You have to be a little careful with insurance companies. In the past I have had them tell me what they would insure stuff for (especially high value items like fine art, jewelry & guns) what was way undervalued. Lots of them will let you insure what YOU want to cover the item for, you just have to be willing to pay the premium. My old cars are really a good example. The market really fluctuates and values do too, so I put a dollar amount on the value that I thought and then had to pay the premium. I have had them want to inspect the item also. The Blue Book of Gun Values is a really good place to start. The kicker is condition. All experts do not agree as to what the real condition is. The book will give you a range from 100%(like new) down to 60% condition. Gun Broker is another good place as mentioned. But care must be taken there too. You really need to watch what something actually sells for vs asking price. There are also some really good collectors groups (Like Winchester) that really know their stuff, but lots of things they value are NIB, unfired, factory engraved/inlayed or scarce models. The bad thing about the Blue Book is it is only published annually and prices can change lots before a new edition comes out.
I guess the bottom line is be educated, buyer beware and do your research especially for rare or highly desirable pieces.
