You can't take it with you...

[KateG]

I don't want to sound morbid, but my husband and I are in estate planning mode right now. Big question, what will become of our instruments? We don't have kids -- and even if we did, there's no guarantee that they would be players. We have some nice toys (Dave Williams flute, Moeke & Kung recorder consort, clavichord, couple of Martin guitars, specially commissioned mandolin and dulcimer etc.), and I'd hate to see them dumped in the nearest flea market because our executor didn't have a clue. Directions seem to be in order. Any suggestions?

[Loren]

Have you considered donating them to C&F, to be used for a benefit auction? Several benefit auctions have happened here in the past. You could leave it to Dale to choose the charity, or you could specify the organization.

The instruments would bring fair prices, and they would go to good homes, likely some of them to people you know around here. And, of course, the proceeds would go to charity.

Just a thought.

Loren

[Screeeech!!!]

I'd really treasure a Martin guitar, thank you.

[Nanohedron]

If you have no one particular in mind to whom you'd bequeath them, I like Loren's idea.

[Sylvester]

Serious now, a friend of mine took up fiddle after 25 years playing guitar and other strings. So he bought a cheapo, then he went for a medium quality instrument after two years playing (everybody knows the price range of a medium violin.) He grew up in a musical large family (everyone plays something, at least three of them professionaly) so my friend asked his mother how none of them played the fiddle. and her mom went: 'Oh, your grandpa played it quite well and he was also a collector, when he passed off we gave them all to charity. We didn't know what to do with so many and we cleared them off...'

Charity is a sign of kindness, but I seriously doubt the receiving foundation raised more than a bunch of bucks in modest parish auction. The family could have sold professionally the collection and raised much more, give a portion of the money or the whole lot to charity if desired, shared some picked instruments to fellow-musicians or even kept at least a couple of instruments in his memory. I don't know what I'll do with mine ones when it comes my day, but the idea of passing them to a young musician that will appreciate, take care and take some life out of them reminds me the concept of organ (not the instrument now!) donation and make me feel good.

[Nanohedron]

C&F's hardly a parish auction, Sylvester. I just sold a couple of flutes here at asking price which was nevertheless at a loss, and yet the dosh was still nothing to sneeze at! Any charity would have appreciated the proceedings, I suspect. I believe you're more likely to get better and more appropriate value for specialty instruments here than at small auctions where it's a gamble if knowledgeable (I never know if I'm spelling that right) buyers are even likely to be on hand.

[AaronMalcomb]

Donation and/or fundraiser is the best option.

The question is how to maximize the benefit: whether it's getting the instrument into hands of people that want to play them but maybe don't have the means to attain them or to make sure they are sold for full monetary value so that the money can go to the charity of your choice. The challenge to the question is who can you rely on to do it after the fact. Since the inevitable will hopefully be some time away, we don't know if there will be a C&F or eBay or anything.

Courage to your and your husband in taking on this onerous responsibilty.

[Loren]

Yeah, just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting sending the instruments to a charity to then be auctioned, I was suggesting that they be auctioned here on C&F, with the proceeds going to charity.

Might be nice to earmark some of the proceeds to Dale as well, to help defray the costs of running C&F. Again, just another idea.

I do think it's a wonderful idea to leave instruments to youngsters or others that you know who would truly appreciate and use them, however I suspect that you'd already have folks in mind, and not be asking here in that case.

Plenty more good ideas still to come from other C&F'ers, I'm sure.

Loren

[Loren]

Since the inevitable will hopefully be some time away, we don't know if there will be a C&F or eBay or anything.

Umm, well, if there isn't "Anything" by that time, then er.......... perhaps this is one for Stephen Hawking to answer then

Loren

[djm]

Sorry, but C&F is hardly what you could call a stable organization. There is nothing to keep it from vanishing overnight if the owner so chooses (or is kidnapped by aliens).

What the value of the instruments might be to you after you're dead is questionable, but if you really want to do this all legal and official, you would have to get independent evaluations of the value each of your instruments now, plus stipulate in your will that the executor must do the same on your death, and leave instructions he/she is to sell them at their appraised value. All this does is make the cash value of your estate bigger, of course, but at least you'll rest assured that the instruments were being sold in the appropriate market at fair prices.

If you know someone specific that you want each instrument to go to you should name them in your will. Do it now. The clavichord sounds interesting ...

djm

[Sylvester]

C&F's hardly a parish auction, Sylvester. I just sold a couple of flutes here at asking price which was nevertheless at a loss, and yet the dosh was still nothing to sneeze at! Any charity would have appreciated the proceedings, I suspect. I believe you're more likely to get better and more appropriate value for specialty instruments here than at small auctions where it's a gamble if knowledgeable (I never know if I'm spelling that right) buyers are even likely to be on hand.

Absolutey, I maybe conveyed the wrong idea. What I meant is precisely that an auction in C&F might easily raise more funds than an open air bulk state auction or a second hand market because bidders from C&F would be far more aware of the market value of these instruments (in my case I'd kill for a DW flute) rather than anybody who simply bids for lots.

[Nanohedron]

C&F's hardly a parish auction, Sylvester. I just sold a couple of flutes here at asking price which was nevertheless at a loss, and yet the dosh was still nothing to sneeze at! Any charity would have appreciated the proceedings, I suspect. I believe you're more likely to get better and more appropriate value for specialty instruments here than at small auctions where it's a gamble if knowledgeable (I never know if I'm spelling that right) buyers are even likely to be on hand.

Absolutey, I maybe conveyed the wrong idea. What I meant is precisely that an auction in C&F might easily raise more funds than an open air bulk state auction or a second hand market because bidders from C&F would be far more aware of the market value of these instruments (in my case I'd kill for a DW flute) rather than anybody who simply bids for lots.

Gotcha. And djm's got a very good point, too.

[dhamilingu]

Hi folks,

Just a few thoughts on this interesting topic. I like very much the idea of handing them on to young people who will use them. I played school instruments for a number of years when I was learning the trumpet before I could buy my own, and I wish they could have been of a higher quality. Perhaps you could consider giving them to your nearest Comhaltas branch or similar folk music organization and ask them to give them to enthusiastic young players - perhaps as prizes in some kind of competition.

Another idea would be along the lines of these "travelling instruments" that we hear about occasionally on this forum - a maker who sends around an instrument which people play for a time and then pass on. I suppose something similar could be done with donated instruments, which could then make the rounds for years to come.

But I also feel strongly about the idea of keeping them in your family. My father didn't play an instrument, but I sure am glad that his father's cornet was eventually passed along to me. In a hundred years time, your great-grandchildren could be playing your instruments with a special sense of generational connection.

Just some thoughts!

[Congratulations]

I like very much the idea of handing them on to young people who will use them. I played school instruments for a number of years when I was learning the trumpet before I could buy my own, and I wish they could have been of a higher quality. Perhaps you could consider giving them to your nearest Comhaltas branch or similar folk music organization and ask them to give them to enthusiastic young players.

My thoughts exactly.

But I also feel strongly about the idea of keeping them in your family. My father didn't play an instrument, but I sure am glad that his father's cornet was eventually passed along to me. In a hundred years time, your great-grandchildren could be playing your instruments with a special sense of generational connection.

This is something I'm not so enthusiastic about. I mean, it's a great idea if you know the people you're passing them on to will take care of them, even if they don't play. But by and large, my experience is that non-musicians don't understand instruments. As example, a story:

I have a friend whose grandfather and several uncles each played many musical instruments. They're all dead now, and my friend's father is in possession of most of the instruments. Multiple guitars and fiddles, a double bass, a trumpet, a clarinet, a couple of saxophones, two accordions, a piano, and Jesus knows what else. All of these instruments are, as we speak, stored in a dirt-floor outdoor shack, with no temperature or humidity regulation, in South Carolina. There's no telling what kind of garbage they lay among. They have been there for decades. My friend plays music, but is unable to get any use out of any of these instruments. They are ruined. And they will never do anyone any good ever again.

Sad story, but fairly common.

Also, since you did say you don't have kids, this doesn't really apply. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[flutefry]

I've left my early musical instruments, and baroque instruments to the music school at my local university, so that they can be used by students. These days, I think you could write a general instruction to your executor to sell by auction at a list of sites you specify, or similar, and then say what you wish done with the proceeds. Presumably anyone who buys the instruments will want to play them, and then the proceeds can be directed to be used as you choose.

Hugh