Last month, Patti Geolat, appraiser / estate jewelry buyer, pulled her fur coat out for an event when she was in New York and noticed something odd. The coat seemed much larger than she remembered. Something was not right; this was definitely not her coat.
She immediately called her furrier, with whom she has had a good business relationship for years. She explained that she felt the furrier may have given her back the wrong coat and she wanted to give him a heads up in case the correct owner called him. Obviously, the furrier was very concerned, and they both agreed that Geolat would bring the coat to him on Monday when she returned to Dallas.
When Geolat went to see the furrier on Monday, he offered other options about how this might have happened. Was it possible she had picked up the wrong coat at a party? Guests tossing their coats on the bed at the beginning of a party, then grabbing the wrong one at the end of the night by mistake—it does happen. Maybe she had checked it at a restaurant and was given another person’s coat when she left? If he had given her the wrong coat, this was the first mix up in his 25 years of business.
She explained that the only other time she had worn the coat after getting it back from him was when she was in Dallas on a PR shoot, but the coat had not seemed so large at that time. Showing him the photos on her iPad from that shoot, Geolat noticed why the fur coat had felt less roomy—she had been wearing an extra coat underneath.
Mystery solved. It was an honest mistake, but Geolat began thinking about how an appraisal with photographs could help in situations like these. Even if you do not choose to put an item on your homeowner’s policy, a Geolat appraisal comes with a description and several digital pictures.
When it comes to an item like a fur coat, once something happens to it, photos and descriptions can help unravel the mystery. “Pictures are standard with every Geolat appraisal, and they have proven to be a useful tool for our clients in case of a loss,” says Geolat. Although this misfortune happened with Geolat’s fur coat, it is a scenario that could happen with any personal property.
It also reminded Geolat of what a resource furriers can be when it comes to protecting these assets. “This is a good time to review the condition of your furs,” she explains. “Storing your fur coat during the summer season keeps it in good condition and protects the skin. The skins do respond negatively to dry air and intense heat. For those of us who live in the south, it’s a good idea to take the fur coat to the furrier to ask advice for storing and cleaning.”
Before your next event, make an appointment to get an appraisal of your furs. Call Judy today.
jasa@geolat.com 972.239.9314 www.geolat.com
