The things we love and those we love

[Michael Moffa]

To every other PGCA member who is ticking more than one box (I've got age, hypertension, blood type, Diabetes and previous pneumonia lung damage) you may want to bring your loved ones up to speed on exactly where and how many collectibles you have hidden away. If you get this you are not going to have time to get your affairs in order. My collection is inventoried and organized and disposition is specifically mentioned in my will.

I'll bet dollars to donuts that your loved ones will not know how to dispose of or the value of your collection and that there will be unscrupulous characters ready to pounce on the unwary. Protect them now for when the inthinkable happens.

This is one of the reasons why I bring the Pretty Wife to our events so that she can meet you guys and have confidence in the advice you would give. We have to look out for one another as there is not another educated group who can.

Spin

[Garry L Gordon]

Good to mention this now, Michael -- thanks. My best to you during this pandemic.

[Mills Morrison]

Make sure you have a will, power of attorney and living will and make sure your family has access to these documents. And that is advice to people who are healthy and when there is no plague on the loose.

[Mark Britton]

I was shooting Sporting Clays with a good friend as we got in the cart between stations, he said I need to write down what my guns are worth so my wife will know in case something happens to me. Struck me odd, I only replyed that would be a good idea . Less than 30 days he passed away in his sleep, and never did ! We never know !

[Eric Eis]

As was said above, make sure your loved ones know where to sell and ballpark prices. But remember its not just the guns, how about all of those catalogs (that they think are just paper junk to recycle) or the collector ammo that one of "your buddies " will buy for five to ten bucks a box:shock: .Spell it all out and place it with your important documents so they can be easily found.

As my family attorney *she was seventy at the time and seen it all) "When death comes look out because the will follow" She was referring to family and close friends. Something to ponder...............

[Dean Romig]

And place a value on your book collections as well. Be aware that a "book store" specializing in antiquarian and collectible books will offer something less than half of their value to "relieve" you of the whole collection...

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[Michael D Hankinson]

I keep a "Gunlist"file that has lots of information on where acquired, if from family, if they require low pressure shorter ammo, special features, if I have an extra barrel, accessories, as much info as I can for my meager collection. In about 10 minutes I'll be taking my 128 year old Parker for a walk in the sunshine here in Michigan to check trail cams etc. My wife just told me I had a long beard just scurry out of our old horse pasture. Once a year I have a "Boys" get together with my two sons, son-in-law and grandson to give them an update on Life. We normally do a big Pork Chop, Salad, and my old Fried Campstyle potatoes (I know that may be enough to kill me) but we do the finances and any questions they have. Highly recommend this idea to all.

[Richard Flanders]

I have the same thing Michael. I have all my firearms entered into a simple spreadsheet showing maker, model. date of and purchase price, condition, etc + notes. Without this spreadsheet even I wouldn't know what I have! I have a couple of guns on that sheet that I can't find and know I didn't sell. Total mystery at this point.

[Keith Doty]

I have kept a index card file for many years with all the particulars to each firearm as well as purchase price, date and a CURRENT estimated value. I update with a new card anytime a new gun "walks" into the house and annually (a new year's task) on the ones I've owned for years. Keep it in one of the safes where my wife has easy access, right next to her good jewelry, passports, etc.

[Bill Murphy]

Tags for parts and barrels that say "This barrel goes with gun #xxx", "This barrel is separate from any gun in this collection". Books, Parker collectibles and catalogs should be sold as soon as they become a burden in your household, preferably while you are still alive. OK, so that leaves the guns. Consider tagging them. I am thinking about that now.

[Garry L Gordon]

I purchased a piece of inexpensive, but very serviceable, software that is designed for documenting collections. You can easily create fields of your choosing, and it allows you to load photos. I document all of my guns with purchase information and also include photos (including those of my research letters). I log the barrel specifications -- bore size, barrel wall thickness, choke constriction, etc. as well as stock dimensions and assessments of the condition (I also include any dealer or auction catalog description).

My wife knows where this record is and how to use it. If we both "go" at the same time, our will should suffice. We have no close relatives nor anyone of our acquaintance that would do anything but try to make a buck on the guns and books I've collected. I've told my wife to seek help here and have made a list of people I respect for her to seek advice on selling, should that need to happen.

[Randy G Roberts]

I have been doing it for years Garry on my own with a spreadsheet that I created but I am always open to something new, better, and possibly even easier. Would you mind sharing what the name of the software is that you are referring to please?

[Richard Flanders]

You can do what Garry is doing with Excel. You can link any cell to a photo or a document. There's nothing much simpler than an Excel spreadsheet and you can do an awful lot with them.

[Randy G Roberts]

That's sort of what I have been doing. Created my own Excel evaluation form as I call it. I store those forms along with pics, research letters, and anything else of relevance in Dropbox.

[Garry L Gordon]

The software is called Recollector. I'm pretty sure excel is just as good (at least my wife tells me so, and she has decent computer skills). I never had to make spreadsheets in my work (but had plenty shoved at me). Recollector is very easy to use. Trust me, my computer skills are pretty weak...and I use a Mac, so much of the Microsoft "stuff" is far beyond my pay grade.

[Phil Yearout]

This loose leaf binder is on my shelves; the record book was available from Mike Murphy & Sons and maybe still is; it's tucked inside. It shows who, when, where etc. the gun came from, price paid, repairs/alterations made and cost, serial numbers, and any other tidbits about each gun. At least my family will have an idea of value. I have similar records of rods & reels, musical instruments, etc. As to other things of value - books, art, pipes, misc. stuff...not so much. I guess they're on their own there :o. I do remember a quote I saw that I always loved: "My greatest fear is that when I'm gone my wife will sell my stuff for what I told her I paid for it."

https://i.imgur.com/atcObnFl.jpg

[Rick Losey]

I do remember a quote I saw that I always loved: "My greatest fear is that when I'm gone my wife will sell my stuff for what I told her I paid for it."


Koos Brandt

• “My biggest fear is that when I’m dead and gone, my wife will try to sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.”

[Phil Yearout]

Thanks Rick, I've seen it lots of places, and for guns, guitars, and other things. I substituted "stuff" on account of I have lots of "stuff" myself; never knew who it was attributed to.

[Harry Collins]

I just inventoried "The Arsenal" and found I have 77 guns. I did a spread sheet as I only had loose leaf journal of some of the guns. Because we are moving to town when the farm sells I am in the process of downsizing. I didn't protect my inheritance as well as I should, but then they were not my guns. So, I'm either going to do a dispersal or offer the grandchildren a choice or both. I'm leaning toward doing a dispersal and the guns leftover being inheritable. Right now selling guns feels like I'm about to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Phil,Guns I have listed and the wife knows what I paid and every year a new what its worth now price, but you got me thinking about musical instruments, My father lived to be 95 and back in the thirties he played in a group called the " The Carolina Boys" They played on the radio twice weekly, I have his Gibson guitar, The folks in Nashville tell me it was made around 1920, He told me he bought it in a pawn shop in the early thirties, It has the greatest sound, the frets are worn down from much playing, my kids do not play, I refuse to sell it I have had numerous offers, got to decide who gets it and make sure they value it for what it is. So I need to include my guitars in the value of things had not even thought of that till your post, Thanks Gary