[Rockhounds] AD- Downsizing / collections important?

[Alan Goldstein]

I've been interested in the disposition of collections since I was a high school volunteer at the local museum working on the Gerard Troost collection (ca 1810-1850). I was so impressed by this collection, I started cataloging my own back in 1977. While curator at this museum 33 years ago, I was involved with accessioning the Tharp-Greenaway collection (ca 1870 - 1970), with lots of related papers & correspondence. It was pretty cool. There was a piece of nickel ore that had been analyzed by Thomas Edison!

My first experience with helping dispose of a collection was the Jean & Gordon Unger collection in 2011. The daughter donated the collection to the Falls of the Ohio State Park and I organized a sale that brought in folks from all over the region with the proceeds benefiting the park and Foundation.

Now I'm helping with the Garza's and Steve's collection is 20 to 50x larger. Since Steve is still around, the objective is not the same as it was for the Unger's. 

It has me thinking about my collection and those of my friends. At least one has a collection that approaches Steve's in size, but without much organization. (Specimens are in original collecting buckets or flats, not have been displayed.) I have a codicil to my will that tell my family what to do with the collection. Most of the fossils will be split among a couple of museums. Likewise some local minerals, while most will eventually be earmarked for sale. I'm not there yet as I still use some in displays and as fodder for articles. I hope to handle the disposition of the collection myself!

I'd like to hear what other members in the list plan to do with their collections. Sell? Donate? Landfill?

Alan G.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rockhounds <rockhounds-bounces at rockhounds.drizzle.com> On Behalf Of larryrush at att.net
Sent: Wednesday, January 1, 2020 3:39 PM
To: 'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors' <rockhounds at rockhounds.drizzle.com>
Subject: [Rockhounds] AD- Downsizing

New Year's Greetings....Rockhounds!

After a long absence, I have re-started my old website, offering good quality minerals at reasonable prices.
It is with some bittersweetness that I am doing this, having decided to retire from mineral collecting and selling, after a 60 year love affair with all aspects of same. 
Age and health are forcing me to downsize (a painful exercise!!), and the website is a first effort to that end. 
The site is not yet complete, but I plan to offer material in stages, the first being my sales stock, followed by my personal collection (some 1500 pieces).

Please visit, when time permits, and tell me of any errors, or problems you find, and what I can do to make this effort appealing.......

www.connroxminerals.com

Larry


Larry Rush     www.connroxminerals.com
BS Geology
Guilford, CT

Never trust atoms.....they make up everything!



_______________________________________________


_______________________________________________
Rockhounds mailing list
Subscription Services:  http://rockhounds.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds_rockhounds.drizzle.com
List Usage Policy: http://Tomaszewski.net/Kreigh/Rockhounds/Rockhounds.shtml