For seniors

[Deertick]

I 'retired' from a corporate job in 2019. Working as an I/C for 6 years now. Still a few years away from SS.
I am in the same boat as many, no one has any real interest in maintaining my stuff. I have sold pieces for quick cash infusion several times over the years. I feel better about it because the sales were directly attributed to something, like I could say "I sold a few balls, photos, and autographs to pay for that roof". When faced with something less tangible, I have a much harder time. "Insurance is due" has not caused a major sale....yet.

I am facing a surgery that will put me out of commission for nearly 3 months, so the harder choices may be coming. I am prepping for that nightmare now, getting my space set up that I could do sales more easily in my condition, lining up items, help packing/mailing, etc. I also have a list of all my contacts, websites, usernames and passwords stowed away.

Part of the prep is cataloguing and setting out instructions for how to dispose of what, where, and how much in a manner that my wife would have an easier path. Doing it earlier than (hopefully) necessary may relieve some anxiety and maximize it's value.

I could just take commishbobs approach and clear it out at a discount and be done with it. There definitely is a positive time/value/hassle component to that that may offset some of the valuation loss.

That said, I envision keeping certain pieces, and once the process is at a manageable level, narrowly refocusing. Old collectors never stop collecting, it is just the cubic footage should get smaller.