My family might keep some, sell or give away some, or throw the whole lot in the trash. I'll have no say in the matter.
In the end this is all just "stuff". I'll either be singing in the Bass section, or playing in the Trumpet section. Maybe a little of both. There will be people to see, and some I don't care to see. I'll be busy.
In any event, I'm not going to know, or care what became of my earthly possessions.
Once I'm gone it's no longer up to me unless I specifically will something. My kids have no to little interest in them. I had my fun and then I'm done.
If when comes the time I'll make pre arrangements to have them sold and proceeds go to an animal rescue or the kids. Preferably in that order. My kids will be well taken care of through other means. Maybe an animal rescue can benefit from my hobby.
GVDobler posted:If you have a $100k worth of trains. Tell your heirs that they will be lucky to net $25-30k and then they won't be holding out for an unrealistic figure. 2cents
About 18 years ago my dad and I looked to buy an existing HO layout from a widow. She had an idea that it was worth 18k. We offered 5k based on research and consultation with others. She didn't account for the fact that it wasn't built to be moved, and while there were some really well built FOS models, a lot of it was not as high end. Then here kids wanted to come in and take for them some of the more valuable locomotives. They all had very unrealistic expectations, so we passed, no harm no foul.
Don't make your family think your train collection will net them huge money as GVDobler said, it won't happen. This is the worst thing to deal with as I have looked at other collections since then, and people especially think that PW Lionel is still fetching 1990's type dollars.
wb47 posted:Mine to the dumpster, had my fun, family needs to move on. Only land and guns have a future life.
Let me know where your dumpster is!
Mine will make it too the nearest dumpster
I told my wife to call a few of my train friends and let them take whatever they wanted. Then the rest were to be taken to the landfill, only to insure that a certain bottom feeder who was asked to leave our train group a few years ago wouldn't get them.
H1000 posted:wb47 posted:Mine to the dumpster, had my fun, family needs to move on. Only land and guns have a future life.
Let me know where your dumpster is!
Count me in also.....LOL
When you are the last person and you have a lot of brass you probably do care that the government doesn't get it. Well, at least I do.
It is a good subject, though, as it would be nice for items to stay around rather than fill a landfill while they are still in good shape. Money aside, it would be nice for some things to carry on.
I have a module that was on a museum layout originally that has passed through several hands. I plan to enhance it but pay some tribute to the original building who has likely passed away.
Donate to a local club or kid that might be interested in the hobby seems like a good approach to not just fill a landfill.
Who knows - classic cars that were left to rust in barns are suddenly worth serious cash again...
In my case it won't ever be a problem, if I can follow the famous Woody Allen philosophy....
" I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying."
SundayShunter posted:In my case it won't ever be a problem, if I can follow the famous Woody Allen philosophy....
" I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying."
I just got an idea!
When I am finished with my trains I will send them all to England and try and convert some Poms. Ha, Ha Roo.
Roo posted:SundayShunter posted:In my case it won't ever be a problem, if I can follow the famous Woody Allen philosophy....
" I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying."
I just got an idea!
When I am finished with my trains I will send them all to England and try and convert some Poms. Ha, Ha Roo.
You've got my address mate !!! 
I wouldn't want my collection to be a burden...and lets not kid ourselves....unless the family is interested in the trains they are indeed a burden. Not really what I want to stick my family with. Short of something very unexpected I'll start selling when the time seems right and before that make it known that they can donate them, chuck em in the trash, or sell them if they so desire should something happen...but any and all of those options are fine with me.
The trains are inventoried and my wife has that inventory along with a list of the top auction houses. If I go first she'll get the best deal she can with one of the houses, sell it all, take what money she gets, and use it for something else. My view of the trains is I have them for my pleasure/entertainment/enjoyment and after I'm gone they will revert to what they really are - a semi-random collection of items that are now in need of re-distribution.
TO Robert B. I like it!!!!
I have everything inventoried in case of a sudden departure but hopefully everything will either be sold or given away before my expiration date.
They end up in the polar express broken toy cars, LOL
I know for a fact that my collection will most likely end up in the garbage. I have a son and daughter but neither is married and there's no spouse anywhere on the horizon. My daughter doesn't like or want kids so no one to share my hobby . My son is only half interested but he lives 1000 miles from me. When I pass, he might take a few trains but most are worthless to him or anyone else. The layout will get cut up and tossed because my wife only tolerates my hobby as my parents did 50 years ago. The freight cars are all plastic and most have been modified either by painting them or changing the couplers to KADEE.
I have stopped buying cars and locomotives and tried to senic the layout and finish laying track. I don't have a yearly budget to spend. I do a lot of scrounging. Most of my scenery material comes from nature, ie. Dirt, leaves , sand and gravel, weeds and branches. My buildings are made of MDF and cardstock, all of which will make a very nice flame in the fire pit.
If you enjoy them, there worth a million,,
I told my wife and kids take what they want, then look at the Greenberg's pocket price book at the highest price, then try to get 40 percent of that. List on forums or various Facebook site. The price would be fair to all
No idea! I will be gone!!
Gunny
I'm guessing my disciples (grandkids and one nephew) will have no trouble taking in my orphaned trains. It took me a lifetime to turn them into rivet counters. The oldest of the lot already are coveting their favorite motive power. I actually act as trustee for a few modern road pieces that I leave in the charge of my oldest grandson. This way I don't appear to spoil him. He runs them more than I do. Everybody wins.
I love this hobby.
Lets look at disposal another way. First is no money involved. Since reading the replies I have changed my mind about trashing everything to my way of thinking (now), throwing the lot in a bin for the garbage tip everyone loses so if someone is not in a position to sell it leaves three options.
Donate to a club.
Donate to a charity of your choice (We have a Salvation Army store near us and will pick up we donate clothes and books to them )
Donate to friends.
I haven't said donate to your children as some might not have that option I know one of my sons would like some of the trains he has two sons who love them when they visit, maybe that's where some might go. I find it this an interesting topic and appreciate the replies I thank you all for that. I have to go the missus is yelling at me to get off the computer !
I have an older friend in not so great health. At one time he could have cared less what happened to his massive HO and G scale collection when he was gone. He is a life long bachlor so no kids and barely any living family left. However, after a couple local modelers passed and he saw all the infighting, bickering and so forth of the local modelers and the familys over what amounts to just toys, he changed his mind. He got with a lawyer and had a living will made up to specify who gets what among his friends and so forth. My wife knows who to call should something happen to me and she needs to clear out my stuff. After I am gone, as long as they go to a good home I will be happy. I am will be busy being a train crews guardian angle in the afterlife! Mike the Aspie
Roo posted:SundayShunter posted:In my case it won't ever be a problem, if I can follow the famous Woody Allen philosophy....
" I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying."
I just got an idea!
When I am finished with my trains I will send them all to England and try and convert some Poms. Ha, Ha Roo.
Jordan's younger than us Nev so he can get some of these frighteningly accurate 3d models of us done and populate the remaining O-scale layouts when no-one's looking...!
Jason
Jason Dickie posted:Roo posted:SundayShunter posted:In my case it won't ever be a problem, if I can follow the famous Woody Allen philosophy....
" I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying."
I just got an idea!
When I am finished with my trains I will send them all to England and try and convert some Poms. Ha, Ha Roo.
Jordan's younger than us Nev so he can get some of these frighteningly accurate 3d models of us done and populate the remaining O-scale layouts when no-one's looking...!
Jason
Yes Jason. By the time he wants some more rolling stock it will be just a matter of going out to the workshop and slipping a plan into a machine and an hour later out pops a boxcar ! Sound like science fiction if you wrote that 10 years ago ! 
Yes the grandkids tell me you can do this with chocolate on a 3d printer. I say, but not as big as O-scale surely - maybe N-scale. And they say 'OK grandpa, still a good Christmas present'. 
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