Jazz collections and estate planning

[Quincy]

I used to worry a bit more about this, but the sad truth is that when I pass on (most likely 30 years from now), CDs won't have any value. Most of my books won't have value either. I'll just instruct my heirs to donate to any library willing to cart it off.

I mean it is rare to find any store willing to pay more than $2/CD and 30 years from now, I just don't believe there will be a viable market in used CDs. If I find it too tedious and bothersome to try to extract a bit more value by going the eBay route, I certainly can't expect my heirs to do so.

All I've done is point out "This is a Mosaic box that I store separately from the black Mosaic cases in the shelves. They go together, and it'd probably be wise to get one of your eBay friends to put 'em up and give whatever kind of cut you feel like for doing so." (Yet even there I don't have visions of $100s per box). As for the rest, if I'm not going in the 3 years who knows what titles will be worth, but I know it will be a nuisance trying to figure it out. Collectively it's bulky, horribly heavy yet fragile - what an evil person I'll be if I die before that can be pared down. Oh well, there are worse things men do (plus I listened to all those complaints about her work day. Hmm, I'm hitting Amazon after this post). With all the other post-death crap a person has to deal with, whether it's a nickel to the dollar or paying to get rid of it for all that jazz & classical junk she has no interest so be it. The nephew who never even writes thank you texts can find it all for free or by subscription anyway, plus he'll be deaf because of too many hours with earbuds welded to his head. Actually, I think that last bit may have a disastrous effect on things musical related although medical technology may save the iPod gen's asses...er, ears.

Edited July 8, 2013 by Quincy

[jeffcrom]

_{I've struggled with this quite a bit. At this point, I realize I am not long for this world. I have no kids. No interested friends/relatives. And no need for the cash value. So I carry CDs and LPs with me (when I can) to concerts and give them to young people in attendance. I try to match up the featured artist and the giveaway recordings broadly by style. Obviously, I don't give away the performer's own recordings: bad taste and bad to compete with his/her CD sales.}

I don't know you, BeBop, but based on this and other posts, you seem like a remarkable person.

I've always assumed that my wife will outlive me, and have told her to call a local record dealer who will buy it all. I know that she won't get what it's worth, but I have told her that the collection is worth thousands, not hundreds.

For a lot of reasons, I hope I don't outlive my wife. (Jeez - how selfish is that?)

[robertoart]

Shoes, yes, shoes. Definitely.

That's a funky little ensemble.

They should be given honourable discharges immediately, and start posting here.

[Big Beat Steve]

Now this really is a creepy subject.

Considering how time flies, I've often wondered more or less seriously about this subject myself in recent years once I'd passed the 50 threshold, but seeing all those different options and intentions mentioned here, this really give me the creeps ... (Though no doubt it is something you NEED to consider).

In my case its not only my record collection but also my 50s cars and all the spare parts and manuals etc. I've accumulated for them. So you imagine two space-encumbering hobbies where money is tied up ...

I've already scaled down a little (a LITTLE ... ) on the car stuff I've hoarded (and this will continue) but still ...

Seriously, my own ideas focus on one key aspect. As I expect that my better half will far outlast me (she is 13 1/2 years younger than me) and a good deal of my friends and buddies in the music lover/record collecting field are about 10 years younger than I am, I figure I might just as well appoint one or two trustworthy "caretakers" for what I've accumulated (for various parts of the styles of music I am collecting) who are well-versed enough in these collecting fields to be able to sell off/pass on the stuff to interested takers at a price that at least would net a fair amount of money to my heirs. Not the full value, of course (far from it), but more than just unloading it to a dealer who'd more than likely shortchange you mercilessly. There would be a candidate to take care of the r'n'r stuff and another one for the swing/R&B stuff (which would "only" leave the modern jazz items, then, as things stand now ...).

Oh well ...

[Head Man]

My wife died five years ago and neither of my two children are remotely interested in my music collection, so I have a reciprocal arrangement with a friend who shares my taste in music that whoever goes second will inherit the other's collection and decide how best to sell it off.....or not! That should keep the survivor busy for a while!

[BERIGAN]

Interesting reading...most everyone seems convinced their collections are or soon will be ....worthless! And record dealers are glad you feel that way! Thing is, if God forbid "you" die in the next few years, the collection is likely worth some decent money. Do loved ones really know this fact? Couldn't hurt to show them what some of your Mosaics or some rare cd are going for right now, on ebay or amazon, just so they know it isn't just you thinking your collection has at least some value. Maybe look up some of the stuff yourself, and put a post it on it to show what the value was as of 2013. If you have a few thousand cds, make a speadsheet of the top 100, valuewise, tell the loved ones to pull those aside to sell, then let the record shop or whathaveyou, haveatit.

Last year, I helped a gentleman in his 90s, thin out his LP collection that was in storage(He hadn't spun an lp in more than 10 years, and was paying $140 a month just to store them!) He had first called a dealer , told him about the collection, and the dealer made an insultingly low offer for a few thousand jazz lps(Site unseen, but still) So he then asked me to sell them for him. That's a headache to tell for another day(Nothing to do with him, just that some lps were water damaged, or purchased used in terrible condition, having a bad back, trying to sort things out in a dark storage unit)

That's another thought, might save some later legwork for the fam, and since you are the expert on the collection, call some dealers to check out your collection, to see who would, or would not be a good store for them to deal with.

Even if some young family member might not be interested in the collection, they might be interested in selling it, could ask them ahead of time. Sure would beat a summer job for some young niece or nephew...or an older one wanting to make some extra moola. If money isn’t going to be an issue after you pass, then BeBops way of winding down a collection is a pretty cool way to go!

I don’t think anyone can envision what the value of cds will be in 10, 20, or 30 years. Seems a lot of young folks today love LPs in part because they didn’t grow up with them. Same will be true about cds down the road...heck, hope you didn’t toss any U2, Madonna, or Sex Pistols 8 tracks away, people collect everything.... http://www.ebay.com/sch/Music-/11233/i.html?_sop=16&_from=R40&_nkw=8+track+tapes&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc

Edited July 8, 2013 by BERIGAN

[BERIGAN]

my 60 years of collecting, mostly vinyl, and 35,000 hours of recorded broadcasts, will go to the dump.

at this point, i just don't care. i really want to care about my precious collection, but it would serve no purpose.

Why not donate it to a library, or libraries?

If you call it a precious collection, you do care...

Can't believe it would be that hard to find someone that would want at least some of it...weird...so many jazz fans here...perhaps people should contact folks like you to either pay for, or haul away the LPs down the road, at least you would know the collection was going to a good home...(Perhaps a thread called, when I die?)

as for the broadcasts, have you thought of uploading them(if legal, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) to youtube, etc? Might find someone hearing whatever it is you have, might want to take it off your hands down the road too....

Edited July 8, 2013 by BERIGAN