Yeah, unsurprising after last week’s adventures, my mind turns to mortality, and what happens to our collections of nerd treasure when we die?

I’ll probably revisit this one again in upcoming weeks, because I’m going to need to do some research.  But I can start with some basics.

1. Make sure your treasure is actually worth something to someone other than you.  Now, you’ll be surprised what is worth money, in all honesty, but you have to research that shit.  Don’t assume that just because you love it that there will be a market for it.

And yeah, there’s some surprising things that people will pay money for.  Old 80s horror novels, in particular from the Zebra Imprint are seeing a renaissance. Comic books, action figures, Legos, Barbies, Cabbage Patch Kids….  I financed a move selling action figures, and Legos, so…?

2. Leave a will with detailed instructions, get that shit officially filed, and make sure you pick an executor who will A. survive you and B. will be up to the task and C. WANTS the task.

3.  Or this should really be 2a. You are going to need to do the research into how to get your shit to the people/places who will most treasure it or be able to actually use it.  If you have an extensive library, research which stores in your area buy used and collectible books, or which libraries and schools take donations.  If you have a lot of toys, get in touch with places that buy them.

4. Get over yourself.  Sometimes you are not going to find people who love and appreciate your stuff like you do.  Frequently, you are not.

If you donate your books to a library, an awful lot of them will be sold off to support the operations of said library because of budget cuts by municipal governments.  I imagine the margin is even worse for things like toys.

No one wants to think of the things they loved being dumped into a landfill when they die.  But that’s whats going to happen to a lot of stuff that we all treasure, especially if you don’t tell people what you want done with your crap, OR where it is.  Please leave a list of storage units with your keys to said units or the combinations, and entrance codes for the people cleaning out your stuff if you want it to be dispersed the way YOU want it to be.

So I’ll be looking into a few things that you might be able to do with your crap when you die.  Costumers, consider donating to theater groups or schools with theater programs, especially if you’re plus-sized.  I’ll be checking with libraries and other organizations to see what they want, can use, etc…  And I’ll be doing this with an eye to the sorts of things we all tend to accumulate.

The other option is selling off your collection while you’re still alive and able to enjoy the money, but we can talk about that later.

I know that the majority of my crap, even and especially the crap I love the most is really not worth anything.  Most of my books are mass market.  I have a few good action figures left, but most of them are ones I’ve pulled out of the boxes to play with.  I have a lot statues that are “numbered editions” but aren’t anything anyone else is really into.

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