What happens to your collection when you're gone?

[Daeothar]

Yesterday, when I was digging through part of my collection of hoarded miniatures, looking for that one particular mini I know I have (but is it in this box, or that one?), I had a sudden thought:

'I have accumulated an awful large amount of hobby stuff over the years, and it is representing a pretty large monetary value by now. What would happen to it, should I suddenly die?'

See; my wife lovingly allows me my hobby shenanigans, accepts that I spend some of my disposable income on it every month, but she obviously does not have the faintest idea of exactly what is stored away on those shelves and in those boxes and what it's all worth.

Now, I'm convinced she's not daft enough to simply bin the lot, but I'm also not sure what she would do with it. My best guess is that she'd store it all in the garage for years, simply because she does not know what else to do with it, and she won't get rid of it because it used to be mine. You know; emotional attachment and all that.

Truth be told though (making an educated guess), I'd say there's enough there that, when sold for a good price, it could go a long way in putting our daughter through university. Now of course I'm hoping I will be able to help her through her education by being there and earning the money, but should the unthinkable happen, I'd rather have my miniatures, books, games, terrain and what nots being sold to help her out, than have it all going to waste.

I don't know it's because I'm all of a sudden hit by a bout of midlife crisis, or the birth of our daughter has made me more aware of my own mortality. Who knows? But I'm now slowly pondering on how to go about ensuring that my hobby collection will best benefit my wife and baby girl should I, in whatever way, die on them. (No; I'm not ill or planning anything rash; I'm fully anticipating to do the Funky Chicken on my 100th birthday )

Seeing the average age of the LAF population, I can't imagine nobody ever had such considerations. I know I've seen one member here a couple of years ago, who, on behalf of the widow, sold off the collection of another hobbyist who had passed away.

Is there anyone who has made plans for such an occurence? Did anyone include their collection in a will perhaps? Did anyone do an inventory of their collection? Maybe made a price estimate on their stuff (I know I had to, as part of the inventory done for our home insurance). Have you asked a befriended gamer to sell your collection when you're gone?

So; without being morbid or angsty about it and from a rational point of view, I'd be very interested to learn other people's thoughts on this...

[Mason]

I was thinking the same thing not too long ago.

Leaving stuff to other people in your will is one thing but planning what to do should something unexpected happen and there may be a good use for all that value locked up in hobby-related crap (and I certainly do have far too much... ) is a far better idea.

I dont think my missus is going to suddenly start gaming, after all.

Maybe a pact needs to be made with someone similarly minded, and within a sensible distance, is the answer.
 

And just to be clear, I dont plan on pegging it any time soon either.

[Shahbahraz]

I have appointed a wargames executor, who will dispose of my collection and ensure the proceeds make it back to the good lady. :-)

[traveller]

I share your thoughts. I guess the only rational thing would be to start cataloging all the stuff with photos and estimated value for, hopefully, a very distant ebay, or better LAF sale. The only option would be to start selling now

[von Lucky]

I am departing this world on a funeral pyre onboard a Viking longship as it drifts into the sunset, so the collection is coming with me.

[Banderium]

deleted

[matthais-mouse]

I am departing this world on a funeral pyre onboard a Viking longship as it drifts into the sunset, so the collection is coming with me.

Well your sorted  

I think the cataloging idea is grand and would be a benefit to you as well as you will HAVE to sort it finding miniatures you didnt remeber you had and probably find ones that youve always wanted to finish  

[Dr. Zombie]

My biggest fear is that when I die my wife will sell of my collection for what I told her I spent on it...

[Dr.Falkenhayn]

My biggest fear is that when I die my wife will sell of my collection for what I told her I spent on it...

  Jeez if my Wife ever finds out how much i paid for my Steve Jackson Ogres and unseen Battlemechs i'm a dead Man for sure 

[Conquistador]

If I precede my Beautiful Princess she has directions to do with as she sees fit.  These are toys and I refuse to pretend they are anything else.  The OOP stuff from the 1970s and 1980s will not change anyone's life.

Maybe she will put them in a pile give everyone 48 hours to pick out what they want and then have a trash service haul the remains off.

Gracias,

Glenn

[Dr. Zombie]

Maybe a pact needs to be made with someone similarly minded

I call dibs on Upsheet Creek!!


On a more serious note. What does it really matter?

I would think that if I went before my time my collection would be either chucked in the bin (I could totally see my wife doing that! She would do that even now if I didn't keep a close guard) or be sent into recirculation. I myself have bicked up quite the bargains at carboot sales and even on eBay by people just wanting to get rid of stuff.

I think either way if I am gone I would not care. I am not planning on comming back or anything. Perhaps only as a ghost to haunt Dr. the Vikings gaming dungeon and knock over minis when he is not looking...

[maxxon]

In the past few years I have had the dubious pleasure of assisting in this sort of process a couple of times.

To put it bluntly, your collection is probably the least of the worries at that point. When you need to empty a house for selling, there is no time to carefully consider knickknacks to sell for best possible price. The costs for the house are running every day, it needs to be sold now -- and no one will buy it while it's filled with some old geezer's random junk.

If you care about what happens to your stuff after you go, the only real solution is to deal with the issue before you go.

- If you want it to have a "good home", donate it to whoever seems deserving
- If you want to recoup the financial investment (personally I wouldn't hold my breath on this...), negotiate the sale in advance. Add a delayed delivery clause if you want and can. There is a very good chance that whoever buys it will dismantle the models and strip paint off the figures... if the thought causes you distress, se the other option above

Learn to let go before you have to let go.

I'd rather be remembered as the generous old grognard rather than the miserly old hoarder...

[Daeothar]

On a more serious note. What does it really matter?

Well, that's the whole point of my musings really.

I'm not counting on coming back, or using my toys in Walhalla, but as I pointed out; they do have quite the cumulated intrinsic value. My thoughts were that, even though I would not care what happened to the stuff, the proceedings of their sale could help support my loved ones.

Not going totally overboard, I estimate that my collection, as it stands now, will certainly not be worth less than €5000,- and may well be worth more (current value, not retail prices). Now, obviously somebody could sell the lot for a couple of hundred and call it quits, but I would like for those I leave behind to have to biggest possible benefit from it.

I mentioned the example of my daughter's tuition; with that €5000,-, I could easily pay for 4 years of college right now (but who knows what that would cost in 18 years time of course...). Now, for some that might not be a lot of money, but to me/us, it certainly is.

So even though they're 'just toys', tossing them all out the window or putting them up for grabs, to me, seems wasteful and not fair to my family.

The problem I run into there though is; who's going to take on that task? Will they know the ins and outs of the market like I do? Do they know the right channels? Would an illustrated catalogue help my wife selling them? that sort of stuff...

[Lowtardog]

I have asked for it to be burried with myself (tongue in cheek) ideally with a parade of little men on the coffin lid, subject to environmental laws, alternatively I want to be stuffed and wheeled out on my brithday to be at a table where the miniatures will be displayed, together with a strong cooffee a designer beer and an open bar of fruit and nut chocolate 

to be honest I would get a mate to sell them for my partner e-bay etc

[von Lucky]

The problem I run into there though is; who's going to take on that task? Will they know the ins and outs of the market like I do? Do they know the right channels? Would an illustrated catalogue help my wife selling them? that sort of stuff...

I would consider having a wargaming friend sell it (organising out the details beforehand). They get a cut (10% or whatever), and the rest of the proceeds go back to your family after the initial grieving period (as there's no rush to sell it as the collection is out of the house).