Planning for the End (What To Do With Your Vinyl After Death)

Hemotep

Hemotep

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Sorry for the morbid question but I've honestly been thinking about this quite a bit lately as I need to update my will soon and I'd like to hear others thoughts on the topic.

What are you planning to do with your vinyl collection when you die?

In my case, I don't have kids to leave it to or family members who I think would want it or who I really would want to have it. My wife doesn't care about vinyl either. And I don't really want her to have to deal with it when I die (which hopefully won't be for a long time, but who the heck knows in this world....) I'd much rather have a plan so that she can get the money from them with the least amount of hassle for her. But it seems really tough to plan as I am simultaneously unhinged in my collecting lately and need to really cut back this year, which I have completely failed in the last couple months!

So far I think I've decided that if I ever find out that my time left is limited that I'll sell most all of it for her and only keep what I'd want most with me toward the end. Again, I hope that's not for a long time, but I'd like to know what others have thought of doing.
 
No plans for my own at this time. If it were to happen sooner than later, I'd hope my wife would keep hers, the kiddo's and whichever of mine she wanted, then let our friends pick at the rest for what they want. Longer term, not sure.

I do also have a friend with complex health issues for whom I am named one of two beneficiaries. The other guy gets all her Tool records, I get her Tom Waits, and we decide between us over the rest.
 
It's a painful questions for mostly obvious reason--death, the impact on others of my irrational behavior, death. Can't say I have a plan, though I do feel that my efforts to curate my collection, such as by working to enter it all into discogs and to maintain some semblance of organization within my home, are aimed at 'assisting' with the posthumous effort. Of course I'd like to think that a long life will provide me the opportunity to deal with it myself, but I'm not even sure how that might work!
 
Russ I said:
It's a painful questions for mostly obvious reason--death, the impact on others of my irrational behavior, death. Can't say I have a plan, though I do feel that my efforts to curate my collection, such as by working to enter it all into discogs and to maintain some semblance of organization within my home, are aimed at 'assisting' with the posthumous effort. Of course I'd like to think that a long life will provide me the opportunity to deal with it myself, but I'm not even sure how that might work!
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This is pretty much where I am too! It's really a tough thing to figure out a best plan for. With my books a bunch are professional and they'd make a great library for students at my school so I'd probably donate them to the department or to a student on their way to grad school. And I have friends who'd want a lot of the others cause they collect books. But my vinyl is another story and actually worth something while the books are mainly just valuable to me.
 
Hemotep said:
This is pretty much where I am too! It's really a tough thing to figure out a best plan for. With my books a bunch are professional and they'd make a great library for students at my school so I'd probably donate them to the department or to a student on their way to grad school. And I have friends who'd want a lot of the others cause they collect books. But my vinyl is another story and actually worth something while the books are mainly just valuable to me.
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But don't you also wonder whether the vinyl will remain valuable? I have a lot of books too (haha!) and there was a time when they were valuable! Very similar to records now where special first pressings were limited in number and in high demand, lots of autographed books, small-house publishers offering variants. Now I can't give that shit away. I feel certain we're at or near the peak of it all with vinyl right now, and I think it's tough to predict where things will go from here. The only thing worse than thinking about your question is imagining that it'll all be relatively worthless at some point. (Though I suppose that would make it easier to justify just dumping it somewhere!)
 
Russ I said:
But don't you also wonder whether the vinyl will remain valuable? I have a lot of books too (haha!) and there was a time when they were valuable! Very similar to records now where special first pressings were limited in number and in high demand, lots of autographed books, small-house publishers offering variants. Now I can't give that shit away. I feel certain we're at or near the peak of it all with vinyl right now, and I think it's tough to predict where things will go from here. The only thing worse than thinking about your question is imagining that it'll all be relatively worthless at some point. (Though I suppose that would make it easier to justify just dumping it somewhere!)
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I agree, and definitely think the vinyl bubble will pop soon. I'm mostly thinking about right now and it's hard to predict the future if they do tank. But I'd guess it'll probably pop with the next economic downturn when crypto or student loans or housing again pops. Honestly if it becomes worthless then it's not as stressful cause then it can just be donated without any real loss to my wife if she doesn't want it.

Edit: of course she'd probably be mad I didn't just sell it all now, lol
 
I've been working to reduce what I have, but I figure if/when that day comes, my wife will call the local record store and they'll take all of it. Its not really going to be worth selling it off piecemeal for someone who's not into it as a hobby. I don't really have anyone that I'd leave the records to, maybe if one of my nieces or nephews are still into it when they're adults. You have to think about it though, It would cost alot of money to move a 1000+ record collection any kind of distance. Once you get it there, it requires lots of space. Most people don't have time for that.
 
Kris said:
I've been working to reduce what I have, but I figure if/when that day comes, my wife will call the local record store and they'll take all of it. Its not really going to be worth selling it off piecemeal for someone who's not into it as a hobby. I don't really have anyone that I'd leave the records to, maybe if one of my nieces or nephews are still into it when they're adults. You have to think about it though, It would cost alot of money to move a 1000+ record collection any kind of distance. Once you get it there, it requires lots of space. Most people don't have time for that.
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Yeah my neices and nephew live in Washington state, I don't even want to think about how much it would cost to send 1000+ albums from Georgia to there. But if they do happen to get into vinyl I'd absolutely hook them up with some packages from my collection cause it would be fun to have that shared interest.
 
Hemotep said:
Yeah my neices and nephew live in Washington state, I don't even want to think about how much it would cost to send 1000+ albums from Georgia to there. But if they do happen to get into vinyl I'd absolutely hook them up with some packages from my collection cause it would be fun to have that shared interest.
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Yes, I’ve been doing that exact thing. Everyone in my family got record players this year so they all got care packages lol.
 
I hope my daughter (who is only 11) gets into them - my father passed away a few years back and my mother let me at the collection just before Christmas... literally was 'take whatever you want'. Packed 30 records into my carry on case including OG mono pressings of the Beatles & the Stones, a TONNE of Dylan, James Taylor, some random soul etc. A look at Discogs and some are worth well over $200 each (not that I would ever sell them).
Sure I collect - but it's been literally the most precious and meaningful way I can remember Dad. To me they are priceless, a look back into his life, his music tastes over the journey of his life - including records I grew up listening to over and over and over.
I hope my daughter comes to the same realisation. I hope records stay around a long time. They are the antithesis to our overwhelmingly digital lives.

This is actually a moving little thread @Hemotep - thank you.
 
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