You can't take it with you.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Following the email announcement I sent out this morning regarding Karl I got this message back:

Dear Grant,

I’m not such an active member on the forum but, indeed we have a common hobby related to SAK’s.

I’m sorry for the loss of Karl.

His loss made me think of what should I do with my private collection of SAK’s that counts more than 180 items, most of them are valuable specials.

I invested so much in that collection that I can sell it without knowing that it’ll be in safe hands and, keep expending.

So, I have two options in mind in case you can assist me with any.

1- To sell the entire collection in a specialized action for SAK’s
2- To be donated by my inheritance to a SAK museum

Your assistance and, advise are very much appreciated.

There are a lot of things in life I don't have the answer to, and this is one of them.  What happens to your collection in the event of the inevitable?  Are they listed in your Will (if you have one), are they itemized for family members that may not know a Surge from a Freestyle or a Camper from a Hiker?

Given the value of our collections (many of which are worth literally thousands of dollars) it seems like some kind of plan should be considered for them in advance. Your family may not want to sell them, based on how much they meant to you, but what can they be expected to do with a pile of old Swiss Army Knives and plier tools?  After all the sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephews have all gotten a knife or two to remember you by, for most of us there is still a pile left over.

I've thought of this a lot for my own collection, and I haven't got an answer myself.  I feel like a grieving family shouldn't be harassed with detailed questions about can opener variants or shipping quotes when they have just lost a loved one, so what options are there?

I'd appreciate hearing everyone else's thoughts.

Def

[Mechanickal]

I thought about it. Even though I'm still young.

For now, my fiancee knows which ones are the most valuable.
However, she hasn't got a clue on actual pricings.

The largest problem is that we're no average collectors.
With mlilions of people collecting stamps, it's easy to find help and/or buyers.
With just a few SAK collectors in my country, not so much.

Granting them acces to your MTO account, like Karl did, seems like a good idea.
Both for letting everyone know, and help with valueing/selling.

[Corwyn]

I have two friends here from Romania.
They are both members on the forum but not post much. My wife knows their Facebook names and I'm sure they'll either give her a fair price for the lot or make sure they get sold at a decent price. Should be at least a couple of grand there.

Actually I'm thinking more and more on this ... my cousin died last month ... 36 year old Marketing Manager and amateur basketball player. Fit and healthy, fell during a basketball match and never got up.

Just doubled my life insurance, put another insurance on my bank loan and made instructions on how the knives and comic books and and watches and fish tanks should be best used ...

[Aloha]

Its a great question and we've heard the tell about the fella who collected ( fill in the blank ) and told his significant other he only paid a fraction for the items.  Upon his death his significant other sells off the highly collectable items for a fraction over what was told he paid or for what he said he paid.  Never having a clue how valuable these items were monetarily.       

While I still have items I truly enjoy, there are items I've already sent to new homes and continue to do so.  I do so not only because I don't want to burden my family but because I have come to the point where I really enjoy using the items I get.  Yes I have shelf queens and items that are somewhat collectable so those will have to be dealt with. 

I have already put together a list of most the items with all the pertinent information needed about them.  I have the price I paid and the current value.  I gave my kids the authority like Karl did for them to contact MTO upon my death, my partner also has been given the same authority.  I don't want to pass and my MTO family not know what the heck happened should I not post for a long time.   I have a list of items I'd like them to keep, only a few things but things they might remember me by.   

I keep no secrets from my family or partner about my tools.  They know I collect and have several items that need to be dealt with at some point.  All said, I have about 50 MT, 40 SAKs, the other items are 10 or less.  Very manageable IMO. 

[AimlessWanderer]

I look at it slightly differently (as I do with most things). I bought things, and modded things, which I think will enrich my life. Once that comes to an end, their significance to me has ended. They have done their job, be they pocket knives, photos, saucepans, socks, furniture or shower gel.

Whoever is around to pick up the pieces when my time is up, gets free reign on the decision, whether that's sell, keep, or just order a skip and throw everything in it. Before I check out, I would like to leave less crap to worry about than what there currently is, but I'm not going to prejudge, or leave specific instructions, on somebody else's life, because in my mind, that's what it amounts to.

The most cherished possessions I have of family and friends who are no longer around, is memories. I don't own possessions of theirs to remember them by, I just remember them and the times we shared. I don't need "stuff" for that. That colours my views on the stuff I leave behind too, and I hope I'll be remembered kindly by certain people even if they don't snaffle a pocket knife.

I do appreciate that others think differently though. If the nearest and dearest want something of mine when I no longer have need of it, or people just want the memories and stories, that's entirely up to them. It's for them to choose what will enrich their lives, or burden it. I won't take my stuff with me, but I won't take their free will either.

[Aloha]

I watched a show called "Stange Inheritance".  Its interesting what some people leave behind and how the family decided to deal with it.  In some instances the family is left to decided on their own.  In many cases knowing the person who has passed cherished these items dearly those left behind do want to hold onto certain items. 

There have been inheritances that were collectively sold.  It'll be interesting how our belongings will be dealt with.  It wont matter to me if they sell or bin or keep.  Like AW I want to leave a manageable amount of stuff.   I would love to leave a sizable amount of cash or wealth but that aint happening     

[KBM3]

A great discussion topic.
My wife will inherit all of my belongings with the exception of one knife that will be buried with me. I do not have a large collection as I will only own what I will use. My wife, who uses knives and mt's herself, can keep what she wants and sell the rest.

Ken

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's easier to say they will sell things than it is going to be for them to do.

When my Husky died (ok, I know it's a dog and some may think it won't apply) I gave away his bed while I was still in shock.  It went to a good home, to another husky, who I know used it for a few more years be she followed after him.  I was in shock and numb for a while and could do those things.

A few weeks later I was vacuuming and found a fluff bunny made entirely of his fur behind the couch.  I am not ashamed to admit that I not only broke down, but more pertinent to this conversation, I couldn't bring myself to suck it up.  Even after I forced myself to suck it up with the vacuum I was strongly tempted to open the vacuum and retrieve it.

And that was just dog hair- imagine if it had been something of any actual value, that had taken effort to acquire.  I believe there is no way I could have brought myself to get rid of anything that had actual meaning to it.

I get the idea that when I'm gone it won't be my problem anymore, they can do what they want, but that's not the case more often than not.

Def

[ThundahBeagle]

The truth is we all got it comin to us, and I have a tendency to agree with at least the first half of AimlessWanderer's statement. But the other side of that coin is that, while it will no longer matter to me when I'm gone, it may matter to someone.

When my mother died, she left no will that we could find. My siblings voted me executor per se. Maybe they secretly hate me. It is truly a thankless job to try to figure out what goes where for someone who hasn't taken the time to plan. Worse than just thankless, it can really pit family vs. family.

In cases like this, an mportant point is for the living not to make important decisions about possessions under the duress of initial grieving. Then again, most people I know would not consider Leathermans important. In the big picture, neither do I, but I dont need anyone fighting amongst each other over all my junk.

Do you know of anyone around you who shares your interests? Well, it is not enough to just tell them "this or that is yours when I'm gone" because if you are not prepared in the legal sense, someone else may become the arbiter of what goes where. And possession is 9/10 of the law.

If it really doesn't matter to you and you want to know your passing will cause some sort of scene, by all means, do nothing.

But if it matters to you at all, at minimum, give the things you mean to give and do it soon. At best, itemize, label store and put in a will anything else you specifically want to be handled according to a will.

[AimlessWanderer]

I get the idea that when I'm gone it won't be my problem anymore, they can do what they want, but that's not the case more often than not.

But the other side of that coin is that, while it will no longer matter to me when I'm gone, it may matter to someone.

Here, I have two younger brothers and both parents. My mother would want to keep something of mine, my father probably wouldn't. My brothers would both want a knife or two. They wouldn't all be kept.

The youngest would most likely keep something obscure, like a spork, or an ornament, or keyring, and maybe a hat or two,  the older one my spanners and screwdrivers, and something that reminded him of the boat. Maybe a tool, or my stovetop kettle. None of them would want my vintage razors or old drafting tools. Pens and art stuff would be cast out, or passed on to the kids. My stash of nasal snuff would be binned, as would my psychology books, and most of my camping gear. One of them would keep my pocket watch, my cast iron cookware, and the knives they know I made myself, but who? Should I decide, or leave it to them? Maybe my earlier assumptions in this post were completely wrong...

I'd rather let them choose whatever they associate value to. I'd not be leaving behind anything of significant monetary worth, so it's all down to emotional attachment, and I don't want to tell them how to remember me, and with what. It's quite possible the seemingly most irrelevant thing I own, strikes them as being more significant than anything I've mentioned so far.

Thankfully, I trust my family not to squabble over things... too much... none of us are really that materialistic. If my folks go before me, I really don't expect any battles between any of us over who gets what.

[pomsbz]

My uncle's brother had a valuable stamp collection. He asked me to look at ways of selling it all on. I did the math. It wasn't worth the bother to actually make the sales. He would need someone internet savvy, with the time and patience to advertise, package and post the parcels and by the time he'd paid someone to do that plus all the time spent writing up the provenance of all the separate sales to make them valuable to a buyer, it would have been a whole lot of work for very little gain. Now he's too old and ill to deal with it. My uncle himself had some valuable china, same deal, I've no idea where it even is these days, he's on full time support in a caring home.

I found that a valuable life lesson. To deal with it yourself while you still have the contacts to make it happen. Otherwise despite the individual value of pieces, it will probably end up being sold en masse for far less that it's worth, if it doesn't get shoved into the attic to be forgotten for decades or more. Even if you list the full values, catalogue fully, etc, who says that the person dealing with it will understand or have the time and patience to decline when someone offers a bulk sum for the entire collection because they actually do have the infrastructure in place to make profit from it?

The idea of a collection being a valuable asset as an inheritance is very dependant on whether the inheritor will have the knowledge, time and patience to realise the value. Yes, certain very valuable or unique collections are just that, something worth calling in experts to deal with. A collection as niche as the ones most of us have? I doubt it. Personally I'm in favour as time goes on of keeping a few users, liquidating the collection using our own contacts, knowledge and most importantly, time - and then using the money raised to achieve something, whether for ourselves or those we would have bequeathed to.

[Gerhard Gerber]

My uncle's brother had a valuable stamp collection. He asked me to look at ways of selling it all on. I did the math. It wasn't worth the bother to actually make the sales.

Several have mentioned stamps.....

While cleaning out the garage and setting up my shop I couldn't stand the thought of my grandfather's stamp collection staying in there another day....

The stamps are mounted in a big portrait frame, there used to be three of them and they got my grandfather in the newspaper during his day.

He was a young man during the Great Depression and had a hard life, the stamps are fascinating, some even beautiful, considering the effort that went into collecting them it had to be very valuable to my grandfather.

As mentioned there were 3, no idea where the others ended up, but I realized my unsure NFA and childless existence  means I'm not the one to look after it.....

My cousin is married with children, paying off a house and all that, so he's taken it over.


Indeed we can't take these things with us, and sometimes they become a burden long before then.....

[Aloha]

Well said POMSBZ  .  The simple truth is, when we're dead our things wont mean a darn thing anymore.  To those left behind they will have to do something with them regardless if we willed them or not.  In watching that program I mentioned ( strange inheritance ) I saw how the items left after a death are tried to be dealt with respectfully.  Def wrote that "I get the idea that when I'm gone it won't be my problem anymore, they can do what they want, but that's not the case more often than not." 

Leaving specific items to people whether they have monetary value or not is many cases is irrelevant when it comes to how they will feel about them.  There will be a burden no matter how much or little you think you have.  Some one will have to dispatch our belongings.  They wont know what item/s will impact them when the time comes.  Defs story is a very clear example of that.   

[17Chap]

I don't have very many, not really a collector. Some of the ones I do have are early and worth more than others. I've labeled them with a small tag as best I can. If something happens to me it would not be hard to look them up from the info on the tag and make them available for sale. I've also done the same with my father's knives and some of the items I have that belonged to my deceased brother. I want the family to know about them so they can decide what to do with them. My children are all grown and I've already passed to them my father's firearms.

Jess

[tosh]

I started a thread a few years back in the collectors section
Entitled - what will become of your legacy

After the tragic news of Karl's passing I began thinking of my own mortality. I admit Karl had certain items I would have loved to have had in my own collection - the problem is...where do we draw the line? When is enough enough?

I've pondered this scenario since I hit the big Five 0 at the start of the year, prior to which I was happily adding more and more stuff to whatever I happend to be collecting.
But now I'm 50, it seems a little pathetic, this constant buying and storing....and for what?? If like me, you are a collector rather than a user, then the last thing you want to do is actually use the latest addition you've bought, so in effect I've basically become nothing other than a custodian to my collection. The collection dictates where it lives in my house - I cannot chance humidity changes by storing in the garage or the attic.

I'm beginning to question my reasons for keeping it all. Let's take my SOG collection, besides the TiNi's, Palladin and West Marine tools the rest is just run of the mill mass produced SOG...why on earth hoard them?
The same applies to the Victorinox, out of 5 rammed shoe boxes I think only a dozen are really worth keeping, the rest are merely mass produced models.
Same for Gerber, keep hold of the MP 600 cable cutter, fisherman, trail rider and coloured models the rest are just mass produced models commonly available on eBay.
And so it goes on with Leatherman, Schrade, Wenger etc etc
I could probably condense my entire collection to a 5th of its normal size and not miss a single item.

Same applies to Photo Gear, Power Tools etc etc

Just heaps and heaps of expensive stuff sat about doing nothing, but that will prove to be a masssive headache if I suddenly were not around anymore.

I think I may be on the verge of turning the corner........

[Vidar]

I had to think some about this. For me there are at least three sides of value to objects:

• The pure monetary market value,
• The value it might have to someone based on my connection to the object and their connection to me - aka sentimental value
• The value for someone like minded as me who valuates the objects for similar reasons. Enthusiast value if you will.

Based on that, the above discussion, and earlier experiences with inheritance, I'm thinking along the following outline:

• Anything of substantial monetary value (house car level) should either be sold (easier to divide) or kept as those nearest to me agree on. For objects where valuation can be hard some contact info to helpful people with knowledge will be useful. Some list with rough ideas might be a worthwhile effort too - while keeping in mind that most people, including me, tend to overvalue items they own.
• If I've made it clear (to everybody) that I want someone to have something I expect that to be respected by all.
  
• If anyone close wants any other item for up to say USD 5000 for sentimental reasons they can have that. If several wants the same, and got about the same so far, then do a lottery. Winner is out until everybody else have something they want too.
• Any item or collection which have limited monetary effect (after work involved) and which would be truly valued by a friend or common enthusiast should just be giftet in that direction. Same goes if it is just too much work to deal with.
• Pay someone to take the rest to a good cause or the dumpster respectively.

Something along those lines - still thinking.

[specgrade]

When I'm dead and gone, my collection of knives will go to my kids to do as they please. My dad left me the gun he used to end his life and I sold it at a gun show. Why it had to be a Taurus and not a Smith & Wesson ( could have gotten more money )?

 Anyway I won't care when I'm dead and really don't much care now. Interesting topic though!

[Smashie]

I faced this question twice last year.

So the end result was everything goes to my son (the ex-wife can go whistle).

My flat (apartment) will be rented out any any profits go into trust for him.

Various other things, knives, multis, watches, books etc will go to one of the executors to be held for him until he's old enough.

A lot of things I've acquired over the years can be disposed of, camping gear etc. After all I'm not going to miss any of it am I?

I realised last year that all the things in the world aren't important at all. People and legacy are.

Even if I had no physical items to leave to him I can at least leave him with the ideals of respect, honor, humour, humility, cheerfulness, adaptability and unselfihness.

Peace out

[sir_mike]

Nowadays I don't have big collections but man in the past I collected Spyderco sprint runs, mt's, sak's, gold coins, golf club sets, etc and literally had quite a bit of money wrapped up in stuff I never used but just wanted to look at from time to time.  I mean there is no way to use 8-10 different Spyderco's or a dozen mt's and 20 or so sak's.  I know alot of folks have way more than I do but to me that was my collections.

Early last year, we got hit with some major unexpected debt, almost $75,000 and prior to that we were sitting pretty good.  Not rich but bills paid and money in the bank.  Now it is very tough to makes ends meat so I have sold off darn new everything I had collection wise except for a handful of sak's, couple mt's and a Spydie or two.  I will still get rid of some more soon but this really does make you think hard about what you have sitting around in the house.

That said, I have told the misses that what ever is left, sell it for what you can get!  I have two sons that I told to do a little research (google it) on any items left so mom can get an idea of what to ask for them!  I know what I paid for something and so does the misses which doesn't really mean anything by time or when I go so that is why I asked my sons to check out prices on the items in hopes of getting her a fair price for them and not giving them away.  Not that any are collector status items though so it should be way easier!

[Aloha]

I finally finished my list for the kids.  Since my last post here I had continued to give away and sell things thinning out my collection.  I think my collection is fairly manageable.   Many of you know I lost my son last year.  In his early 20s he didn't amass nearly the stuff older folks do.  What we were struck with is the combination of holding on and letting go.

The monetary value of our stuff is only part of our stuff.  We donated a lot of his clothes knowing someone would benefit from nice clothes.  We made sure to give it to an organization that didn't resell but actually had people needing nice clothes.  Cash and other things like car were more easily decided upon.  It was the random things we still struggle with what to do with it. 

When I look at my stuff I wonder what my kids will feel connected to.  I began last year giving them any jewelry I had.  I gave them other items that had cash value and personal value.   This is stuff that sat so it was easy to do. 

My partner bought me a shelved bod to store my tools.  I began to put items in it when it dawned on me I should place only my most cherished items.  Make it easy for them to know exactly what I valued beyond the monetary value.  Maybe then they'll have an easier time deciding what to do. 

I have also re wrote my will letting them know it was ok to dispatch stuff.  Photographing everything will be a PITA let alone packing and shipping each item.  My small collection is still over 100pcs. 

Sure I can say it'll be their problem once I'm dead but I personally don't want to do that.  After watching them try to decide what to do with their brothers stuff which was mostly clothes, it's not something I want them to deal with. 

Even if our collections aren't worth collector money, its worth something monetarily.  They'll want to do right by us and part of that burden not realized now is them selling and worrying about getting a fair price.  They'll have enough on their plate. 

Maybe we'll get lucky like Karl.  Maybe out stuff will be like some of the stuff I see at the flea market on table tops.  Recently I was at the thrift store.  We saw a large collection of John Wayne items.  One whole rack was filled.  I wondered how long and how much time went into collecting these items.   Some items still have the price tag on them.  Nearly everything was being sold 1/2 off that had a price tag.  The other stuff was even less from what I figured. 

Does it matter?  The collector is gone so for them, no. 

I guess what I'm saying is, our loved ones will be burdened regardless.  Even with explicit directions and values of what we have they will have to put some effort into moving it on or storing it.  Its been a little over a year since my sons passing.  The easy part of moving on some of his stuff is over.  The cash and bigger items were also fairly easy to decide upon.  The hardest part is the items we kept and for no other reason than our attempt to keep a part of him with us. 

Everything I have tools wise are kept in easy to distinguish containers from whats valuable to what just collected stuff.  My most carried items are also very easy to determine.  I keep them on my dresser top.       

[RF52]

I finally finished my list for the kids.  Since my last post here I had continued to give away and sell things thinning out my collection.  I think my collection is fairly manageable.   Many of you know I lost my son last year.  In his early 20s he didn't amass nearly the stuff older folks do.  What we were struck with is the combination of holding on and letting go.

The monetary value of our stuff is only part of our stuff.  We donated a lot of his clothes knowing someone would benefit from nice clothes.  We made sure to give it to an organization that didn't resell but actually had people needing nice clothes.  Cash and other things like car were more easily decided upon.  It was the random things we still struggle with what to do with it. 

When I look at my stuff I wonder what my kids will feel connected to.  I began last year giving them any jewelry I had.  I gave them other items that had cash value and personal value.   This is stuff that sat so it was easy to do. 

My partner bought me a shelved bod to store my tools.  I began to put items in it when it dawned on me I should place only my most cherished items.  Make it easy for them to know exactly what I valued beyond the monetary value.  Maybe then they'll have an easier time deciding what to do. 

I have also re wrote my will letting them know it was ok to dispatch stuff.  Photographing everything will be a PITA let alone packing and shipping each item.  My small collection is still over 100pcs. 

Sure I can say it'll be their problem once I'm dead but I personally don't want to do that.  After watching them try to decide what to do with their brothers stuff which was mostly clothes, it's not something I want them to deal with. 

Even if our collections aren't worth collector money, its worth something monetarily.  They'll want to do right by us and part of that burden not realized now is them selling and worrying about getting a fair price.  They'll have enough on their plate. 

Maybe we'll get lucky like Karl.  Maybe out stuff will be like some of the stuff I see at the flea market on table tops.  Recently I was at the thrift store.  We saw a large collection of John Wayne items.  One whole rack was filled.  I wondered how long and how much time went into collecting these items.   Some items still have the price tag on them.  Nearly everything was being sold 1/2 off that had a price tag.  The other stuff was even less from what I figured. 

Does it matter?  The collector is gone so for them, no. 

I guess what I'm saying is, our loved ones will be burdened regardless.  Even with explicit directions and values of what we have they will have to put some effort into moving it on or storing it.  Its been a little over a year since my sons passing.  The easy part of moving on some of his stuff is over.  The cash and bigger items were also fairly easy to decide upon.  The hardest part is the items we kept and for no other reason than our attempt to keep a part of him with us. 

Everything I have tools wise are kept in easy to distinguish containers from whats valuable to what just collected stuff.  My most carried items are also very easy to determine.  I keep them on my dresser top.       

Sorry for your loss

Sent fra min M2002J9G via Tapatalk

[Aloha]

   Thank you. 

[Dutch_Tooler]

I wasn't aware Aloha - heartfelt, if belated, condoleances for your loss. Hard to imagine for someone who hasn't been through this...

[SurgeUk]

It must have been, and continue to be, awful.

My sincerest condolences to you and your family.


 

[Aloha]

Certainly put things into perspective regarding our stuff.  Its why I posted here.  I know my kids will already have to deal with stuff.  Having to do right by the things they perceive me to cherish is not something I want for them to go through. 

I'm not saying stop collection, goodness no  .  Just in my situation I want to help them transition best they can with out all the extra BS. 

[Chako]

I still feel for your loss friend. Kids are supposed to outlive their parents.

As for me...I am taking it with me!

Just joking. I have not given it any consideration as of yet. I have no children to inherit. Once I am gone, I guess I will be beyond any caring.

[kottskrapa]

I'm sorry for your loss, I didn't know until now.

But you are absolutely right about our stuff, collection and might need later things. In the end they don't do us any good and it might be a good time to take a look around to see what is really important

[It's not failure if you learn something from it]

[Aloha]

Thank you. 

Yeah, again its not about stopping.  Its knowing our stuff will have to be dealt with.  For those going thru it it both cathartic and burdensome.  I have been transitioning the stuff I do appreciate most into the shelving unit I recently got.  They can do what they will with anything in my 1 container. 

[Singh]

If you don't want to burden your loved ones with your junk, then give it away before you die. Sell it, donate it, whatever. Get rid of it.

In my experience, the people who died with collections of "valuable" stuff; turns out their collections were not that valuable, and certainly not valuable enough to justify the headache to your loved ones who have to deal with sorting that junk out.







 

[gregozedobe]

Definitely some food for thought here.  I have a very large collection that I don't want my wife to have to  deal with if I die before her (and she has reminded me about this on more than one occasion).

Maybe I should get a bit more serious about thinning the herd, as there are actually very few that I would really miss.  For me it was more the thrill of the hunt and handling something new/unusual or interesting than the actual owning.

Unfortunately international postage from Australia is now quite expensive, so selling less valuable MTs to overseas buyers is more difficult.