[Milsurplus] Disposition of gear upon passing

[2ndjimmy]

Hello all,

I'm a lurker on the Milsurplus list, but feel compelled to speak up now.

In the area of research in which I specialize, other enthusiasts amass large 
collections over the decades, some important to the subject, some less so, 
but still representing, in each case, many years of collecting and 
investigation.  In some instances, when such a collector has passed 
unexpectedly, the family dealt with the collections by putting it in the 
dumpster.  Irreplaceable materials have thereby been lost, and there are 
several variations of  similar 'horror stories.'  I think this is clearly an 
analagous situation to that being currently discussed here.

One of the organizations I work with on occasion is trying to address the 
situation by urging everyone who has any significant collection to create a 
succession plan to make their wishes known about disposition of the 
collection.  This organization provides some suggestions on the content of 
such a plan (although it is aimed at a different kind of collection).

It seems to me that this approach might be valuable in the situations you 
are dealing with.

Best regards to all,
- Jim Klotz