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What will happen to your collection when you die?
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Started by Flex Mentallo,

123 posts in this topic

thehumantorch

thehumantorch

Posted
Posted
37 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

are you actually doing that? Is a good idea.

My plan is to make sure I am dead before you and leave you with all the headache... I mean comics.

If you prefer I sell before my demise let me know and I will continue to sell.

I do it on my good stuff.  

Ah...don't sell everything...

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FineCollector

FineCollector

Posted
Posted
32 minutes ago, fifties said:

Now another thought might be to have a tomb excavated large enough with which to have your comics, sealed of course, buried with you, like the ancient Egyptian pharaohs did, so that your treasures might accompany you to the next world...;)

Every time I watch Bram Stoker's Dracula, I look at Lucy's crypt and think, "look at all the room for shelves!"  If you visit, you get to read my stuff.

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fifties

fifties

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, Robot Man said:

I love old radios. I sold off most all but kept just this one. Fun to listen to baseball games on in my office.

radio.jpg

Nice table set!  The handle, speaker bezel, and knobs might be Catalin, which definitely increases it's value.  Not to one-up you, but here's a set in a Catalin cabinet (my only one of this type).

P1010011.JPG

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piper

piper

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Artboy99 said:

are you actually doing that? Is a good idea.

My plan is to make sure I am dead before you and leave you with all the headache... I mean comics.

If you prefer I sell before my demise let me know and I will continue to sell.

Both of you are being such downers...

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circumstances

circumstances

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Robot Man said:

Had a nice early one once but traded it off for a nice '62 SG Standard and some cash. Was playing a lot back then and found the Les Paul a little heavy. The SG sounded the same and was a lot more comfortable. Kind of regret it a bit now... I have always wanted an ES 335. The nice vintage ones have probably risen out of my wallet range now though.

I love the 335, but I'd be happy with a heavy 50's, 60's, 70's Les Paul Custom.

I am not entirely Gibson-less, however!

 

20200102_210659.jpg

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Moondog

Moondog

Posted
Posted (edited)
6 hours ago, kilowatt said:

A little off the subject, my best friend collected coins for almost 50 years. His cousin died a couple of years back and he also collected coins. His widowed wife asked if he could liquidate his collection since he was knowledgeable in the hobby and he agreed. There`s not a day that goes by that he don`t regret doing it. He`s slow to move the items because he wants the best deal for her, and she calls him constantly to see if he sold anything. It`s a mess! I`m hoping i`ll be in a better place so future planning has started in 2020.

The mistake your buddy made was selling them at retail.  The widow should have your buddy research the retail and then sell them to a respectable dealer at wholesale.  Coins are more liquid than comics, so 65%-70% of retail is about right for coins.  She could have had 2/3 of the dough right away and your buddy would have his sanity.  I took this approach with my brother's coins and my wife's friend's coins and it worked out beautifully.  Edited to add:  it was still a ton of work and time - about a month for each collection.

Edited by Moondog
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Flex Mentallo

Flex Mentallo

Posted
  • Author
Posted
8 hours ago, FineCollector said:

Every time I watch Bram Stoker's Dracula, I look at Lucy's crypt and think, "look at all the room for shelves!"  If you visit, you get to read my stuff.

There is a book inspired by the Dracula myth called, 'The Historian', in which the 'Count' is a bibliophile as well as a vampire! Much better than it sounds!

Historiancover.jpg

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Yellow Kid

Yellow Kid

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Robot Man said:

What a dismal topic to start the new year... 

No one in my family has any interest in my stuff (other than the monetary value).  Both my adult girls would like to have a few things to remember the old man with but don’t want to keep much. It’s cool. I don’t expect many to enjoy the passion I have for my whole life. 

My comic collection is easy. I have given my wife and kids contact info for a few dealers with the financial means to deal with them. These are guys I trust. I also included one who I don’t especially trust but has the dough to buy them. I told my family to give them my spread sheet and just have them make their best single offer. Who ever offers the most will buy them. 

I have always just been the “caretaker” of these. I would ultimately have them go to folks who really love them and will continue to cherish and take care of them. At the end of the day, whoever offers the most will get them.

My “other” stuff, is a lot harder. I have a pretty extensive collection of toys, advertising, sports, electric guitars and other items. I have less options for these. I do have spreadsheets and a few contacts who I trust will be fair with them. 

I intend to keep searching out cool stuff until I can no longer do it. The thrill of the hunt is very strong indeed.

Robot Man has clearly identified the problem for some of us.  Comics are easy to sell, either wholesale, on consignment, or by auction.  I know Buddy Saunders at My Comic Shop and would trust him to sell my books in the best way for the benefit of my wife.  Original art is a little trickier, but I have a friend who will either guide my wife or just sell things for her.  The memorabilia is the most difficult as there aren't as many collectors or dealers.  When my old friend, Leonard Brown, was dying, he gave me all of his comics and asked me to sell them as a group at a set price.  He kept his art and memorabilia and told his wife to give them all to me when he died and I would sell them for her, which I did.  But you need a friend who knows the material, that you can trust completely, and who has the time to do it.  And like several people have mentioned, leaving written  instructions is a great idea.  I have taken it a step further and talked with the people I mention in my instructions.  I also have identified specific items that I want to give to a few friends as well as the comic museum at Ohio State University.  Whatever you decide to do, start planning now and begin taking action.  Remember the old Yiddish saying, "Mann Traoch, Gott Lauch.".

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Robot Man

Robot Man

Posted
Posted (edited)

Better yet, why wait. Start now and do it your self. Why dump the task on some one else? I know it seems hard to part with stuff but frankly, it's a lot easier than it used to be for me. Kind of fun to get a wad of dough for something you got cheap years ago and have had your enjoyment with.  Even if the stuff isn't worth what it used to be, in most cases, it is worth way more than I paid for it. It is kind of liberating really...

I have been asked to sell other peoples stuff. I usually decline and direct them to reputable dealers. Heck, why sell somebody else's stuff when I have more of my own than I can sell anyway?

Edited by Robot Man
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lou_fine

lou_fine

Posted
Posted
19 hours ago, D84 said:

When I feel my time is coming to an end, I will go a comic store and find that one kid looking at the vintage books in wonder.  That kid will get my collection for free.

That's fantastic!!!  :applause:

Please be sure to PM me a few days in advance with the time and place of the LCS and I will be sure to get my yet to be born grandchild down there in good time.  (thumbsu  lol

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fifties

fifties

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Robot Man said:

Better yet, why wait. Start now and do it your self. Why dump the task on some one else? I know it seems hard to part with stuff but frankly, it's a lot easier than it used to be for me. Kind of fun to get a wad of dough for something you got cheap years ago and have had your enjoyment with. 

There's two sides to this coin, old boy.  If I were to sell my treasures, then I wouldn't have them anymore, and for what recompense, green printed papers with portraits of dead guys?  Naw, my books will stay with me until I take the dirt nap.  I read a few of them damn near every evening.  With hundreds and hundreds, and a 75 year old memory that can't remember squat, the stories are always new, LOL!

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lou_fine

lou_fine

Posted
Posted
18 hours ago, thehumantorch said:

Spreadsheets are great but that would require someone to find the spreadsheet and match up each physical item to the spreadsheet.  I prefer to add a sticker to the back of the mylar for each book with the grade, date purchased, purchase price and current value.

Well, if one of the data points on your sticker is current value, how often are you updating your stickers since this market is pretty red hot and can be quite volatile in terms of current market price?  hm

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