Chubb Survey Finds 78% of Young Luxury Collectors Buy for Investment, But More Than Half Remain Uninsured

• Affluent collectors ranging in age from their early 20s to their mid-40s, known as "High Earners, Not Rich Yet" (HENRYs), amass watch, jewelry, art, wine, and sports memorabilia collections worth $10,000 to $100,000+.
• 94% want to purchase valuables insurance, with 38% stating a preference for doing so at the point of sale. 46% of uninsured collectors mistakenly believe homeowners insurance provides adequate valuables coverage.

NEW YORK, July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb (NYSE: CB), a world leader in insurance, today released findings from its study of young luxury collectors, revealing that 78% of these affluent Americans consider an item's future value a top purchasing factor. However, less than half have insured their collections. The gap stems largely from misconceptions by uninsured collectors who incorrectly believe homeowners' policies provide adequate valuables coverage.

Chubb's new report, "The New Era of Luxury Collecting & Investment," surveyed 1,000 affluent Americans, dubbed "HENRYs" – ranging in age from their early 20s to their mid-40s with annual incomes of $250,000 to more than $1,000,000 who actively collect luxury items such as watches, jewelry, art, antiques, wine, and sports memorabilia. The study aimed to understand their collecting motivations, purchasing behaviors, and attitudes toward protecting high-value assets.

Key Findings:

Why Young High Earners Treat Collecting as a Long-Term Investment

Chubb's survey found that collecting among these high earners is not a passing hobby. It is a long-term, investment-driven pursuit. Across the four categories below, roughly half or more of respondents have been collecting for at least five years:

• Art and antiques: Among HENRY art and antiques collectors in Chubb's survey, 59% have collected for five or more years and 21% for a decade or more.
• Sports memorabilia: 57% for five or more years; 10% since childhood.
• Watches and jewelry: Over 50% for five or more years; 8% since childhood.
• Wine: Nearly 50% for five or more years; 21% for a decade or more.

"For today's collectors, owning luxury items is both a way to express themselves and a smart financial move," said Amy McNeece, Head of Digital Consumer, Personal Risk Services at Chubb. "They buy with an eye on future value, but our research shows many still overlook the insurance protection needed to safeguard these investments."

Watch and jewelry collectors are the most active buyers: 21% make acquisitions quarterly, and 13% purchase monthly.

"These young luxury buyers are redefining what it means to be a collector," said Laura Doyle, Chubb Valuables Collections Product Leader. "They aren't simply buying things they love, they're building portfolios with the same discipline and long-term thinking you would expect from experienced investors."

What Motivates Young Luxury Collectors?

Young affluent collectors buy for more than just investment value. Their main motivations are personal enjoyment, status and prestige, and emotional connection. Across every category, roughly three quarters or more say they actively wear, display, or enjoy their items, rising to 81% among wine collectors.

• Watches and jewelry: 42% are motivated by status, prestige, and building expertise.
• Wine: 45% collect for status, prestige, and building expertise. 81% actively drink from their collections, the highest hands-on engagement of any category.
• Art and antiques: 35% say the thrill of finding a rare piece is their primary motivator.
• Sports memorabilia: collectors are nearly twice as likely as any other group to cite nostalgia and emotional attachment.

How Young Collectors Purchase and Where They Shop

Of those surveyed, 71% prefer to complete acquisitions digitally, 70% prefer to verify condition or provenance online, and 61% prefer digital authentication and grading. However, 70% still prefer to source items in person, indicating that physically evaluating an item remains a valued part of the process.

These digital-first expectations extend directly to how they want to protect what they buy. When asked how and when they would prefer to obtain coverage, their responses signaled clear demand for fast, digitally integrated protection:

• 94% expressed interest in purchasing valuables insurance.
• 58% prefer to buy insurance online.
• 38% want coverage available at the exact moment they acquire a new item.

McNeece added, "Digital-first experiences are shaping how young collectors shop, as well as what they expect when buying insurance. The insurance process needs to be easy, fast, and simple at the point of sale. In luxury retail, the ease of protecting newly acquired valuables should match the ease of the shopping experience."

Why More Than Half of Young Collectors Remain Uninsured

The single largest barrier is a misconception about existing coverage. In Chubb's survey, 46% of uninsured collectors mistakenly believe homeowners insurance provides adequate valuables coverage, 38% have not yet gotten around to purchasing a policy, and 34% do not believe their items are at risk of loss or damage. Only 14% consider insurance too expensive.

Concerns about theft and accidental loss further underscore the need for dedicated protection:

• Theft: 45% of all collectors rank it among their top three concerns.
• Accidental damage or loss: 42% rank it among their top three concerns.

These findings highlight a growing role for embedded insurance coverage integrated directly into a retailer's or marketplace's checkout flow, allowing buyers to protect a new acquisition at the moment of purchase.

Methodology

Chubb commissioned iResearch Services, a global marketing agency that harnesses data to glean insight into consumer behavior and brand strategy, to survey 1,000 U.S. respondents who self-identify financially as HENRYs and who collect wine, art and/or antiques, watches and/or jewelry, sports memorabilia, and/or other high-value items. The survey was conducted online between August and September 2025.

About Chubb

Chubb is a world leader in insurance. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. The company is defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb employs approximately 45,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at www.chubb.com.

SOURCE Chubb