What Will Happen

[Green]

Originally Posted by Lee

Our deceased forums moderator Lew Waldman left his family with a written ledger book for about half of his collection with inventory numbers, a description and some of his thoughts about each item and an estimate of value.

Oh interesting...
His sumatera keris panjang #1016 under Indonesia list was sold on ebay sometimes back and it was bought by me.

I wish there are more people selling stuff in this forum ...

[kahnjar1]

In addition to the wise comments above, there is another aspect to consider, in countries where one needs a licence to own (antique/old) firearms. If your wife/surviving kin do not hold a firearms licence, then the local Police can confiscate the items, or at least "look after them". Best to have a friend who IS a licence holder uplift the items and dispose of them on behalf of the heirs. At least that way they don't just "disappear".
Stu

[Rick]

Very good idea Stu.
When the police have a gun buyback day or week here; outside the entrance to the station are often a host of FFL holders buying the good stuff before it even gets in the door.

[fernando]

That is another 500's, Stu. Even in the countries you are entitled to possess a firearm produced before a determined date (1891) without having to manifest it, the simple cop who catches the item doesn't qualify to judge it by himself, so: he arrests the thing, just in case, and takes it to their quarters and is you who have to go through all eternal red tape (and not only) to prove the piece is within the law; and you are left to the judge who has to recognize such antiquity to release the item. So all you need is luck and don't get spotted, as with anything else.

[Lee]

A noted antique arms dealer once told me that he was considering offering a collection dispersal service oriented around publishing a very high quality catalogue of a collection that would serve not only as a record of the collection, but as a sales tool for its dispersal. Of course, single owner auction sales have also generated such catalogs.

Perhaps, as a collector does approach 'end stage' in collecting activities, the publication of such a catalogue - showing the collection at its zenith - is a way of documenting the transient and also very importantly sharing with future collectors where the objects have been and also perhaps some stories about what the present collector learned from or went through acquiring the artifact (as in some of Ewart Oakeshott's writings.) Perhaps this may be a useful, productive and rewarding route when the times of building a collection do come to an end.

Such a catalogue does not have to be associated with a sale, of course, and at worst, the executor of the collector's estate might find it very useful.

[Will M]

Originally Posted by Lee

A noted antique arms dealer once told me that he was considering offering a collection dispersal service oriented around publishing a very high quality catalogue of a collection that would serve not only as a record of the collection, but as a sales tool for its dispersal. Of course, single owner auction sales have also generated such catalogs.

Perhaps, as a collector does approach 'end stage' in collecting activities, the publication of such a catalogue - showing the collection at its zenith - is a way of documenting the transient and also very importantly sharing with future collectors where the objects have been and also perhaps some stories about what the present collector learned from or went through acquiring the artifact (as in some of Ewart Oakeshott's writings.) Perhaps this may be a useful, productive and rewarding route when the times of building a collection do come to an end.

Such a catalogue does not have to be associated with a sale, of course, and at worst, the executor of the collector's estate might find it very useful.

A catalogue is a great idea and you can add the stories behind the weapons. We know that stories sell the items and at higher prices then without. A simple study on eBay in where two identical items were listed, one with a story behind it. The one with the story sold for considerably more.

[Tim Simmons]

I am selling most of mine this September.