Download - DeaCcessing your collection - LADAP
DEACCESSING
YOUR
COLLECTION To Have & To Hold – Or Not?
Planning guide for the after-life of your
collection – Options available for parting
with your treasures purposefully
c. 2018. Publication or reproduction (other than a single copy for personal use) of this document requires express permission of the author Cathey Merrill - [email protected]
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INDEX
Definition………………………………………………………………………………………………………...... 2
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2-6
Chapter One: Documentation………………………………………………………………………. 8-12
Chapter Two: Will It Away…………………………………………………………………………… 14-16
Chapter Three: Museum Donation……………………………………………………………… 18-23
Chapter Four: Donate to Charity…………………………………………………………………. 25-26
Chapter Five: Consignment………………………………………………………………………………. 28
Chapter Six: Estate Sale………………………………………………………………………………. 30-31
Chapter Seven: Private Appointment Sale……………………………………………………….. 32
Chapter Eight: Auction…………………………………………………………………………………….. 34
Chapter Nine: Sell On Line……………………………………………………………………………….. 35
Chapter Ten: Hire Professionals………………………………………………………………………… 37
Writer’s Note:
As you will see, our area of collecting is handmade from Mexico. The photos used
are limited to our own personal collection. In some cases, the words “Mainly
Mexican” are displayed within the photo. Mainly Mexican Antiques and
Collectibles is a small space inside the AG Antiques mall at 313 W. 19th Street,
Houston, TX (77008) which we own and operate. Having this space and selling
Mexican art is another way we have expanded and enjoyed collecting the same
type items. We have a website and Facebook page of the same name and
thousands of photos displayed on Pinterest under the same name.
If you are interested in contacting us, we can be reached at [email protected]
and our phone number is 713-253-3537
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WHAT WILL BECOME OF MY COLLECTION WHEN I’M GONE? Or, how to get rid of
your private art collection (A Collector’s Guide to Deaccession)
DEFINITION
Deaccessioning is defined on Wikipedia.org as the process by which a work of art
or other object is permanently removed from a museum’s collection. For the
purpose of this booklet, you are considered the curator of your own museum
collection. Your responsibility as curator, some day in the future, will be to
deaccess your entire collection. How will you accomplish this important task?
INTRODUCTION
Whether you have collected fine art oil paintings of a particular era or artist,
Mexican folk art or Pre-Hispanic artifacts, mid-century table lighters or super hero
comic books, most likely your collection means more to you than just a casual
pastime. One of our collector friends thinks of his collection as his 401K plan. If
you store it carefully, display it somewhere in your home or keep it in a safe, you
value it. If it is all in a box in the basement or attic, you may not care what
happens to it over time or maybe you haven’t reached that point in life yet when
thinking about the future and planning for yourself, your family and your
belongings becomes a pressing matter. Maybe this book comes at a time when
you have recently begun to collect and you can easily get off on the right path.
Wherever you are in your collecting history, when you look at individual pieces
you have collected, memories are automatically triggered of when and where you
were when you acquired it. The memories are reminders of how you have spent
your free time and possibly even your lifetime. Our collections bring experiential
and visual interest and joy to our lives.
Collectors are as diverse as their collections. Some are more financially equipped
or more seriously focused than others. Some collectors have continued adding to
a collection started by a relative but otherwise they may not have the same level
of interest as the person who began the work or vice versa. There are certainly
collectors who have researched, documented and maintained their collections
from the beginning and they are fortunate to be in that position. Others may not
have reached that level of seriousness yet but may one day.
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This book attempts to answer the following frequently asked question- what will
become of my collection when I am gone? The answer depends heavily on what
decisions and preparations you have made. You first must answer this very
personal question. Do I care enough about my collection to do the extra work of
planning for its afterlife?
Because our collections represent to some degree who we are and what we’ve
done, most collectors care about what will become of their treasures when they
are no longer around. Planning ahead in preparation for the unknown future is
not only wise but can be another way to actually enjoy and protect your
collection. I enjoy making small books using Free Prints Photo Books on
categories within our collection. The books contain only photos and captions but
document and capture the beauty and diversity of our collections in a way we can
pass down or easily share with others. Once our collection is gone, we will still
have the books as a reminder.
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Most of us don’t expect a natural disaster in our future but one could be around
the corner through flood, hurricane, earthquake, tornado, fire, etc., and being
prepared for the future can mean all the difference. Regardless of unexpected
disaster, we are all leaving at some unknown time in the future; best to be
prepared.
A good friend of ours living in California spent seven years building her own home
from scratch by her own hands with the help of her carpenter father. The house
was designed to maximize storage and space for her huge collection as well as her
personal business as a dealer of similar merchandise which she marketed and sold
through her home business. Unfortunately, in the blink of an eye, the California
wildfires of 2017 burned everything she owned to the bare ground except for the
clothes she was wearing and her cat. Her busy life had not allowed the time or she
had not taken the time to photograph her collection let alone catalog each piece so
it was gone from her forever. The only photos taken were after the fire as she
found pieces of ceramics charred black and broken along with iron crosses buried in
the ash of what had been her home and business. From these photos and her
memory, she had to try to reimagine everything she owned in order to attempt to
collect on her insurance. After such a devastating loss and in the middle of trying to
recreate a daily life without a home, car, business or job, she had to try to relive her
life in order to document what she had collected and lost. After many months, she
was still working with the insurance company to try to collect something on which
to rebuild her daily life. In hindsight, though the grief of her loss could not have
been prevented, the grief of never seeing it again and the grief of having to try to
remember every item collected over about a 30 year period of travel and time could
have been mitigated if she had fully documented each item collected at the time of
purchase and stored the documentation in the cloud.
To do the work or not, that is the question. If you reach the positive conclusion
that you care enough about your collection to take the time to plan and prepare
for its future, skip ahead to Chapter One. If you have not yet reached that
decision you may want to keep this book with your collection for whomever will
someday take responsibility.
If you reached the negative conclusion that you either do not care enough about
your collection to do the work of planning for its afterlife or don’t think you have
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the time to do the work at this point in your life, you are not alone. Many, if not
most people, do nothing to plan ahead for themselves much less their personal
belongings or collections. This course of inaction might be considered as ignoring
the whole thing and letting someone else worry about it once you are gone. This
is an option, but is it the best one for you and your collection?
As a hobbyist dealer of antiques myself, I am approached almost daily when in my
retail shop by people wanting to sell or consign the furniture and collections of
their deceased relatives. Most often they come in without any photographs or
details and want to locate a dealer who would have interest in what they say are
really special pieces but they offer nothing on which to base their opinions. It
happens so often that none of the fifty dealers with whom I work will take the
time to make an appointment to go visit the location of these items. If time is
money, no one wants to waste their time with someone who has made no
preparation and cannot even back up their words with photographs. At the very
least, a collector or holder of a collection should take good photographs of each
item or groups of items.
On the other hand, I am contacted regularly by people all over the United States
who have found me on line when researching our common collection interest.
They send me an email and usually include at least one photo and ask if I am
interested in talking with them to answer questions. Out of courtesy I always
respond, whether personally interested or not and often it turns out that they
want to sell one or more items or even a whole collection. After viewing photos
of everything in the collection to be sold and learning the sales price and details, I
have often purchased the entire collection with the intention of keeping parts in
my personal collection and selling the rest in my retail store. The point is that
having photos and detailed information is the starting place to whatever course of
action will be taken in time whether in your own lifetime or during the life of
whomever will take responsibility once you are gone.
You might be surprised as to how many collectors have no idea what will become
of their collections and have made no steps towards planning.
We are acquainted with an elderly couple who has been collecting most of their
lives and even had their home custom built to best display their treasures. Their
home and collections are of the highest quality and have been featured in books
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and magazines. They have no children and when asked what will become of their
collection when they are gone, the answer is, “we don’t care since we won’t be
here.” This sentiment leaves me aghast since I view every item in our personal
collection as a treasure. Because I value our collection, I want the very best for it
and feel it is my obligation to take care of it and have a plan for it over time. That is
also known as, “good stewardship.”
Another reason to prepare in advance for deaccession of your collection is the
need or desire to move. Regardless of the reason for moving, often with age
people downsize into increasingly smaller quarters where there is less room for a
large collection. With the need or desire to move, beloved collections can
become an anchor around one’s neck making it impossible to move “until”
deaccession.
We purchased a collection of fifty big ceramic churches from a collector who was
needing to sell his house. He had spent thirty years collecting churches made in
Mexico as part of his life in the ministry. It was impossible to even list his house for
sale until he got the churches moved out. His predicament is not uncommon.
After thirty years living in the same home and half of those years as collectors, we
bought a house across town to live closer to our grandchildren. The newer home
had more square footage but less wall space and no corners away from windows or
doors. This made it impossible to take some of our favorite custom made furniture
to the new house. We moved what would fit into the new house and then moved
all the items we couldn’t fit into a single room of the old house and labeled each
with a price tag. We had a one day estate sale by email invitation only to our
collector friends and sold 80% of it that day. A local charity was contacted to come
pick up the remaining pieces, which they did, and they gave us a tax receipt to use
when we filed our taxes that year. That benefit may not still be in effect but the
pick-up service can be found in most towns and cities.
Collectors need to accept the Boy Scout motto – be prepared – as it will ultimately
pay off in the long run.
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“Collect things you love,
that are authentic to you
and
your house becomes your story.” Erin Flett
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CHAPTER 1 - DOCUMENTATION
The first step in planning for the future of your collection is to document
thoroughly every item in your collection. If this has not been done previously,
start now. If you already have documented the details of your collection,
congratulations as you are one of a rare few.
To begin the documentation process, consider the various collection computer
software already existing which might simplify the process. There are several very
good ones worth considering and a few are listed below.
Look into Adlib Museum Lite which is a free software ready for download. In
their own words, “Adlib Museum Lite is a new software package that enables
small museums and private collectors to record details of their collections in a
straightforward yet professional way. Best of all, they can do so without any costs,
because Adlib Museum Lite is completely free. We are offering the opportunity to
get started on your computerized collection catalogue right now!” Their software
is used by hundreds of organizations worldwide, ranging from Heritage Centers to
National Museums. They have over 20 years of experience in museum
automation on an international level. The benefit of their experience and
technology is available to all, at no charge. Their aim in releasing this software
was to encourage good practice across the cultural heritage domain, through the
use of international standards and to enable more people to become familiar with
their high quality, user friendly software solutions.
At the heart of Adlib Museum Lite is the object catalogue. This holds all data
about your collection objects. All types of objects may be recorded, from furniture
to fine art and from stamps to steam engines. Catalogue fields are arranged in
logical groups:
•identification;
•production & dates;
•physical description;
•techniques & materials;
•condition;
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•documentation;
•location;
•insurance valuation;
•acquisition & ownership.
Keywords or names that you enter are automatically validated against your own
‘dictionary.’ New words may easily be added as you go along. This assures the
quality of your data entry, search results, and greatly improves the efficiency of
your work.
You can store a lot of other kinds of information in Adlib Museum Lite, as well as
details about objects. If you have a digital camera, you can record images from
those too. You can also create records for books, journals and journal articles and
link them to relevant object records. The ‘persons and institutions’ part of the
system enables you to record full biographic details of the people or organizations
associated with your collections. Data matters!
Another on line software for collectors worth consideration comes with a small
fee of less than $50. MapRecord Publications was founded in 2002 by Jeremy
Pool. The goal of the company is to offer versatile software solutions to collectors
in all categories - maps, books, toys, glass, wine, cameras, dolls, jewelry, coins,
movies, guns, classic cars, comic books, sports & military memorabilia, vintage
photographs, figurines and more. Their software, entitled Recollector, offers an
array of features designed to organize, catalog and record your entire collection.
It is created by a collector, for collectors.
ArtBinder is a more expensive app with a monthly fee of several hundred dollars
but may better fit your need, style or goals for your collection. ArtBinder offers
customizable navigation, curation and search. View your inventory any way you
like on their sleek home screen. Stick to their default view, select from their other
built-in groupings or create your own. Use their Search tool to find artworks,
exhibitions, compilations or artists in a flash.
There are a few more software companies focused on collectors which you will
find on line and that research will be left to you.
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You can also create your own collection documents and process as I did myself.
The software above was either not easily found on line or beyond my research
skills to find them back in 1996 when we started collecting, so I created my own.
Hints below may help you begin if this option is your choice.
First, take as good and complete a photo of each item in your collection as is
possible. Using the camera on your cell phone is likely the easiest. Then, if
dictation is easier for you than typing, you can use any recording phone app and
simply walk from item to item describing each one as you go. This will take some
practice so that all the maximum vital information is included as you go. I
recommend you make a notecard to carry with you which will remind you of all
the details needed and the order in which they should be recorded. Keeping the
details in the same order will make transcription and final use all the easier. The
details to record will follow below. Transcription after the recording process can
be done by anyone including on line. For example, if you have chosen to use the
REV App on your cellphone to record the details, the recording can then be
transcribed by the same app and mailed to you very quickly at very little expense.
If there are too many items to catalog individually in this way, walk from room to
room using your cell phone to photograph each wall and each area where items
are displayed. Once back at your computer, you can view each photograph to list
and record each item in each photograph. Completing one room at a time will
break up the task into manageable pieces. You know the saying, the only way to
eat an elephant is “one bite at a time.”
Personally, I created my own collection process and have kept it current with each
addition to our collection since beginning collecting in about 1996. I store all
photographs of each item in our collection in numerical order with the details as a
caption in the sequence listed below in an on line photo album software called
SMUGMUG. There are various similar software offered on line for storing photos
and you may have a favorite already. After writing the caption details under each
photo, I copy and paste the caption onto a Word document which I keep in a
three ring binder on my desk. My Smugmug account is “in the cloud” so I am
never at risk of losing the information and the binder on my desk is for safety of
duplication as well as convenience for quick reference. As time passes, I may see
a photo in a book of something very similar to an item in our collection or even
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see the exact item itself and when that happens, I open both my photo album and
my binder and add that information to the specific item represented. This
certainly adds value to be able to catalog especially rare pieces in this way. Also,
if an item from the collection is sold, I simply write “SOLD” in the caption and
minimize the caption in the binder, but I never remove the listing entirely. In
addition, I also use yellow sticky dots and write the catalog number on each dot
and then stick the dot under or behind the newly listed item. This additional step
may make identification easier for someone other than yourself or your family.
When cataloging your items, start each entry with an item number. List all items
using the same format. For example, is the item a plate, a bowl, a sculpture, a
painting, etc.? Next list what material it is made of (plate of ceramic, bowl of
wood, sculpture of bronze, painting in oil on canvass) and description including:
size, maker or artist, when and where it was purchased, purchase price and any
details about the maker, artist or history that would add to value. Information
can be listed in any order but be sure to keep the same order throughout. If you
have receipts, keep them with the list and write the number of the listed item on
the back of the receipt. Obviously different types of collection will require
different details but you will know what those are because those qualities have
helped you hone your focus to find each special item.
Once you have your entire collection catalogued, you can add all the costs of
purchase to have a reasonable total for insurance purposes. Having these details
along with a photograph will make dealing with an insurance company after a
disaster much easier and faster. Because collectors often find a real bargain
priced well below value, you might also benefit from listing the current value of
each item or at least those of highest value along with a date since values
fluctuate.
If your collection consists of books or magazines, I highly recommend using the on
line software entitled Librarything.com where for a very inexpensive lifetime fee,
you are given access to their cataloging template which you simply fill out. They
make it extremely easy so that if anyone of their hundreds of thousands of users
own the same book you own, all the information is already stored and populates
once you enter the book title. If no one owns the same rare book or has not
entered it before, you can manually enter it easily. There are many elements to
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their service which can benefit collectors of books or magazines so be sure to
check it out. One can easily and simply click a box to list your book or book
collection for sale.
We have friends who lived on the same family estate their entire lives; each adult
child had their own home on the same spacious property where they grew up.
Once the patriarch and matriarch of the family died, the property was sold and
assets divided between the two daughters. The sisters had to move and they had
not only their own large collections but those of their parent’s for which they were
responsible. One of many of their father’s extensive collections was a wall
decorated with over 600 antique farm tools. They photographed the wall, packed
the collection and several years later found the perfect place for it to be displayed
in a public setting. They were able to reproduce the original layout of the tools and
thus reinstall the original collection in its entirety honoring both the collector and
collection in a permanent public fashion.
The point of this story is that preparation through documentation (in this case
photographs), will eventually be vital. The sisters had no idea what would
become of their father’s collection of tools but thought enough of him and his
collection to care for it and prepare for an unknown future. They could not be
happier with the end result which took several years to fulfill.
As you consider ways of deaccessioning your collection, think about boxing items
together with details of the contents of each box inside and outside. That way, if
it has to be stored over some period of time before changing hands, it will be
protected. Use the newest, best boxes for the type media being packed and do
not overstuff any container. You may want to use large plastic tubs or for textiles,
you may need to use museum quality paper and boxes which can be purchased
on line. If you have furniture in your collection, blanket wrap each piece and label
it along with a photo. Packing blankets can also be found for purchase on line or
at moving companies. It is the photograph and label documentation of each box
that will help preserve the contents over time. A box full of fragile glass figures
will be handled and stored differently than a box full of high fired ceramics or iron
farm tools, but without labels, only you know which is which.
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“All these things we find are pieces of
ourselves. I’ve built a future by rummaging
through the past.” Thea Beasley
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CHAPTER TWO – WILL IT AWAY
Some collectors are fortunate enough to have children who appreciate, value and
even want all or some of their treasures. More often, however, one’s children
don’t have the same taste in art and don’t actually want their parent’s collection,
let alone have the space to house it or the financial means to transport it. Some
collectors may have relatives or friends who would be happy to own it all. If this
is your situation, you can simply leave it in your will to your children or anyone
specific. Be sure to check with them first and remember to also dedicate the
money required to transport, store and properly install the collection to its new
home or it might not turn out the way you wish.
Many people showcased weekly on the Public Broadcasting System’s popular
Antiques Road Show have inherited their special collectible from a family
member. Some have a brief story of how they came to have the item and what
they were told about it but often the stories they tell turn out to be quite
different than the facts reveal. Sometimes the person being interviewed will have
a photo of the previous owner, a letter or receipt or a photo of the item where it
was displayed and they are always told by the experts that having that extra
information adds to the value of the piece itself. Provenance plays an important
part and if you plan to leave your collection in your will, it will be much more
meaningful and valuable if you provide the documentation and as much detail as
possible.
A good on line source of information about willing your collection can be found at
www.nolo.com and as they point out, “estate planning isn’t just about money—
it’s about relationships. Sometimes the biggest sources of confusion, hurt
feelings, and family conflict are decisions people make about who inherits items
that are important for emotional, not monetary, reasons. So give some thought to
family jewelry, photos, antiques, and other items that are likely to have
sentimental value to your surviving family members.”
People who receive items that are important to you may have questions about its
history—who owned it originally, why it’s significant, and so on. You may be the
only one who can fill in the blanks.
Again, Nolo suggests that “you may choose to talk to family members about what
they hope to inherit, but still arrange for the actual transfer of property to take
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place after your death. You can use a will or living trust to leave the items to the
people you want to inherit them. The person in charge of winding things up—the
executor you name in your will, or the successor trustee if you create a living
trust—will be in charge of making sure the objects get to the people you named
to inherit them.
If you want to be sure that certain items go to certain people, be very specific in
your will. Don’t leave a will that simply says, for example, “I leave my personal
belongings and household furnishings to be shared equally by my three children.”
You don’t have to cover every item you own—concentrate on the ones that have
the greatest value to survivors or are most likely to cause discomfort (because
family members will have a hard time deciding how to divvy them up) or conflict
(if they’ll start fighting over them).
In many states, you can make a separate list of items and who you want to inherit
them, and refer to the list in your will. This document is usually called a “property
memorandum” or “memorandum of tangible personal property items.” In this
legally binding document, you can list tangible objects. You cannot list money or
other intangible property, such as the right to payments under a promissory note.
The advantage to making this kind of list, instead of spelling out all the details in
your will or trust, is that you can change it easily. If you acquire or get rid of an
item, or simply change your mind about who you want to leave something to, you
can make a new list. You don’t have to go through all the formalities of making or
amending your will or trust, which requires that you draw up a formal document
and sign it in front of witnesses (a will) or a notary public (a trust).
Your will (or letter of instructions, discussed below) can include guidance for
offspring who will be dividing things up. For example, you could set up a method
for resolving any disputes that come up when your children are trying to divide
tangible items. There are lots of possibilities, including:
•The children take turns choosing items until each has selected items of
approximately equal value.
•The executor decides who gets what.
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•If more than one child wants an object, each must bid on it in a private auction
conducted by the executor. The winner pays the estate, which means that the
money will pass under the terms of the will.
For more suggestions, see Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?, a website
developed by the University of Minnesota Extension Service to help families make
good decisions and avoid conflict over inheritance.”
If you haven’t already, you may want to contact an Estate Planning Law Firm to
get started. Or if you like, you can consider purchasing one of several software
packages offered by Nolo at www.nolo.com
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“I’ve always loved antiques
But furniture that’s been in the family is
different. Knowing the history of a piece
makes it come alive.” Trina Burke
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CHAPTER THREE – MUSEUM DONATION
Many collectors I know are in hopes a museum will want and take their entire
collection into their prestigious spaces. After all, many museums have wings or
entire buildings named for the collectors whose treasures they display. What is
not well known or often considered is that along with the collections received and
displayed in museums, those collections have most often been endowed
financially by the donor/collector. So unless you have the finances to donate
along with your collection, it is highly doubtful that any museum in existence will
be interested in taking your collection unless you are someone of significant
importance in relationship to the collection you have built or to that particular
museum or to the nation. If your personal history or educational contribution is
as remarkable as your collection and you are willing to endow it, then you no
doubt will find museums with interest.
Let me give an example I know personally without using names. A woman who was
an anthropologist and curator in a university museum where she attained her
credentials, wrote books on the subject of ceramics. She amassed a significant
collection of the finest work of a major ceramicist which included nearly 1000 high
quality pieces as well as other fine paintings of the period. During her life, she
donated most of her collection to her university museum and it was received
because of all the elements mentioned above. She saved some of the best pieces to
live with and after her death, her husband wanted to donate them all to the same
museum. It took quite some time, money and planning before they would accept
the rest. He had to design a display case of a certain size for a specific space, have
it approved, built and installed as well as endowed. Given all this one might think
the collection would actually be on display to the public but only about 4-6 pieces
are shown in the display case at a time and are changed annually; the remainder of
the collection is in storage. No publication was ever printed so it will be totally
impossible for anyone to see this one entire collection in a life time. I am absolutely
certain this was not the intention of my friend nor of her husband, but that is what
transpired. The museum is not permitted to sell any part of the collection but has
the responsibility of storing and caring for it forever and this is why an endowment
is required.
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There are a few exceptions where a museum might be interested in your
collection regardless of who you are or your ability to endow it. It might be that a
specific museum has planned for a particular new focus corresponding to your
collection and would be happy to receive it. It will take some research on your
part to locate a specific museum interested in what you have. Start your research
on line using both specific words to describe your collection and broader
definitions. For example, if you collect masks from a particular country you might
search on “mask museum,” “museums featuring masks,” “folk art museums,”
“name the country of origin masks,” “cultural anthropology museum,” and so on.
Also, check with your local museum to see if they accept donations of items for
resale to raise funds for the museum; some do and some don’t. For example, The
San Antonio Museum of Art used to have a one day annual sale of this kind which
they called Bazaar Sabado. Friends and patrons of the museum would donate
items for the one day public sale and the museum would also de access some
pieces of its own; usually duplicates or other items of lesser quality. This much
anticipated and well attended sale raised money for the museum and offered a
chance for the public to add to or start their own collections. If you can’t find a
museum interested in owning your collection to display it, maybe you can find
one interested in having it as a donation in order to raise funds for the museum
itself.
Perhaps a museum has a long range plan to exhibit a specific type collection and
they might be glad to consider parts of yours to include in their exhibition. This
won’t fulfill your goal of deaccession but might lead to a broader audience once
you choose another method.
A primer can be found at Artbusiness.com most of which follows here. “People
who donate art to museums don't always actualize the hopes and dreams they
have for their donations. The most common complaint from donors is that
museums don't show their donations, but rather assign them to various storage
facilities where they sit and gather dust. A less common but more serious
complaint is that museums sometimes sell donated art in order to raise funds.
These problems arise in almost all cases because donors don't understand how
museums operate and how they treat donated art.
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When a museum accepts donated art, the art becomes part of what is referred to
as the museum's "permanent collection." Most donors assume that the
permanent collection is made up of all the art in a museum, including donations,
and that every piece of that art remains in the collection for all time. This is not
necessarily the case. The permanent collection exists as a continually changing
and evolving body of art, and in many cases, individual pieces in that collection
remain there only as long as they're relevant to the collection as a whole.
Museum curators are quick to point out that, unless otherwise stated, when a
museum accepts a work of art for donation, that museum believes the art is
beneficial to its permanent collection and intends to keep it in the collection for
all time. Curators also point out, however, that they're not infallible. Tastes
change, museum staffs change, the content and direction of collections change,
museums acquire works of art that are superior in quality or more important than
similar examples they currently own, some art turns out to be not as important as
curators first thought it was, and so on. A few museums, such as the National
Gallery of Art, keep all donations and never deaccess, but the majority of
museums reserve the right to sell or otherwise deaccess works of art that no
longer serve any purpose in their collections. Not to worry though. The
substantial majority of today's donations are never sold and remain permanently
within museum permanent collections.
As for exhibiting donated art, curators do their best to accept art they believe will
eventually be exhibited, but here again, they're not infallible. Deciding which
works of art will go on display at some future point often involves speculation and
judgment calls. For example, a museum may accept or even purchase a painting
by a promising young artist thinking that it will eventually hang on exhibit in the
permanent collection, but that artist's career may fizzle, and they may fade into
permanent obscurity (along with their art). Not only will that art probably never
get shown, but chances are also good that it will eventually be sold. Other reasons
for not showing art are that museums have limited display space, curatorial
changes impact what museums show, exhibition schedules are put together years
in advance, some art has more research value than display value, and some art
may be great, but out of fashion and not what the museum thinks the public
wants to see at the moment.
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For all you potential donors out there, understanding the fate of your donations
before you donate is your responsibility. Never assume anything; donation
policies vary from institution to institution. When meeting with curators, ask
direct questions, tell them why you want to donate, make all special requests
before you donate, and most importantly, keep your ego in check.
Have curators explain their donation policies and tell you what the future holds
for your donations. All curators abide by strict codes of ethics and give the best
explanations possible. They usually have pretty good ideas of what's in store for
individual works of art over the next twenty years or so. At the same time, be
aware that no one can look far into the future and predict either the course of art
history, how the scholarly community will eventually view particular types or
works of art, or what your donation's ultimate significance will be.
Museums prefer that donors not make specific requests regarding their
donations, thereby giving donated art what's called "unrestricted status."
Curators then have complete control over the art and can do with it as they
please (many museums insist on unrestricted donations). If you want your
donation to have restrictions, tell the curators. Make whatever requests you
want-- that your art never be deaccessed, that it be shown within a certain time
period, included in a catalogue, and so on. Institutions consider all such requests
and either accept them, ask that they be modified, or deny them altogether. The
more important the art, the better the chances that restrictions will be honored.
If a museum refuses to accept your restrictions, you can either donate to them
anyway or look for other institutions whose long range plans may be more in line
with your own.
In the end, you have to be honest with yourself about your intentions in donating
as well as about the quality of your donations. If, for example, you want your art
to be placed on permanent display, the art has to be deserving of that honor. If
it's not at least as good as and preferably better than the quality of what's
currently in the museum's collection, then it'll probably only be shown
periodically, assuming it gets shown at all.
Donors occasionally insist on donating their entire collections, while museums
only want the most relevant or important items. This situation can be difficult for
some donors as far as their egos go because they hate to see their collections
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broken up after investing so much time, energy and money assembling them.
Unfortunately, most of the art in most collections is redundant with what
museums already own and for museums to accept every collection offered to
them in its entirety makes no sense. Costs of storage, space limitations and
related considerations make accepting every proposed donation in its entirety
virtually impossible. If a museum only wants a portion of your total donation, be
honest with yourself about the overall quality of the remaining pieces in your
donation, don't be insulted, check your ego, and seriously consider giving the
museum what it asks for.
Museums, of course, want all donors to donate great art that fits perfectly into
their collections, but increasingly, they're also looking for art of lesser quality that
they may be able sell in order to benefit their acquisitions programs. True, donors
may be disappointed when they learn that museums would rather sell portions of
their donations than keep them, but then again, what better way to support these
institutions in their efforts to build quality collections and properly maintain the
ones they already have. If a museum brings up the possibility of selling either all
or part of your donation, and you don't like the idea, try other museums to see
what options they're willing to offer. If all offers are similar, think about taking the
best one and donating anyway.
A collector couple in their seventies from California shared their story of a lifetime
of collecting and ultimately having the extensive collection take over every inch of
their home. Limited space and time drove them to consider what would become of
their collection. They knew they wanted to keep the collection together and have it
displayed so that others could learn and appreciate their area of interest. They
approached a number of major museums throughout the USA who were not
interested and were finally very lucky to find a new museum under construction
which was interested in having their collection. So persevere, and don’t forget
about university or college museums. Be as creative searching for ways to deaccess
your collection as you were for finding your treasures in the first place.
No matter what type of donation you make, make sure you understand the tax
implications. Either talk to your accountant or tax preparer or have curators
recommend appraisers or tax specialists who can explain tax benefits to you.
Make sure you follow appraisal procedures, file appropriate tax forms and
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accurately state the value of all donated art. Don't attempt to determine values
yourself; have the art appraised. Donations of over $5,000 require appraisals, are
now subject to review by the Internal Revenue Service, and both you and your
appraiser can be penalized for misstating dollar values. This is where your
previous work cataloging your collection really makes a difference.
If you insist on concessions or guarantees from museums, but can't get them, you
can always sell your art rather than donate it. Selling can be just as rewarding a
way to disperse your collection because new collectors will now have the
opportunity to live with and enjoy the art that has enriched your life for so many
years. Whenever you can, however, support your museums, make those
donations, make them unrestricted, and don't worry about the ultimate fate of
your art. Our museums need all the help they can get.”
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“Art is at least in part
a way of collecting information
about the universe.” Rebecca West
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CHAPTER FOUR – DONATE TO CHARITY
If you have come to the conclusion that you can’t ignore estate planning but you
have no one to whom you can leave your collection and you know a museum will
not be interested, several realistic possibilities still exist. Probably the easiest
would be to donate it to any charity for them to sell. All cities have multiple
charity organizations which receive donations and resell the items to support
their work. Many of those charity organizations will drive a truck to your home
and pick up whatever you are donating. They won’t arrive with boxes or packing
material but will load it all into the truck and drive away leaving you with nothing
more to do. However, if you pack your items well in boxes with lids closed, the
likelihood of everything arriving safe and unbroken at the charity are far better
and the charity organization will be able to benefit from the sale of unbroken
items. If you are able to include a list with information and value on each item,
there is increased likelihood of the charity organization benefitting. This is the
fastest, easiest way to dispose of your collection and at the same time it benefits
others.
You can find charities such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, Disabled American Vets,
etc., in almost every city and town. Go on line or use your telephone directory to
locate them, then call to schedule a pick up. You may also find them listed under
“Thrift Shop.” In addition to these mentioned, there are usually stores operated
by religious organizations which exist to provide cheap or free necessities to the
local population. Most often one must drop off what they are donating but
depending on the amount of material, there may be some charities who would
volunteer to pick up from your home. Though tax laws continuously change, you
may still be able to make some tax deductible donations; therefore, be sure to ask
for a donation receipt.
As an example in Houston, Texas, some of the most well-known and well
organized groups include The Guild Shop, Blue Bird Circle, The Junior Forum’s
Thrift Shop and several others. If you live in a small town, it is still highly likely
that one of the local churches takes donations in order to support needy locals or
a specific group such as the elderly.
26
It may be common knowledge or little known but most antique dealers regularly
visit the above mentioned thrifts or charities to find items to resell. Many
collectors do the same to search for the specific items they are seeking.
27
“Earning money is one dimension of life;
family, emotions & having friends
is another; collecting is yet another.
This dimension involves excitement,
feelings, decisions, investment – not just
one of these but all of them together –
an adventure for life.” Jean-Pierre Lehmann
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CHAPTER FIVE – CONSIGNMENT
If you are not yet ready to donate, another option is to find local second hand
stores operated by authorized charities such as mentioned in the previous
chapter who take items on consignment. Such places have written rules or
guidelines about what they will and won’t accept, what specific days they are
open to receiving items on consignment, etc. Some such places automatically
move the consigned items to donation status after an agreed upon time during
which the items have not sold. Some will allow you to retrieve the items if they
haven’t sold by a particular date.
Do some research on the consignment shops you identify to compare guidelines
and procedures and also be sure to visit each one personally before making a final
decision; just because one may have a better payment percentage to the
consigner, they may not have adequate staff, hours of operation or customer
base to sell your items before moving them to donation status.
The consignment option is very time consuming even after you identify your
preferred specific shop with which to work. You will have to carry in each item by
appointment to work with an individual who will catalogue everything
individually, probably by hand rather than computer. Once again, the preparation
you have made by photographing and cataloging your collection will pay off by
both saving time and justifying the best sales price.
Besides consigning to charity operated stores, some antique shops or privately
owned second hand stores and used furniture stores specialize in consignments
or at least accept consignments depending on their needs. Look on line or in the
phone book under “consignment” to find possible consignment stores. Don’t be
afraid to ask at any one of these type shops if they accept consignments and what
their consignments policies and procedures are. Again, the first thing they will
want to see are photos to determine their level of interest. If they are interested,
they will want to know everything you know about each piece and the more you
can tell them, the more likely a good price can be set and the sale made.
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“Collecting at its best is very far from mere
acquisitiveness; it may become one of the
most humanistic occupations, seeking to
illustrate by the assembling of significant
reliques, the march of the human spirit in its
quest for beauty…” Arthur Davison Ficke
30
CHAPTER SIX – ESTATE SALE
Another option is to hire an estate sale manager to sell it while it is still in place.
Every city has people who can do this and may even be listed on line. If there is
no one listed in your town, look for those who organize garage sales or estate
sales regularly and contact them to enlist their expertise. If you are so isolated as
to have to do this yourself for lack of an expert, guidelines for garage sales or
estate sales can be found on line and you can tackle the job yourself. The best
way to get a higher selling price for individual items is to have photos and
descriptions, as mentioned before, tagged to each item. This is a lot of work but
worth the time. If done correctly with the detailed information attached, your
items will sell at higher prices and the new owner or dealer will be able to better
appreciate what they acquire. To get started, search on line for www.ehow.com
to find exactly what to do to conduct a garage sale, yard sale or estate sale.
Generally speaking, an estate sale indicates a higher quality and more extensive
offering to the general public than a yard sale or garage sale. Often, the general
public will make offers far less than the price marked on most items at yard and
garage sales. In an estate sale, the price marked is understood to be the firm
price and usually is discounted on the second or third day. By the last day of the
estate sale, offers are usually considered for what remains.
If you decide to hold your own estate sale without the help of a professional, be
sure to consider the following chapter for advice which might be of value. You
may decide to have an estate sale inside your home accompanied by an auction
inside your home to kick it off. Combinations of all these suggestions may
increase your chances of selling well.
An excellent website about estate sales will provide lots of information which may
be of help to you. For more information, see - https://estatesales.org/what-is-an-
estate-sale
Another option for higher end collectibles can be found at this website -
https://www.familyheritageestatesales.com/privately-brokered-sales.html
On their own website they say of themselves, “Our Privately Brokered Estates are
for the client that prefers to sell their higher value items in a more subtle
atmosphere. This service is offered for liquidating partial or entire estates of this
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nature. We keep trained personnel on staff and have working relationships with
some of the country’s most renowned appraisers. At Family Heritage Estate Sales
we realize how an estate or collection of this caliper needs both special attention
and knowledge while remaining discreet and protecting your privacy. These sales
are handled by the owner of the company and a specially trained staff of
personnel.”
Do your homework before you decide which direction is best for you personally.
Regardless of your decision, you will ultimately need photos and details of every
item – even if you conduct your own estate sale.
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CHAPTER SEVEN – PRIVATE APPOINTMENT SALES
Private appointment sales can be conducted at your own home or elsewhere. If
you don’t want to open your home to strangers for an estate sale but don’t want
the work of moving your collections, place an advertisement on line or in a local
newspaper to solicit private appointments to see and sell during a certain limited
time frame in your home. Screen carefully and consider hiring an off duty
policeman or security guard during those times. If this is the route you take, be
sure to contact and invite dealers of similar items from your area or beyond as
well as other collectors of similar items you may know or find on line. Don’t
forget to contact dealers with whom you have shopped or purchased as they may
be willing to take pieces of your collection on consignment or buy pieces to resell.
Once again, having all the documentation attached will bring better results, actual
sales at or above your cost being the highest standard.
As mentioned in the previous chapter, Privately Brokered Sales can be conducted
by someone other than yourself. For example, Family Heritage Estate Sales of
New Jersey offers that service. This is what they say on their website about their
service: “Privately Brokered Sales: Our Privately Brokered Sales are for the client
that prefers to sell their higher value fine and decorative arts in a more private
setting. This service will focus on sales to private collectors, curators, galleries or
designers while obtaining sales that would surpass an estate sale atmosphere.
We have brought in buyers from all over the country that are looking for upscale
and immoderate art, pottery, art glass, collectibles, oriental rugs and
tapestry/textiles, furnishings, jewelry, gold, coins and memorabilia.
Finding just the right buyer for these accouterments and possessions can be
difficult.
We have a long list of buyer/collectors that frequent our websites and colleagues
in the business that are looking for just this type of item. We can handle the
placement, sale and negotiation of these items and help you acquire top dollar.
Call us for more information.”
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“...the true collector’s home is his own
museum.” Orhan Pamuk
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CHAPTER EIGHT - AUCTION
Contact a local or nearby auction house to discuss selling through their services
either at their location or at your home or office. To learn more about how
auction houses work and who conducts auctions in your area, do some research
on line. If you have the highest quality of collectibles, you may be looking at the
most prestigious auction houses such as Christies or Sotheby’s. Be sure to read all
the fine print before making any contact or decisions.
An on line search of auction companies in Houston revealed there are many from
which to choose. As an example, this is what one company, Windsor Auction,
says on their website about themselves at “http://www.windsorauction.com/
“We are a full service auction company. We do appraisals, packing and moving,
storage, advertising, selling and clean-up following the sale. We can move one
item or an entire store. Our auctions are open bid format with items mostly from
banks, government foreclosures, private individuals, companies, sequestrations,
tax warrants and court ordered evictions. Consigned items are sold on a
commission basis. We can also sell your store or business at YOUR location,
anywhere within Texas.”
Simpson Galleries is another example of a Houston auction house and can be
found on line at http://www.simpsongalleries.com/Services Details of their
services including fees are easily
available as are past catalogues of
auctions.
Chances are that you will find a
local auction house or auctioneer
or even several from which to
choose in your own city but if that
is not the case, be sure to search
in nearby cities as many may be
willing to come to your location.
Often the choice of an auction is due
to a limited time frame for vacating a location. If time is a major factor for
whatever reason, an auction may be the fastest choice.
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CHAPTER NINE – SELL ON LINE
For those who may live in more remote areas or for other reasons find selling on
line appealing, consider listing your treasures on line one piece at a time using
eBay or any of a number of on line sales locations. Good photographs, details and
history are the main elements of selling on line so again your preparation is
critical. Selling on line is perhaps the most time consuming and labor intensive
choice with an associated cost impossible to nail down ahead of the final sale, but
it is an option many people choose and can bring the highest sales price
depending on all the aforementioned.
Searching on line for the benefits of selling through eBay, the following benefits
were listed. eBay has a worldwide marketplace serving customers globally and
also solves the shipping problem of global selling. Fixed Price Listing & Auction
Listing options allow one to sell in bulk or use the fixed price listing. But what if
your collection is one of a kind and demand is high? That’s when one benefits
greatly from the auction listing while selling on eBay. Like every popular on line
sales site, there are many loyal customers who prefer to purchase on eBay.
Customers may prefer to purchase from merchants like these than a site they
land on the first time. Compared to other merchants, eBay charges lower fees for
each listing. Though it charges a final fee (a sales commission after sales), that is
also low and it depends upon the total amount of sales. Another bonus is that
eBay has affiliates.
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“Creativity is allowing yourself to make
mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to
keep.” Scott Adams on creativity and collecting
37
CHAPTER TEN – LEAVE IT TO PROFESSIONALS
There are professional fine art movers and shippers in most cities which can be
found on line or in the phone directory but if there is not one in your town, keep
in mind that they will travel to you. If you are extremely lucky, there may be a
fine art mover who also offers the service of disposing of your collection on your
behalf.
Houston, Texas is fortunate to have such a white glove, all-encompassing service
called C&M Moving & Storage. Find them on line at fineartofmoving.net
Regardless of which method or methods you choose, the preliminary work of
documentation needs to be done to some extent. Any service requiring the work
of others is going to cost; so weigh the costs carefully.
Finally, gifting individual pieces to your friends and family is another method of
deaccession not previously discussed but perhaps easiest of all for at least part of
one’s collection.
Don’t forget to contact your insurance company after your collection is gone and
readjust your coverage.
Good luck and best wishes with this process and as always – happy hunting!