What are you going to do with your stuff when you die?

I am sure that there is a kindred spirit here and we all see the value in the historical stuff we have collected. But unfortunately it would appear that all too often when someone dies a distant niece or nephew gets their stuff and having no interest in it sells it at junk prices or even worse throws it away.

Do you know what you are going to do with your stuff when you die?

KTK

 

Done it aready..........

My Army Album, full of photos, diary pages and memorabilia has been donated to the Imperial War Museum in London together with my memoirs.


http://ronsactualarmyalbum.blogspot.co.uk

Ron

 

true,... I got lucky enough to get my uncle's stuff...no one knew there were TWO Knight's Crosses in it...I was checking prices for 1 of them, and the pawn shop guy thought it was an Iron Cross!! [ I knew it was an RK, then ]....I did too, until I researched it..someone not knowing better, would've sold it for, who knows, $50!...hopefully, I will pass this on to a nephew, interested in it, or give it to a museum

 

I am making copies of my research into my father's WW2 experiences and will give one to each of my 5 siblings plus my children. I have a whole rack of history books covering many periods and places, some rare copies, which I will donate to my local University. My children often have discussions at the dinner able on who gets what. To save money, they intend to either bury me in the raised bed in the garden or put me in the wheelie bin to be collected by the waste disposal. I am not averse to the second solution as the cost of a funeral is astronomical. I always liked the scene in the Monty Python film The Holy Grail where people 'bring out their dead'. We could modernise this theme by having a tastefully decorated lorry drive round the streets. For a few quid the bereaved would hand over the body and send it off while playing a tune of their choice, then back to the house for a few beers. No palaver and done and dusted. The latest development concerns my grandson who promises to give me a good send-off in return for my car and a cash settlement.

 

Nephews get it...

 

I think anyone who collects any thing of value, either monetarily or historically should provide for it distribution. In your will you can designate where or to whom you want your belongings to go and then you should personally, if possible, or by leaving as carefully written account of what it is and it's value. .
.
For about 10 years I collected vintage German precision Olympic quality air rifles. I bought most out of Germany or Europe in general over the internet. I photographed them, kept a log of where they came from, cost involved and repairs needed or done. I made many friends in my hobby and ask one younger that I fully trusted to sell them if I died, to keep some for his troubles, he went through them and decided what he wanted,. and to give my wife the rest. The sum would have bought a very nice car. I began to lose interest in them and fortunately someone offered to buy the lot and pick them up ! I was delighted.. I did not want my wife to be burdened with 65 air rifles !

Personal memorabilia is different and Ron's choice admirable, but say one collects WW 2 weapons or militaria then it is similar but in either case inventory what you have and plan for it's distribution. I have known people to die and leave things that no family member appreciated or even understood..

It is a topic that certainly needs discussion..

Gaines.

 

It's mostly original official publications and manuals anyway, so the National War Museum in Edinburgh's going to get them all.

 

The Mosquito Museum gets it. Some items they can display, but the rest is left to them as 'chattels' for them to dispose of as they wish. People there are knowledgable and will know how to get good prices - the money then goes to the Museum without being taxed ( as it is a Charitable trust...)

 

They go to my son.

 

you did mention air rifles before....Olympic quality?? they use those in the Olympics?? [ sorry if that is a stupid question ]

 

Perhaps I should have explained that my main reason for passing on my diaries and memorabilia to the IWM was because I have one wife, two daughters and five grandchildren but only one album

Being a strictly belt AND braces man I took the trouble of making a physical duplicate album and a blog and all of my diary entries have been transposed.

Finally, the idea of involving the IWM came from an occasion many years ago when they had a fire which destroyed some of their German propoganda leaflets. I was happy to donate one of my own and funnily enough this is reorded in my album.

Ron

 

Hope this doesn't come off wrong. I would think you would need to check for sure if a museum would actually want your stuff. I am not saying what you collect doesn't have any value at all. It's just that often times museums only want stuff that is mint/new condition to display or have all documentation as to who it belonged to and what/where it was used. Even with that it has to fit the specific theme of WWII that they are displaying.

As far as I can tell right now there is still a plethora of WWII stuff available. Which makes it not (monetarily) worth anything. Often what we see as worthy of a museum in our collection is not worthy to the museum.

I guess to sum. Don't just assume a museum will take it. Make pre-arrangements.

Another idea would be (if family doesn't have interest) would be either universities or schools. There are many teachers/professors that would enjoy being able to show students first hand what they are reading about in school.

 

In my case, I doubt any museum would have much interest. In Ron's case, I would have been shocked if the IWM had no interest in items from a WWII veteran.

There is a small military museum to which I may consider donating a few items. However, my son will likely receive anything of value (monetarily or otherwise) that I have.

 

Tried to salute your post, andrwoo, but it says I'm out of them for the day??

I agree with your thoughts, especially the idea of checking local universities. A WWII vet friend of mine did that a few years ago. Ball State University digitized everything and the originals are stored in a controlled environment.

Here's a link to his collection: http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/WWIIScrp

I have no kids. I would like to sell my Dad's "souvenirs" and use the money on our website. Easier said than done when you live in the rural west though. Pretty limited college resources around here also. It is a dilemma.

 

They did a good job in setting up that online scrap book. Seems interesting some of the stuff he kept. Sandwich wrapper, doughnut wrapper. I wouldn't dream of keeping "trash" like that. Guess it shows that at that given time the sandwich and doughnut must have been pretty special to him. Neat.

Was neat seeing the Montgomery Ward weight tickets. I remember going into one when I was a little kid and doing that.

While I like military history of WWII I think I enjoy more seeing civilian life during WWII. How the war effected them. What where they doing. What kind of things were. Clothing styles, pop culture, stuff like that.

 

bronk7 "you did mention air rifles before....Olympic quality?? they use those in the Olympics?? [ sorry if that is a stupid question "

Walther, Dianawerk, Anschutz and Fienwerkbau, all made airguns capable of Olympic grade accuracy but no doubt the actual ones used in International meets and The Olympics were carefully selected and probably gone over. Mine were extremely high quality and finely crafted. Most of mine were privately owned and many had match stickers on them. Deep fire blued and beautiful walnut.

To tie to WW2, Germany was prohibited from making firearms for some years after the war and they love target shooting so Walther, of PPK fame as for and got permission to build a smoothbore air rifle in 1951...with open sights. a Walther LG 51, Soon they petitioned for the barrel to be rifled....the LG 51 Z, within months the got permission to add match sights, a diopter, so the LG 51 ZD came and before the year ended added a Match stock ...The LG 51 ZDM.....of course I had to find one of each. Then the LG 52, 53, 55 all followed with many variants. It took me ten years to find a certain LG 52 DST, double set triggers which in German are called stetchers.. An German friend from Lower Saxony spotted it in a shop window in Munich, bought it and mailed it to me with a note saying what he had paid for it. I sent him a Paypal for the cost, plus his shipping, packaging and some gifts for his children..... It is one of 4 I still own I made a lot of great friends in Germany and the UK doing that time.

Gaines

10 meter target airguns shoot an 8 grain pellet about 575 FPS so not really a danger. .

 

That question has come more than once in our household. Originally I had thought of donating my books to a library, my memorabilia to a museum and selling my two vintage cars to someone who would appreciate them. But, more than likely, other than the cars, I will probably end up just passing everything on to someone with similar interests, which when you think about it is only fair as that is how I acquired much of my collection.

 

you have the same problems??..I would think they would want them for remembrance?