Should I donate it all to the museum...

[HarryT]

I've collected some military stuff over the years and now I'm wondering if it's better to donate it to the local military museum, give it to friends (who are as near to death as I am), or sell it to deserving collectors. It's mostly Vietnam era stuff with some WWI & II weapons (shoulder & handguns, knives, etc) plus some black powder guns from the 1860's war. None of it is outstandingly rare or valuable.

[OS OK]

Have you a WWII trench knife with the brass knuckles built into the hand guard?
I've been trying to locate one for years.

charlie

[garym1a2]

I like the local museum ideal myself. I visited one a couple weeks ago and it was cool to see stuff like this.

[merlin101]

A local museum might like to have a display centered around a local servicemen. I think I'd go that route and then ask family then friends if there's something special they would like then sell the rest.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Sadly, it's a problem many of us "old timers" have to face. Hoping, optimistically, to be given the few years necessary, I've decided to sell about 95% of my "stuff" and put the money into an account for my wife's benefit after I'm outta here. I'd like to leave some of the better pieces to my smallish immediate family, but none of them are really interested.

Charlie--beware of counterfeit "knuckle knives". They've been faked for many years now by several manufacturers, mostly in the Orient.

[OS OK]

Thanks there Der...I've been nonplused several times now!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Charlie--If I had one I'd give it to you, but frankly they've never interested me that much. In fact, when I used to live in CA (many years ago) and first started collecting there was some question as to whether or not they were legal to own without some sort of special dispensation, as the Penal Code prohibited brass knuckles, dirks and daggers, and this item seemed to have all of the bad features rolled up into one. About 18 years ago the Mrs. and I were out walking along some of the back roads in rural OR and came place where some kids had been playing in the dirt along the road within sight of their house. There, stuck in the dirt was a WW I trench knife. I picked it up and looked at it closely. It seemed original in all respects, but being an honest guy I put it back where I found it. I wouldn't be too surprised if it's still there in a much rusted condition. They'd taken all their other toys home and had no doubt forgotten the knife. We'll have to hope that their dad missed it and eventually located it.

[corbinace]

If you could build a smallish ready to install display, you may want to donate them. The rest you might want to turn into cash that can be used for many purposes.

The fortunate/unfortunate thing about museums, is that they have literally tons of stuff stored away in the back that never sees the light of day. Many people donate and there is simply not enough space to display everything. I have been fortunate enough to be able to see some catalogue areas and they are amazingly immense. That is why I suggest a smallish, ready to display collection. Maybe they could find space to actually display it.

[rancher1913]

if you give it to a museum, make sure they are a real museum that holds onto their collections and does not sell to the highest bidder to pad the curators salary. grandfather donated his prize arrowhead collection (talking thousands of spectacular examples, most rare) to the local museum so that the locals would be able to treasure them. the museum displayed them for a year and then they disappeared and the museum has no record of them. now all that is in the museum is more recent junk you could buy in an antique store that is not worth much, everything of any value has disappeared.

[JSnover]

If/when I find out I'm near death or I just decide it's time to get rid of everything, a good friend of mine will have first pick of my collection. He's a decent, honorable person about 15 years younger, who knows what I have and what it's worth.

[jcwit]

Everything I own goes to my wife and her welfare. If we should both go close together my daughter is excutor and handles the whole estate. Everything goes to the highest bidder, museum's have their own ways to acquire their collections/collections.

Years ago as in 40 years ago I was a member of The Ohio Gun Collectors. I watch a gentleman buying for a museum shell out 20 Grand for a boxed set of 2 Henry Deringer pistols. So ya, they have money!

[Geezer in NH]

Sell, blow the money on women and alcohol or waste the rest away letting the recipients of your estate screw with it.

[NoAngel]

I'm taking my junk with me. They say you can't. I intend to prove them wrong.

[waksupi]

If you could build a smallish ready to install display, you may want to donate them. The rest you might want to turn into cash that can be used for many purposes.

The fortunate/unfortunate thing about museums, is that they have literally tons of stuff stored away in the back that never sees the light of day. Many people donate and there is simply not enough space to display everything. I have been fortunate enough to be able to see some catalogue areas and they are amazingly immense. That is why I suggest a smallish, ready to display collection. Maybe they could find space to actually display it.

Very true. I worked with museums for 30 years. There is not time, money, or space to display and store what they get.

[Artful]

I'm taking my junk with me. They say you can't. I intend to prove them wrong.

:drinks:, send us a sign

[reddog81]

I wouldn't donate it unless I knew they wanted it. My girlfriend runs an animal shelter and people bring us all kinds of stuff they think would be useful to us. Some of it is junk and more of a hassle to dispose of than anything, some is nice but we have no use for it so we just sell it on eBay or Craigslist.

if you have a relationship with someone at a museum and can get some kind of guarentee it would be kept or displayed that would be awesome. If you're fine donating with the chance they will just sell it that could an option, if you just want to help keep the museum running.

If you're looking to sell it, that should be pretty easy. Between gunbroker, armslist, this sites classified section, local gun shows you could probably have most the stuff sold in a week or 2. Heck, if you were in central Iowa I'd ask to come over and look at the collection. I'm in my mid thirties and just getting around to starting my collection...

[OS OK]

Charlie--If I had one I'd give it to you, but frankly they've never interested me that much. In fact, when I used to live in CA (many years ago) and first started collecting there was some question as to whether or not they were legal to own without some sort of special dispensation, as the Penal Code prohibited brass knuckles, dirks and daggers, and this item seemed to have all of the bad features rolled up into one. About 18 years ago the Mrs. and I were out walking along some of the back roads in rural OR and came place where some kids had been playing in the dirt along the road within sight of their house. There, stuck in the dirt was a WW I trench knife. I picked it up and looked at it closely. It seemed original in all respects, but being an honest guy I put it back where I found it. I wouldn't be too surprised if it's still there in a much rusted condition. They'd taken all their other toys home and had no doubt forgotten the knife. We'll have to hope that their dad missed it and eventually located it.

Thanks for the offer Der...that's very kind and if I woulda found that knife I too would have left it there, I found out 40 years ago that stolen stuff doesn't bring good fortune.
I bought a stolen color TV in my 20's, the stupid years...two days later my house was broken into and the only thing stolen was the color TV...I wonder how many times it got sold and stole?
Yes Cali has fits over that kind of stuff but I just can't care anymore.

[NoAngel]

:drinks:, send us a sign


I will. I should have plenty to go 'round. I have people tell me all the time "Here's your sign" So I should have plenty to spare.

[44man]

I have the same problem, my daughter is last in line and I have a lot of stuff and the home. I need to talk to her about a will to leave much to the NRA and to the Shriners and Danny Thomas for children. To let the state get it is not in the cards.
I have no need for money since I have no debt even though I get little. Enough to live on. But what I have is valuable. Years and years builds it up.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Sell, blow the money on women and alcohol or waste the rest away letting the recipients of your estate screw with it.

I don't think the cemeteries around here would allow burying me & mine as im sure a couple con-ex boxes take up too much room because that's what it'll take

[mozeppa]

I'm taking my junk with me. They say you can't. I intend to prove them wrong.

since you are no angel....any gun powder you take with you might blow you to ....uh....hmmm? .....my head hurts! thanks!:evil:

[LUCKYDAWG13]

sell it or just give it away to someone who will take care of it for the next guy to enjoy

[RogerDat]

I think getting a list of the items made (if you don't already have one) then finding out if the local museum can actually use any of those items is a first step. You want to know if they need any of this for display or to complete a "kit" that could be displayed. They may also know of other museums or similar that could use parts of your collection to good effect. I imagine these type of organizations know people in the same type of organizations.

You said your close friends might not have it much longer than you would to enjoy the items due to age then maybe sell it and treat yourself and maybe those friends to something special that can be enjoyed today. Visit someplace or someone, take a fall color bus trip or excursion train, go together and see a show or concert and do dinner at a nice restaurant. Weekend rental at the ocean, the mountains, or a nice fish camp where you can enjoy the outdoors and each others company even if you don't fish. Or just donate the money to some organization you consider worthy, buy a trailer or equipment for the local scout troop, donate money to the local library, or use the proceeds to help out a local youth organization. Maybe even that military museum or local VFW scholarship fund could use some cash. These are things that touch lives in ways we may never know but that persist after we are gone.

Your family or friends may not value the collection or items, and you can't take them with you so convert the value of the items into something you can enjoy or value today with your friends or family, blow some mad money and maybe share a good time. Or use the money for the satisfaction it will bring you knowing you helped out others. I don't put either one above the other as to value or "worth". Each of these is worth what enjoyment you get from the money vs. the enjoyment of owning the items.

[MT Gianni]

While a museum or library may use your donations they are as likely to sell it off on ebay or elsewhere. Once it is given it is out of your hands and wishes. If you can find a relative or younger collector that might have an interest, at the very least advertise on a collectors board so that whomever may have a chance to fill in the holes in their collection with your stuff. If I pass unexpectedly my wife knows to list my molds here.

[JeffinNZ]

NO! Museums are the worst. If you want to preserve it best to sell to a collector. Unless you can sure the museum actually wants it and will display it let a private person preserve it.

[bruce drake]

I agree with Jeff! I read in my paper this morning that the US Navy has actually had to go and reclaim some WWII war relics from a museum in New Jersey because they were not preserving them properly and were allowing them to rot away. One of the named relics is a captured German U-boat! Collectors put their heart into their collections. Its not about money to them. Its about the preservation of the items.

[beezapilot]

I wonder if #1 would allow a 50 /50 auction to benefit one of the causes and/or the forum- you know that it the stuff is going to a good home (a fellow caster) and you support a good cause and get some spending money from it..

Heck... I've got stuff in the closet I'd be willing to part with....

[44man]

All my friends think they will live longer and have dibs on my stuff. OK, sell to them, they know what they have. Might sell less then at auction but it goes to my friends and the auction does not benefit. They really steal value and from you.
I want my stuff to go to the good people and my pain is children and vets. Also liberty.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Donate nothing to a museum. My wife and I were in a museum devoted to horse equipment several years ago. It had wagons, saddles, bridles, collars & harness. There was a complete harness rig for one of the big German beer wagons. The curator was bragging to me that some of the saddles were silver mounted and made by Garcia or Bolen and were worth thousands of dollars. I asked him, if they are worth so much why don't you put some preservative on them? He didn't say another word to me. Leather is an organic material and will quickly rot if not cared for. Museums don't seem to care.

[Hick]

I don't have to worry. Both sons and also my daughter carry and have been very encouraging to me about my hobby. It's pretty clear that all three will carefully clean out my closet and divvy things up when the time comes-- and my daughter lives only 50 yards away-- she'll make sure nobody gets to my stuff ahead of them.

[marlin39a]

Museums will sell it off to raise funds. Sell your items yourself.