Loaning to a Museum

[Scott Garner]

Hi Mike,
How are things?
I loaned about 70 items to the Ryan Center (Nolan Ryan Museum) in Alvin Texas in 1998. When I was able to locate duplicates of some of the milestone tickets that were loaned, I made some of of them a permanent donation.
The loaned items were there for about 4-5 years.
The Ryan Center eventually closed down, but some of the more significant items from The Ryan Center are now on display at the Texas Sports HOF.

Butch, who just posted earlier on this thread game you EXACTLY the correct way to loan items to a museum. Contract and insurance that covers any damage or loss.

My experience was nothing but exceptional, but I have also heard of horror stories as well like the OP posts on this thread.

I was lucky that Nolan and Ruth Ryan are classy people.
They sent me two unexpected gifts when my loaned items were returned to me at the end. Additionally, Nolan signed a few unique items for me gratis.

Good collecting,
Scott

[71buc]

Thanks Scott, you just validated everything I’ve heard about Ryan. My son is an attorney so I will have him write something up to cover me. The museum also said they have a written loan agreement as well. I don’t believe I would be comfortable loaning anything more than a year or two. I really appreciate and value everyone’s feedback.

[butchie_t]

Post a few pic's once the exhibit gets put together.

Cheers,

[Frankish]

I've never loaned sports memorabilia, and to be honest nothing in my collection is probably worthy of it. But I have loaned a handful of paintings to museums. Thesere were generally well-regarded institution and provided contracts (some little more than letters, but still binding) that indicated they would cover them on their insurance. The one time i was unsure of how the painting would be valued given the vast discrepancy between the price I paid for it and recent auction prices from the artist, the museum agreed to insure it for replacement value. It probably would have been better to specify a dollar figure, as that might have gotten sticky had it been lost, but there ended up being no such issue.

While I agree with some other posters that there is "nothing in it for you" financially, I respectfully disagree that there is nothing in it for you at all. The sense of contributing to a field you love and enjoy is priceless. If there were a greater interest in obscure but extremely rare Japanese baseball cards or run of the mill Cuban or Negro League type 1 photos, I would happily consider loaning them to a museum. I might miss them slightly, but it is not as if I pull each and every one from its folio and admire it each day.

If you are loaning the items for any significant period of time, it is probably worth agreeing (in writing, of course) to conditions under which you may demand their return and make sure such a clause is overwhelmingly in your favor. After all, they do belong to you...or, under certain conditions of reclamation, your estate.

Cheers!

[71buc]

Thanks Frank!

[horzverti]

Mike, your Pirates collection is great. That makes your house, or wherever you store it, much like a museum. I guess your items are just temporarily going to another museum. Haha��

Seriously, it is an honor to have your items in a display for one of your heroes. I look forward to seeing a post which includes a pic of you standing in front of your items on display. Maybe a close-up of the card reading “on loan from the M Knapp Collection”. Awesome!

[philo98]

Ive been in the Clemente Museum many times and have talked to the curator quite a bit as well. At the moment, I reside in Pittsburgh. The Museum is in an old firehouse and when you first enter, its a great big room where the firetrucks would have been. In this room, alot of things were under glass. Near the back and upstairs are alot more items and historical items. Those items are also behind glass but not everything. Im sure each room has cameras, but Ive always been amazed that many items upstairs are not really locked up. I dont know of anything ever reported stolen, but if someone was hell bent on taking something, there is the possibility it could be done.

Its a phenomenal museum and the only thing better to me was the Hall of Fame. There are some great Clemente artifacts.

If your donating mainly photos, I would think those would be in the main hall (the great big open room) where theft may be harder. Thats where alot of the photos are placed. You may want to confirm where in the museum your items will be located at as well.

Pre-COVID all of the tours were timed so most of the time each person is in the controlled group but at the end of the tour, they give people free time to wander around. Also, pre-COVID, there was one day a month that was done open-house style where people were not on an organized tour.

[Bpm0014]

I’ve been to the museum. The owner is a collector as well and has some unbelievable items. He had a Fred Clarke game used bat just laying around that could have easily been stolen. I’d make sure that your items are at least behind some glass or in a case etc.

[drcy]

Having items having been shown adds to their value and prestige. They are literally "museum pieces."