Texas Johnny
Corporal
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2019
- Location
- Texas
I have been collecting ACW artifacts since I was a kid in Georgia and found my first minié ball at about age 8 or so. In my younger days, after moving to Texas, a friend of mine and I would head east at least twice a year, sometimes as far a Virginia, to metal detect for artifacts. Over the years I have traded for and purchased all types of artifacts. The last number of years I have been adding to my firearms collection and now have a fair number of war time firearms.
I am now in my 70s, fortunately right now in very good health, but I have begun to think about what to do with my collection when I am gone. My wife has put up with me and my collection, but she has no real interest in keeping the collection. I have started doing write-ups on the more valuable items in the collection. I also have an Excel file where I have everything catalogued with the item name, description, when I obtained it, how obtained (dug, purchased, or traded), etc. There are over 500 items in my Excel file, but it doesn’t count for instance each individual minié ball, I have probably a 1,000 plus minié balls.
I am very interested in what others are planning on doing as far as what will happen to their collection when they are gone. Would it be better to contact one of the auction houses and provide them with my collection inventory? I haven’t much experience with auctions, except for purchasing a few firearms. Any recommendations? I would appreciate your thoughts and input.
I am now in my 70s, fortunately right now in very good health, but I have begun to think about what to do with my collection when I am gone. My wife has put up with me and my collection, but she has no real interest in keeping the collection. I have started doing write-ups on the more valuable items in the collection. I also have an Excel file where I have everything catalogued with the item name, description, when I obtained it, how obtained (dug, purchased, or traded), etc. There are over 500 items in my Excel file, but it doesn’t count for instance each individual minié ball, I have probably a 1,000 plus minié balls.
I am very interested in what others are planning on doing as far as what will happen to their collection when they are gone. Would it be better to contact one of the auction houses and provide them with my collection inventory? I haven’t much experience with auctions, except for purchasing a few firearms. Any recommendations? I would appreciate your thoughts and input.