Re: [ARSCLIST] Th Future of Collecting

[David Lennick <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx wrote:

> In a message dated 2/25/2006 6:03:59 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> I feel sorry for whoever has to deal with my accumulation when I'm gone, but
> it ain't gonna be my problem
> ******************
>
> No need to feel sorry. There are people who make a good living filling and
> hauling away dumpsters of stuff like that. http://www.1800gotjunk.com/index.asp
>
> The people I feel sorry for are the ones who go to great pains to donate
> their collections to museums or institutions that they think will preserve and
> care for them.  I've seen people's life work end up in the trash after they
> hauled it across the continent just to get it to the museum.
>
> I suppose it's OK if it lets them die happy, but it seems that there should
> be a better way. Ebay may be the best we have for now.
>
> Mike Csontos

The dumpster was the destination for a couple of thousand 78s in Erie PA last
summer. A lot of stuff in decent condition, but finding homes for Perry Como,
Dorothy Shay, Vaughn Monroe and common dance band stuff even in pristine condition
isn't a snap when the owner of the house is moving to Texas and the dumpster costs
$300 a day. I took several hundred 78s that I wanted (free!)..offered to make a few
phone calls to see if anyone else wanted to come over and help themselves, but
unless they could get there that DAY the stuff was going byebyes. At that point I
started emptying all the good albums.

As for collections I've picked up that represented people's life's work, or
donations of beautiful accumulations to institutions, I now own most of the Bill
Givens collection (big band and popular) and a substantial chunk of the Carnegie
Collection and other donations that had been at Hobart-William Smith College in
Geneva NY, as well as a number of private collections in the Toronto area.

dl