This isn't exactly a pleasant subject but I am interested if anyone has any
suggestions of organization that are interested in complete boatanchors
estates. I have contacted one organization which is very selective and I
believe if someone is generous enough to put in their will that they will
bequeeth their whole ham station to an organization there should at least
be a little enthusiasm on the part of the organization. Does anyone know of
any good causes to whom a person can donate his prized equipment, QSLs,
tools etc etc where it will be treasured and appreciated after I am gone?

Smokey

Please remove "nospam" from email address when replying directly.

Smokey wrote:
...Does anyone know of
any good causes to whom a person can donate his prized equipment, QSLs,
tools etc etc where it will be treasured and appreciated after I am gone?

I know one....
I'll send you my shipping address ;-).

I would expect than other than other individuals there is no
organization that would know what the stuff is. I believe you had better
sell it before you depart which will probably but them in good homes for
at least a while.

It seems to be that libraries throw books away, museums auctioned stuff
off or keep stuff in buildings that leak or basements that are full of
mildew so that is left?


Ron

Smokey wrote:
This isn't exactly a pleasant subject but I am interested if anyone has any
suggestions of organization that are interested in complete boatanchors
estates. I have contacted one organization which is very selective and I
believe if someone is generous enough to put in their will that they will
bequeeth their whole ham station to an organization there should at least
be a little enthusiasm on the part of the organization. Does anyone know of
any good causes to whom a person can donate his prized equipment, QSLs,
tools etc etc where it will be treasured and appreciated after I am gone?

Smokey

Please remove "nospam" from email address when replying directly.

This is a good idea. BUT,I can think of lots of "side effects" to it..
Mostly technical..A great percentage of estate radio equipment is
obsolete,broken,needing unavailable parts, etc. New hams are not
usually interested in books,tech data ,construction tools ,material
etc.sad but true..Some radio clubs will take estates and sort them out
,direct the items to someone that will appreciate them..A radio club
would be my suggestion.. good luck..W4PQW

On Mon, 6 Feb 2006, wrote:

This is a good idea. BUT,I can think of lots of "side effects" to it..
Mostly technical..A great percentage of estate radio equipment is
obsolete,broken,needing unavailable parts, etc. New hams are not
usually interested in books,tech data ,construction tools ,material
etc.sad but true..Some radio clubs will take estates and sort them out
,direct the items to someone that will appreciate them..A radio club
would be my suggestion.. good luck..W4PQW



Another problem: I went to look at a deceased ham's station that the widow
wanted to get rid of and somehow the widow, who didn't know much about the
value of used gear but could look up stuff in a recent QST, thought that
the "package" (including peripheral stuff) she wanted to sell was for full
list price new (even for gear that was 20+ years old). No, we're not talking
about Collins or rare Halicrafters, either. And, she told me "Well, I'm not
going to give it away" when I offered what it was worth to me (and I only
wanted a small fraction of it, and not that badly either). And, I didn't
even begin to explain about why I might want to have to take some time to
_test_ the stuff to my own satisfaction or that you don't sell used cars
at new car prices. And, I'd want a test drive, too.

wrote in message
oups.com...
This is a good idea. BUT,I can think of lots of "side effects" to it..
Mostly technical..A great percentage of estate radio equipment is
obsolete,broken,needing unavailable parts, etc. New hams are not
usually interested in books,tech data ,construction tools ,material
etc.sad but true..Some radio clubs will take estates and sort them out
,direct the items to someone that will appreciate them..A radio club
would be my suggestion.. good luck..W4PQW

I have reached the point to where I am ridding myself of stuff that the
heirs would throw in the dumpster. I have sold or given to a good home most
of my boat anchors and what is left, I will get rid of after making sure
they are functional. If not then I will advertise them as parts. Some
projects that are no longer important, have gone away.

Leanne - W1WXS

In all seriousness, I remember on fellow in Ohio who was getting up in
years.
He tried to donate his gear ( mostly all pre war equipment ) to the AWA and
another organization.
The AWA is literally ursting at the seams with similar gear. There truly is
just that much of it still around.

The other organization in New York posing as a charity school but in reality
is a scam - I learned this by talking to the organizer of this con as he
leaned bach on his Jaguar - no kidding. He described how the gear is donated
and sold to raise money for other projects very little has anything to do
with radio.

Anyways, I was lucky enough to be given this equipment. I cherish and use
as much of it as I can today. There is still at least one big transmitter
the I will be restoring. But the parts and books have been very handy to
me.

It was sort of an inheritence in reverse. I got the 'goodies' up front and
also got a great friendship with the OM and his XYL.
It was great to have grandparents again albeit adopted ones.
I was glad to help them out with things they needed around the house.
It is utterly amazing how much we take for granted that an elderly person
cannot lift or do.

Lots of nice memories and gosh awful instant coffee with lunch. HI

Our friendship lasted for over five years before he passed. I learned so
much about history, life and even investing in the stock market from my
Elmer.

That was over 10 years ago. I was in my early thirties, It seems like
yesterday.

So my point is that if you can find the right person and the situation is
right, things can work out well.

In the end we just die and our belongings is only stuff whose worth is in
the eye of the beholder.

YT





"Smokey" wrote in message
...
This isn't exactly a pleasant subject but I am interested if anyone has
any
suggestions of organization that are interested in complete boatanchors
estates. I have contacted one organization which is very selective and I
believe if someone is generous enough to put in their will that they will
bequeeth their whole ham station to an organization there should at least
be a little enthusiasm on the part of the organization. Does anyone know
of
any good causes to whom a person can donate his prized equipment, QSLs,
tools etc etc where it will be treasured and appreciated after I am gone?

Smokey

Please remove "nospam" from email address when replying directly.

I have a deal with a good friend who is a ham. The one left standing will
take care of disposal in the most practical means and in return get his pick
of any items they want.




--
Carl
WA1KPD
Visit My Boatanchor Collection at
http://home.comcast.net/~chnord/wa1kpd.html

"Smokey" wrote in message
...
This isn't exactly a pleasant subject but I am interested if anyone has
any
suggestions of organization that are interested in complete boatanchors
estates. I have contacted one organization which is very selective and I
believe if someone is generous enough to put in their will that they will
bequeeth their whole ham station to an organization there should at least
be a little enthusiasm on the part of the organization. Does anyone know
of
any good causes to whom a person can donate his prized equipment, QSLs,
tools etc etc where it will be treasured and appreciated after I am gone?

Smokey

Please remove "nospam" from email address when replying directly.

Rarely does a museum really need some piece of equipment. A donation means
storing it somewhere and then ultimately disposing of it under less than
ideal circumstances.

If you need a write off, then give it to a charitable organization that is
geared up to sell it on eBay to the highest bidder. That will assure that
it will be properly displayed and revered. If you do not need the money,
give it to someone who will appreciate it. Do so while you are still alive
to avoid having a family member overwhelmed with a pile of what they
consider junk.

I had aggressive cancer 10 years ago. Sold most of the stuff to a friend
and retained visitation rights. Kept a few things. Then, I fully
recovered. It took me almost 5 years to accumulate as much or more than I
had the first time around.

73, Colin K7FM

Donating a lifetime collection on the condition that it will all be kept
together seems rather unlikely to me. Not impossible, but there are very,
very few old-radio museums in the world, and most already have more "stuff"
than they can ever exhibit.

Have you tried contacting nearby radio collector clubs? You may meet someone
who would appreciate what you've got. One club list is available at
http://www.antiqueradio.com/clublist.html (no connection to me).

If you can't find anyone to take the whole shebang, and you aren't
interested in eBaying on your own, perhaps you could find a local broker to
sell everything on eBay for a commission. Selling piece-by-piece will get
you much more than trying to sell an entire collection in one lot.

I have already resigned myself to the idea that if I kick tomorrow, my
"treasures" will probably be hauled away by the nearest charity truck. If
you donate to a pick-up charity, at least you could take a modest tax
writeoff.

Regards,

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html