What happens to your collection when you're gone?

kizu · Post by **kizu** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:19 am

LOL. This might sound morbid but this is an old joke that turned semi-serious the past year or so as we thought about what to put in the "will". A fellow collector told me that I will be inheriting most of their collection if/when the time comes. I found it a little odd but at the same time honored/pleased with the arrangement. As for myself, I have appointed my bestest friend to take care of liquidating my collection if ever I'm not around. LOL. Goodness knows my parents will probably sell it in bulk for cheap, either that or they'll throw it away. I've never really told them how much I spend on these things... LOL... So yeah I have a liquidator who will sell my collection and return the proceeds to my parents to assist them in their twilight years. In return my liquidator gets to keep a few of my most precious pieces to do as they please (incidentally this person gets to keep my collection if my primary benefactors are gone too)... I think it's a good arrangement albeit weird. LOL. Do anyone of you make provisions as to what will happen to your collection in case you're no longer around?

Koneko Koji · Post by **Koneko Koji** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:39 am

My first response has always been "viking sea burial" ... but seriously, my family would need to sell everything to settle my estate (as I have no money etc) - so I try not to think about it as my wonderful collection (which I already get upset about cutting into during sales) being split up and sold off for whatever people are willing to pay. >_<

usamamo · Post by **usamamo** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:40 am

Sadly - Yes. I have spoken many times with my partner about what is to happen with my cels if I ever have to leave them. It's not the best topic to chat about, its right up there with funeral plans, but I guess it is better to leave a plan in place than have it sold off as cheap crap at a garage sale.

theultimatebrucelee · Post by **theultimatebrucelee** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 4:19 am

send them off with me by burning

Sky Rat · Post by **Sky Rat** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:57 am

I don't have a will yet, at my age my cel collection is the only material thing I own with any substantial value to it, but I have actually talked to my fiancÃ©e about the topic.

More recently I've been careful to always record what I paid for things in the private info of my rubberlug gallery. I have a document with lists of all my passwords which my fiancÃ©e as access to, so she can go into my account and have an idea of what things should sell for. We have a mutual friend whose a serious cel collector, so I told my fiancÃ©e to give our friend first dibs buying anything and then recruit her help in liquidating the rest.

Very morbid to think about, but no one in my family would probably realize the value of whatâ€™s in my cel books if I didn't leave instructions about it. And I'd hate for stuff I worked hard to collect to just disappear into a black hole if I'm not around to enjoy it anymore. I'd rather they move on to other avid collectors (and my family actually financially benefit from me in at least a small way since I don't have much to brag about in the bank, lol.)

Iâ€™ve also given instructions to make sure notification is put up in all the general social places I am online, like livejournal, etc. (Heh, Iâ€™m very trusting with my family and passwords.)

I think I was actually motivated to do a lot of this after reading someone's blog entry on RB come to think of it...

Post by **sensei** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:50 am

I think I'd actually worry more about the information I've researched on my collection, which put together is probably as much as I've lavished on a modest-sized book. My daughter assures me that the collection won't be set out for the trash (she already has her eye on my Meilin vs. Fight sequence). But I'm thinking about having a talk with her and leaving the materials that she is less interested in (especially the CGI sketchwork) to an archive.

I'd considered the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at Ohio State University, where I took my Ph.D. They collect original comic art (the core of the collection was donated by Milton Caniff of Steve Canyon, likewise an OSU alumnus) and have a library of manga, but unfortunately they do not ("in general") accept animation art in their archive.

At one point the Freer Gallery of Asian Art, which has an extensive collection of contemporary Japanese works, was considering starting an archive of animation art, but I don't now know what the status is. The trustees might have rolled on the floor laughing at the idea. On the other hand, someone with a little foresight might be thinking that, like many forms of artistic expression that spring out of popular culture, there might be something to it worth preserving for the next generation.

At the moment I'm trying to catalogue and house what I have as carefully and permanently as I can, both the art and print-offs of my gallery notes. After all, when my father was my age, he'd been dead for twelve years.

Post by **JWR** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 4:09 pm

Well is something happens to me my wife Maria would get the collection and since she has been very active in helping select the artwork I would expect that it would stay together.

If something were to happen to us both then the majority of the collection would go to my son. My daughter would get to pick out a few things she really likes.

sugarcels · Post by **sugarcels** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 4:54 pm

I don't have a clue. I'm the only one around here who collects cels, and my friends and family have absolutely no interest in it, nor do they understand.

cutiebunny · Post by **cutiebunny** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:04 pm

I'd like to donate my collection to a museum. I was thinking more along the lines of the Asian Art Museum or the Cartoon Art Museum, both of which are in San Francisco. I figure both of them might be interested, especially since the Asian Art Museum has hosted Tezuka's materials before, and the Cartoon Art Museum has anime cels on display every so often. Also, VizMedia now has their own museum in SF called "New People". It'll be interesting to see if that goes anywhere.

In regards to leaving it to relatives, I'd be too worried that a person that they chose to leave the collection to would sell it or wheel it into "Antiques Roadshow 2100", get dissapointed at the resale value and just chuck it onto the street.

Despite the problems I've had with vengeful bidders in the past, I'd like to keep as much of my collection as accessible as possible for future generations. I'd like to hope that there will interest in these shows in the future. I can imagine that one day people will be amazed that archaic forms of animation were drawn/colored by hand. And if anything, there's always the cultural statment that these shows make(although I'd like to hope that future generations didn't think us Earthians in the 20th century ran around in samurai gear with magical batons...)

teggacat · Post by **teggacat** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:05 pm

I feel rather lucky about this situation as my son LOVES anime and I have even started him on his own small scale collection, his own Itoya and all

For a kid he has a very good concept of the value of my cels, even offering his advice on some of my purchases

I know he will take excellent care of them and,in future years,whether he keeps them or not, I know he will understand, respect and appreciate the value and effort that went into finding them and deal with them appropriately

animeobsessed · Post by **animeobsessed** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:13 pm

uchiha615 wrote:I feel rather lucky about this situation as my son LOVES anime and I have even started him on his own small scale collection, his own Itoya and all For a kid he has a very good concept of the value of my cels, even offering his advice on some of my purchases I know he will take excellent care of them and,in future years,whether he keeps them or not, I know he will understand, respect and appreciate the value and effort that went into finding them and deal with them appropriately

Since my girls got me involved with anime, I have a similar situation where both my daughters know the value of my collection and have specific series they would prefer have handed down to them. I have also asked for advice from both of them on some of my purchases. No other family members understand the value my collection.

otakusin · Post by **otakusin** » Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:37 am

Okay I may be pelted with virtual stones here but I am going to be deadly serious... yes pun intended. Honestly once I am gone it will not matter to me in the least what happens to my possessions, I mean really I am dead, gone. I only hope they can help my family but honestly I do not think they would. I think the selling of my collection would be a huge burden to them as they would have to do quite a bit of research for my collection which after several years has tallied to well over 2K pieces. I know I should record prices and have it spelled out but again it will not matter to me in the least what happens to my possessions once I am gone, so I do not. I have no debt for my family to be left with, I have arrangements made and I have no kids so I do not feel bad for not keeping better cel records. I do know by doing this my collection will most likely sit in an attic or knowing my family sold in an estate sale. So if you hear I have passed ask if there's an estate sale, I promise you will get hankens at 1/3 the price maybe less, lol. Sadly as a fellow collector I know this is not what one wants to hear but truthfully I think it's what will happen.

-runs from the flying stones O.O

Belldandy16 · Post by **Belldandy16** » Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:31 am

actually ya know its funny you ask that. Ive been thinking about that alot lately.
Im the same with you, Otakusin, I have no kids either and If something happens to me I dont want to burden the few family members i have with all this stuff (but i really would like my things taken care of). I really need to go get a will made. I dont really have that many things but, again, if something happens i dont want them to be even burdened abit by the little stuff.

I was thinking of, instead of making them sort through everything and sell it (because i know they dont have a clue what everythings worth), to either...
A. Do what Sensei said and find a museum to give all the stuff too.
â€¦orâ€¦
B. ask if anyone on here would like my things (not one person get the whole collection but bits and pieces to different people), making sure that they in turn could take care of it and find someone else to take care of the things if something happened to them.

but thats just what i could come up with now.

Great question, Kizu!

Keropi · Post by **Keropi** » Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:21 am

Hmm....I don't know what would happen to my stuff to be honest with you. But most of my stuff wouldn't get much if sold off anyway because they're not popular shows outside of Japan (or they're not popular anywhere).

I used to have a friend out here that lived nearby that would be able to sell off some of them, but I haven't spoken to him in six years. So I really have no idea what would happen to them.

crackpot27 · Post by **crackpot27** » Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:56 am

My nephew says he's selling everything, so I'm just gonna have'ta cut him outta my will

Seriously as of now I would say my family would probably sell them, as much as I would love to take a couple of the pieces to the grave with me, it just be a waste. My little sisters are into most of the series I collect from, so maybe they'll divide their favorite pieces up amongst themselves. I'll just have to leave specific care instructions so as not to turn over in my grave so to speak