Posted By:
martindl
Nice story.
You've already done a right thing - you told her the album has value. Perhaps at 84 she has no need or desire for the money, in which case you should graciously accept the gift and tell her that you'd really feel better if she'd let you donate some money to a charity or cause of her choosing, in her name. Then donate whatever you feel comfortable with - it surely does not need to match the value of the cards, as the gesture is what counts.
Unless she has a need or desire for the money, then you should not consider auctioning or selling the contents. Tuck it away in your collection and somewhere down the road pass along your good fortune to someone as deserving as you.