What's gonna happen to your collection?

[kronckew]

arrgh! there was a auction series on tv lunchtime called 'cash in the attick' where someone calls in & sets a target for something, an amount for they want to do, like today's 'take flying lessons' for £1500. the tv channel films them and an antiques expert as they rummage thru the house looking for stuff to auction off.

today there was a retired lady who husband had died, they came up with the usual silverware, antique pictures, pottery, etc. when she remembered an old box of junk from her husbands collections that he'd had proudly displayed on the wall. she'd taken them down, put them in an old wooden box by the garden shed & forgot them, after all they were just a few old swords and knives,too martial for a proper english working class home.

the presenter had a good rummage, i saw a few victorian officers swords & sabres, a silver hilted shamshir in a decorated scabbard, at least two 19c kukhris, and more arabic,russian, japanese, and oriental swords and knives , all rusting away nicely in the english weather, the presenter took one out waved it about and said how wonderful it's engraving was as he stabbed it into the lawn & left it quivering upright.

anyway, they sold the stuff at a general auction (not even a specialist one), the other stuff, except for a mini-mosaic painting, went for estimate or under, then the weapons came up, they were sold in 3 lots, and went for a total of about £2500 (4600$) - over three times the 'experts' estimate.

the moral is let your family know about the value of your collection - had this woman not thought they were just junk, she might not have had them out in the garden rusting away & had the 'antiques' expert not cavalierly underestimated their worth while abusing them & had put them in a proper specialist auction as individual items, she might have recieved two or three times that. - and the new owner would have got to enjoy them in better condition for when he passes them on.

 

[TNRat]

let your family know about the value of your collection

I believe you should have a list of everything and its value, along with someone that is trustworthy to assist the family in that matter in the event of your untimely death.

However, if you are getting much, much older, or are on your deathbed, you should not be _____________ and move everything that you can so much of the burden is lifted from the shoulders of your family.

I wanted to put the word selfish in the blank above, but have never been lying on my deathbed suffering from cancer or whatever. Therefore I cannot bring myself to be arrogant enough to explain what goes through one's mind at those times.

 

[45-70]

Having just watched a man in his 60's die from cancer. I don't know if selfish is the word I would use.

Scared of the future, Worried for his wife and sons, Tired apparently a lot of those meds, not to mention the cancer itself really wear at you.

Me? I've just decided to not worry about it. I try to do 'the right things', financially, and morally, and make sure I have enough insurance paid up.

 

[TNRat]

Having just watched a man in his 60's die from cancer. I don't know if selfish is the word I would use.

Scared of the future, Worried for his wife and sons, Tired apparently a lot of those meds, not to mention the cancer itself really wear at you.
QUOTE]

I am speaking of a personal instance and I don't feel that is the correct word for his situation either.

Denial would be a better descriptor. One must have hope, but balance it with a reality check.

I believe we should consider selling or trading our collections when we know something is imminent(sic) b/c it allows you to get the most value, eases the burden your family must bear, and gets them cash.

At any rate it is not an easy discussion to have with anyone.

 

[Kevin the grey]

I imagine if you liquidate before the fact it might save taxes after the fact . I try not to be a collector as at this point in my life . I need use what I buy .
That having been said there are some knives I value more than others . For them to go to auction would not be the way to appreciate their true value .

Some of you gents regard your blades as pieces of history and worth . I also appreciate that having a few blades or hundreds changes perspective a great deal .

 

[Azis]

I have told my family the market value of most of my collections, and I have told them some simple places to find the market value so that later on when it changes they have a chance of at least having a general idea.

Though I plan to start selling off a lot of my things and reduce my collections down to a few special items. I have thought this is a way to maybe put all the money into one or two really nice items that I would not buy otherwise. I can also use the space. My father use to say I don't have much but what I have is very good, I find I am starting to think like that more now.

 

[kamagong]

I'm still young. I don't even have a family yet, but I hope I hold on while longer.

When my time comes hopefully I'll be ready for it. I plan on distributing my knives between my children and grandchildren. I would be embarassed to have my loved ones running around carrying crappy knives.

 

[tedwca]

My best friend died of cancer last year and I was responsible for selling all his material goods to get money for his family. It was an eye opening experience and I've thought about what I would do in the same situation long and hard. I'm single and the last of my family on both my Mom's and Dad's side of the family so there is really no family to leave things too. I've decided that when the time comes that I will give everything to people who will appreciate and cherish the items as I have.

I always remember finding my great Uncle Leo's cigarette box collection. Leo died when he was hit by a mortar in WWII while crossing a river. He had written every US embassy in the world when he was a teenager in the 30's and asked for an empty pack of local cigarettes. He had over 50 different packs, but he also had handwritten letters from all the US ambassadors at the time who responded. I thought it was really cool, but my Grandmother threw it all in the trash as she couldn't fathom why any one would want that stuff. Always wondered which was more valuable, the letters or the empty packs. I'd bet the letters. Ever since then, I've wondered about how things can be so valuable to some people and meaningless to others.

 

[Howard Wallace]

My father use to say I don't have much but what I have is very good, I find I am starting to think like that more now.

Your father sounds like a wise man.

I think I have a lot to learn from him.

 

[munk]

My late great best friend- when he passed, his widow settled, and continues to settle, all the legal and financial webs he left behind. The firearms were squirreled away to the sons, and they protected their mother and sold them later- giving her the nest egg she needed.
She was amazed at the people who wanted to take advantage of her after her husband died.

But death often does come with the Crap left for the living- and the loss during that time of pain and confusion of some 'stuff', assets, and money.
When all goes well it is grand- but I don't count on it. It's not the most important thing.

My sons already know they have their inheritance of firearms and khuks. But I don't expect it to go all well. Life didn't- why should death?

munk

 

[Svashtar]

I have a spreadsheet of all my khukuris and similar "ethnic" knives, but don't have anything similar for all the many pocketknives, folders and fixed blades I have accumulated over the years. I need to do a spreadsheet for them as well.

I listed initially what I paid for the items, but have since had to revise it, usually downwards, when the prices stabilize at new levels. Some rare ones I raise, and some I refuse to change.

I am saddened because I don't believe my family would know or appreciate what I have accumulated. Maybe my daughter might a little. I told my wife once that within a year of my dying I predicted that all my khuks/knives, guns, tools and books, all that I own of value, would be either stolen, rusting, ruined or lost, because no one would know how to care for them. Of course I would hope my son would step up.

Obviously I'm trying to prevent that loss. On my computer desktop I have my Bladeforums (and a couple of other forums) login information, a copy of the spreadsheet, and the screen names and real names of a few of you guys. I've instructed my son to just log on and spread the word, and he can sell what he needs to sell on the Exchange going by my prices. He would not know all the models, so would simply post pics, he could get the model info from Cantina members, and then with the name he could go down the list and cross-reference with the length and weight and description.

I would just count on you guys to let him know if the figures were right or not, and I don't have a doubt in the world that he would be treated fairly, and probably over generously.

Norm