... Andy.

I buy a Sands $5 Arodie at a garage sale for $5. You, never having seen one ask me to send it to you just to look at. I insure it for the maximum $5000 (at least, I think that's the max at the moment). It's worth at least that, if not more.

The post office loses it. They're on the hook for $5000, no doubt in my mind.

Now, maybe they won't insure it for $5000, which is a whole different issue. But if they accept the item and the payment for insurance, I think they're obligated to pay the true value if they lose the chip.

And, if you have collectibles insurance, it will cover the chip to its true value (perhaps subject to some policy limitations), no matter how much you paid for it. Otherwise, we could NEVER adequately insure our collections (unless, of course, they never appreciate in value).

As I said, I'm no insurance expert -- and the post office IS difficult to deal with. But, I think if it ended up in court, they'd have to pay true value (as long as the item was insured for that much).

----- jim o\-S