What's going to happen with all your audio gear after you kick off?
- Thread starter Billski
- Start date
BillyBatts
ALOHA!
Having cleared two separate estates after loved one's passings, I am not putitng anyone through that nonsense. I am already culling the herd big time. Liquidate now, enjoy whatever money I get, do not leave my relatives the hard task of getting rid of things on my behalf when I'm toes-up. I'll keep my beloved college system, and two others. That's it. The rest is going bye bye now. Whomever is liquidating my estate can toss those remaining systems in the garbage, keep them, donate them or sell them. My younger relatives will probably be about as interested in vintage audio gear as I am in quantum physics. Whatever happens to my remaining gear once I'm gone will not be of any concern to me at that point.
It's Alive!
New Member
Having recently inherited 10 tape machines, about a thousand albums, over a thousand cassette tapes, tape players, speakers, cabling, connectors, about a dozen receivers and cassette decks, etc., I'm very in tune with what happens when someone dies and has object worth keeping. In my case it was my father, and I already had many of the items I just listed since I already had my own life, and I was completely overwhelmed at most of what I inherited. So, what happens when you inherit too many things, even if they are valuable and useful?
In my case I let 8 of the tape machines go for dirt cheap, and I mean diiiiirt cheap. Nuked all the cassettes except a few valuable ones to me. Sold tens of thousands of items for pennies on the dollar, including receivers, cabling, photography equipment, the list goes on. Why? Because I don't have the TIME to deal with them all. You want to go through each specific item and extensively test, clean, put on eBay, package, ship, etc. for what? A few grand? Even if it's fifty thousand dollars, do you have time? When you're settling an estate your goal is to get rid of thousands of objects as quickly as possible. It took me over a year and a half to settle that estate. A year and a half. That's a year and a half of how many? 75? 85 years of total life if I'm lucky? And for how many of those years will my hearing allow me to enjoy these wonderful items I inherited? If you're flat broke and inherit stuff worth a lot, then it will be worth your time, and if not, you nuke it from orbit and move on. In my case money was not the main issue, time was.
So where did all those 'cherished' items go? Well, I kept what was valuable and useful to me first of all. Sentimental items and the cream of the crop I kept. For the rest? They went to people who are alive now, and know what these items are worth and want to use them or resell them and get them into the hands of other people. If they profit from the deals they found, great. I don't care. They got great deals on tape machines and tons of other items that I didn't have the TIME to deal with, and they get to either resell them or enjoy them while they are alive until the cycle repeats, because no one lives forever.
The fact is we are all just storing stuff for the people who outlive us. My opinion is to take care of it while your alive, enjoy it, but try not to imagine this fantasy world after you're gone you've left some amazing legacy by leaving all this audio equipment. The reality is that unless someone you know already loves and wants these items you'll be handing down a burden to them. Sorry but that's the truth. Even the collectors of thousands of pieces of audio equipment worth millions will still have that gear sold after they die. No one is going to take over their former life and become them, or what they dreamt of. In the end, someone just gets your stuff. Period.
Hope this doesn't sound negative to anyone. In fact it's been a truly positive experience for me to realize that the only things in life that are of any value are items that you are going to use and that improve your day to day life. Sentimentality is a huge bonus if you were fortunate enough to have loved someone and care for an object because it was theirs.
In my opinion all other items should be allowed to move freely throughout the world until they find their rightful owner. That's how we each wind up with the things that truly matter to us until we die, and the process starts all over again.
radioactive
tube gear fanatic
My situation is somewhat similar as far a a basement full of gear i plan on getting to oneday and fix up.The sad reality is that i will never probally get to it.i rent a house with my mom and shes up there in age and will pass on before me and i will have to move when she does into a apt which will have no space for the suff i have especially speakers..
I will be downsizing and getting rid of some of the stuff thats not worth a hell of alot of money and shipping costs wont be worth it to sell on bt but then again i dont follow prices.
My totl gear will be gifted to either one of my brothers or a good friend like some of the stuff i was gifted from my friends son who passed onto me his dads gear.Its called karma like this site is named Audiokarma
Bill Ferris
Lunatic Member
In my case, I never actively seeking out and collecting A/V electronics, so my estate is setup for my 2 long time fellow audiophile friends & my long suffering housekeeper/caregiver, as they are all three the beneficiaries as well as the executors of my will. (no wife or children)
My FA (Financial Adviser) bugged me on & off to put my affairs in complete order since 2010, so I finally did about 7 yrs. ago as he advised me that my overall net worth became seriously elevated, and should be protected.
About 95% of my house`s multi-room A/V & other various equipment/items has the purchase receipts w/pics carefully organized and filed, so that should be helpful when the time arrives.
My FA (Financial Adviser) bugged me on & off to put my affairs in complete order since 2010, so I finally did about 7 yrs. ago as he advised me that my overall net worth became seriously elevated, and should be protected.
About 95% of my house`s multi-room A/V & other various equipment/items has the purchase receipts w/pics carefully organized and filed, so that should be helpful when the time arrives.
ra7c7er
Hoarding records since 1990
My family only cares about money. I have a living will and a regular will of what to do with everything but they won't follow any of it unless I have a outside conservator (I think that's the right). The records are supposed to go to my buddies shop and he'll pay for the the stereo is to be donated to the shop and given away to a deserving kid.
What will happen is my stepdad and mom (now divorced) will race over here and take whatever they can that they think they can get a dime out of. They will both claim the other stole XXXXX and sell everything and just pocket the money. I've seen them do it already. My mom is the worst when it comes to that stuff. I've seen her lie cheat and steal just to "come out a head" after my grandpa and uncle passed.
What will happen is my stepdad and mom (now divorced) will race over here and take whatever they can that they think they can get a dime out of. They will both claim the other stole XXXXX and sell everything and just pocket the money. I've seen them do it already. My mom is the worst when it comes to that stuff. I've seen her lie cheat and steal just to "come out a head" after my grandpa and uncle passed.
Started selling my stuff in 2015. Moved in 2016 and started collecting more stuff. April 2020 I decided to finish what I started in 2015. Important thing is right now my wife has access to more $$$ than she would have ever gotten from the person I told her to call who would buy everything should I expire. And I still have about 30% left to unload.
Whoever gets there first gets what they want.
ra7c7er
Hoarding records since 1990
I think that is the best way. At a certain point people need to realize what they have and setup things before the inevitable happens.
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I've spent the last 10 years watching a 7 figure car collection go to rust because the 92 year old man that owns them still claims he's gonna get around to them some day. I'm sorry but you aren't gonna live forever and you could literally create some generational wealth for your family but instead you're being selfish and looking at rusting junk in your yard and dreaming of what could have been not will be. (btw not my family a friends grandfather).
I do think part of it is that as you get older holding onto the things that make you happy becomes more and more important. Those 20+ receivers in a closet are happiness today even if you'll never use them while downsizing is just sadness with no return for yourself.
Absolutely the best way to achieve a dead listening space...Changed my vote, I did!
After much debate (with myself), I've now decided to have my gear buried with me.
Why? Cause, I might get bored, and will have something to listen to. Those celestial "Harps" might get old, real quick!
I'll be careful to leave specific instructions for amplitude level, as I don't want to awaken the rest of the "Dead".
Hopefully, my 300 disc SONY will suffice for listening content, and hope by then, my memory won't be as sharp as it is right now, although the "edge" may not be as cutting as I think it is, eh?
And yer already thinking about the battery? Well, got that covered with a solar panel on my Stone. Just have to have someone to clean it ever so often.
Yep, got all my listening bases covered, so no need to worry bout what happens to my audio gear after...I'm gone.
Q
Quadman2
Lunatic Member
Uncertainty and fear of what's on the other side is probably a contributing factor to this mindset.
all listed with approximate values.
son gets it all, with strong recommendation that if it's sold, he keeps the $ for something to further his station in life.
under no circumstances should the items or $ from sale go to his mother.
even tho it paid for itself, she always hated my hobby.
son gets it all, with strong recommendation that if it's sold, he keeps the $ for something to further his station in life.
under no circumstances should the items or $ from sale go to his mother.
even tho it paid for itself, she always hated my hobby.
My plan is to gift my gear to family, friends and/or people who appreciate good audio gear BEFORE I die. I have already started doing this and just want to down to having only the gear/speakers I actually use. I typically have three setups I use on a regular basis. I hardly ever swap components to and from my stash of into these setups so may stash is what I am liquidating now. In today's world of streaming and earbuds, I am finding that there aren't a lot of people who appreciate good hi-fi components that take up space.
I'm thinking of this as well.
I made a document named "In case of my unexpected demise" which has contact info for various people who might be interested in buying my vinyl, stereo gear, and my huuuuge collection of plastic airplane models. My brother has this doc, which also has all of my passwords. There is no way in hell I'd want to put my wife through the ordeal of disposing of my hoard.
I do have one grand-niece who is into vinyl, I've sent her a lot of albums. She's in college, but when she graduates, I'd love to hook her up with a nice system. Right now she's content with her Crosley (shudder). I gave a cute Panasonic receiver with round green tuning dials that look like the dashboard of a '70s muscle car, and he loves it. I've hooked up a few of my wife's cousins' kids with vintage turntables or amps. I think I'll start having conversations over the holidays with younger family members and the children of my friends to see if they have any interest.
So I expect SOME of my gear will end up with family or friends, some will be sold to flippers, and some will be landfill. And I'm going to start downsizing next spring around the time people get their tax refunds. I've always found that is the best time of year to sell.
I made a document named "In case of my unexpected demise" which has contact info for various people who might be interested in buying my vinyl, stereo gear, and my huuuuge collection of plastic airplane models. My brother has this doc, which also has all of my passwords. There is no way in hell I'd want to put my wife through the ordeal of disposing of my hoard.
I do have one grand-niece who is into vinyl, I've sent her a lot of albums. She's in college, but when she graduates, I'd love to hook her up with a nice system. Right now she's content with her Crosley (shudder). I gave a cute Panasonic receiver with round green tuning dials that look like the dashboard of a '70s muscle car, and he loves it. I've hooked up a few of my wife's cousins' kids with vintage turntables or amps. I think I'll start having conversations over the holidays with younger family members and the children of my friends to see if they have any interest.
So I expect SOME of my gear will end up with family or friends, some will be sold to flippers, and some will be landfill. And I'm going to start downsizing next spring around the time people get their tax refunds. I've always found that is the best time of year to sell.