what to do with collection upon death

[ocjack]

Hope you have a complete recovery.

I sold the bulk of my 50-year collection several years ago for two reasons: first, we live in an area that is periodically threatened with fires. We were on mandatory evacuation a few years ago. And while most key items are in safe deposit boxes, all sets and the like were in the house.

Second, and most important - while my wife did understand that relative values of my collection, I didn't want to leave her the burden of having to deal with auction houses or other dealers. I haven't been active as a collector for many years and frankly, I don't have a close friend who could have helped her. And while calling an auction house is a good idea, remember they may not want all of your collection for their auctions. So your wife is still left with having to deal with some portion of your collection.

My suggestion is to either arrange with someone you trust to assume responsibility for your collection's sale or start to sell those items that may not be "auction" material.