Thread: We Cannot Take it With Us.

We have a will and our son will get the stuff.

What my wife wants is a pictorial record of all the stuff with as much info as possible included.

This is a good idea. I doubt few of our family members would know the difference between a Livi and a GEM. In particular, her Grandfather's razor (my first) needs to be preserved and marked.

The thought of it all going to Goodwill in a box makes me a bit ill.

So, this is a bit of a wake up call to myself to get the documentation under way. I would really rather go to the dentist.

I don't have any sons or daughters to leave my shaving collection to. None of my brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, or friends have shown any interest in wet shaving either. I would like to ensure they will be used and enjoyed. So I am leaning towards donating the collection to the monthly giveaway on SRP.

But I'm hoping, and God willing, that time is still far in the future.

I guess I should start selling off most of my stuff.

Not that I am anywhere near the end....hopefully

The hardest part is making the listings.
If it weren't for that I would have only the few that have special meaning to me.

I have more razors than I would ever use in my lifetime.

I think if everyone donated ONE to the giveaway, that would be a GREAT IDEA!
Let someone get a SUPER NICE razor that shares our LOVE of this lifestyle/hobby...

Just a thought.

Now to go through and find one to donate...
Duck...or something else?

Have thought about this before but haven't shared my thoughts with the family. I don't have a large collection (unless you ask SWMBO) but a few with some value. only one son with a mild interest who i'll most likely put in charge. two razors i'd like saved one of which was a gift from said son and the other a gift to myself on my 50th. the rest can be sold on Ebay and a few donated to the SRP give away. hope they treasure the brushes i've made though.

I was going to start a similar thread, due to some circumstances that recently developed in my life, and I still think I will, because the warning I want to offer is on the topic, but pertinent to the point to the extent that it deserves a stand alone thread.

Anyway ......... I'm going to be 68 years old, if I make it, in less than 2 weeks. I'm in pretty good shape physically, AFAIK, and exercise daily. Still, we all have to go, and in general we don't know the day or the hour.

Due to the aforementioned recent experience I have been thinking of this inevitable eventuality, and I'm planning on making a will. I've got a lot of 'stuff' and no family, so probably will be leaving the swag to my church for them to reap whatever profits my hoard brings.

Originally Posted by rolodave

We have a will and our son will get the stuff.

What my wife wants is a pictorial record of all the stuff with as much info as possible included.

This is a good idea. I doubt few of our family members would know the difference between a Livi and a GEM. In particular, her Grandfather's razor (my first) needs to be preserved and marked.

The thought of it all going to Goodwill in a box makes me a bit ill.

So, this is a bit of a wake up call to myself to get the documentation under way. I would really rather go to the dentist.

Turning 70 last week triggered similar thoughts. My wife and daughter think such an interest in shaving is silly, and my son has had a beard for 10 years, so there is no one who would want my stuff. Making a pictorial record is a good idea, as my son is a computer expert and could easily list my razors on eBay, so at least my wife would enjoy the income. A few of my favorites will go to people who were generous with their time to mentor me when first starting out, and have remained friends.

My wife and I both have wills leaving everything, house, cars, and personal property to our trust. Legally in California handling possessions this way avoids any need to have the Courts involved. Our son is our trustee and distribution of the estate is completely up to him. Since my son straight shaves and smokes a pipe, all my razors and pipes will be his.

Just got here, Thanks John!!

Kicking the bucket isn't the problem! At 76, with no pension 'cept Antisocial Insecurity, the move to smaller quarters is! The responsibility and cost of running an older home through four distinct seasons is getting a bit much.

Even with the razor displays, there is too much stuff to have in anything but boxes/ and totes...and? Then comes...where to put those boxes is next. Yes there are some things I will want to keep. Personal re-scales are among them. I am getting a bit shaky so I am concerned about long term difficulties.I hate to get rid of the small machine shop but, needs must.

As far as a will, that is done and checked every couple of years to assure that it will stand the tests of new regulations.
I have all the signed paperwork that immediately gives anything left to my kids, one in particular as owner. ( Short aside: IF you have not set up your financial living will in a long time...DO IT! The gov't has changed many rules to get what we thought was our bequest. New paperwork is necessary. )

If I keep all the stuff, the highest probability is to have it all disappear into a box at an in-law's to then deteriorate. Then to be thrown out later or to sell to a shop for pennies on a dollar. ( I was called by a shop keeper to evaluate a large tote of shave gear from an estate. I gave him a valuation of $1-6K. He told me later that he paid USD $125.........................)

I would have hoped to sell the accumulation of shave stuff as a single sale but........................

Think now avoid painting yourself into a corner ( Thanks Tom!! )

~Richard

Good idea for a thread-I too certainly miss Neil and Bill's expertise, and Bill's gruff, no-nonsense posts and beautiful brush postings.

As for myself, my collection is modest compared to some, but still I have some very nice custom gear. I'm sure I will divide it up between my two sons, who will both hopefully use and treasure it, and remember "dear old Dad" each time they use one of my brushes, razors, or strops for a shave. I will also have to divvy up my guitars and my fly-fishing gear (that will go to my youngest, as the other one has no interest).

As for a will, the wife and I have talked about it for years. Both in our early 50's, but you never know. We need to do it asap!

Having recently been the executor of two, Trusts and wills. It is especially true that creating them is only half the work. 2 years later, I am still dealing with one of the trust.

For trust, the vast majority make a trust, then never fund the trust, transfer property in to the trust, making the trust useless.

With wills, as said make sure your executor knows, that you have a will/ trust, what you want and where ALL the documents are and the assets/property, (E.g., storage).

A small safe, file or bank safe deposit box are good for keeping all the documents in one place.

If you use a safe or bank safe deposit box, make sure the executors know the combination or where the keys are stored, and that they are authorized access to the safe box. Yes, as executors they will eventually be allowed access, if they find the trust and will and know where to go, (which bank), but it can take time.

Additionally, now days, many institutions are going paperless, so if you don’t have statements, for the executors to follow a paper trail…

If it is in a computer, make sure they have all the user names and passwords.

Proper planning and letting those responsible know, where everything is, and annual updating, (it is easy to accumulate assets and not include them in the trust or for thing to change, marriages, births, deaths), will make completing your wishes possible.
Unfortunately, most folks, will not have the same level of passion/obsession for our possessions, and will simply be in the blow it out mind set. I see this all the time at auctions and Estate Sales.

So, you may be better off selling it off yourself, at least knowing that whoever is buying it has some passion about it and not just buying wholesale to make a small profit or just letting it rust and rot away.