what to do with?

[Tim Simmons]

This thread will apply to many of us here.

What to do with our precious ivory pieces!!!!? I am lucky in that I only have the one piece, which at the time was an expencive investment purchase but also one of desire not to forget. Other people may have desired and invested sums of money in several weapons sporting lavish ivory elements in construction and decoration. What do we do with them now? The open market commercial value has basicly been made worth nothing. You can swap it, but who wants to swap a good piece even for a great piece that is cursed by ivory? not many I would think. So you are left with two options give it away, pass it on, or donate it to an institution, collection, museum. As I mentioned I only have the one piece, ivory and rhinohorn. Took me a long time to discover it was rhino rather than buffalo, in the right light with x10 loop you can see the keratin sturcture. There are two museum I have in mind to donate to. The Royal Welsh Museum brecon or the Warwikshire Regiment museum. These two small museums might put it on permanant display? I would not want to donate to an institution just to have your precious item kept in store and not displayed. Have you thought about this situation? any ideas? could passing on and hope the situation inprooves either way you still loose?

[Rick]

I can't count the number of auctions in the US that still list items containing ivory parts.

[Tim Simmons]

The UK has stricked rules. You can pay £250 (present cost) for a certificate of pre 1918 item of cultural value/artistic. That cost is nonrefundable so if the powers do not like it you loose an additional £250. I have been informed that some people in the other countries have traded items knives without mentioning the ivory and have had no problems. Not sure I would risk importing a costly item with ivory content into the UK. Ideally passing it on to a younger collector before I pass over to the over side, rather than ending up in a museum store.

[Ian]

Tim,

I have many such items from SE Asia that were collected decades ago, before the current emphasis on the ivory trade. Many of my items are 19th C, but not worth the exorbitant costs of getting them certified. Most will be handed down in my family for the foreseeable generations. Some of the more expensive and obviously old examples I will try to sell via auction within Australia only. International sales are out of the question.

I believe that those who live in the EU can sell ivory items within the EU. That's what I have gleaned from some of the European auction houses' policies.