstandings or tensions, sometimes disproportionate to their financial value. A structured inventory makes it possible to document personal assets, identify their status and avoid numerous conflicts.

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In addition, the coexistence of several distinct assets — private, professional, family — reinforces the need to clarify the legal status of each object. Identifying what falls within the private or professional sphere is becoming an essential prerequisite for rigorous and peaceful asset management.

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‍Conclusion: inventorying means choosing wealth awareness

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Creating an inventory of your valuables is neither a luxury nor an administrative constraint. It is a An act of financial lucidity and prevention, which is essential to protect the value, coherence and transmission of its movable assets.

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Modern wealth management can no longer be limited to financial assets alone. Works of art, jewelry, watches, collections or everyday objects participate fully in the reality of global heritage.

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Documenting, structuring and contextualizing them means anticipating the unexpected, facilitating decisions and maintaining much more than material assets: It is to preserve a history, a memory and an enduring value.

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This is precisely the mission of Objectory: to offer individuals, collectors, art professionals and heritage advisors a reliable and secure tool to manage, enhance and transmit their movable assets.

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Because when it comes to wealth, the right time to create an inventory is never “later”. It is now.

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