Arrangements for the inevitable

[wayne swayze]

Just curious to ask if any of you have a plan in place for what happens to your buildups and collections when you pass away. Do you have family or friends that will become the custodians of your hobby?

[disabled modeler]

Yep...mine will stay in the family and a few will go to good friends....just kills me when no one in a family cares or wants them or? and just tosses them out when they could make someone else happy and have a memento.

[mustang1989]

I have a couple that will go to relatives and the rest I've asked my wife to donate to a museum. Like Mark, it pains me to see great work just tossed into a trash can.................and I've seen it happen!

Edited February 26, 2015 by mustang1989

[Jantrix]

I'm in a local model club. I've told my wife and kids to keep what they want, the rest goes to the club. At least then I know they will end up with builders.

[Greg Myers]

I have a couple that will go to relatives and the rest I've asked my wife to donate to a museum. Like Mark, it pains me to see great work just tossed into a trash can.................and I've seen it happen!

Great work ? What great work have you done ? Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Greg Myers]

We have lost some great builders and stalwarts of the hobby here in the Phoenix area. I recently lost my Mom, 93. Just seeing people ( friends, aquatints, relatives ) paw through things is hard enough. Joe is right.

[mustang1989]

Great work ? What great work have you done ? Sorry, couldn't resist.

It aint my great work. I consider mine somewhere in the intermediate range.

[Jon Haigwood]

I'm taking mine with me

[keyser]

Son getting some, plus builts. Daughter wants a couple builts. Friends getting some high end resin and couple other things. Rest to be sold, 2 friends will help, couple others since size of pile. I've talked to everyone, and wife aware of plans, I wrote them up. Friends picked from pile already, so that's in there too. Pretty ironic this thread came up, I just finished this effort. 2 years into failed treatments for bone marrow failure, so probably need it soon. Make sure it's very specific, and talk to people to help. Not a time for family to think about that when they're grieving and hate going thru stuff of lost one. Saw that when my father-in-law passed, family couldn't deal with it.

I do like the idea of taking it with, but they'd need to bury me in a shipping container or 2

[1930fordpickup]

It is a good idea no tell someone what to do with all your hobbies. My sisters have a plan, it is a big black plastic bag for anything they do not want . Watched this as they went through my late brothers stuff. Nothing personal to them they just wanted it all gone.

[cobraman]

Don't care...... I'll be dead !

[Muncie]

well, kind of thought not my problem.... But daughter in law doesn't like me and said it all goes in a dumpster so I'm working on another plan. Will be watching here for ideas and useful guidance.

Edited February 26, 2015 by Muncie

[gtx6970]

Nope. Family may keep some of them. But with a stash numbering in the 300-400 range. She knows my favorites and would probably keep just them and off the the rest.

Otherwise, Put the stash in the oven with me. ,,,,,That way I get to take them with me ,,so to speak.

My wife is an accountant ,,,,and has an idea most of them have some pretty good values . So I highly doubt they would just get pitched or sent to goodwill.

Edited February 27, 2015 by gtx6970

[Greg Myers]

With my Mom gone and doing the thing with her stuff, there are considerations. Who wants what ( make lists to keep the fighting down, {yeah, like everyone will be fighting over your model cars}), There was a bunch of talk about Ebay, Craig's List,yard sales, estate sales, and in the end, donations to charitable groups, Boys Club, Good Will, etc. Bottom line was who had the time to do that?

So to my mind Rob's thought on the local club is the best answer. In my club there are a few members that said they would even pay for "The Stash" with the proceeds going to the family. Good deal all around, stuff goes to people that appreciate it for what it is, and the club members taking on the job of doing so get to gleen off the good stuff. Everybody's happy.

[Chuck Most]

Don't care...... I'll be dead !

^This.

If my survivors want to toss it all out in the driveway and run over it repeatedly with a bulldozer... hey, if that'll make them happy, it's all good.

[imarriedawitch]

Mine will end up in my nephew's second hand store.

[1930fordpickup]

well, kind of thought not my problem.... But daughter in law doesn't like me and said it all goes in a dumpster so I'm working on another plan. Will be watching here for ideas and useful information.

If you get things in writing with a lawyer will help. The only problem is if she has access before the will comes to light. Some people go through things before it hits the paper or calls are made. Tell a close friend what is to happen with everything .

A friend of mine passed that had a restoration shop . What a headache for the family. Were the parts his or a customers ? Most of that was figured out over time but with the cost of some of it , it was a hard few months.

[Greg Myers]

These things do take time. A good plan will help everyone involved.

[Pete J.]

I have had a couple of modeler friends pass away or have to liquidate their built models and stashes and here are the cold facts from my experience.

1. Regardless of the time and effort you may have put into them, the majority of build models have little value. I don't want to insult anyone's work, but a collection of a couple of hundred build models would sell for a couple of bucks each in most situations.

2. In spite of the family praise, no one in your family has room or a desire for more than a couple of your built models as keepsakes. A wall full of your models is not likely to become one of your kids wall of models.

3. Giving them to a museum is generally not an option. Unless you have a standing relationship with a museum, they won't accept a bunch of built models. The models they use are there because they illustrate a specific point in an active display. They don't keep a stock of built models in the back in case they need them for a future display. They probably have several model builders they can call on to build a specific model and that is what they will do. As most of you know, the care of built models can be quite time consuming and museums just don't have the staff or space to store them.

4. Your stash of unbuilt kits is nothing more than a pain in the back side to your heirs. There may be a lot of money tied up in them, but selling them is not easy. Selling a couple of hundred kits on line is time consuming. One family of a friend has taken years to dispose of the collection. Working that hard for the little money you are getting is not rewarding. On top of that your family probably has no idea about the value of a kit or if it is complete. It will take the help of your friends to sort the kits out into sellable and unsellable. Not only that but some of your friends are vultures. I am sorry to say that but it is true. When you are gone, they may come around and try to buy the whole collection for a song. Sorry, but I have seen it in many different cases.

So, planning may help but your kits and models are your hobby and building them gave you great pleasure. Don't hog-tie your family with a lot of nonsense about disposing of them. Tell them to keep the built ones they like an toss the rest. If you can, make contact with a collections buyer before you go and help them find someone you trust to dispose of the rest.

[Greg Myers]

see next post after Ramfins

Edited February 26, 2015 by Greg Myers

[Ramfins59]

I've told my wife that I'd like the family to pick whatever each of them wants to keep, some stuff my oldest daughter would keep for my young grandson, and the rest of the built stuff, unbuilt kits, tools, paints, etc., should go to my good and closest friend and fellow modeler.... unless I live long enough for my grandson to actually want to build models, and then the majority of my stuff would most likely go to him.

I have to write all of these wishes down and include it in my will.

[Greg Myers]

Bottom line : "make contact with a collections buyer before you go and help them find someone you trust to dispose of the rest." in my opinion.

[Roadrunner]

I discussed this with my family. Without a will stipulating what's what, they feel free to do whatever they choose with my junk, so it really needs to be in writing. I feel the exact same way about a family member stating that all of her very expensive jewelry goes to a specific cousin. If it's not in a legal document, I'll sell it all and pocket the cash, and the cousin can cry all she wants.

[jbwelda]

ive got models and Ive got firecrackers. let nature take its course

jb

[Greg Myers]

Great out look.

My Mom had a book she kept (in her own hand writing) with a page for each of us, kids and grand kids, where she would discuss what each member wanted. We abided by the book when the time came. There were still issues on items no one thought of. But it was easier, except my brother had more than one page.

Family harmony can be of some worth, it's up to you.