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 - mexamigos@att.net

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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 mexamigos@att.net

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.

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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!