Shipping high value items Published June 8, 2016 By Gail Rust Joint Personal Property Shipping Office Northeast HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- What would you do if your family heirloom or one-of-a-kind collectible went missing or got damaged during a permanent change of station move? To say you'd be disappointed would likely be an understatement. High value items can be irreplaceable and therefore require special attention by all involved in the moving process. To help during your next PCS move, Joint Personal Property Shipping Office Northeast would like to provide the following tips: - Have expensive and valuable items such as artwork, collectibles or heirlooms appraised. The government does not pay for appraisals, but consider this part of an investment in the event of loss or damage. - Attempt to locate original purchase receipts for more expensive items and keep them separate from the rest of the shipment. - In addition, consider using a video camera or taking close-up pictures to record the condition of furniture, working condition of a stereo, television and the actual appearance of expensive and/or valuable items prior to the household goods pack or pickup date. This documentation could help in the event filing a Loss/Damage Claim is necessary. Do not ship small, extremely valuable items such as stocks, bonds, jewelry, coin collections, passports, birth certificates and other items of sentimental value such as family photo albums. Pack them in suitcases and hand-carry them, as well as purchase receipts, pictures and appraisals. It is also a good idea to secure or safeguard these items during the pack or pickup dates. Putting them in a locked vehicle can prevent them from accidently being packed for shipment with other items. - For those who decide to ship high value items, it's imperative that the items are listed on the inventory. In addition, service members must be able to verify what is owned and its pre-shipment value. If problems arise while shipping high value items during pack or pick up dates, the JPPSO Quality Assurance Department is available to assist by calling 781-225-3770 during normal business hours or 978-987-6546 after hours. Don't forget, for those who have property stored by the government, it is your responsibility to keep contact information current at all times. It's imperative that members update or make arrangements for delivery of your storage during personal property counseling. Go to http://www.move.mil for additional personal property information.