What happens to your collection when you're gone?

[Eternal Wind]

I hadn't given this much thought until now, truthfully. I do know I'm the only person interested in this hobby within my immediate family, so unless my daughter turns out to be an anime lover, I doubt my collection would be much use sitting in the closet or trashcan years after I'm gone.

If I were to fall terminally ill or something I could prepare for, I'd either give my collection away to a friend or sell it. I guess it would depend on whether my friend is still collecting at that time or if my family is in need of money!

[Cordelia]

I would entrust to a friend or my husband to liquidate my collection, the proceeds would then go to my parents to help them through retirement. My family doesn't exactly know about my cels and boy would they have a shock when they know how much they cost

That reminds me that I should get my will done up with a lawyer.

[Golden Boy]

I plan to live forever.

gb

[Killua]

I honestly don't really care as I'll be dead at the time. Either I'll be in heaven and nothing will be able to make me sad, in hell and nothing will be able to make me happy, or just will no longer exist, in which case nothing happens anyway.

I expect however that if my wife were to be alive she'd sell whatever excess is not wanted by my children, grandchildren, etc. She roughly knows what things are worth and has access to those with whom I've had financial dealings.

[Massacrist Manslayer]

I plan to live forever.

gb

Great idea.

Truth is I have no idea whats going to my collection, not married no kids -thank god- . The only personal I can think of would be my younger sister who is a nut case for anime same with me who would take the whole lot of anime collection.

[Quacker]

I am extremely fortunate in that my 5yr old niece (who is now under my care & lives with me) has somewhat taken a real shine & interest in some of my cels.
It is morbid to think, but I have left instructions for her to acquire my collection, though some would still be liquidated (price guides already given) to help pay for her schooling and/or University fees.

[iceman57]

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".

Not at all this is a true mature question and really pleased you wrote it down. I studied a lot this aspect and wrote several pages about, so let's try to make a summary about.

How collection runs :
"Collecting", this word can be balancing between hobby and art market, unfortunally as japanese cels & sketches are not yet consider by masses as a true form of art the term of hobby is the actual reference.
The collector decides generally a way to collect based on personnal (or couple) criterias to set a representative collection attached to a regional nostalgia. The amount of cash used to set the collection fluctuates between each collector depending on available funds and the duration of collection.
You've to think about what vision to use if you decide to transmit the art, a regional vision or a global vision.

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.

Will my collection be dismantled ?
Fact is that without preparing a transmission, almost all will be sold on a flea market for $1 each, in bulks or even burned to ashes.
"UltimateBruceLee" note was funny but really good, because to transmit a collection you need to prepare the receiver to manage it. If the receiver is not trained on selection codes the collection can be dismantled, preserving only framed items and selling cel books.
Find the right person is one of the keystone of the collection life continuity.

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.

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".

Museum :
Those two notes are really good and part of the answer for the transmission, some other listed transmission to childrens or relatives. As wrote previously, without a training, the receiver will not be able to handle the collection.
"Cutiebunny" is definitively right, for US citizen, the place to mecenate art (give art for free to a museum) is California due to a regional culture for decades on films industry and asian residents.
An issue is that arts are museum valuable only in 80 to 100 years and additionnal questions on property rights management, as depending on the country, the duration of rights (i.e. Europe : 70 years after the death of a music composer).
So if you draw a timeline on TV anime, this overpass the visible family reality of daughter and sons, if you desire to transmit the collection, it will be museum valuable only with grandson and grandaughter in year 2080.
Short term option is art gallery, selling art to assist your relatives to pay a car, but not conserving items as a museum will do.
Also note that what we consider as representative is a reflect from youth and attached to a knowledge of episodes. On a long time range, people will not have seen anime but will know iconic characters.
Consequently some prices may plunge while other may rise, and museum will certainly wait a stable condition in 20-30 years to decide what to buy and what to preserve on their walls.

Bottom line keys :
- Overpass your own lifetime vision
- Find the right person to handle the collection
- Consider that only a small percent of collection will be valid.

I'll not post here tons of lines, so if some wanna extend discussion, feel free to e-mail about

[Gonzai]

My cel collection is willed out as well. Luckily, my kids
have a pretty good sense at what everything is valued
at. I doubt very much they would be willing to keep it,
though, since they love anime, but not the artwork.

I would hope that all my Hikaru No Go would go to Linda
(Anime Jewell), and all my Samurai 7 would go to Kamidake.
Believing that, makes me totally happy knowing that it would
be loved.

As for everything else (what little there is) I guess its all
free game.

[Shampoo]

Ahh I remember a thread just like this years ago.
It generated alot of hilarious comments from ppl!
LOL!

Someone even talked about going on an icefloat w/
their stuff.
Everyone is so serious in this thread thou.. O_O hmmm
does that mean death is on the mind more often these days?
Yikes!
>_<;

Well I dont remember what I wrote the 1st time this
thread popped up but heres my new response:
I guess the Kibas get cremated w/
me.

Seriously, who will luv my 3ft stack of fang boy after I'm gone??
I dont think anyone wants the task... so why not
have em join me in the afterlife. LOL!

As for my other Narutos and artwork they get split amongst
my close beta pals (you know who you are ) and
all my Shampoos go to my mother.

[ReiTheJelly]

Depending on who is still alive (and collecting), choice pieces will go to individual collectors with whom I have a good relationship.

The rest will be sold by my relatives - I have a database of how much I paid per piece. I also have a document on my computer with all my forum passwords and a list of helpful individuals. I imagine the majority of my collection will be liquidated, as my immediate family shows no interest in animation.

[Belldandy16]

ya know i didnt think of art dealers like Van Eaton Galleries.
Just selling everything all at once would probably be easiest for my relatives (if a museum cant be found to care for them… the cels, not my relatives lol).

[Promethium]

I've actually thought about this topic a lot. What if a NYC taxi runs me over tomorrow?
What if a grand piano comes crashing down on my head from one of the many Manhattan skyscrapers?

I plan to collect until the day I die, so by then I'm sure my cel books will be a lot thicker too. Since I don't know any other Queen Millennia Movie collectors, I've seriously considered these options.

a) Will them to family/friends who know nothing about cel collecting and hope for the best.

b) Donate all of them to a Japanese non-profit, so they can sell it on YHJ to raise funds for their cause.
That way the cels will likely end up in the hands of other Leiji Matsumoto collectors. (I'd donate them to an American non-profit but my cels will probably sell highest amongst Japanese LM collectors on YHJ and not on ebay.)

c) Will them to another QM Movie collector who will appreciate them as much as I have.
Problem is, I don't know any. (I know of one other avid QM Movie collector because their gallery is online, and I've emailed him/her several times over a decade, but they've never written me back. Oh, well. )

d) My most morbid option... Have my Leiji Matsumoto cels cremated with me.
I can hear some of you screaming "Nooooooo!" already. I'd donate my Last Unicorn/Swan Lake cels and whatever else I have to an American non-profit so they can raise some funds for their cause / or give them to a fellow collector

I really want to do (d), but I'll most likely go with (b) at the end, as I know there are ppl who would appreciate them and hopefully dish out the ￥￥￥ for a good cause.

Dunno, maybe in 10 years I'll think differently and have come up with better options.

Either way, I should get that will written up and specify a non-profit juuuuust in case I get trampled by a Central Park Carriage Horse.

[star-phoenix]

I actually had a similar talk about this subject to my hubby and my mom. My kid (or if we have more in the near future, "kids") will inherit all my art and my other valuable possessions. I prefer my Disney collection to be kept in the family, and my husband knows that. But, what my kid(s) ultimately decide to do with it when I am gone, is pretty much up to them. But, I plan to be here a VERY LONG time!

[graymouser]

I have had a living trust since I was 28 years old. Right now it goes to my family who all enjoy anime, but are not really collectors. I keep detailed records of how much I have spent on everything in my collection so it should be easier for them to figure out value. They are in for a bit of a shock though; currently they have no clue as to the value of my collection. My mother was amazed when she found out I spent $60 on a Nightwalker cel.

I have played with the idea of donating to the local Japanese cultural society, which has a small museum. The only problem may be that the size of my collection may be more than they are willing/able to deal with. I should probably talk to them first - I have been an inactive member for several years now.

[theultimatebrucelee]

send them off with me by burning

this was kinda dumb..now that I think about it more seriously for the art pieces I currently preserve I should prably sell them back to art market where people who are interested would be able to find and have access to such as Yahoo Japan, that's if I am still conscious and able, or ask my family to help. Not for the money but rather I think the highest bidders would likely be fellow collectors that would be interested in preserving and maybe cherish them if they're willing to pay the price. been collecting for 1 3/4 year now I feel like I have the responsibility to give them back to the art market to next rightful owners in line instead of letting them go to waste for other reasons even though it'd be of no concern to me after I pass away.